February 28,2009CONTEMPORARY MORAL PROBLEMS (CHAPTER 1) 3
Title:
James Rachels: Egoism and Moral Scepticism
Author:
James E. White
Amazon Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Contemporary-Moral-Problems-James-White/dp/0495553204/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234087861&sr=1-1
Library Reference:
N/A
Quote:
“To defend one is not to defend the other”
Learning Expectation:
To learn more about Egoism and Moral Scepticism. And What are this two types of Egoismand how does it differ from each other. How does James Rachels discuss this two kind of egoism.
Review: Chapter 1:
James Rachels: Egoism and Moral Scepticism
There are two types of Egoism, psychological egoism and ethical egoism. This was discussby James Rachels. He was the University professor of Philosophy at the University of Alabama. Thiswas about our morality that has full of assumptions. That people sometimes do things that mightaffect other people. He even gave example about the legend if Gyges. He was a shepherd who hasfound a magic ring in a fissure opened by an earthquake. That with this ring a person can do anythingand could go anywhere without being detected. With this kind of power he use it in a wrong way thataffect other people. He uses this ring to seduce the Queen and murdered the king. And gain thethrown after. This example is the man of rogue that will use his ring unscrupulously and do anything just to gain wealth and power.With this he came out with the two types of egoism. The Psychological Egoism that is “all men areselfish in everything that they do, that is, that the only motive from which anyone ever acts is self-interest”. And on the other way Ethical egoism in a normative view about how men ought to act. Theyhave no obligation to do anything except what is in their own interest.This were it open the topic of doing or giving something for the sake of other. In the case of smith, hegave up his trip the one he loves doing just to help his friend on his studies. This where they came onthe argument that maybe what smith do was selfish. Even though we can say that he do this becausehe loves his friend and this was more important than his trip that shows in the sample the reason whyhe gave up the trip that he want. Maybe selfishness in his self because eh give up something that hereally want for other. And maybe unselfish because he did something to help other people and evenhe go to that trip it would be on his conscience that he was happy doing that trip while his friend ishaving a big problem about his studies. This where they came out from arguing about psychologicalEgoism. That why should we think that someone is selfish if he/she derives satisfaction from helpingothers.So we can’t say that smith is unselfish or selfish. Because there are lot of reasons for doing thingsand making decisions. And it is important to make assumptions in underlying our moral practice. Thatwe should consider all things that is possible in making assumptions. Having an accurate moral judgements and to know what we ought to do but not do it, is the main thing that tells in this part.
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