In this essay, I will be discussing ethical egoism by analyzing three arguments that support it such as the truth of psychological egoism, altruism’s intrusive nature (it robs us of our individuality), and finally, ethical egoism’s explanation of traditional moral truths (it is not opposed to it). Furthermore, I think the Psychological Egoism Argument is a convincing but contentious argument that supports ethical egoism, and I will show this by touching on the main objections to the argument and the responses to these arguments in its defense.
Ethical egoism is a normative moral theory which claims that acting in our own real self-interest is our only obligation. This theory states that the right act according to morality is anyone that makes …show more content…
Psychological egoism is a descriptive theory of morality that says humans naturally or by their nature, tend to behave in any way they judge to best promote their interests. It says humans are ultimately selfish, and always act in self-serving ways and the possibility of altruism or selfless acts are zero. Also, an important point of note is that in contrast to ethical egoism which suggests we should be selfish, psychological egoism says that we are as a matter of fact selfish. This is important to note, as I will be providing an argument from psychological egoism for ethical egoism …show more content…
But I think if mainstream egoism is true, then ethical egoism requires less divergence from normal acts than other standard theories. A fit for inspiration or motivation is hard to decide; any normative theory ethical egoism included is meant to offer guidance and criticism instead of agreeing to whatever we decide to do. When I make an unwise decision, this does not indict ethical egoism, and in support of a theory that suggests unwise decisions.
Lastly, my third argument for ethical egoism has to do with the fact that Altruism is intrusive and self-serving. Ayn Rand said that it does not respect individuality, she authored The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. She was massively in support of ethical egoism, and her reason or arguments for supporting ethical egoism aligns with mine. Her first reason was that the moral duty of selfishness, aided in preserving our
Ethical egoism is a normative moral theory which claims that acting in our own real self-interest is our only obligation. This theory states that the right act according to morality is anyone that makes …show more content…
Psychological egoism is a descriptive theory of morality that says humans naturally or by their nature, tend to behave in any way they judge to best promote their interests. It says humans are ultimately selfish, and always act in self-serving ways and the possibility of altruism or selfless acts are zero. Also, an important point of note is that in contrast to ethical egoism which suggests we should be selfish, psychological egoism says that we are as a matter of fact selfish. This is important to note, as I will be providing an argument from psychological egoism for ethical egoism …show more content…
But I think if mainstream egoism is true, then ethical egoism requires less divergence from normal acts than other standard theories. A fit for inspiration or motivation is hard to decide; any normative theory ethical egoism included is meant to offer guidance and criticism instead of agreeing to whatever we decide to do. When I make an unwise decision, this does not indict ethical egoism, and in support of a theory that suggests unwise decisions.
Lastly, my third argument for ethical egoism has to do with the fact that Altruism is intrusive and self-serving. Ayn Rand said that it does not respect individuality, she authored The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. She was massively in support of ethical egoism, and her reason or arguments for supporting ethical egoism aligns with mine. Her first reason was that the moral duty of selfishness, aided in preserving our