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Issue 10 15 JAN 2013

Ordinary Expressions on Warrior Honor

A Semi-Monthly Post Written and Reviewed by the Chaplains of 2D MARINE DIVISION

Selfishness Ethics

A Dose of Reality
At the risk of stating the obvious, I just want to start this year by making an observation. I dont know very many people who claim adherence to some academic ethical system and then live according to it. It seems to me that as we look at different grids people use to make choices, the place to begin is with the scheme known as whatever I happen to want!

volunteering to help others made her feel good; therefore, her altruism was tainted by the fact that she did it to benefit herself egoism. Is Joey right? Is it wrong to try to earn the Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal? If people are served, does the fact that you also benefit invalidate the service? Does intent matter?

WAY BEYOND IAPS

Not many promote Selfishness Ethics as a noble and viable system of morality . . . but a lot of people sure practice it religiously!
Whether children who cheat to win a game of no consequence or careerists who claw to move up the ladder, self-interest surfaces as a major motivator in peoples behavior. What do you think? Do individuals act primarily out of self-interest? Is that a good thing? Why or why not? Have you observed individuals who clearly behave according to a priority other than self-interest? Why do you suppose they do that?

Hypothetical
Scenario 1: Marine M falls on a grenade to save his comrades and dies. Society heaps well-deserved accolades upon him hailed as a hero and a role model. Scenario 2: A grenade is thrown and the platoon commander throws Marine M on the grenade. He saves his own life and the lives of his troops. Just like the previous example, Marine M dies. The casualty count is no different. How would an ethical egoist evaluate the actions of Marine M? Of the Commander? Of society? How would you evaluate each? Would your perspective change at all depending on whether you were Marine M or one of the survivors? Some will justify actions you consider reprehensible. How do you deal with such differences in understandings of right and wrong?
Take care of your troops and they will take care of you. If you dont take care of your troops, they WILL take care of you.

Ethical egoism may work for some folks in some situations but it is contradictory to the ethos of the Marine Corps. It results in selfpromoting leaders who, upon reaching the top, will look behind on those trampled and discover no one truly follows tyrants. Marine leaders wait until all the Marines junior to them have gone through the chow line before they eat. Corpsmen operate selflessly in the heat of battle. If No Marine left behind is just a slogan, who cares? But it is not; it is a promise made and kept by individuals who are not thinking only of themselves.

A Different Prescription
As a Christian pastor, a structure of ethics based solely on my wants, understandings, and needs ignores those whom God called me to serve. In Matthew, Jesus tells us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us. He tells us that whatever we do for the least, we do directly for him. In James we are told that true religion God accepts cares for orphans and widows in their distress. Widows, orphans, the sick and the imprisoned tend to offer me nothing in return for my services. They cant afford to pay me, I risk getting sick, and they offer me no social advantages; yet, these are the ones God has commanded me to love. When my wants and desires are the hinges upon which my actions turn, I have made myself my own god and will ultimately fail as a husband, father, officer, leader and pastor. May we all be caught taking care of our people, not for our benefit, but for theirs. Chaplain Fasnacht 3RD BN, 10TH MARINES

With Friends Like These

In scholastic circles, selfishness ethics is known as ethical egoism. It asserts that people make decisions simply by doing what is best for them. There is no idea of a greater good. Whats mine is mine and whats yours is mine if it benefits me: pure unfiltered selfishness. Egoism is the opposite of altruism, concern for the welfare of others. The 1990s sitcom Friends had a great episode where Joey was trying to convince Phoebe there were no selfless good deeds (altruism). Even the act of

Concepts presented in this post may not express the views of all 2D MAR DIV Chaplains. To speak about issues in greater depth, please contact your unit Chaplain.