1. The unacceptable arbitrariness of Ethical Egoism

    bbcity:

    Ethical Egoism advocates that each of us divide the world into two categories of people—ourselves and everyone else—and that we regard the interests of those in the first group as more important than the interests of those in the second group. But each of us can ask: What is the difference between me and everyone else that justifies placing myself in this special category? Am I more intelligent? Are my accomplishments more significant? Are my needs or abilities different from the needs or abilities of others? If so, in what way? In short, what makes me so special? Failing an answer, it turns out that Ethical Egoism is an arbitrary doctrine, akin to the unacceptable doctrines of sexism, racism, ageism, etc.

    There is no relevant difference between one person’s suffering, my suffering, and another person’s, such that one could argue my suffering trumps theirs, or my desire and capability to pursue luxuries that harm (whether directly or indirectly) others is morally justified. Thus the individual isn’t “the smallest minority,” the individual has interests such as everyone else, and the individual’s interests’ can in no non-arbitrary way be morally superior to everyone else’s by virtue of their being the individual’s.

    Another unacceptably arbitrary factor is the trivialization of superlatively empathetic gestures. Consider two people stranded at sea with only one log of wood which can only support one of them. Ethical egoists would argue that it is morally justified for both people to fight to the death over the log of wood. However, if one of them simply lets the other person have it, they’ve violated their moral duty to act on and for their own interests.

    Even if you don’t want to argue that allowing the other person to have it is a moral imperative (which you don’t have to), the virtuosity of the aforementioned gesture is entirely annulled. Why?

    (via bbcity-deactivated20120216)

    2. 4 months ago  Notes (47)
      1. lessonsinhunger reblogged this from ouafouaf
      2. andrewfm said: Also, reductionism about personal identity undermines ethical egoism (or any form of egoism, really) a whole bunch.
      3. michelleci reblogged this from observedintoexistence and added:
        ^Yes. There really is no such act that is 100%, completely and solely selfless. That’s because by making a...