Ordinary thinking concerning morality from the author's perspective is "full of assumptions that we almost never question. We assume, for example, that we have an obligation to consider the welfare of other people when we decide what actions have to perform of what rules to obey" (Rachels, 2011 p. 51). In other words people have to generate some kind of filter for when they perform certain actions in order to avoid causing harm to others and respecting the interests and rights of those one comes in contact with. Furthermore other things that come into consideration within the thought process of morality is that people are not wholly selfish and to some degree have a level of selflessness in their interactions, acting in the interest of other individuals and groups. Moral sceptics on the other hand criticize such assumptions. These criticisms go back as far as in Plato's Republic. Using the story of the ring of invisibility and the power it brings like seduction of the Queen and the murder of the King, and the taking of the throne provides a counterargument to the concept of morality and all that it is perceived to encompass. In the article Rachels presents an example from Glaucon of a rogue and a virtuous man. The assumption here is the rogue will do as he pleases in order to seize power. He would do this because under the protection of invisibility he is not afraid of getting caught nor of facing any negative...
Some might say that he is a rogue and therefore that is expected of him. But Glaucon contends that the virtuous man would act in the same manner because of that same expectation of not facing negative consequences for his actions.
For example, things like a culture of silence, pressure to "maintain those numbers, a weak board, radical "innovation" and excessive goodness in certain areas to atone for evil and greed in others are all classic signs that a corporation is giving in to the executives fundamental level of psychological egoism and some serious poaching of company funds is likely occurring (Jennings, 2006). Having a consistent system of regulation in
Others argue against Ethical Egoism. The work of Pecorino states as an argument against Ethical Egoism the facts as follows: Ethical Egoism "provides no moral basis for solving conflicts between people; (2) Ethical Egoism "obligates each person to prevent others from doing the right thing; (3) Has the same logical basis as racism"; (4) "The egoist cannot advise others to be egoists because it works against the first egoists
Psychological Egoism Theory Egoism in every form necessitates explication of well-being, welfare, or self-interest. Two chief theories exist in this regard. Self-interest has been identified with personal desire satisfaction by desire or preference accounts. Usually, and most conceivably, such desires will be restricted to those that are self-regarding. Though what constitutes a self-regarding desire is debatable, clear instances and counter-instances exist: desires for one's personal pleasure will be self-regarding, while
Egoism and Moral Skepticism James Rachels's paper "Egoism and Moral Skepticism" begins by noting that he can trace his subject back to Plato's philosophical discussion of the myth of the Ring of Gyges -- Gyges gained the power of invisibility with a magic ring, and thus seduced queen, killed king, and seized the throne. In Plato's dialogue, the character of Glaucon argues that both virtuous man and rogue would be unable
Most philosophers, however, reject egoism or ethical egoism as it violates the foundations of an ethical system. Two persons to both maximize their respective self-interests will lead to conflict. Moreover, egoism inclines towards the exploitation of the weak. When a person is caught performing an illegal act or an act violating a professional code of ethics, it is almost always because of egoistic behavior that he committed it (Cengage). Gun
Therefore, the welfare of others cannot be relevant to judging what one ought to do. This is a very interesting argument, but it does not establish its conclusion. Although it may be that every human being has a right to preserve his own life, one would like some evidence in support of this key premise. Even if there is a human right to self-preservation, it does not follow that
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