Egoism

Ethics Assignment Two
Part 1
1.
In its simplest form, altruism is selflessness, the concern for the wellbeing of others above oneself. “Altruism is the idea that we have obligations to other people and should act for the benefit of society. Unselfishness is seen as a desirable virtue in our society and is central to many religions as well as secular beliefs.
The idea of altruism is a sharp contrast to the belief that we should ‘look out for number one’. This ‘bumper sticker’ promotes selfishness, the opposite of the desirable virtue that is altruism. This is known as egoism. Ultimately, this means that we should act in our best interests, only perform acts that benefit or will benefit ourselves.
2.
“Ethical egoism is different to what we might call egotism”, the idea that we should act in ways that benefit us immediately. In Ayn Rand’s view, egotism is natural, what all people should live by and altruism is irrational. Our primary goal in life is to live and to live well, it is natural to want to enhance and prolong your existence, “all living things, in the way they are put together, move toward this goal”. To use an example from the text, “when the lion approaches, Bambi runs. Bambi does not know why he runs, but his instincts for self-preservation may save his life. Nature teaches us that life strives to preserve itself”
It is for this reason that Rand promotes egotism, “we cannot assign value to anything if we are not alive, so our highest value should be our life”. Unlike animals, humans do not act out of instinct to survive, we learn how to survive however we must consciously decide when and how to use our knowledge. “Rationality is not automatic. We must chose to act rationally”.
This outlines Rand’s defence of selfishness, if we cannot function we cannot act ethically, therefore our greatest emphasis should be placed on ourselves. To act altruistically is irrational, it does nothing to enhance one’s life. Instead, one should ‘look out for number one’.
3.
While the idea of being selfish carries with it various criticisms, there are a number of attractive aspects of ethical egoism. Firstly, “egoism stresses that individuals are responsible for what they do and should receive the benefits of their actions”. Without this, people become dependent on others and do not deserve the benefits they receive. This also disadvantages those who are depended upon by taking time that should be spent acting in their interests. “We do not run as fast when we carry someone”
Egoism helps us recognise the benefits of self-preservation, and that we are designed to act in ways that are beneficial to our existence, both physically and mentally. Biologically, we protect ourselves in numerous ways, whether this be through the release of adrenaline in response to danger or white-blood cells which work to fight disease, a number of processes take place without conscious thought that keep us alive. Consciously however, we decide to act in ways that protect us, we choose to exercise for example, because it is in our best interests to do so. We also recognise that people that live to their interests is beneficial to us. “People tend to do best at what they like. If they are free to follow their interests, we all share in the benefits of their productivity”.
So too does egoism remind us of the dangers of living unselfishly and that this can lead to the destruction of oneself. Living with little or no care for yourself can lead to damaging consequences. “People have given so much time at church for good purposes that their own families have disintegrated for lack of attention”. If altruism is to be considered a worthwhile virtue, it needs to have some egoistic qualities in order for the circumstances like the above to be prevented.
4.
Like many other ethical systems, egoism encounters a number of different criticisms, despite its reputation as being a “difficult system to refute”. Firstly, egoism suggests that one’s life is the gauge for their right and wrong, this fails to agree with a Christian view of human value. While “Christianity does not deny the importance of the person and the significance of an individual’s life” it does not agree that what is right and wrong is based on an individual’s existence. “Rand’s own atheism is significant in this matter, because when the individual is the final word, there is no room for God in the picture”. Those who believe that God is something of a yardstick when considering what is right and wrong cannot follow egoism because it contradicts this belief.
Another criticism against egoism is that it makes incorrect assumptions about human nature and social behaviour. The text uses an example where a person sabotages a co-workers project in order to gain promotion. Egoistically, this is right and rational, however it would result in negative consequences for the co-worker, contradictory to the statement that “rational selfishness leads to mutually positive results”. It is also harmful for the person sabotaging the project as it may have undesirable connotations for the company, this in turn would cause harm to them. “Therefore, contrary to the egoist’s claim, the rational self-interest of one person may harm others”.
It is commonly agreed that for an ethical system to be considered it must universalizable, this requires everybody to act selfishly. From an individual standpoint however, this is not desirable. Egoists thrive among altruists, if everyone acted selfishly then each individual would have to pursue their own interests, this presents a situation that is somewhat contradictory. Egoists believe that everyone should act in ways that benefit themselves, however it is not beneficial to the individual if this is the case. To use the earlier example of the company, in order for the promotion to be beneficial to the worker, the company must continue to thrive but you must do damage by sabotaging the project. If every worker felt this way, which is what egoists believe should happen, the company would be destroyed. It is not in the egoists best interests to promote their beliefs as “the sole obligation of the egoist is to self”.
Another potential problem with egoism is the difficulty for justice to exist where there is egoism. At times, justice, whether this be by the law or on a personal level, is not possible or not recommended with egoism. An example of this is the work of a psychologist, patients need to know that their information is kept confidential, even if it is not in the best interest of the psychologist. “If egoism is adopted, the professional functions necessary to society are endangered”.
Ayn Rand’s definition of altruism is that as long as the motives are not to benefit oneself, anything goes. This somewhat represents “a view that no one holds”. Altruism, unlike egoism, is not reliant on the beneficiary of an act, rather the act itself. This is contradictory to Rand’s definition. Also misrepresented by Rand is the claim that self-love is only possible in egoism. Altruism does not see the self as “the standard of evil” it recognises the value in the self. Rand defines altruism as almost self-hatred or self-denial when in fact a third option between this and egoism is possible. This third option, where a recognition of others and oneself is made, is likely the option that altruists provide.
Finally, egoism makes it difficult to find a difference between ourselves and others. In society, we give people different opportunities based on abilities or circumstances that differentiate them from others, ATAR scores are examples of these. “If we are to be the final word on right and wrong, we must find some rational guide for what sets our interests above others”. Rand simply states that our interests are ours and therefore we should be given precedence. “This difference has no relevance to the question of why another person should be treated differently than oneself”, Rand admits that other peoples’ concerns are similar to our own, therefore “egoism is arbitrary in promoting selfishness”.