Overview
This lecture covers ethical egoism, contrasts it with psychological egoism, examines major arguments for and against ethical egoism, and discusses evolutionary critiques of egoism versus universal benevolence/utilitarianism.
Ethical Egoism: Definition & Main Ideas
- Ethical egoism claims each person ought to pursue their own self-interest exclusively (normative claim about what we should do).
- Main idea: prioritizing one’s own good and happiness over others.
- Ethical egoism does not require avoiding actions that help others if these actions benefit oneself.
Psychological Egoism vs. Ethical Egoism
- Psychological egoism claims people always act in their own self-interest (descriptive, not normative).
- Ethical egoism tells us what we should do; psychological egoism describes what we do.
- Arguments for psychological egoism: we always do what we want, or always do what makes us feel good.
- Critiques: Actions can be motivated by obligation, and good feelings can be a byproduct rather than a motive.
Arguments For & Against Ethical Egoism
- For: Altruism is self-defeating because we know our own interests best, and helping others may not actually help them.
- For: Sometimes helping others benefits us, so ethical egoism may recommend helping others for self-benefit.
- Against: Ethical egoism is arbitrary, giving no reason why one's own interests matter more than others.
- Against: Ethical egoism violates the principle of equal treatment and divides people into “oneself” and “everyone else.”
Evolutionary Critiques & Universal Benevolence
- Evolutionary debunking arguments claim moral attitudes may be shaped by survival needs, not objective truth.
- Ethical egoism is debunked because self-interest is easily explained by evolution, casting doubt on its reliability.
- Universal benevolence/utilitarianism resists this critique because collective concern is not easily reduced to evolutionary advantage.
- Criteria for reliable moral intuitions: (1) careful reflection leads to self-evidence, (2) independent agreement, (3) no evolutionary/non-truth-tracking explanation.
- Universal benevolence meets all three criteria; ethical egoism does not.
Sidgwick’s Dualism of Practical Reason
- Dualism: Rational egoism (self-interest) vs. universal benevolence (good for all) can conflict.
- Sidgwick and Parfit discuss the difficulty of choosing between personal and collective good when they conflict.
- The lecture argues reason can side with impartiality (universal benevolence) over egoism.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Ethical Egoism — The view that people ought to act in their own self-interest.
- Psychological Egoism — The view that people always act in their own self-interest as a matter of fact.
- Altruism — Selfless concern for the well-being of others.
- Universal Benevolence — Moral principle of aiming for the good of everyone equally.
- Evolutionary Debunking Argument — Arguing that certain beliefs are shaped by evolution for survival, not for truth.
- Principle of Equal Treatment — The idea that similar cases should be treated alike without arbitrary distinctions.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Read the last few pages of the assigned article for summary and clarification.
- Review Chapter 5 of the textbook, focusing on arguments for and against ethical egoism.
- Prepare questions for discussion or email the lecturer if clarification is needed.