PHI 221 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Ethical Egoism, Psychological Egoism, Deontological Ethics
17 Nov 2017
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Document Summary
The notion that right actions are the ones that produce the greatest balance of good over evil seems commonsensical. The theory that the right action is the one that promotes the most favorable balance of good over evil for oneself. This extreme self-interest is not necessarily selfishness. The theory is not synonymous with self-indulgence or recklessness. Ethical egoism is not the same as doing whatever one desires or whatever gives the most pleasure. Even ethical egoists must consider the long-range effects of their actions. Most of the time, ethical egoists are likely better off cooperating with others and avoiding actions that antagonize other people. Ethical egoism rests heavily on psychological egoism the notion, common in the social and biological sciences, that the ultimate motive for all our actions is self-interest. We are not able to perform an action except out of self-interest (psychological egoism). We are not morally obligated to perform an action unless motivated by self-interest.
