Say a soldier throws himself on a grenade to prevent others from being killed. It does not seem that the soldier is pursuing his perceived self-interest. It is plausible that, if asked, the soldier would have said that he threw himself on the grenade because he wanted to save the lives of others or because it was his duty. He would deny as ridiculous the claim that he acted in his self-interest. The psychological egoist might reply that the soldier is lying or self-deceived. Perhaps he threw himself
Words: 261 - Pages: 2
solution. If it proposes a solution, critique it. If it describes a situation as non-problematic and therefore requiring no solution, state whether or not you agree, and why. Your analysis should include a discussion of applicable legal rules and ethical codes, of any. It also should identify competing viewpoints and address international variation if relevant. The rubric for grading this question is as follows: Task Description Deficient Below Expectations As expected Identify at
Words: 336 - Pages: 2
Svein Olav Nyberg What is selfishness? I asked about “what egoism means”. I should perhaps also have asked what egoism does not mean. For there are a lot of misconceptions about what egoism is. Religious literature incessantly warns us not to think about our own best interest, but the interest of the heavenly, of Man, and of just about everything else. But seldom is there found any advise to follow exactly this own interest. Why then these warnings against self interest, on and on, again and
Words: 1902 - Pages: 8
Ethical Egoism We will be discussing the strengths and weaknesses of ethical egoism, but before we begin we first must understand what ethical egoism is and what is involved. Ethical egoism is the normative ethical position that moral agents ought to do what is in their own self-interest. It differs from psychological egoism, which claims that people can only act in their self-interest. Ethical egoism also differs from rational egoism, which holds that it is rational to act in one's self-interest
Words: 433 - Pages: 2
ethicists critically contend for the question relating to whether or not the psychological egoism is correct principle for describing how the people perform their actions today, it is important to understand what is psychological egoism and find out some ethical evidences to prove the fact no matter it is right or wrong. In this essay, I will firstly present the definition of psychological egoism with illustration and then present three main arguments against its being true from the Feinberg’s points of view
Words: 898 - Pages: 4
Egoists are often thought of as being full of themselves or believing that the world revolves around them, but is that really the case? In the novel, Anthem, by Ayn Rand, the main character demonstrates egoism as being a healthy amount of self-confidence and individualism. He shows that egoism is not negative, rather it should be encouraged. Egoism provides us with individualism and with individualism, we gain a reason to live. We realize that the have a role on the Earth and that we are a human
Words: 632 - Pages: 3
the dilemmas undressed by this ethical scenario. Egoism is a normative ethical theory that contends we act morally when in any given situation the right thing to do will be whatever maximally promotes long term self-interest. It does not describe how people behave; rather, it describes how people "ought" to behave. (Class notes February 23) This is a key element of all normative theories. Another key element of egoism lies in “long term”. Simply stated, an ethical egoist would typically not endorse
Words: 1145 - Pages: 5
An Examination and Reactions to the Movie Antwone Fisher MCPY 600 August 16th, 2007 The movie, Antwone Fisher is a wonderful and thought provoking film full of symbolism, pain, and hope. Antwone Fisher takes the audience through a journey of various subsystems of communities: prison, orphanage, foster care, homeless shelter, and the Navy. However a community encompasses more than a system. Community is ever changing, evolving
Words: 1743 - Pages: 7
Ethics Violation Every person who has any contact with a young child should be held to the highest of standards. This is especially true for someone who teaches young children. According to the NAEYC’s Code of Ethical Conduct, "P-1.2—We shall not participate in practices that discriminate against children by denying benefits, giving special advantages, or excluding them from programs or activities on the basis of their race, religion, sex, national origin, or the status, behavior, or beliefs of
Words: 557 - Pages: 3
Ethical Egoism Ethical egoism is a normative theory based on the promotion of one’s own good in accordance with morality (Moseley). Shaver avers that based on the ethical egoism theory it is necessary and sufficient for an action to be morally right and that it maximizes one's self-interest. The promotion and pursuance of one’s self-interest underscores the normative theory. It prescribes the motivation of one’s thought, behaviour, and action. To fully understand the ethical egoism
Words: 1015 - Pages: 5