What is Egoism? (Philosophical Positions)
Summary
TLDRThis video explores three types of egoism: psychological, ethical, and rational. Psychological egoism suggests all actions serve self-interest, even if seemingly altruistic. Ethical egoism posits that acting in one's self-interest is morally correct. Rational egoism asserts that acting in one's self-interest is the most logical. The video discusses these concepts, challenges to ethical egoism, and the difference between rational egoism and the instrumental theory of rationality, inviting viewers to share their thoughts.
Takeaways
- 🔍 The video discusses three types of egoism: psychological, ethical, and rational egoism.
- 🧠 Psychological egoism suggests that everyone acts in their own interests, even when appearing altruistic.
- 🤔 Ethical egoism posits that it is morally right to do what benefits oneself the most.
- 🤝 Ethical egoism is sometimes criticized for being selfish, but it argues that acting in one's own interest can align with long-term benefits.
- 💭 Rational egoism asserts that acting in one's self-interest is rational, distinguishing between what one wants and what is best for one's well-being.
- 🔄 The instrumental theory of rationality is mentioned, which claims that acting to maximize the likelihood of getting what you want is rational.
- 🚫 Rational egoism contrasts with the instrumental theory by prioritizing what is good for one's well-being over what one simply desires.
- 🤷♂️ The video invites viewers to consider and discuss whether people always act in their own self-interest, and whether it is ethical or rational to do so.
- 💥 The video acknowledges potential objections to each egoism type and encourages viewers to share their thoughts and criticisms.
- 📚 The script is part of a series that explores philosophical jargon, aiming to clarify complex concepts for viewers.
Q & A
What is the main topic of the video?
-The main topic of the video is egoism, specifically exploring three different kinds: psychological egoism, ethical egoism, and rational egoism.
What is psychological egoism?
-Psychological egoism is the position that all people act only in their own interests, even if they seem to act altruistically. It suggests that every action, including those perceived as selfless, is ultimately motivated by self-interest or perceived self-interest.
How does ethical egoism differ from psychological egoism?
-Ethical egoism is a moral stance that claims it is always right to do what would benefit oneself the most. It is about acting in a way that will actually benefit you, not just what you think will benefit you. In contrast, psychological egoism is a descriptive theory about how people actually behave.
What does ethical egoism propose about morality?
-Ethical egoism proposes that morality should be about doing what is best for oneself, rather than what is traditionally considered ethical, which might involve sacrificing personal interests for the greater good.
What is rational egoism?
-Rational egoism is the view that acting in one's own self-interest is the most rational course of action. It aligns with the idea that pursuing one's well-being is the most logical thing to do.
How does rational egoism relate to the instrumental theory of rationality?
-Rational egoism is related to the instrumental theory of rationality in that it suggests acting in a way that maximizes the likelihood of achieving what you want is rational. However, rational egoism focuses on what is best for one's well-being, not just what one desires.
What is the criticism of ethical egoism presented in the video?
-The criticism is that ethical egoism might be seen as selfish and greedy, as it suggests acting for one's own benefit above all else. Critics argue that ethics should guide us to act for the good of society, not just personal gain.
How does the video suggest ethical egoism might respond to its critics?
-The video suggests that an ethical egoist might argue that their position is not about doing whatever one wants, but about doing what will actually benefit one in the long term, which could include actions like helping others.
What is an example of a situation where rational egoism and the instrumental theory of rationality might disagree?
-An example given is the act of suicide. The instrumental theory might consider it rational if it aligns with one's desire to die. However, rational egoism would argue it is irrational if it does not maximize one's long-term well-being.
What is the final call to action for viewers in the video?
-The video encourages viewers to offer their thoughts, objections, criticisms, and arguments in support of the discussed types of egoism in the comments below.
What does the video suggest about the nature of altruistic actions?
-The video suggests that even altruistic actions, such as volunteering or risking one's life for others, are motivated by self-interest according to psychological egoism, either for personal satisfaction or to avoid self-reproach.
Outlines
🧠 Introduction to Egoism
This paragraph introduces the concept of egoism and distinguishes between three types: psychological, ethical, and rational egoism. Psychological egoism is described as a descriptive position suggesting that all actions are ultimately self-serving, even those that appear altruistic. Ethical egoism is presented as a moral stance advocating that one should always act in their own self-interest, which is considered morally good. Rational egoism is likened to ethical egoism but focuses on the logical aspect of acting in one's own self-interest. The paragraph also touches on potential criticisms of ethical egoism, suggesting that it might be perceived as selfish, but it could also be argued that acting in one's own long-term interest aligns with ethical egoism.
🤔 Rational Egoism and Suicide
In this paragraph, the discussion shifts to rational egoism, which is concerned with what is best for one's well-being. It contrasts rational egoism with the instrumental theory of rationality, which suggests that acting to achieve one's desires is rational. The paragraph uses the example of suicide to illustrate the difference: while the instrumental theory might deem suicide rational if it aligns with one's desires, rational egoism would only consider it rational if it maximizes long-term well-being. The paragraph concludes by inviting viewers to share their thoughts on the three types of egoism presented, encouraging a discussion on whether people always act in their own self-interest, the ethics of self-interest, and the rationality of such actions.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Egoism
💡Psychological Egoism
💡Ethical Egoism
💡Rational Egoism
💡Altruism
💡Self-Interest
💡Instrumental Theory of Rationality
💡Moral Obligation
💡Long-Term Well-Being
💡Self-Sacrifice
💡Recognition
Highlights
Introduction to three kinds of egoism: psychological, ethical, and rational.
Definition of psychological egoism as the idea that everyone acts in their own interests.
Explanation that psychological egoism suggests even altruistic acts are self-serving.
Introduction to ethical egoism as a moral position advocating for acting in one's self-interest.
Clarification that ethical egoism is not about doing whatever one wants, but what actually benefits one in the long term.
Discussion on the potential criticism that ethical egoism is selfish and not truly ethical.
Rational egoism presented as the idea that acting in one's self-interest is rational.
Differentiation between rational egoism and the instrumental theory of rationality.
Instrumental theory of rationality defined as acting to maximize the likelihood of getting what you want.
Critique of the instrumental theory for potentially endorsing harmful actions if they align with one's desires.
Rational egoism's stance that actions should maximize long-term well-being, not just align with desires.
Ethical egoism's argument that helping others can ultimately benefit oneself more than immediate self-gratification.
The potential for ethical egoism to be misinterpreted as advocating for greed and selfishness.
Invitation for viewers to offer their thoughts, objections, and arguments in the comments.
Encouragement to watch more videos on the topic for a deeper understanding.
Call to stay skeptical and engage with the content critically.
Transcripts
welcome back to Carnegie store today
we're going to be continuing with
dumbfounding definitions dizzying
distinctions and diabolical doctrines a
series sorting through some of the
jargon of philosophy in this video we're
going to be answering the question what
is egoism now there are three different
kinds of egoism we're going to be
talking about in this video
psychological egoism ethical egoism and
rational egoism the first one is kind of
a more descriptive position about the
way that people act well the second one
is kind of a moral position on what you
should do and the third is how you can
act to act rationally they all relate to
though what you want to do and your own
well-beings let's take a look
psychological egoism is a position about
the way that people behave according to
psychological egoism everyone acts only
in their own interests only in such a
way to actually benefit themselves even
though people may seem to act
altruistically they're actually only
acting for their own self-interest or
perhaps what they perceive as their own
self-interest
the psychological egoist would claim
that someone that works for the benefit
of others doing volunteer work working
for charity jumping on a grenade diving
in front of a ball at these kind of
things is actually doing it to
themselves either to make themselves
feel good because they like the
recognition fraud they get from doing
good etc etc they couldn't live with
themselves if they hadn't have jumped in
front of that bullet or on that grenade
and so on and so forth
whatever the case may be all of their
actions are
only to serve themselves according to
psychological egoism in the end all
you're doing is acting in some way to
serve yourself there's no truly
altruistic motives you may end up not
serving yourself in some way but your
motives are to serve yourself ethical
egoism on the other hand is an ethical
position which claims that it is always
right to do what would benefit you the
most it is morally good to do whatever
will give the best
outcome for you not necessarily what you
believe will give you the best outcome
but will actually give the best outcome
for you it is morally obligatory that
you act in your own self-interest okay
note the important distinction here
between the psychological egoism
and the idea of acting in such a way
that you think it will benefit you and
ethical egoism in such a way of acting
such that it will actually benefit you
one might object to this position that
it's not actually what we mean by ethics
it seems so kind of greedy and selfish
that in fact ethics should prevent us
from doing what we want and make us work
for the good of society in somewhere
however an ethical egoist might respond
to these criticisms by claiming that
their position is not actually saying
that it is ethical to do whatever you
want but rather what will benefit you
the most in the long term you could want
to do one thing but actually have
something else be a benefit to you in
the long term I might want to smoke
drink and eat ice cream every day but
that's not going to benefit me in the
long term and one could argue that doing
things like helping others and being
kind and those kind of other duties that
always come out of other ethical
theories will in fact benefit you more
in the long term than just doing
whatever you want therefore what you
should do is more than what you want to
do there are some other objections to
ethical egoism but I'll let you offer
those yourselves in the comments below
now rational egoism is the third type of
egoism we're going to be looking at
rational egoism is similar to ethical
egoism in that it attributes something
to the person that acts in their own
self-interest
well ethical egoism claims that someone
that acts in their own self-interest is
ethical or good rational egoism claims
that someone that acts in their own
self-interest is logical or rational now
once again we'll have to look at the
distinction between what one wants and
what
what is best for one's well-being while
rational egoism claims that doing what
is best for your well-being is rational
the instrumental theory of rationality
claims that acting to maximize the
likelihood of the things you want to
come true basically is rational to
understand this distinction imagine that
you want something that will not
maximize your well-being like to commit
suicide
the instrumental theory would claim that
this is rational so long as it's in line
with what you want so it would be
rational to take a gun and shoot
yourself in the head because that is
going to get you what you want that's
going to be the most logical path
perhaps to get you what you want which
is to die while the rational egoist
might claim that since it's probably not
going to maximize your well-being it
would be irrational now if there were
some situation in which killing yourself
would maximize your well-being such as
jumping on a grenade because you would
feel guilty for the rest of your life
and feel horrible because you hadn't
done it and so on and so forth then the
rational egoist might sanction it
because it would actually be useful for
your long-term well-being but if in fact
committing suicide isn't useful for your
long-term well-being the rational egoist
is going to say it doesn't matter what
you want it matters what's good for you
that's what's rational where's the
instrumental theory is going to save
matters what you want not what's good
for you ok there are many objections
each of these positions and concerns to
be raised this has just been a very
basic introduction to these three
different positions what do you think do
people always act in their own
self-interest is it ethical to act in
your own self-interest is it rational
offer your thoughts objections
criticisms arguments in support of in
the comments below watch this video and
more here at cardi's org and stay
skeptical everybody
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