Transcript Ethical Egoism - stevewatson.info

Egoism
Egoism
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Two Kinds
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Psychological
We always do act in our own interest
Egoism

Two Kinds

Psychological
We always do act in our own interest
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Ethical
We always ought to act in our own interest
Psychological Egoism
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Hobbes
No man giveth but with intention of good to himself;
because gift is voluntary; and of all voluntary acts the
object to every man is his own pleasure
Psychological Egoism
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Problems
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The Existence of Altruism
It’s obvious that altruistic actions/motivations occur
Psychological Egoism
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Problems
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The Existence of Altruism
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Mother Theresa
Psychological Egoism
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Problems
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The Existence of Altruism
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Mother Theresa
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Is she just doing it to get to Heaven?
Psychological Egoism
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Problems
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The Existence of Altruism
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The good soldier
Psychological Egoism
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Problems
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The Existence of Altruism
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The good soldier
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Because it’s bad to feel guilty?
Psychological Egoism
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Problems
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Supposing Hidden Motives
There must be effective selfish motivations that we aren’t aware of
Psychological Egoism
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Problems
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Supposing Hidden Motives
There must be effective selfish motivations that we aren’t aware of
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Makes this an unfalsifiable hypothesis, and therefore
vacuous
Ethical Egoism
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Personal Ethical Egoism
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I ought to act in my own interest.
Ethical Egoism
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Personal Ethical Egoism
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I ought to act in my own interest.
Individual Ethical Egoism
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Everyone ought to act in my own interest.
Ethical Egoism
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Personal Ethical Egoism
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Individual Ethical Egoism
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I ought to act in my own interest.
Everyone ought to act in my own interest.
Universal Ethical Egoism
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Everyone ought to act in their own interest.
Ethical Egoism
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Personal Ethical Egoism
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Individual Ethical Egoism
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I ought to act in my own interest.
Everyone ought to act in my own interest.
Universal Ethical Egoism
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Everyone ought to act in their own interest.
Ethical Egoism
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Arguments for it
Ethical Egoism
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Arguments for it
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It’s the default guide to behaviour – altruists should be
made to defend their position
Ethical Egoism
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Arguments for it
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It’s the default guide to behaviour – altruists should be
made to defend their position
Putting others’ interests first is degrading to one’s own
dignity. Altruism is a Slave Morality (Nietzsche.)
Ethical Egoism
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Arguments for it
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It’s the default guide to behaviour – altruists should be
made to defend their position
Putting others’ interests first is degrading to one’s own
dignity. Altruism is a Slave Morality (Nietzsche)
Things turn out better if people are made responsible for
what they know best – themselves; not what they know
least – others
Ethical Egoism
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Arguments against it
Ethical Egoism
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Arguments against it
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It gives prescriptions that we intuitively disagree with
Ethical Egoism
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Arguments against it
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It gives prescriptions that we intuitively disagree with
It fails to satisfy the necessary criteria to be a moral theory
at all
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It’s not universalizable – it leads inevitably to unresolvable conflicts