Egoism, Self Interest, and Altruism

According to the theory of universal ethical egoism, everyone should always act in their own
self interest. It is utilitarianism reduced to a single individual ego, where one ought to do
whatever it takes to maximize one’s utility, even if it requires harming others.

It compares life to a competitive game, where it is urged to everyone to try and win at it.

According to Rand, finding happiness is the ultimate goal and altruism calls for sacrifice of
one’s happiness. She seeks to establish that selfishness is a virtue and altruism, where a
man’s action benefits others, a vice which makes it suicidal. Ethical egoism is the correct
moral theory because it is inconsistence with the goal of happiness.

Pojman points out that Rand’s argument is flawed by the fallacy of false dilemma, it assumes
two extremes are the only alternatives.

The criticisms of ethical egoism are as follows:

1. INCONSISTENT OUTCOMES
It has been contended that ethical egoism prescribes incompatible outcomes
whereas moral principles need to be universal and categorical. This criticism
received a response in the contention that beliefs and desires are separable.
2. PUBLICITY ARGUMENT
It has been contended that to establish a moral theory it needs to be
publicized, whereas it would be against the egoist belief to propagate their
theory, as it would a egoist better if other people are altruists.
3. PARADOX OF EGOISM
This criticism seeks to establish that the pursuit of happiness may itself have
altruistic dispositions making an antithesis of egoism.
4. COUNTERINTUTIVE CONSEQUENCES
This argument seeks to explain how ethical egoism not only permits egoistic
behaviour but demands it. Helping others at one’s expense is not only not
requires but also morally wrong.

Sociobiology seeks to elaborate morality using biological basis using the

evolutionary theory. The modern evolutionary theory combines radical individualism
with limited altruism and seeks to establish the difference between core morality and
complete altruism by giving the example of three types of birds on an island, suckers,
cheaters and grudgers, which explains that we have a duty to cooperate and
reciprocate but not to serve those who harm us.

Henceforth, it is pertinent to note that both the extremes of egoism and altruism are
vulnerable and the best alternative is a middle way between the two.