Ethical Egoism

5 Pages 1141 Words

Ethics is defined by Douglas Birsch, author of the book Ethical Insights, as “the investigation into how we ought to live.” He also points out that the part of ethics that is discussed most often is how to live successfully with other people. It is impossible for a person to live their entire life without having to interact with other people. The interaction of people in a particular place with one another creates a society. In a society where humans interact with one another there tends to be conflicts among individuals. Conflicts between “right” and “wrong”, or “good” and “bad.” These conflicts are moral dilemmas and the outcome of the solutions will affect the lives of the individuals involved. Some conflicts will affect a person’s life more than other conflicts, but all solutions require reasoning behind the choices made. The ability to reason and think critically is what separates humans form animals. A rational mind is the backbone to the theories in ethics.
There are several ethical theories that are practiced around the world and are the subject to debates everywhere. Ethical theories provide a guideline on how moral dilemmas should be handled. Some of these theories are Devine Command Theory, which says we ought to live life by following God’s Commandments. There is Utilitarianism, which believes a person should live life in a way that produces the most “good” in society. There is the Ethics of Care, which is concerned with the personal relationships between individuals. There is Kantian Ethics, which believes there are moral laws that apply to everyone. If a person follows a particular ethical theory, they are said to be living a moral life. So which theory is the one that is the best for a person to follow?
I will be discussing the theory of Ethical Egoism. Ethical Egoism believes that individuals should live their life concentrating of whatever brings the most benefit to th...