This study will discuss the idea of egoism and how this may be used in analyzing a particular issue. In determining this in the study, there is going to be the ethical focus in which the sides of the arguments are also focused on the essential societal situations that are given. The premise of egoism is that every act that a person does is not for the sake of others but all are entirely based on how they believe this is affective for them. This idea This is very different from altruistic although there is the possibility that altruistic acts may at the core be based on the theory of egoism. This means that despite the attempts of a person to do good to other people, there are still the lingering effects of other factors such as through the imposed ideas by religion, society, or punishment and rewards. As such, the decisions, choices, and actions are all contributive to outcome of a particular action, and such is the way that egoism—that is, the idea that everything is for the benefit of the self—has become one of the theories that explained the actions of the people.
There are several philosophers whose core arguments are particularly egoism in nature, one of which is Marx. The focus of egoism is one that is particularly difficult to accept due to the relative belief on, as was previously mentioned, altruism. In fact, most cultures believe that the inherent ability to care for a particular person, not to mention the idea that there is also the need for people to focus on the needs of the entire community or at least a particular majority. With the upbringing of a person in a particular community, it is almost always stressed that the importance greatly lies on the majority and not on the ideas of a minority, or at least wherein the best for the majority will be taken into further consideration. This may be due to the cultural importance placed on the continuance of the specie and also for the group focus of the community.
However, egoism also indicates the focus on the self as one of the most important factors for the continuance of the society and culture, therefore showing that the self should be able to focus on their own interest and also be able to provide for their own self needs and wants. These may manifest itself through various methods, whether it be through the care and the health of the person, the interpretations of the people when it comes to understanding the ideas of other people (therefore they are focusing on their own abilities to interpret the actions of their own understanding), and wherein these are understood to be part of the concept of their ideas and also for their future. This method of thinking may also be shown in Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs wherein the person deems his or her own importance due and thus manage to act accordingly. The theory defines five stages in which a person may be able to find satisfaction for themselves, which starts with the basic that is the physiological need (essential for survival). There is also the safety need (need to be protected and safely kept), emotional needs (needs wherein the emotions should be satisfied), need for self-esteem (needs that can be satisfied only by deciding the identity of the person with the needs, and thus be able to identify what can supplement the self-esteem of that person, such as craving to be noticed as a worker or as an artist). The final and highest need for the hierarchy is need for self-actualization (need for an actual identity which can only be achieved through fulfilling the identity). It can be seen through this explanation that Maslow’s theory manages to showvase the different ways in which a person is able to determine their needs and therefore be able to act on them, of which includes altruism that also mostly focuses on the need of the person who is helping in confirming with themselves concerning their belongingness in a particular community or belief. Therefore, all these needs are essentially self-serving and also focus on the requirements of the person, especially as they allow for their own interests to reign, thus including the effects that they may have on their decisions and actions, and also how they are able to manifest these with the people around them.
One of the strengths of this philosophy is that it cannot be denied that people are very interested in their own welfare and spend decades in achieving their needs, wants, and even their individualistic requirements that may cater to their own emotional upbringing. St the same time, it also cannot be denied that the intent to follow the regulations of the community and the norms as based on the ideas of the majority is based on the individuality. Conferring or defying these norms and regulations may also be based on the interest of the person requiring their own decisions and actions.
It may be shown as thus. A student is considered to be an individual. He is healthy and also considerably happy, and this is because he takes care of himself, thus relates to egoism. This student may also be very popular and is also considered to be a good person, always willing to help out with others. While this may already be an argument for egoism, let us take this another step further. He runs for president of the student council because he “would like to serve his fellow students”. Now, in the idea that the student is being helpful is because of the attitude that he shows to the people, and indeed he may believe that he is actually a helpful person. Nevertheless, he may also be doing it for his own reasons, one of which is that he believes that in running for president, this may look good for the colleges (which is for his own reason), he himself believes that he may be of service to others and therefore serves due to the idea that the outcomes may be traced to him (although subconsciously—and therefore still ending up to be egoism). On a hindsight, it may also be helpful to point out that the people who are voting for him may have their own agendas of their own: whether they believe that the person will be handing out favors or if the student in question is able to carry the tasks handed to him and thus be able to improve the school. Either way, they both end up as focused on their own selfish desires.
However, a particular problem that the egoism theory is that whether it may be a simple way of looking at it or through theoretic means only, many people are not keen in the idea of knowing that every movement that others have done for them are all forced to be reduced into the value of selfishness, and one that is not highly thought of in many cultures around the world. The value of the human life then becomes reduced when compared with the value of others, such as a person will have a higher priority always for his own life and outcomes rather than focusing on others’, or may be interested in others’ but always with the interest of one’s own primary in their ideas. Another problem of this is that it cannot always be thought of that people are very often able to see the intents of others and therefore may not be able to give a sound conclusion. Egoism, due to the basic concept of being primarily focused on the self, is one that cannot be observed intently through the on-goings of society.
In turn, society itself has to be studied closely in order to monitor the events; however, egoism is one that cannot be monitored, especially when altruism is the value that continues to reign and wherein ethical focuses are based on altruism. While it is true that may constitutions around the world are now focused on the continuation of liberation and also for the expression of individualism, these cannot be judged immediately to be based solely on the ideas of the people and thus cannot be clearly studied.
Nevertheless, this theory is one that is ground-breaking and also important in the achievement of the individualism of the people, one that has allowed for better expression. Egoism, at the very least, has acknowledged the importance of the self despite the importance of the entirety and has reversed the method of looking at society as a whole rather than one that is made up of individuals with differences and similarities, thus making up an entirely big society with all the variety. In the end, we are all catering to our own whims and our own decisions, all based on our own beliefs and our own goals. It is through this that we realize that people are more inclined to focus on their own individualism yet still manage to allow for exchange of communication and building of relationships in order to ensure the continuation of their society.
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Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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