Ethical Egoism Ethical egoism is a metaethical investigation

Ethical Egoism Ethical egoism is a meta-ethical investigation that is focussed on the agent, individual character to give an understanding of the norm or behaviour in looking at the individual character

Ethical egoism: a normative agent focused based upon self-interest as opposed to altruism • 1928 H. A Pritchard delivered lecture ‘Duty and Interest 'he questioned the true motive behind a dutiful action. • Richard Norman: ‘Pritchard’s central argument is , If justice is advocated on the grounds that it is advantageous to the just person. It is reduced to self interests. ‘Duty is not really duty unless it is done for duty’s sake. If we act so the end is advantageous to us whether we are conscious of our actions or not , we are acting in self interest = ethical egoism

Distinction between ethical egoism and psychological egoism Psychological egoism is a theory of human nature that purports to describe what motivates people to act. Ethical egoism is normative , it purports to tell us how people ought to act.

Distinction between ethical egoism and psychological egoism Cave: Some scorn morality, we always act or our own sake, in what we perceived to be self interest= Psychological Egoism Ethical egoism is how we ought always act self interestedly, normative ethic self interest, as opposed to altruism, and is a directive on how we should behave To say that we act of self interest (psychological egoism) is not the same as arguing that we should always act of self-interest

Altruistic actions • ‘Altruistic actions are those that are performed for the sake of others, purely for the sake of others. The Psychological egoist denies there are such acts, for example when donating to a charity a psychological egoist would suggest they want to look good in front of others, avoid shame/guilt, its their duty, the root is self-interest.