1C - Ethical Egoism

studied byStudied by 0 people
0.0(0)
learn
LearnA personalized and smart learning plan
exam
Practice TestTake a test on your terms and definitions
spaced repetition
Spaced RepetitionScientifically backed study method
heart puzzle
Matching GameHow quick can you match all your cards?
flashcards
FlashcardsStudy terms and definitions

1 / 17

encourage image

There's no tags or description

Looks like no one added any tags here yet for you.

18 Terms

1

What is ethical egoism?

⇨ A meta-ethical investigation focused on the agent to give an understanding of norm/behaviour
⇨ Looks at the motives behind an individual's actions
⇨ Do we behave in a manner purely driven by self-interest?
⇨ Opposed to altruism

New cards
2

In 1928, H.A. Pritchard gave a lecture entitled 'Duty and Interest', in which he questioned the true motive behind a dutiful action.
How did Richard Norman summarise Pritchard's argument?

⇨"Pritchard's central argument is this: if justice is advocated on the grounds that it is advantageous to the just person, it is thereby reduced to a form of self-interest."

New cards
3

What is the distinction between ethical egoism and psychological egoism?

⇨ ethical egoism = normative view that all action ought to be motivated by self-interest
⇨ psychological egoism = descriptive view that all human action is motivated by self-interest

New cards
4

Why does ethical egoism not necessarily mean that we always act selfishly in the narrow understanding of the word?

⇨ Acting out of self-interest can be amalgamated with an action that demonstrates concern for others
⇨ Involves a complex consideration of both short/long-term benefits (an action that overtly benefits another in the short-term may have the covert purpose of self-benefit in the long term) e.g. charity
- Short-term self-interest: interests served immediately my baking one feel good about doing the right thing
- Long-term self-interest: developing character/earning merit for afterlife

New cards
5

What does Frankena say about ethical egoism being unselfish?

⇨ "ethical egoism is an ethical theory, not a pattern of action or trait of character, and is compatible with being self-effacing and unselfish in practice"

New cards
6

Give the quote from the 18th Century economist, Adam Smith, that Peter Cave cited.

⇨ "It is not from the benevolence of the butcher...that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest"

New cards
7

To what extent did Max Stirner accept psychological egoism?

⇨ He recognised that the role of what others identify as self-interest in making moral decisions

⇨ Argued that self-interest incorrectly identified the true nature of the 'self'

⇨ Once the true self = realised, assertions of psychological egoism = weakened

New cards
8

What are the five stages to Max Stirner's argument?

1) Self-interest = always slave to something other than the 'self' ∴ not true self interest
2) We do not make free moral choices in relation to religious / philosophical systems of moral behaviour as such systems control us
3) True egoism = realising 'own' and 'owness' by not being driven by religious / philosophical / materialistic frameworks that enslave us
4) True self needs to be free from constraints of external ideologies ∴ unique
5) Only way to engage one's own uniqueness is to cooperate with other unique individuals by being part of a union of egoists

New cards
9

Explain Stirner's idea of the delusion of the past and the true nature of self-interest: the ego (Einzige)

⇨"The habit of the religious way of thinking has biased our mind so...that we deem ourselves depraved by nature, born devils"

⇨ "I am everything to myself and I do everything on my own account."

⇨ Stirnerian response to being asked for money by poor people: 'I give money reluctantly'
- I am not free as I do what my conscience tells me is my obligation, despite me not wanting to. To not help those in need would mean I am bad and not fulfilling my duty

New cards
10

What has Stirner been accused of advocating?

⇨ Amoralism

New cards
11

What does the Stanford Encyclopedia say about Stirner being accused of amoralism?

⇨ This is not entirely true as he rejects fixed moral obligations and not values
⇨ "his rejection of the legitimacy of moral claims is not to be confused with a denial of the propriety of all normative judgement"

New cards
12

Explain Stirner's idea of the future of the self being to realise owness (Eigenheit).

⇨ You must be freed from all obligation to any conscious or subconscious ideal and realise your 'owness'
⇨ "I am my own when I am master of myself, instead of being mastered either by sensuality or by anything else"
∴ in response to giving money, Stirner would argue: 'I do as I please/will'
∴ I am free ∵ I am my own person (owness) and not slave to obligation - this is true freedom and self-interest

New cards
13

Explain Stirner's idea of the future of the self being to activate uniqueness (Einzig).

⇨ The implications of what owness truly means can only be realised through appreciation of oneself as unique

⇨ Being unique = individual freedom from all external conceptual theories

⇨ Being unique does not mean everyone = equal; equality = another conceptual framework; the true egoist has a true appreciation of their self, which inevitably, being unique, cannot be equated with another

New cards
14

What does Stirner reject?

⇨ Egoism as a means for material gain
- "one-sided, narrow egoism"

New cards
15

Explain Stirner's idea of the union of egoists.

⇨ Only way forward = special community unprincipled other than having in common the recognition of the uniqueness of the egoist - the union of egoists

⇨ Society should be composed with the idea of cooperation prevailing in recognition of one's uniqueness so that one's true identity = asserted

⇨ The union would respect uniqueness of each member and support them in their unique pursuit of individual goals, whilst having no shared final ends

⇨ The union exists purely to help each individual achiever unique goals

New cards
16

Explain the challenge of the difficulty in understanding Stirner's work.

⇨ Non-methodical, random, chaotic, repetitive
⇨ Many philosophers struggle to grasp it
⇨ Stanford Encyclopedia: "The plurality of interpretations of his own work might well have... encouraged him in his view that there could be no legitimate constraints on the meaning of a text"

New cards
17

Explain the challenge of the destruction of a community ethos.

⇨ ethical egoism promotes the will of individual over the will of collective people; the state + laws guard exploitation of individuals over others

⇨ Stirner would respond that this very aim to free people is the formula that enslaves them; although this claim has been interpreted as supporting anarchy and official opposition to the state

⇨ Stanford: "Whilst individuals have no duty to overthrow the state, Stirner does think that the state will eventually collapse as a result of the spread of egoism."

New cards
18

Explain the challenge of social injustices and bigotry if individuals put their own interests first.

⇨ Pursuing one's own interests will inevitably be a conflict of interests with others and inevitably lead to social injustices and bigotry

⇨ As one individual accumulates money, others have less

⇨ How can society live according to the demands/needs specific to countless individuals without injustice and bigotry?

New cards

Explore top notes

note Note
studied byStudied by 64 people
213 days ago
4.7(3)
note Note
studied byStudied by 26 people
891 days ago
5.0(1)
note Note
studied byStudied by 25 people
514 days ago
5.0(1)
note Note
studied byStudied by 4 people
688 days ago
5.0(1)
note Note
studied byStudied by 16 people
903 days ago
5.0(1)
note Note
studied byStudied by 10 people
760 days ago
5.0(1)
note Note
studied byStudied by 67 people
701 days ago
5.0(4)
note Note
studied byStudied by 44 people
758 days ago
5.0(3)

Explore top flashcards

flashcards Flashcard (92)
studied byStudied by 11 people
841 days ago
4.0(1)
flashcards Flashcard (116)
studied byStudied by 10 people
800 days ago
5.0(1)
flashcards Flashcard (43)
studied byStudied by 15 people
3 days ago
5.0(1)
flashcards Flashcard (57)
studied byStudied by 17 people
750 days ago
5.0(2)
flashcards Flashcard (40)
studied byStudied by 2 people
177 days ago
5.0(1)
flashcards Flashcard (71)
studied byStudied by 42 people
385 days ago
5.0(4)
flashcards Flashcard (82)
studied byStudied by 41 people
88 days ago
5.0(1)
flashcards Flashcard (222)
studied byStudied by 29 people
646 days ago
5.0(1)
robot