Egoism Flashcards
ethical egoism
all action OUGHT to be motivated by self interest (ethical theory)
psychological egoism
all action IS motivated by self interest (not ethical theory)
altruism
selfless concern for others
einzige
ego
eigenheit
ownness, idea of mastering ones self
einzig
uniqueness, freedom from all impositions including equality among egos
short term self interests
giving to charity makes one feel good immediately about doing the right thing
long term self interests
interests that could be considered part of a long term plan such as earning merit for a greater cause such as the afterlife in religion
union of egoists
Stirner’s theory of a special community that was unprincipled other than having common recognition of the uniqueness of the egoist, that promotes cooperation
in self interest to work with others.
what is the challenge of the destruction of the community ethos?
that egoism and Stirner promote the will of the individual over the will of the people. often advocating anarchy.
any state is illegitimate for Stirners ethical egoism as it causes conflict between uniqueness and obligations to follow the law
what is the challenge of social injustice?
pursuing ones own interests will lead to conflict of interests with others. which would lead to social injustice and bigotry.
what quote of stirners reinforces the destruction of community ethos challenge?
“should I not help myself as well as I can”
did Stirner believe we could make out own moral choices?
he believed religious and philosophical systems control us, it is misguided to believe we are free to make moral choices
what did Stirner believe true egoism required?
the realisation of what “own” or “owness” is by freeing ourselves from the religious and philosophical frameworks that control us, true self needs to be free of external ideologies
what type of egoist was Max Stirner?
ethical egoist
what did max stirner believe our actions we caused by?
he believed self-interest is the root of every human action even if it appears altruistic
what did stirner believe on psychological egoism?
psychological egoism is mistaken, we think we act in self interest but we are deluded.
our ego is controlled by spooks and we can’t act in our own self interest. e.g someone would reject stealing because they have had duties trained into them.
what are spooks? what is an example?
our internal subconscious motivators.
religion controls our desires and money
what are the strengths of egoism?
- rejects material gain
- encourages long term goals
- self interest is needed to develop our uniqueness
- self interest can lead to moral good, encouragers love from others
why can ethical egoism cause bigotry?
it divides people and makes the individual think their goal is superior to everyone else’s.
can lead to discrimination against others on this disparity
how are moral actions motivated by self interest?
- there is no absolute, can lead to a person performing immoral acts
- individuals are not always responsible or true to themselves, they are enslaved by a framework
- encourages bigotry
