08 PHI - Egoism

Psychological egoism

Descriptive: The ultimate goal / purpose of ones actions is their self interest and there are no altruistic actions.

Ethical egoism

Prescriptive: The ultimate goal / purpose of ones actions should be the pursuit of ones self interest

Altruistic action

An action where you put someone else’s interest above your self. However you can still gain the byproduct of pleasure. Ex. steamboat burning coal example or the exhaust example.

Glaucon on PE

objection: If PE is true then why do we follow a moral code?

Gluacon: because a moral code is in our self interest

Glaucon argument for PE

If there were no consequences for pursuing ones true self interest, like in the ring of gyges example due to invisibility, even the most good willed person would pursue their true self-interest.

Argument from feelings

1. When a person gets what they really want they feel pleasure

2. This suggests that what people really want is pleasure

Feinberg criticism: You can be an altruistic person and still get pleasure as a byproduct ex. steamboat

common objections to PE

1. Extreme heroism where someone jumps on a grenade to save others

2. Extreme hatred where someone seeks revenge even though it gives them no benefit

3. Objection from love

Objection from love

1. If PE is true then there would not be any genuine caring and love in the world

2. There is genuine caring and love in the world

3. Therefore PE is false

Ourdinary outlook with EE

Our ordinary outlook is not EE because our self interest often conflicts with our morality

ex. killing a lover who threatens to expose, returning a lost wallet, lying on the resume

Gluacon argument for EE

1. live a perfect moral life in the view of the public and pursue self-interest in private

2. be viewed by the public as immoral and be perfectly morally in private

You would choose the doubly blessed life over the doubly wretched life.

obj1: living a doubly blessed life may cause extreme guilt and inner turmoil
obj2: by pursuing EE there would be no room for genuine relationships (objection from love) so the life of the EE would not be so great afterall

common objections for EE

1. conflict resolution becomes a problem ex. president b & k cannot compromise they instead want to kill each other

2. absurd consequences (save europe button)

3. Abrtirartianess: What makes me so special that I get to pursue my self interest? Am I my intelligent? Do i enjoy life more? are my acomplishments greater? Ex. Racism is arbitrary.