PHIL 2525PHIL 2525Contemporary Moral Contemporary Moral

IssuesIssuesLec 9Lec 9

Is Me-First all right?Is Me-First all right?

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 you’re the best thing since sliced bread

““The achievement The achievement of his own of his own happiness is happiness is man’s highest man’s highest moral purpose.” moral purpose.” Ayn RandAyn Rand

"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)]

More than 27,000 children More than 27,000 children die every day from die every day from preventable causespreventable causes

790 dead children for every 790 dead children for every one one

of us in this classroom…of us in this classroom…every dayevery day

Matthew Matthew 25:4025:40

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

Artist: Kathe Artist: Kathe Kollwitz Kollwitz

Egoism versus AltruismEgoism versus Altruism

PsychologicalPsychological approaches are approaches are descriptivedescriptive

EgoismEgoism: All acts : All acts are basically selfishare basically selfish

AltruismAltruism: Some of : Some of our acts are our acts are ‘naturally’ altruistic‘naturally’ altruistic

EthicalEthical approaches are approaches are prescriptiveprescriptive

EgoismEgoism: You : You ought to be selfishought to be selfish

AltruismAltruism: You : You ought to be ought to be altruisticaltruistic

Is altruism possible?Is altruism possible?

How often do you do How often do you do things you don’t want things you don’t want to do?to do?

AltruismAltruism

The Simpsons: The Simpsons:

Ayn RandAyn Rand

essence of my philosophy essence of my philosophy (while standing on one foot)…(while standing on one foot)…

1. Metaphysics: 1. Metaphysics: Objective Reality Objective Reality 2. Epistemology: 2. Epistemology: Reason Reason 3. Ethics: 3. Ethics: Self-interest Self-interest 4. Politics: 4. Politics: CapitalismCapitalism

““The The achievement of achievement of his own his own happiness is happiness is man’s highest man’s highest moral purpose.” moral purpose.”

Ayn RandAyn Rand

Ayn Rand, born Ayn Rand, born in Russia, was in Russia, was interviewed in interviewed in the March 1964 the March 1964 issueissue

From the Playboy interview...From the Playboy interview... PLAYBOY: As one who champions the cause of PLAYBOY: As one who champions the cause of

enlightened self-interest, how do you feel about enlightened self-interest, how do you feel about dedicating one's life to hedonistic self-dedicating one's life to hedonistic self-gratification? gratification?

RAND: I am profoundly opposed to the RAND: I am profoundly opposed to the philosophy of hedonism. Hedonism is the philosophy of hedonism. Hedonism is the doctrine which holds that the good is whatever doctrine which holds that the good is whatever gives you pleasure and, therefore, pleasure is gives you pleasure and, therefore, pleasure is the standard of morality. the standard of morality. ObjectivismObjectivism holds that holds that the good must be defined by a rational standard the good must be defined by a rational standard of value, that pleasure is not a first cause, but of value, that pleasure is not a first cause, but only a consequence, that only the pleasure only a consequence, that only the pleasure which proceeds from a rational value judgment which proceeds from a rational value judgment can be regarded as moral,can be regarded as moral,

From the Playboy interview...From the Playboy interview...

PLAYBOY: Would it be against the PLAYBOY: Would it be against the principles of Objectivism for anyone to principles of Objectivism for anyone to sacrifice himself by stepping in front of a sacrifice himself by stepping in front of a bullet to protect another person? bullet to protect another person?

RAND: No. It depends on the RAND: No. It depends on the circumstances. I would step in the way of a circumstances. I would step in the way of a bullet if it were aimed at my husband. It is bullet if it were aimed at my husband. It is not self-sacrifice to die protecting that not self-sacrifice to die protecting that which you value: If the value is great which you value: If the value is great enough, you do not care to exist without it. enough, you do not care to exist without it. This applies to any alleged sacrifice for This applies to any alleged sacrifice for those one loves. those one loves.

Garrett Hardin: Lifeboat Garrett Hardin: Lifeboat EthicsEthics

Freedom in a commons Freedom in a commons

brings ruin to all.brings ruin to all.

Possible solutions:Possible solutions: PrivatizationPrivatization: divide it up and everyone : divide it up and everyone

manages their part.manages their part. SocialismSocialism: appoint someone and give : appoint someone and give

them the power to manage the whole them the power to manage the whole thing.thing.

U of T HalloweenU of T Halloween

Thought crime?Thought crime? Insensitivity?Insensitivity? Exploitation?Exploitation?

U of T HalloweenU of T Halloween

Thought crime?Thought crime? Insensitivity?Insensitivity? Exploitation?Exploitation?

19001900

U of T HalloweenU of T Halloween

Thought crime?Thought crime? Insensitivity?Insensitivity? Exploitation?Exploitation?

1900 and 19101900 and 1910

What is your answer to Lucy’s What is your answer to Lucy’s question?question?

Next week:Next week:

On to the On to the Social ContractSocial Contract....what ....what do we owe each other and why? do we owe each other and why? Where does society come from?Where does society come from?

Sample questions for the midterm Sample questions for the midterm testtest

Essay questions for the midterm testEssay questions for the midterm test