PHIL 2525 Lecture 9 Is me-first all right?

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PHIL 2525Lecture 9Is me-first all right?
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READING QUIZ

• Whats the difference between Ethical Egoism and
  Psychological Egoism? (2 marks) 
• The statement that we do what makes us feel
  good supports which of the above?(1 mark)
• Who is Raoul Wallenberg? (2 marks)

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READING QUIZ

• 4. Ayn Rand is a proponent of which of the
  theories referred to in question 1? (1 mark)
• 5. Explain Garrett Hardins thesis in the
  lifeboat article. (3 marks)
• 6. According to Rachels, Ethical Egoism is
  unacceptably arbitrary in the same way that
  __________ is unacceptably arbitrary. (1 mark)

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Halloween at the Campbellford Legion...

• Thought crime?
• Racist?
• Insensitive?
• Clueless?
• Harmless fun?

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Prince Harry

• Anti-Semitic?
• Disgusting?
• Insensitive?
• Bad taste?
• Plain stupid?

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Pink Shirt Day

• Shepherd and Price bought 50 pink shirts and
  brought them to school in solidarity with another
  youth who was bullied for wearing a pink polo
  shirt...
• The last Wednesdayof February is Pink Shirt Day

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Pink Shirt Day

• Shepherd and Price bought 50 pink shirts and
  brought them to school in solidarity with another
  youth who was bullied for wearing a pink polo
  shirt...
• The last Wednesdayof February is Pink Shirt Day

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Difference between Egoist and Egotist

• Egoist thinking that your purpose in life is
  to look out for yourself there is no obligation
  to look out for any one else in fact, it would
  be morally wrong
• Egotist thinking that youre the best thing
  since sliced bread

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• The achievement of his own happiness is mans
  highest moral purpose. Ayn Rand

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• "What shall we do and how shall we live?
  According to Plato and Tolstoy and other reliable
  observers, this is our most important question!
  We should not trust any philosophy that makes
  this question appear foolish."
• Peter Singer, The Player and the Cards
  Nihilism and Legal Theory, 94 Yale L. J. 1, 3
  (1984)

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5.1 Is there a duty to help starving people?

• WHAT A QUESTION!

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More than 27,000 children die every day from
preventable causes
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964 (550) dead children for every one of us in
this classroomevery day
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Matthew 2540

• "I was hungry and you fed me I was thirsty and
  you gave me drink... truly I say to you, as you
  did it to one of the least of these my brethren,
  you did it unto me."
• Artist Kathe Kollwitz

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Egoism versus Altruism

• Psychological approaches are descriptive
• Egoism All acts are basically selfish
• Altruism Some of our acts are naturally
  altruistic

• Ethical approaches are prescriptive
• Egoism You ought to be selfish
• Altruism You ought to be altruistic

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5.2 Is altruism possible?
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• We always do what we most want to do.p.65
• Psychological Egoism

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Psychological Egoism?We always do what makes us
feel good...p. 66

• Rachels question
• The strategy of re-interpreting motives?

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We always do what makes us feel good...p. 66

• Sometimes theres more than one motive...

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Altruism
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(No Transcript)
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An aside...

• If every action is, indeed, selfish, what can
  unselfish mean?
• And if unselfish doesnt mean anything, what can
  selfish mean?
• Why do we have those words?

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5.3 Ethical EgoismMe first? Me only?

• Looking out for yourself doesnt mean not helping
  others...
• Looking out for yourself doesnt mean you get to
  do whatever you want no matter what...

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5.3 Arguments for Ethical Egoism

• 1. Altruism is self-defeating
• 2. Ayn Rands argument
• 3. Ethical Egoism as compatible with
  commonsense morality

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5.4 Arguments against Ethical Egoism

• 1. It endorses wicked actions when they
  promote self-interest
• 2. Its logically inconsistent
• 3. It is unacceptably arbitrary

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Ayn Rand

• essence of my philosophy
• (while standing on one foot)
• 1. Metaphysics Objective Reality
• 2. Epistemology Reason
• 3. Ethics Self-interest
• 4. Politics Capitalism

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• The achievement of his own happiness is mans
  highest moral purpose.
• Ayn Rand
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?v7ukJiBZ8_4kfeature
  related
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vpMTDaVpBPR0feature
  related

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• Ayn Rand, born in Russia, was interviewed in the
  March 1964 issue

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From the Playboy interview...

• PLAYBOY As one who champions the cause of
  enlightened self-interest, how do you feel about
  dedicating one's life to hedonistic
  self-gratification?
• RAND I am profoundly opposed to the philosophy
  of hedonism. Hedonism is the doctrine which holds
  that the good is whatever gives you pleasure and,
  therefore, pleasure is the standard of morality.
  Objectivism holds that the good must be defined
  by a rational standard of value, that pleasure is
  not a first cause, but only a consequence, that
  only the pleasure which proceeds from a rational
  value judgment can be regarded as moral...

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From the Playboy interview...

• PLAYBOY Would it be against the principles of
  Objectivism for anyone to sacrifice himself by
  stepping in front of a bullet to protect another
  person?
• RAND No. It depends on the circumstances. I
  would step in the way of a bullet if it were
  aimed at my husband. It is not self-sacrifice to
  die protecting that which you value If the value
  is great enough, you do not care to exist without
  it. This applies to any alleged sacrifice for
  those one loves.

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Garrett Hardin Lifeboat Ethics

• Freedom in a commons
• brings ruin to all.
• Possible solutions
• Privatization divide it up and everyone manages
  their part.
• Socialism appoint someone and give them the
  power to manage the whole thing.
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vL8gAMFTAt2M

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Next week

• On to the Social Contract....what do we owe each
  other and why? Where does society come from?
• Sample questions for the midterm test

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Attendance Question