Psychological egoism

In the case of the trolley problem I would rely on ethical egoism to justify my decision to divert the train, thus saving the five and killing the one. Before I elaborate on my justification it would be wise to explain the major premises that ethical egoism (henceforth, just egoism) asserts. First, the only thing with inherent value according to egoism is self interest. Somewhat like hedonism, egoism demands a careful deliberation of value in any given situation where a moral choice is…

As humans, we are inconsiderate and greedy animals who proceed down the most corrupted path to achieve our goals. Gone are our ethical values when our hunger for success is unleashed. Unconcerned with the wellbeing of others, our lethal daggers plunge into our vulnerable prey. With so many witnesses, why does no one step forward to save the victim? The answer is rather vague, and the ambiguity of the response is meant to mask the shameful reality; we, the human race, are selfishly disgusting. We…

“If you make yourself into a doormat, people will wipe their feet on you,” accommodated from Belizean Proverb. People who usually sacrifice their interests for others at all time, are often either limiting their own success by spending most of their time focusing on others, they never get their own work done, or they are abused by selfish people who view them as people who they can step on and take advantage of. These altruistic people can become the least successful when they cannot overcome…

t’s easy to be selfish, taking everything for yourself and not letting anybody in. Anybody and everybody can be selfish, but I believe there are circumstances that can teach you to be selfless. In the book Night by Elie Wiesel, Elie was put into this circumstance where he needed to be selfless and couldn’t remain selfish. Elie was a very religious boy who had gotten taken by the Nazi’s during World War II and placed in concentration camps. During his time in the camps his father fell ill and…

Though most human actions and desires are undeniably formed in the protection or furtherance of the agent 's personal interest, to say this constitutes the entirety of human interaction would discount the altruistic capabilities of empathetic thought, and consequent action, seen in human beings. In this paper, I will directly respond to ethical egoist , both strategic and metaphysical, arguments in defense of cooperative action being rooted in self-interest. I will begin with a strategic ethical…

Egoistic or Altruistic One of the most common human traits according to researchers is egoism. Egoism is known as the action of individuals directed at their own good. In other words, individuals act for their self-interest or self-benefit. Altruism on the other hand, is the complete opposite of egoism. Altruism is defined as a concern for the welfare of others and is considered a virtue in many cultures, and as such is encouraged (Batson, 1994). So when a person is born, is he predisposed to…

within our friendship, as well as the amount and unnecessary effort, energy and determination on my part to follow out a deed directed towards me, I’d take the winning ticket. Though selfish, if given the opportunity to act on my personal ethical egoism I would, despite the interest of others. Due to the fact that I am acting upon my own self…

It is human nature to find out who they really are; during this process, people’s minds and behaviors are changing over time. In the current generation, the idea of individualism plays a dominant role, which leads the idea of selflessness and helping others almost gone. In the past, people would look out for others, but now, people only care about themselves. Being selflessness is the opposite side of being individualism; selflessness is also introduced as a way of realizing that everything is…

Betiel Brhane October 11, 2015 Explanatory Essay Is Everyone selfish? : An Explanatory Essay A few days ago, in English class, we had a discussion about Physician-Assisted Suicide. Almost everyone in my class believes that it shouldn’t be authorized. I, on the other hand, am a proponent of Physician-Assisted Suicide. Simply, because I believe that everyone should do whatever they want. Then, in the state of confusion of not knowing why so many people disagree with my belief, a thought crossed…

Indian education activist Sadhu Vaswani once stated, “If my love is without sacrifice, it is selfish. Such a love is barter, for there is exchange of love and devotion in return for something. It is conditional love.” Love and sacrifice can be seen as the most challenging traits to display, especially when showing shared humanity, or displaying kindness, sympathy and mercy towards others. In John Steinbeck's novella, Of Mice and Men, he is able to demonstrate the human races’ capacity to share…