Ethical egoism[edit] Main article: Ethical egoism Ethical egoism - TopicsExpress

Ethical egoism[edit] Main article: Ethical egoism Ethical egoism (also called simply egoism)[82] is the normative ethical position that moral agents ought to do what is in their own self-interest. It differs from psychological egoism, which claims that people do only act in their self-interest. Ethical egoism also differs from rational egoism, which holds merely that it is rational to act in ones self-interest. These doctrines may, though, be combined with ethical egoism. Ethical egoism contrasts with ethical altruism, which holds that moral agents have an obligation to help and serve others. Egoism and altruism both contrast with ethical utilitarianism, which holds that a moral agent should treat ones self (also known as the subject) with no higher regard than one has for others (as egoism does, by elevating self-interests and the self to a status not granted to others), but that one also should not (as altruism does) sacrifice ones own interests to help others interests, so long as ones own interests (i.e. ones own desires or well-being) are substantially-equivalent to the others interests and well-being. Egoism, utilitarianism, and altruism are all forms of consequentialism, but egoism and altruism contrast with utilitarianism, in that egoism and altruism are both agent-focused forms of consequentialism (i.e. subject-focused or subjective), but utilitarianism is called agent-neutral (i.e. objective and impartial) as it does not treat the subjects (i.e. the selfs, i.e. the moral agents) own interests as being more or less important than if the same interests, desires, or well-being were anyone elses. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Individualism