Compare and contrast Ethical Egoism and Utilitarianism as Ethical Theories
Compare and contrast Ethical Egoism and Utilitarianism as Ethical Theories. Introduction Ethical Egoism (E.E) and Utilitarianism are both theories of Consequentialism. ... Ethical Egoism This is the view that people always should act to benefit themselves, i. ... EE says how people should behave; it is a normative theory (unlike psychological egoism, which is a descriptive theory). ... Ethical egoists believe that to figure out whether an action is right or wrong, you should focus exclusively on its effects or consequences. ... The best known modern defender of Ethical Egoism is thought to be Ayn Rand (1905-1982), a 20th century philosopher who is not taken very seriously by most professional philosophers, but who was nonetheless was very popular among college students during the 1960s and 1970s. ... Rand’s Argument for Ethical Egoism: The Argument that Altruism is Self-Defeating 1. ... Arguments Against Ethical Egoism A. Personal ethical egoism is the belief that only “I” should act from the motive of self-interest, nothing is stated about what motives others should act from. ... Personal ethical egoism is not a theory because it is not generalized to others. ... “I” cannot recommend personal ethical egoism to others because such a recommendation would be against “my” own self-interest. ... Individual ethical egoism is the prescriptive doctrine that all persons should serve “my” self-interest (i. ... Individual ethical egoism is a belief that cant be consistent unless it applies to just one person. ... Universal ethical egoism is the universal doctrine that all persons should pursue their own interests exclusively. ... Final Comments of Ethical Egoism: The egoist is often seen to be egotistical and selfish, rather one acting under enlightened self-interest. ... Hence, the egoist must allow everyone to pursue his own personal interest (universal ethical egoism). ... Consequently, egoism leads into a right-based theory-each individual has certain inalienable rights or C. Egoism leads to a rule-based theory that certain rules of conduct are in the interest of everyone to observe. ... Utilitarianism Utilitarianism places the locus of right and wrong solely on the outcomes (consequences) of choosing one action/policy over other actions/policies. ... John Stuart Mill adjusted the more hedonistic tendencies in Benthams philosophy by emphasizing: (1) It is not the quantity of pleasure, but the quality of happiness that is central to utilitarianism; (2) the calculus is unreasonable -- qualities cannot be quantified (there is a distinction between higher and lower pleasures), and (3) utilitarianism refers to "the Greatest Happiness Principle" -- not merely to individual interests.