Ethical Egoism Paper

Words: 1315
Pages: 6
Open Document
Morgan Mahan
Chen
Ethics
05 October 2015
Ethical Egoism

Most people believe that we should not act out of self interest, because it will lead to a stronger society. Ethical egoists disagree with this statement because they believe everyone should act out of self interest, which would lead to a flourishing society. In an imaginary society inhabited by a single being, it is practical that the objective of morality is the same as the objective of self interest, by means that what is good for him is identical to what is in his interests. In my paper, I will explain what ethical egoism is, explain why some people believe it is wrong, and what happens when an ethical egoist and someone else want the same thing. According to James Rachels, …show more content…
An ethical egoist may also argue that, “even if I could avoid being caught it is still to my advantage to respect the rights and interests of others, for it is to my advantage to live in a society in which people’s rights and interests are respected” (77). To ethical egoists, if you act in self interest, you act on the people who you care about and push them to get them to their goals. Another problem people have with ethical egoists is that a mainly altruistic approach to ethics would be too challenging, by treating each person as a resource, for others, and thus is unsuccessful to respect the truthfulness and freedom of the individual human life. The issue with this argument is that there are other approaches to ethics that are both ethical egoism and altruism. For example, our standard, “common sense” approach to morality declines ethical egoism without being as challenging, as a purely altruistic step would be. The final argument is that ethical egoism provides the best description, and combining principle, for the different moral duties that we think are obligated for us, such as the duty to be honest and to keep our promises. A problem with this argument is that ethical egoism does not describe all of the moral obligations we believe we have. A second, and more serious, …show more content…
Ethical egoism has some fascination in that it appears to be stable with a very reasonable explanation of human nature and that there are few, if any, strong arguments that point to inadequacies in it as a theory. However, it also appears not to be a completely beneficial account of the full difficulty of human conduct which would include the beliefs of care and compassion which require us to contemplate the fascinations of other people as well as our own. Such things seem to reveal for a more inclusive explanation of how humans must behave than egoism
Show More

Related Documents: Ethical Egoism Paper

Ethics: Paper Psychological Egoism

Introduction to Ethics Position Paper Psychological Egoism vs. Altruism It is to be understood that “ethics is the branch study dealing with what is the proper course of action for man” (Jeff Landauer, 2001). It may be concluded that ethics is the philosophical study of what is right or wrong, good or bad, in that part of human conduct for which we are responsible, excluding areas such as etiquette, professional codes, legal and religious codes. Many people raise the question: Is ethics…

Words 711 - Pages 3

Philosophy: Ayn Rand and Wal-mart Essay

Philo Paper #1 In this paper I will argue that Ayn Rand would have supported Wal-Mart’s attorneys during the sex-bias controversy. Rand argued for rational egoism as the guiding moral principle. Ayn Rand would agree with Wal-Mart’s attorneys because she believes that people want to pursue their own happiness. She argued that there should be no interference of the government in a work environment. Though Ayn Rand would oppose the claims made by former workers and current workers I believe she…

Words 393 - Pages 2

Essay on 7 Philosophies

| The Seven Moral Philosophies | Compare and Contrast Research Paper | | Terence A. Betts | 3/27/2011 | Instructor: Kimber Cramer Davenport University | The textbook breaks down seven philosophies used in business decisions; they are Teleology, Egoism, Utilitarianism, Deontology, Relativist, Virtue ethics, and Justice. In this paper I will define each of the seven listed and compare and contrast so that it is clear to decipher each one from the other. Also I will provide an…

Words 1452 - Pages 6

business ethics Essay

Course Exam review Chapter 2 and 3 1.Corporate Social Responsibility: What is corporate social responsibility (CSR)? Is CSR good business? Social Investment: What is the field of social investing? What are social investment criteria? Social/Ethical Auditing Learning Objectives: understand CSR theory and debate, evaluate CSR criteria, formulate your own position on CSR. The Central Focus of CSR Theory: What obligations does a firm have toward society? CSR Definitions: “The idea of social…

Words 2189 - Pages 9

Philosophy: Psychological Egoism Essay

Emily Maloney 1st Paper Assignment 2/21/14 While I Don’t Want to be Writing This Essay Right Now I am Because it Will Benefit my Grade in the Long-Run It’s indisputable that all actions have consequences. So it can also be logical to assume that an individual acts upon possible personal repercussions: this is the basic idea of Psychological Egoism. James Rachels disputes Psychological Egoism with the basic notions that some actions are subconscious, our desires are ultimately good and satisfaction…

Words 758 - Pages 4

Ayn Rand's Objectivism

pleasure. Applying objectivism to the moral dilemmas surrounding abortion offers a distinct perspective that may deviate from other accepted ethical notions. Using the idea of individual rights as a focal point, this paper examines how Ayn Rand's objectivism supports a pro-choice stance on abortion. In ethics, Rand argued for rationality and ethical egoism as the guiding moral principles. She said the individual should "exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing…

Words 492 - Pages 2

Current Ethical Issues in Business Essay

Current Ethical Issue in Business Introduction Ethics and moral obligation are something that we all encounter at one time or another. Even in a professional setting, all persons should act in a manner that would uphold the good of society. Why is it that good, ethical and moral behavior is not always adhered to? Is it because some people do not understand ethics and what it means to be ethical? To be ethical, one has to decide between right and wrong, determine what is for the betterment of…

Words 2847 - Pages 12

Hinduism: Reincarnation and Hinduism Paper Hum / 130

Hinduism Paper HUM/130 August 11, 2013 Hinduism Paper - Unity According to Das Subhamoy (2013), “Hinduism is the world's oldest extant religion, with a billion followers, which makes it the world's third largest religion. Hinduism is a conglomeration of religious, philosophical, and cultural ideas and practices that originated in India, characterized by the belief in reincarnation, one absolute being of multiple manifestations, the law of cause and effect, following the path of righteousness…

Words 429 - Pages 2

Biblical Scriptures Underlying Six Ethical Models Influencing Organizational Practices Essay

Biblical Scriptures Underlying Six Ethical Models Influencing Organizational Practices Author(s): Waymond Rodgers and Susana Gago Source: Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 64, No. 2 (Mar., 2006), pp. 125-136 Published by: Springer Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25123738 . Accessed: 24/11/2014 17:00 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service…

Words 7350 - Pages 30

Leadership Annotated Bibliography Essay

explanation of Leadership traits and it expands upon the knowledge already learned within the classroom. Ethical Leadership Dion, M 2012,"Are ethical theories relevant for ethical leadership?", Leadership and Organization Development Journal, vol. 33 no. 1, pp. 4 – 24 The author’s aim of this study was to find out if ethical theories could be connected to some leadership approaches. In the paper eight leadership approaches are selected: directive leadership, self-leadership, authentic leadership…

Words 2162 - Pages 9