Ethical Egoism Lecture

1st 7 minutes: Overview of ethical egoism. Rest of video: Questions and Criticisms. Is morality solely/only about self-interest or does your morality/conscience sometimes ask you to overcome self-interest? As you explore the arguments on both sides, be cautious about inflating the meaning of self-interest. What makes a motive self-interested is one's self is the object of interest not the source of interest. 0:00 Ethical Egoism: The idea that we SHOULD act in our own self interest exclusively. 3:30 Reasons for Ethical Egoism 6:40 Wrong self-interested acts? Are all your moral obligations & feelings based on self-interest alone? 8:29 Supports Utilitarianism, not egoism 9:55 Why should ethical egoists care about posterity? Duties to Posterity? Why should I do anything for posterity since they have done nothing for me? 11:13 Do your interests count for more than other peoples' interests just because they are your interests? 13:48 Do ethical egoists present a false dilemma in arguing you should always be altruistic or always egoistic? Can one be both at the same time? 16:44 If morality begins when we consider the interests of other people and not just one's own interests, are ethical egoists capable of moral thinking? 17:34 According to EE, should one be morally praised for jumping on a grenade to save five people? 18:51 Can ethical egoists be good/true friends? 20:03 What is the difference between selfish and self- interest? 21:13 Should you tell others you are an ethical egoist? 21:48 How does the Prisoner's Dilemma effect ethical egoism? Jones Confesses 24:49 Paradox of Happiness