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ask us to sacrifice our own well-being for the good of other people, ethical egoism
recognizes that we should focus on our own well-being.
2.
It's better to let other people take care of themselves.
We can't know for sure what is good for someone else. All too often, a “good deed”
backfires and actually does more harm than good. Even when people appreciate
something done of their behalf, it's not healthy. Dependence upon the charity of
others leads to a loss of self-esteem. In contrast, people who accomplish things
through their own efforts have higher self-esteem and are able to interact with other
successful people as equals.
3.
The community can benefit when individuals put their well-being first.
When individuals act in their own self-interest, they often benefit not only them-
selves but others as well. For example, successful entrepreneurs may make a lot of
money for themselves, but they also create jobs that strengthen the economy.
4.
Other moral principles are rooted in the principle of self-interest.
Ethical egoism is a rational philosophy. Any rational person will figure out that it
doesn't make sense to go around breaking promises, because eventually people will
realize that the promise-breaker cannot be trusted, and they will refuse to cooperate
with that person. Therefore, it's not in a person's long-term self-interest to break
promises. Likewise, it's a bad idea to lie to other people or cheat other people
because the long-term consequences of lying and cheating are detrimental to the
person doing these things. For this reason, it can be seen that other well-known
moral principles are actually rooted in the principle of self-interest.
1.
An easy moral philosophy may not be the best moral philosophy.
The fact that it may be easier to live by a particular moral philosophy is no proof
that it is the best moral philosophy to live by. Besides, the statement that ethical
egoism aligns with our natural inclination to do what's best for ourselves ignores
the fact that people often find it difficult to pass up short-term pleasures (such as
partying) in order achieve goals that will most likely result in long-term benefits
(such as passing the classes needed to earn a college degree).
2.
We do, in fact, know a lot about what is good for someone else.
As we noted at the beginning of the chapter, practically everyone shares the “core
values” of life, happiness, and the ability to accomplish goals. It's not that hard to
figure out what would help another. The question is, how are we going to respond
to that person's need? Charity usually doesn't lead to dependence; rather, it gives
someone the opportunity to become more independent. Consider, for example,
how a scholarship can provide a bright high school student from a poor family with
a path to a university degree, a well-paying job, and self-sufficiency.
3.
A self-interested focus can lead to blatantly immoral behavior.
Here is a true story related by James Rachels [14]. An affluent doctor in a small
Southern town in the 1970s was visited by a poor, uneducated African American
