Introduction to Philosophy

Achieve Test Prep: Philosophy

Arguments for Egoism One of the first ethical egoist perspectives was found in Plato’s Republic and is called the Myths of Gyges . In this writing, Plato gives voice to his ethical egoist view through the person of Glaucon. Here, Glaucon tries to convince Socrates that pursuing our own self-interest is our natural condition, and rather than denying this fact, we should embrace it. Glaucon begins his case with a proposed analysis of origins of justice. The version he is presenting has come to be known as the social contract theory. The social contract theory is the view that the main reason people agree to form political communities is out of necessity, because life in a pre-political state of nature would be, though preferable extremely difficult. In the social contract theory, the view is that humans assume we are by nature solitary, aggressive and competitive and it is in our nature to promote our own interests over those of others and even inflect harm on them if it will advance our desires. We realize that we are vulnerable to being victimized by others and as a result, we enter into a social agreement with others, promising not to hurt or take advantage of them if they won’t take advantage of or hurt us. Glaucon’s next view is that although people have entered into a social contract to escape the danger and instability of the state of nature, they do so reluctantly. Abiding by laws of the social contract runs counter to our nature to dominate and exploit others for our own personal advancement. If we had the opportunity to break laws without suffering negative consequences, all of us would leap at the chance and such behavior would be morally appropriate because we would simply be acting in accord with our universal nature. Ethical egoism should not be confused with psychological egoism, a theory that purposes to describe the way humans necessarily behave. our own self-interest as our first priority, and when we fail to do so, our behavior is ethically inappropriate. Ayn Rand is best known for her works The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged and her ethical philosophy of individualism and the virtue of selfishness. Rand rejects the view that people are compelled to seek their own self-interest and rather than articulate a descriptive theory regarding the way humans are constructed, she proposed a normative theory that expresses the way humans ought to behave. From Rand’s standpoint the code of ethics that each person is expected to create on his or her own must be objectively demonstrated and validated code of moral principles which define and determine his actual self-interest. What Rand believed is pursuing your self-interest means creating a value system that is not destructive to oneself, nor is it destructive to others. She believed that to act in one’s self-interest, implies a responsibility to act rationally, not simply satisfy whatever you might be feeling at any particular moment. Psychological egoism is the view that we are compelled by our psychological makeup always to pursue our self-interest above all else. The core belief of ethical egoism is that our moral obligation to pursue

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