Rational egoism

Why is ego such a terrible word, and why do so many people despise this simple three letter word? Based on both the connotative and denotative meanings of ego and egoist, many would assume they are horrible words, and they would guess that Prometheus is an egoist because he wants to be his own human being, not controlled by others. One doesn’t want people to be all about themselves, but at the same time do one really want someone all up in his or her business? There is a happy medium that can be…

In Landau’s book, The Fundamentals of Ethics, Chapter seven focuses on psychological egoism. The backbone of this theory is that all human actions are driven by human’s egotistical desires. Landau defends this theory by stating, “Psychological egoism is a theory about human motivation: it tells us that our only motivation is to make ourselves better off.” (Landau 106) This means in order for someone to adopt this theory they must believe that even trivial events that seem very altruistic are…

Many would confuse ethical egoism with psychological egoism but there is a difference between these two. Psychological egoism is the view that humans are always motivated by their self-interest. It asserts that people will only be willing to help another person only when there is a personal benefit they can gain from it. On the other hand, Ethical egoism is philosophical Ethical theory that attempts to explain how correct moral behavior should be solely based on principles of self-interest.…

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…

Picture yourself going out for coffee on a normal New York city afternoon, you stumble upon a high intensity scene. You see a man lying on the sidewalk motionless with a crowd surrounding them. There is a woman who appears to be yelling at a fireman who is washing a fire truck just across the street. As soon as you get closer to the scene you realize there are no First responders or EMS workers near the lifeless man. This presents you with an ethical dilemma since you are Ethical egoist, you…

it to convince someone who doesn't. This age old philosophical question between psychological egoism and psychological altruism instantly sparks debate about how we as humans make decisions based off of what we believe is important. Before attempting to comprehend the debate, you should first understand a couple key definitions. According to the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “Psychological Egoism is the idea that we are always deep down motivated by what we perceive to be in our own…

The Wrongs and Rights of Ego in Society “The word which can never die on this earth, for it is the heart of it and the meaning and the glory. The sacred word: Ego” (Rand 123). In the conclusion of Anthem, Prometheus refers to ego as a holy word that defines his newfound independence, but this can’t be entirely true because in modern society the opposite is true. The common man refers to ego as arrogance. How can there be two different outlooks on ego, when realistically, there should be a…

In general, being self-interest person does not mean that you are a greedy person because being self-interest person is a powerful weapon where the individual goes in search of a personal benefit, where the person feels motivated to include social and psychological thoughts. However, being greedy is when you want to have something with access to accumulating and to not share it with others, In other words, someone who thinks of their self. As human beings, we all act with a self-interest mindset…

Before one begins to try and interpret true meaning behind the concept of Individualism, he must first understand the evolution of altruism. At its core, altruism is a form of sacrifice; it is an act of selflessness and kindness. However, as mankind has advanced past the constant struggle to survive, the definition of altruism has shifted from an act of great benevolence and philanthropy, to a social expectation. When society finally understands the fallacy of this concept, the true definition…

In the realm of normative ethical theories there are many choices that can best represent one’s own personal belief structure. The one that best suits my personal thought process and belief structure is Egoism. When I say “I am an egoist” I automatically know what the majority of people will think, and that is “how selfish of you to think only of yourself”? When most people hear the word egoist it is automatically associated to have an extremely negative meaning about a person being a selfish…