Ethics Midterm Ethical Egoism

Front 1

What is Ethical Egoism?

Back 1

A moral theory that tells us about what we are morallyrequired and forbidden to do

Ethical egoism says that there is one ultimate moral duty --> to improve your own well being as best you can

Front 2

What are the 2 arguments in favour of ethical egoism?

Back 2

1. Self reliance argument

2. Best argument for ethical egoism

Front 3

What is the self reliance argument?

Back 3

1. The most effectiveway of making everybody better off is for each person to mind his own business,and tend only to his own needs

2. We ought to takethe most effective path to making everyone better off

3. Therefore, we eachought to mind our own business and tend only to our own needs

--> 2 problems with this argument --> 1st premise is false and 2nd premise cannot be acceptedby egoists (since ultimate moral duty is to maximise personal benefit)

Front 4

What is the best argument for ethical egoism?

Back 4

1. If you are morallyrequired to do something, then you have good reason to do it

2. If there is goodreason for you to do something, then doing it must make you better off

3. Therefore, if youare morally required to do something, then doing it must make you better off

--> Author states that Argument is logically valid + both premises are widely accepted (althoughpremise 2 could be argued to be incorrect)

Front 5

What is the 1 argument that criticises ethical egoism?

Back 5

The argument for paradigm cases

Front 6

Explain the argument for paradigm cases

Back 6

1. If an ethicaltheory requires killing, rape, or theft, just because such actions maximizeself-interest, then that theory cannot be true

2. Ethical egoismsometimes requires such actions, just because they sometimes do maximise self-interest

3. Therefore, ethicalegoism cannot be true

--> Ethical egoists can either reject the first premise, or reject the second premise

Front 7

Name three main problem of ethical egoism

Back 7

1. Egoism violatescore moral beliefs (f.e. rape, murder)

2. Egoism cannotallow for the existence of moral rights --> some moral claims may be advantageous to one person, while it is advantageousfor another person to ignore such a claim (f.e. being free of physical attackv.s. the aggressive attacker ignoring this moral claim)

3. Egoism arbitrarilymakes my interest all-important --> we should give complete priority to the interests of a single person over theinterests of everyone else