Ethical Egoism Egoism Questions What am I doing

Ethical Egoism

Egoism Questions • What am I doing with my life? (Where do you see yourself in 5 years) • Am I honest with myself? • Do I live with integrity and treat others with the respect that I’d like to receive?

• Am I humble? • Do I take myself too seriously? • Do I not take myself seriously enough? • Is it easy to throw me off balance? • Am I open minded? – Is there an advantage to being closed minded?

Ethical Egoism • Is about those who prioritizes social benefits as the driving force in ethical decision making. • Egoists would advise us to see our own interests as primary and choose that option that will bring the most benefit or least harm to us personally – Egoists consider it human nature for people to put themselves first

Types of Egoists • Personal Egoism: I am going to act in my own self interests and everything else is irrelevant • Individual Egoism: Everyone ought to act in my own self interests • Universal Egoism: Everyone ought to act in his/her own self interests

• Theory fits people natural inclination to promote their own self interests • Theory respects the individual, and every individual has an equal right to pursue his/her benefit and not be obligated to serve others • Theory gives good and bad a clear content (good= benefit & bad = harm to the individual)

Freud: Id (it), Superego (above I), Ego (I) • The id is the primitive and instinctive component of personality. It consists of all the inherited (i. e. biological) components of personality, including the life instinct. • The ego is 'that part of the id which has been modified by the direct influence of the external world' (Freud 1923) – The ego develops in order to mediate between the unrealistic id and the external real world. It is the decision making component of personality. Ideally the ego works by reason whereas the id is chaotic and totally unreasonable.

• The superego incorporates the values and morals of society which are learned from one's parents and others. – The superego's function is to control the id's impulses, especially those which society forbids – It also has the function of persuading the ego to turn to moralistic goals rather than simply realistic ones and to strive for perfection

Home Work • 2 assignments: • 1 -2 pages: Do you do what is best for you or what’s best for society? (Id vs Superego) [Thursday] • Go home and look at your Facebook: (Tomorrow) 1. Write down how many friends you have. 2. Determine how many friends you actually know, have met, or at least consider a good friend.