Theories Of Ethical And Pshchological Egoism Essay Example for Free

Theories Of Ethical And Pshchological Egoism Essay Many feel that human nature drives people to deny all forms of altruism and the desire to help others; while an equal amount feels that it is the duty of every human to help others at all costs.   Because there is no way to really decide such a subjective argument, it seems personal preference is the best way to dictate such action.   The alternatives to such altruistic action are egoism, as described through ethical and psychological egoism. These options counter the utilitarian approach, which many find the preferable way for humans to act, and the greatest good for the greatest number of people should be in mind for every action a person makes.    However, the utilitarian approach often leaves open-ended questions on just how much help the fortunate should give to those who are not.   That is why the best approach is through ethical egoism, as if everyone looked out for his or her best interests, ideally, everyone would be able to support themselves and those for whom they care.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While utilitarianism seems to be an ideal way to exist, it leaves too many questions about morality and the limits of altruism.   Egoism is much more natural, as it fosters the will to survive with a distinct rationalism.   The distinction between psychological egoism and ethical egoism reflects the contrast of is verses ought, fact verses value, or descriptive verses prescriptive (Philosophy Lander, 2006). In layman’s terms, this means that ethical egoism is based on the idea that individuals should do only what is in his or her self-interest to achieve morality, while psychological egoism accepts the fact that all people act in their self-interests anyway, despite any appearance to the contrary.   This expresses the difference between the descriptive nature of psychological egoism and the prescriptive nature of ethical egoism, with the former stating humans do things in their own best interests, while the latter states that humans merely should do things in their best interest (Lycan, 2001). To a psychological egoist, human nature is being wholly self-centered and self-motivated, which basically renders all morality useless (Moseley, 2006).   To an ethical egoist, morality is still pertinent and there are strong and weak types of the theory, with the strong version holding it is always moral to promote one’s own good, and it is never moral not to promote it, while the weak version states although it is always moral to promote one’s own good, it is not necessarily never moral to not (Moseley, 2006).   The weak version allows that there may be situations where pursuit of self-interest is not the most important thing and may actually be contrary to the best interests of an individual when concerning morality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The difference between psychological and ethical egoism cannot be fully understood without knowing the fallacy that exists with psychological egoism.   The fallacy is that people are always motivated by self-interest, when there may be a great variety of motivating factors affecting their decisions, especially emotions.   The concept of motivation has a great deal to do with each theory, as psychological egoism is motivated by individual selfishness, while ethical egoism is motivated by the idea that one must do what is right, even if against self-interests. Because of this, one can commit an altruistic act with ethical egoism, however, with psychological egoism altruism is impossible unless simultaneously serving the interest of the individual as well.   Selfishness and self-interest, while containing some similar attributes, are very different, in that selfishness focuses solely on the needs of the individual, while self-interest merely seeks advantageous circumstances to ensure success. Ethical egoism is a philosophical practice that encourages individuals to pursue their own self-interests.   While it is idealistic to think of helping unknown masses with one’s own hard earned money, it is also naà ¯ve to think that people should feel obligated to do so.   A person who works hard to make money to buy fine things is entitled to those things.   Just because a person is successful and can afford luxury items does not mean that they are obligated to help strangers because it serves some sort of utilitarian purpose. If anything, much of this altruism merely perpetuates a cycle in which those who are poor become accustomed to the aid of those who are not.   If they pursued their own self-interests, they would be better able to rise above their own struggles and create a successful world for themselves. Ethical egoism is not entirely without the concept of helping others, however it focuses not on people that an individual will never meet, but the people in his or her life and those that the person loves and touches personally.   Psychological egoism lacks the fundamental questions of morality to begin with, and helping others is only necessary if it benefits the helper.   While it is difficult to claim that either type of egoism is correct, or even preferable to a utilitarian approach, it allows individuals to remain independent and free of all illusions. REFERENCES Lycan, W. (2001). Morality. University of North Carolina. Retrieved April 26, 2008, from http://www.unc.edu/~ujanel/Morality.htm Moseley, A. (2006). Egoism. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved April 22, 2008, from http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/e/egoism.htm#SH2b Philosophy Lander. (2006). Psychological Egoism. Retrieved April 22, 2008, from http://philosophy.lander.edu/ethics/egoism.html

The Space Race and the Apollo Program in 1968 :: American History Essays

The Space Race and the Apollo Program in 1968 I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before the decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space, and none will be so difficult or so expensive to accomplish. These words, uttered by President John F. Kennedy in May 1961 brought forth a new era in American history, the idea of sending a man to the moon. Only seven years later, in 1968, did America finally prepare to meet Kennedy’s deadline with the Apollo 7 and 8 missions. Recovering from the tragic fire of Apollo 1 in 1967, Apollo 7 put the Space program back on track. Only two months later, Apollo 8 led the first voyage around the Moon. These missions drew America’s goal for a lunar landing closer and took the Soviet Union out of the Cold War’s so-called "Space Race." The origins of the Cold War can be traced to the conclusion of World War II. Beginning with the Yalta Convention in 1945, and continuing with the Potsdam Conference later that year, the United States and the United Soviet Socialist Republic became embittered with each other over the division of Europe. This was a direct result of capitalism and communism with the blockade of Germany, the support of Communism in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Turkey and Greece and the refusal of Soviet forces to demobilize. Soon, the argument turned to America’s use of the atomic bomb in Japan in August 1945. The Soviets at first highly commended America for hastening Japan’s surrender but then repudiated it several weeks later. They claimed that it destroyed the balance of power between the two great world powers. By the early 1950’s, the focus shifted from the dilemmas in Europe to an even bigger threat, the threat of nuclear war. Both the US and the USSR claimed supremacy in Nuclear t echnology, specifically, the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). However, events changed permanently on October 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik I, the first successful orbiting satellite. The United States immediately reacted to the launch by claiming it would have been first in launching a satellite had it not been for planning mistakes. After the launch of Sputnik II in November 1957, the United States made its first public reaction.

Warrior Leader Course Pa

December 2008 MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD SUBJECT: Warrior Leader Course Welcome Letter 1. Congratulations on your selection to attend the Warrior Leader Course at the 3rd BN, 166TH Regiment at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. You will report between the hours of 0800 and 2200 on the ATRRS report date. 2. Effective 10 August 2006 soldiers attending WLC are still required to meet the APFT and HT/WT requirements.However, soldiers who meet academic course requirements, but fail the APFT or HT/WT standards, will be considered a course graduate under the category of marginally achieved course standards. 3. Soldiers that have returned from OIF/OEF within 90 days of reporting to WLC are required to take the APFT. However, prior to the test you will have the option to have the PT test count towards your academic average or not. Soldiers in this category need either their DD 214 or a memorandum from their commander stating that they returned from deployment with in the last 90 days. . Physical re quirements for this course are very demanding. Students must be able to pass the APFT, meet HT/WT standards, carry a 50 pound combat load, low crawl, high crawl, rush for three to five seconds, walk a minimum of 2 miles with combat load and negotiate rough terrain under varying climatic conditions. 5. Soldiers who have a permanent profile designator â€Å"3† or â€Å"4† must include a copy of their DA Form 3349 and the results of their military medical review board (MMRB) as part of their course application.Soldiers who have met the previous criteria may attend WLC and train within the limits of their permanent profile, provided they can otherwise meet course prerequisites and graduation requirements. Soldiers with temporary profiles, with the exception of shaving or nonperformance deterring profiles who have participated in OIF/ OEF can attend WLC provided they have a copy of their current profile and memorandum bearing the commanders signature stating that the tempor ary profile exists as a result of injuries during participation in OIF/ OEF.

Summary of Chapter 15 Personality and Social Interaction,...

Part 5: The Social amp; Cultural Domain Chapter 15: Personality amp; Social Interaction -Emphasis on personality as it is affected by and expressed through social institutions, social roles and expectations, and through relationships with other people in our lives. -Interpersonal traits have long-term outcomes in our lives. For ex. Whether a person is controlling or easy going can affect aspects from: the conflicts he gets into with his spouse and work partners to the strategies he uses to achieve his goals. Whether a person tends to be nervous or optimistic affects the likelihood of diverse social outcomes, such as divorce or success in a sales career. -Many of the most important individual (ind) differences and†¦show more content†¦-2nd, the personality qualities of others evoke certain responses in us. Michael’s aggressiveness upset Sue, evoking an emotional response that would not have been evoked if he had been kinder and more caring. Behaviours related to personality can evoke many responses in others, ranging from aggression to social support, and from marital satisfaction to marital infidelity. 3rd, personality is linked to the ways in which we try to influence or manipulate others. Michael 1st tried the charm tactic, then he pulled out the boasting tactic, and finally coercion, trying to force himself on Sue. A man with a different personality would have used different tactics of social influence, such as reason or reward. -Selection, evocation, and manipulation are key ways in which personality interacts with the social environment. Selection -In everyday life, people choose to enter some situations and avoid other situations. These forms of situation selection can hinge on personality dispositions and how we view ourselves. -Social selections permeate daily life and are decision points that direct us to choose one path and avoid another. 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