Professional Ethics. Today s Topic Ethical Egoism PHIL Picture: Ursa Major. Illustration: Cover art from Ayn Rand s The Fountainhead

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1 Professional Ethics PHIL 3340 Today s Topic Ethical Egoism Illustration: Cover art from Ayn Rand s The Fountainhead Picture: Ursa Major

2 Quiz #1 1. State in one sentence the central difference between psychological egoism and ethical egoism. 2. Suppose we took Cultural Relativism seriously. Rachels notes three problematic consequences that would follow if we did. State one of these consequences.

3 Modern Times: The Facts Several million children each year die from preventable poverty and disease. The wealthiest fifth of the world's population accounts for 86% of the world's consumption, while the poorest fifth accounts for 1.3% of global consumption. The world's richest 225 people have combined assets equal to the combined annual income of the world's 2.5 billion poorest people.

4 Modern Times: The Facts Source: Business Insider, 2011

5 Ethical Egoism Ethical Egoism : Each person ought to pursue his or her own interests exclusively. Our only duty is to do what is best for ourselves. Note: this theory challenges one of the basic elements of ethics: the impartiality requirement.

6 Ethical Egoism & Ethical Revisionism 1. Ethical Egoism forbids some actions that seem clearly good. 2. Ethical Egoism requires some acts that seem clearly immoral. 3. Ethical Egoism permits us to escape some duties that clearly seem important.

7 Psychological Egoism Ethical Egoism: each person ought to pursue his or her own self interests exclusively. Psychological Egoism: each person does in fact pursue his or her own self interests exclusively. If Psychological Egoism is true, then there are major implications for ethics. For example, we couldn t be altruistic.

8 Altruism Altruism: any act that seeks to advance the good of others for their own sake and not for the sake of advancing the self-interest of the agent. Question: is their altruism only an appearance and not genuine?

9 Psychological Egoism: Argument 1 1. If whenever we act we are motivated by our desires, then we are motivated only by self-interest. 2. Whenever we act we are motivated by our desires. 3. Therefore, we are motivated only by self-interest. 4. If we are motivated only by self-interest, then altruism is not possible. 5. Therefore, altruism is not possible.

10 Two Replies To Argument 1 1. There seem to be some acts that we do not want to do, but feel we ought to do. Example: Going to war. 2. Being motivated by our desires is not the same as acting out of self-interest. Example: Wallenberg s desire was to help others. p.67

11 Psychological Egoism: Argument 2 1. Whenever we act altruistically we feel good. 2. If whenever we act altruistically we feel good, then feeling good is the real motivation behind our actions. 3. So, feeling good is the real motivation behind our actions. 4. If feeling good is the real motivation behind our actions, then altruism is impossible. 5. So, altruism is impossible. Note: Lincoln reportedly made this kind of argument. p.69

12 Two Replies To Argument 2 1. The psychological egoist s account of human psychology is implausible. Unshakeable conviction that psychological egoism is true is not rational thinking but fanatical thinking. 2. The fact that one might have a self-interested motive does not exclude a benevolent motive. The object of our desires is generally not a feeling of self-satisfaction.

13 Ethical Egoism: Ayn Rand I am not primarily an advocate of capitalism, but of egoism; and I am not primarily an advocate of egoism, but of reason. If one recognizes the supremacy of reason and applies it consistently, all the rest follows. Source: Introducing Objectivism. The Objectivist Newsletter, Vol. 1, No. 8. August, p

14 Ethical Egoism & Contemporary Politics Mitt Romney (left) and Paul Ryan (right) 2012 Presidential election.

15 Ethical Egoism & Contemporary Politics I grew up reading Ayn Rand, and it taught me quite a bit about who I am and what my value systems are and what my beliefs are. It s inspired me so much that it s required reading in my office for all my interns and my staff. -- U.S. Representative Paul Ryan, Republican vice presidential candidate, in a 2005 speech

16 Ethical Egoism: Ayn Rand s Argument 1. Either Ethical Altruism is true or Ethical Egoism is true. 2. If Ethical Altruism is true, then one is obligated to sacrifice one's life for the good of others. 3. It is not the case that one is obligated to sacrifice one's life for the good of others. 4. Therefore, Ethical Altruism is not true. 5. Therefore, Ethical Egoism is true.

17 An Objection To Rand s Argument In her attempt to defend Ethical Egoism, Rand presents us with a false dichotomy. False dichotomy: arises when the premise of an argument presents us with a choice between two alternatives and assumes that they are exhaustive and exclusive when in fact they are not. Note: This does not mean that Ethical Altruism is true.

18 The Self-Reliance Argument 1. If we want everyone to be better off, then everyone should mind his or her own business and tend to his or her own needs. 2. We want everyone to be better off. 3. Everyone should mind his or her own business and tend to his or her own needs.

19 The Common Sense Argument 1. If a theory of ethics conforms with common sense values, then it is a justifiable theory of ethics. 2. Ethical Egoism conforms with common sense values. 3. So, Ethical Egoism is a justifiable theory of ethics.

20 The Libertarian Argument 1. If we have moral duties to other people, then they are derived from either (1) our voluntarily agreeing to accept the duties or (2) to repair any wrong we have done. 2. We have moral duties to other people. 3. Therefore, our duties are derived from either (1) our voluntarily agreeing to accept the duties or (2) to repair any wrong we have done.

21 Main Objection To Ethical Egoism Rachel s rightly asserts that most people accept the following principle. Principle of Equal Treatment: We should treat people in the same way unless there is a relevant difference between them. (p.79) Of course as a matter of fact there are some people who violate this principle (e.g. racists, sexists).

22 Main Objection To Ethical Egoism The racist violates the principle of equal treatment by arbitrarily giving preferential treatment to members of his or her own race. The Ethical Egoist violates the principle of equal treatment by arbitrarily giving preferential treatment to himself. But what makes the Egoist s own interests so special?