Essay on Egoism

The argument will be that even though both the two types of egoism revolve around self-interest, the best argument for ethical egoism is that it is always true as it reflects what individuals ought to do. In this paper, I start by defining the mentioned concepts. The next section deals with the comparison of the two types of egoism, followed by the best argument for ethical egoism and an assertion for its soundness. That is because it is possible that the two forms of egoism are similar yet the ethical one is the best since it speaks about what people should always do no matter the situation, thereby being more truthful and supportive of a categorical imperative than the former because of its intuitive appeal.

Definition I will first define psychological egoism followed by the ethical one with an aim of getting to understand what each of these means and to be able to make a proper comparison. Psychological egoism supports this assertion in that it underpins the concept of putting one’s self-interest ahead of other things. It is about giving the self the first priority. The question arises on the difference between these two types or forms of egoism. Even though one supports the other, there is a difference that exists between them. It is important that those who want to apply these ideas get to know the existing contrasts for effective implementation in daily activities. Best Argument for Ethical Egoism After discussion of the difference between EE and the PE, I would like to present the best argument for ethical egoism.

As mentioned before, it has its basis in the fact that one does not need other proofs or justifications to do what takes care of his best interests. It does not give room for variance from the self-concept. It is the best type of egotism to apply. That is because it promotes the philosophy against all odds. The contrasting opinions revolve around the failure to observe morality when dealing with egoism. As indicated before, those who ascribe to this notion believe that one does not need to consider anything else that does not edify self. Because of that, even ethical standards do not apply when making decisions related to ethical egoism. That has led to some opposition since this concept is against certain moral principles.

For example, someone might engage in rape to satisfy his sexual desires. By dictating that people must always focus on self-interest when making most of their decisions, it means that the same takes preeminence over any other thing (Österberg, 2015). Because of that, no one should come up with reasons for disregarding the self when making critical decisions or when doing certain things that affect an individual. It is because once there is a deviation from oneself, the concept of egoism ceases to exist. The implication of this is that ethical egoism is the best definition of the concept and that those aspiring to exercise a lot of attention and prioritize their interests have to adhere to the stipulations of this type of egotism.