Some Notes on Ethical Egoism

Ethical Egoism sometimes arises as a response to the question, "Why be moral?"
Psychological egoism as a descriptive theory - individuals act in their perceived self-interest
Ethical Egoism as a prescriptive theory - individuals ought to act in their own long term self-interest

Criticisms and variations into and away from egoism
Rand, Plato, Aristotle, Stoics, Materialists
Kress's critique of Rand; Hill's critique of Rand with respect to Noblesse Oblige; and, possibly, given the kind of self under construction or in question, some care theorists

Michael Kagan
email:kagan@lemoyne.edu
PHL 302, Issues in Ethics
February, 2010
Le Moyne College, Syracuse, NY