Question

Describe the key criticisms of an Ethical Egoist approach?

Business Law & Ethics

Answer 1

• Ethical egoism is seen as arbitrary because it values the selfish individual more than other people and there are no objective grounds for this.
• Ethical egoism, is prone to constant self-contradiction because it supports all individuals' self interests. It also can lead to conclusions such as choosing not to intervene in a crime against another.
• Egoists have difficulty caring about anything that does not deal with themselves, which is one reason why ethical egoism is so impractical for people who are very aware of the world. The very legitimacy of the theory is often called into question because it prevents its own adherents from taking reasonable stances on major political and social issues and cannot in itself solve these issues, without resorting to popular choice
• Ethical egoism satisfies the characteristic of universalizability in the sense that every person has the right to make his own choices and pursue his own goals. But it fails in providing a consistent guiding action for individuals to engage in positive conduct that promotes the welfare of society.
• Ethical egoism is biased towards the self; the egoist may be able to override his sense of self long enough to help another human being, but only if it best serves his own self-interest.