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IB Philosophy Essay: Self Interest (24/25)
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- IB philosophy ethics essay on self interest - Band 7 essay (24/25) - Essay is structured with subtitles and bullet points
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SELF-INTERESTIntroduction
Introductory Lines
Since the fifth century BCE, humanity has attempted to formulate moral principles that
govern one’s behaviour, so that individuals can function with others in a flourishing society
as well as uphold important values and ideologies.
Questions Raised
However, some believe that the promotion of one’s own interest is in accordance with
morality, regardless of the effect on society.
Although it is often said that the pursuit of one’s self-interest is the very antithesis of
morality, it is argued that it is our moral duty to do so.
This raises the question of whether ethics is more about self-interest than the interests of
others.
Debate
These perspectives refer to the intellectual debate of self-interest ethics, in which it is
explored whether all moral decisions should be guided by personal wants and needs, or
inclusive of the wants and needs of others.
Egoism
This relates to the normative theory of ethical egoism, which advocates that every person
ought to pursue their own self-interest.
Societal Implications
In terms of societal implications, the degree to which one prioritises their own self-interest
can lead to significant consequences involving the way in which society functions and
human relations take place.
Evaluations
This essay will critically evaluate ethical egoism, finding that whilst arguments proposed by
philosophers such as Ayn Rand, Robert Olson and Adam Smith may seem appealing, it
contains many flaws and is defective as a framework of ethics.
The counterarguments as well as criticisms proposed by John Stuart Mill, James Rachels
and Kurt Baier demonstrate this to be the case.
Thus, to a significant extent, I disagree with the claim that ethics is more about self-
interest than the interests of others.
Ethical Egoism
General Theory
Ethical egoism is a normative theory that is concerned with how we ought to act.
The theory prescribes that each person ought to pursue only their self-interests, as an
individual’s wants, or needs is necessary and sufficient as a morally guiding principle.
This does not necessarily mean that we should avoid helping others, rather we have no
duty to do so, and it is not selfish.
, Egoistic thinking is primarily about pursuing long-term goals for the best possible outcome.
For example, if a parent tells their child not to eat the cookies in the jar, the child could
either disobey their wishes as he really wants the cookies, or he could not eat them for the
purpose of gaining trust, and hopefully be rewarded in the future.
Psychological Egoism
The main argument for ethical egoism is a theory of human nature, psychological egoism,
which claims that all humans act in their self-interest.
At first, some would argue that there are obviously unselfish acts, however, this does not
appear to be the case.
Even when an action may seem to be purely selfless, the intentions of the act may be
selfish due to the desire for ‘a peace of mind’ or the sense of happiness attained from
performing a kind act.
This is demonstrated through an anecdote of Abraham Lincoln, which is as follows: “one
day when crossing a bridge Mr. Lincoln stopped to lift pigs out of the mud and placed them
on the bank so they wouldn’t drown. When he returned, his companion remarked: ‘Now,
Abe, where does selfishness come in on this little episode?’ ‘That was the very essence of
selfishness. I should have had no peace of mind all day had I gone on and left that
suffering old sow worrying over those pigs.’”.
Thus, it is suggested that humans are physically incapable of doing anything that does not
promote their own self-interest, hence it is justified to base ethics on one’s own wants and
needs. If one ought to do something, it is implied that they can.
As altruism, any acts based upon pure selflessness, are not possible, it follows that ethical
egoism is logically the only possible theory.
This notion is expressed through the analogy, “ a man cannot be condemned for not saving
a drowning child if he himself cannot swim”.
Thomas Hobbes suggests that if psychological egoism is true, we can understand altruistic
motives in egoistic terms.
For example, charity can be reinterpreted as the ‘delight’ that one takes in the
demonstration of the fact that they are more resourceful than others. In the same way, pity
can be reinterpreted as something we do when imagining our own pain in someone else’s
situation.
The Sacrifice Argument
Another argument that supports ethical egoism is Ayn Rand’s sacrifice argument.
She suggests that altruism leads to a denial of the value of the individual. “If a man
accepts the ethics of altruism, his first concern is not how to live his life, but how to
sacrifice it”.
As a person’s life consists of pursuits and goals, to demand that someone abandon these
pursuits and goals is a means to ‘sacrifice their life’.
This can be summarised by the following line of arguments. (1) A person has only one life
to live. This life is of supreme importance. (2) The ethics of altruism regard the life of the
individual as something one must be ready to sacrifice for the good of others. (3)
Therefore, the ethics of altruism is inconsistent with the notion of intrinsic value of the
individual. (4) Ethical Egoism does take the individual seriously. (5) Therefore, Ethical
Egoism is the philosophy that should be accepted.
Familiarity
Other arguments for egoism include Robert Olson’s claim that an individual is very familiar
with their own wants and needs but knows very little about the wants and needs of others.
Thus, it is logical for people to pursue their own goals for in order to achieve the greatest
satisfaction.
Similarly, it is more likely that people would be better off taking care of themselves, as
they would learn the importance of independence in a challenging society.
Economist Argument
Another argument for ethical egoism includes the economist argument proposed by Adam
Smith which states that individual self-interest in a competitive marketplace produces the
best outcomes for society.
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