The Contemporary Moral Problems Copyright

The ContemporaryMoral Problems

CHAPTER 1

By: Jeriza Dana M. Junio

This work is licensed under a Creative CommonsAttribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 PhilippinesLicense.

Jeriza Dana M. JunioO0BITETHICS

Book Review Chapter 1---Ethical TheoriesEgoism and Moral Scepticism – James RachelsBook: Contemporary Moral ProblemsBy: James E. WhiteLibrary Reference: N/AAmazon Link:http://www.amazon.com/Contemporary-Moral-Problems-JamesWhite/dp/0534584306/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233793391&sr=8-1

Quote:

“Why be moral?”--- Glaucon

Learning Expectations:

I want to learn more about Egoism and Moral Scepticism. I want to know more aboutdifferent theories that are cited by other philosophers.

Review:

This part of the book tells about Egoism and Moral Scepticism. The author of this articletalks about psychological egoism and ethical egoism. Psychological egoism holds that allhuman actions are self- interested, whereas ethical egoism says that all actions ought to be self-interested. Psychological egoism for me means that a person will do the things he or she wantsto do. They do the action because the voluntarily like the thing they do. There are arguments inthis article that don’t agree with what I believe in. Some say that a person do the actionbecause he just feel obligated by it, like for example in a promise, the person who promisedsomething feels obligated to do what he promised. I think psychological egoism is what peoplethink he or she wants to do. Ethical egoism is different from psychological egoism because itrequires moral agents to refrain from considering the well-being of others in moral deliberation,for what is in an agent's self-interest may be incidentally detrimental, beneficial, or neutral in itseffect on others. I think it is up to the person whether he or she will think of the welfare of others.

What I have learned:

I have learned about what I wanted to learn. I have learned to differentiatepsychological egoism and ethical egoism.

Integrative Questions:

1.) Differentiate psychological egoism from ethical egoism.2.) What is psychological egoism?3.) What is ethical egoism?4.) Who is James Rachels?5.) What is the legend of Gyges all about?

Review Questions:

1.) Explain the legend of Gyges. What question about morality are raised by the story?

- there is a shepherd who was said to have found a magic ring in a fissure opened by anearthquake earthquake. The ring would make its wearer invisible and thus would enable him togo anywhere and do anything undetected. Gyges used the power of the ring to gain entry theRoyal Palace where he seduced the queen, murdered the king and subsequently seized thethrone. Is Gyges actions right? Does he need to do such things just o be powerful?

2.) Distinguish between psychological and ethical egoism.

- Psychological egoism holds that all human actions are self- interested, whereas ethicalegoism says that all actions ought to be self- interested.

3.) Rachels discusses two arguments for psychological egoism. What are these arguments andhow does he reply to them.

- The first argument is if we describe one’s person action as selfish, and another person’saction as unselfish, we are overlooking the crucial fact that in both cases, assuming that theaction is done voluntarily, the agent is doing what he most wants to do. Rachels said that thereason why they chose to do the act was because that is what they think is right and so that isconsidered an act of selfishness.- The second argument is the unselfish actions always produce a sense of self-satisfaction in the agent, and since this sense of satisfaction is a pleasant state of consciousness,it follows that the point of the action is really to achieve a pleasant state of consciousness, rather than to bring about any other good for others. He said that if the person does not care at all inothers’ welfare then he should not have bother himself in thinking for the welfare of other if theydon’t care.

4.) What three commonplace confusions does Rachels detect in the thesis of psychologicalegoism?

- Confusion of selfishness with self-interest, assumption that every action is done either from self-interest or from other regarding motives, and assumption that a concern for one’s ownwelfare is incompatible with any genuine concern for the welfare of others.

5.) State the argument for saying that ethical egoism is inconsistent. Why doesn’t Rachels acceptthis argument?

- Rachels did not agree with it because we can’t apply it across the world.

6.) According to Rachels, why shouldn’t we hurt others, and why should we help others? Howcan the egoist reply?

- I think the egoist would reply that he don’t care about other people so why bother answering that king of question.

Discussion Question:1.) Has Rachels answered the question raised by Glaucon, namely, “Why be moral?” If so, whatexactly is he’s answer?

- Yes. He did so by stressing out that we could do an act that would basically be of our own self-interests while not forgetting the cause it might bring to other people. He cited severaldistinctions between right and wrong decisions or actions.

2.) Are genuine egoist rare, as Rachels claims? Is it a fact that most people care about others,even people they don’t know?