Lesson 6 - Egoism and Hedonism

ETHICAL THEORIES
EGOISM
a normative theory which focuses
on self-interest as the foundation
of morality
Types of egoism
Psychological Egoism Ethical Egoism Rational Egoism
describes human nature as is the normative theory that the the promotion of one’s own
being wholly self-centered and promotion of one’s own good is in interests is always in
self-motivated. accordance with morality accordance with reason
all my actions are selfishly it is held that it is always moral to the principle which says that action
motivated: self-satisfaction or promote one’s own good, and it is is rational if and only if it maximizes
own welfare never moral not to promote it one's self-interest
Is the view in which people are is the moral view that everyone To be ethically selfish entails a
motivated only to act in their ought always to do those acts commitment to reason rather
own self-interest that will serve his or her own best than to be emotionally driven
self-interest
by whims and instincts
Example: Does not require moral agents to Example:
A millionaire gives PHP 10M harm the interests and well-being of Selfishness is a virtue(Ayn
donation in charity and the others when making moral Rand)
deliberation; e.g. what is in an
public was informed of such - I will not offer to give food to a
agent's self-interest may be
charitable act. incidentally detrimental, beneficial, hungry person, if the food is just
or neutral in its effect on others enough for me to last a day.
Hedonism
a moral theory which aims at
pleasure as the ultimate standard
of morality, the highest good, the
supreme end of life and avoidance
of pain.
overview
• Main goal:
• the pursuit of pleasure and intrinsic goods are the primary or most important goals of
human life.
• A hedonist strives to maximize net pleasure (pleasure minus pain). However
upon finally gaining said pleasure, happiness may remain stationary.
• Pleasure is temporary
• What happens after the pleasure is attained?
Two types of value
Intrinsic value Instrumental value
the value that thing has “in itself,” or “for its A value as a means to some end
own sake,” or “as such,” or “in its own right ➢ Example:
➢ Valuable in itself Money
Examples • It provides security, and you can
life, food use it to purchase things you want.
➢ Valued by someone for its own sake
• Detached from its purchasing
- What do people value for its own sake?
➢ happiness power, money is just a pile of
printed paper or scrap metal.
Love
➢ Even love is not valued in itself: a
love that makes us permanently
miserable is not worth having.
Proponents of Hedonism
Epicurus Jeremy Bentham John Stuart Mill

one of the first hedonic Hedonist utilitarian Student of Bentham
philosophers
no one could be happy if he or Advocates the egoistic and understanding of the
she permanently sought intense hedonistic nature of peoples’
pleasures, especially of the motivation nature of pleasure.
fleeting kind ( kinetic or active
• Quantitative measure of • that pleasures could vary
pleasures) in quality:either higher or
happiness
lower pleasures.
to be truly happy – or, perhaps the maximization of Two types of pleasure
better, “content” – one needs a collective happiness was a. Lower pleasure – associated
certain calm, tranquillity, and the correct criterion for with the body – food, water, sex
peace of mind (static pleasures)
moral behavior. b. Higher pleasure – associated
with the mind – listening to
operas, watching movies
Types of Hedonism
Folk Hedonism
This type states that a hedonist who seeks out pleasure for
themselves without any particular regard for their own
future well-being or for the well-being of others.
• example:
• a person who never misses an opportunity to indulge of the pleasures of
sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll, even if the indulgences are likely to lead to
relationship problems, health problems, regrets, or sadness for themselves
or others
• Owns reckless foresight
Motivational Hedonism
• Also called the Psychological Hedonism
• is the theory that the desires to encounter pleasure and to avoid pain guide all of our behavior.
• includes both conscious and unconscious desires for pleasure, but emphasize the latter
• Examples:
• all positive feelings or experiences, such as joy, satisfaction, ecstasy, contentment, bliss, and so
forth.
• Likewise, “pain” is typically understood so as to include all negative feelings or experiences, such as
aches, discomfort, fear, guilt, anxiousness, regret, and so forth
• Proponents
• Epicurus
• John Stuart Mill
• Jeremy Bentham
Ethical Hedonism
• Also called the Normative Egoism

• is the claim that only pleasure has value and only pain has
disvalue non-instrumentally.
• we ought to seek pleasure; it is the proper object of our desire
• Examples:
• friendships and achievements, our states of understanding,
insight and character, have only instrumental worth, through the
pleasure they cause or the pain they diminish.
Criticisms of ethical hedonism
• identifies value with pleasure, and considers pleasure as the only

value
• identifies pleasure with happiness
• Pleasure vs happiness
• what it is that is supposed to be intrinsically valuable.

• Is it pleasure – by which we mean pleasant sensations? Or is it happiness, in
which case what is that?
• A stable state of mind? A temporary feeling of well-being? Objectively
flourishing? Or are each of these good in themselves?
Hedonistic Egoism
• Hedonistic Egoism is the theory that we ought, morally speaking, to do

whatever makes us happiest – that is whatever provides us with the
most net pleasure after pain is subtracted
• Example:
• Hedonistic Egoist who does not feel saddened by theft would be morally required to
steal, even from needy orphans (if he thought he could get away with it)
• very unpopular amongst philosophers

Hedonistic Utilitarianism
• Hedonistic Utilitarianism is the theory that the right action is the one
that produces (or is most likely to produce) the greatest net happiness
for all concerned.
• Example:
• One who steals to support his vices, but no stealing from needy
orphans because to do so would usually leave the orphan far less
happy and the (probably better-off) thief only slightly happier
(assuming he felt no guilt)
The paradox of hedonism
• also called the Pleasure Paradox, refers to the practical difficulties

encountered in the pursuit of pleasure.
• constant pleasure-seeking may not yield the most actual pleasure or
happiness in the long run or even in the short run, when consciously
pursuing pleasure interferes with experiencing it.
• John Stuart Mill said, “Better Socrates dissatisfied, than the pig
satisfied.”
• We all want to be happy, but we don’t want happiness at any price or to
the exclusion of certain other values.
The paradox of hedonism
• "The impulse towards pleasure can be self-defeating.

• We fail to attain pleasures if we deliberately seek them. (Sidgwick :The Methods
of Ethics)
• points out that pleasure cannot be acquired directly; it can only be acquired
indirectly
• Example:
• Mary likes running. When she went to run, she is happier. We can think that Mary goes
to run, because she gets pleasure from it. However, this is not the process. If Mary
thinks that “I must go running so, I can be happier”, she could not get pleasure from it.
When she is so focused on getting pleasure, she does not actually enjoy her hobby
References: METIS
• Pojman. Louis. Cengage Advantage Ethics: discovering Right and

Wrong
• Mizzoni, John.Ethics, The Basics
• Mackinnon, Barbara. Ethics: Contemporary Issues, 8e
Other sources
• Bentham, Jeremy (1789). An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation, First printed in 1780 and first
published in 1789. A corrected edition with extra footnotes and paragraphs at the end was published in 1823.
Recent edition: Adamant Media Corporation, 2005.
• Bentham’s main discussion of his Quantitative Hedonistic Utilitarianism.
• Blake, R. M. (1926). Why Not Hedonism? A Protest, International Journal of Ethics, 37(1): 1-18.
• An excellent refutation of G. E. Moore’s main arguments against hedonism.
• Crisp, Roger (2006). Reasons and the Good, Oxford: Clarendon Press.
• Discusses the importance of ultimate reasons and argues that the best of these do not use moral concepts. The
volume also defends Prudential Hedonism, especially Chapter 4.
• Crisp, R. (2006). Hedonism Reconsidered, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, LXXIII(3): 619-645.
• Essentially the same as Chapter 4 from his Reasons and the Good.
• De Brigard, F. (2010). If You Like it, Does it Matter if it’s Real?, Philosophical Psychology, 23(1): 43-57.
• Presents empirical evidence that the experience machine thought experiment is heavily affected by a
psychological bias

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ETHICAL THEORIES

Epicurus Jeremy Bentham John Stuart Mill

• Also called the Normative Egoism

• identifies value with pleasure, and considers pleasure as the only

• what it is that is supposed to be intrinsically valuable.

• Hedonistic Egoism is the theory that we ought, morally speaking, to do

• very unpopular amongst philosophers

• also called the Pleasure Paradox, refers to the practical difficulties

• "The impulse towards pleasure can be self-defeating.

• Pojman. Louis. Cengage Advantage Ethics: discovering Right and

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