Egoism and Altruism Flashcards
Egoism: 2 different theses
- Psychological Egoism
(it is in our nature that we can never act but from selfish motives) - Ethical Egoism
(what is good, what you should do, is to care only for yourself)
Psychological Egoism 🤝 Ethical Egoism
The Argument from Psychological Egoism
(1) If Psychological Egoism is true, then we cannot act for altruistic motives
(2) If we cannot do something, then it would be unreasonable to say that we should do it
(C) Therefore, if Psychological Egoism is true, then wecannot be morally required to be altruistic (it’s morally OK to be totally selfish).
Are we able to be altruistic?
Argument 1 for Psychological Egoism
(1) It is in my nature to always strive for my happiness and the satisfaction of my desires (= Eudaimonism +Desire Theory)
(2) striving for my happiness and the satisfaction of my desires is the same as aiming at my own interest
(C) Therefore, it is in my nature to always aim at my own interest (= Egoism)
Are we able to be altruistic?
Problem with Argument 1: for pshycological egoism
Premise (2): striving for my happiness and the satisfaction of my desires is the same as aiming at my own interest
→ we have already seen that:
* my happiness is not just made of personal pleasures
* my desires are not necessarily desires for myself
= people who sacrifice themselves are still striving for a good life and have a striong desir to to good to others
Are we able to be altruistic?
Argument 2: suspicion
Nieztsche, The Gay Science, The ring of Gyges
« We say that a man’s virtues are ‘good’, not because of the results they can have for him, but because of the results they can have for us and for the society: in praising virtue, we have never been very‘disinterested’, we have never been very ‘altruistic’! »
– Nieztsche, The Gay Science
« Suppose now that there were two suchmagic rings, and the just put on one ofthem and the unjust the other; no man canbe imagined to be of such an iron naturethat he would stand fast in justice. Andthis we may truly affirm to be a greatproof that a man is just, not willingly or because he thinks that justice is any goodto him individually, but of necessity. »
Are we able to be altruistic?
Argument 2: the suspicion
Justice and Morality are just the mask of profound Egoism
* we want others to be moral only for our own selfish interest
* we are moral ourselves only when it would be socially dangerous for us not to be
Response to Argument 2 (suspicion)
- Why be so suspicious? How doy ou know?
- Apparent examples of generous sacrifice
- Evidence from empirical science that we have a deep and natural desire to care for others
Suppose we have that desire for others, why should we follow it?
Where does it come from and whay is it important?
What if someone doesn’t want to followt hat desire? Or says she doesn’t have it at all? How could you motivate her?
Theory 1: Empathy 👥
Theory 2: Reciprocity 🤝
Theory 1: Empathy
Batson’s Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis
– empathy: emotional capacity to take the perspective of others and feel their feelings
– experiments prove that: the more you develop empathy, the more you are likely to act altruisticly
Batson’s Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis conlcusion:
When we act altruisticly, it’s not for an indirect selfish purpose, but because we feel empathy with others and take on ourselves their interests
Theory 2: Reciprocity (scenario)
- suppose you punch someone in the face for no particular reason. Two days after, she does the same to you.
- Are you then in a position to complain and to blame her for punching you in the face for no particular reason?
No! you cannot say « people shouldn’t punch others inthe face like that », because obviously you yourself donot believe in this general principle.
Principle of Reciprocity
- you cannot complain about (and ask protection against) wrong doings that you are doing yourself to others
- Therefore, if you want some protection against others’ wrongdoings, you should not do to others what you don’t want them to do to you! (= Golden Rule)
- It is in your personal interest that everyone (including yourself) follow moral rules
Why care for others? Whay be moral?
Theory 1: because of empathy for others
– What if someone is unable of empathy?
-someone totally unable of empathy is a psychopath, and is not considered as morally responsible for his actions
-people we criticize are those who are capable ofempathy, and choose to ignore their own empathy
Theory 2: because it is in our interest to be protected by social rules of respect for others
– this theory not directly altruistic, but only indirectly
