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ETHICAL EGOISM - AO2: WHAT'S SUPERIOR? (2) - Coggle Diagram
ETHICAL EGOISM - AO2: WHAT'S SUPERIOR? (2)
DCT IS SUPERIOR
ethical egoism is essentially useless as an ethical moral theory as it cannot be universalised, so the DCT is superior as it provides universal moral laws that cannot be changed on a whim
virtue theory gives no clear guidance on what a person should do in any moral situation; being told one is virtuous isn't enough to help a person make decisions within a situation
DCT, however, has clear, distinct rules that guide correctly as they come from God
DCT is superior as it's simple to follow - God's commands are clear as we look at any scripture/ source of moral authority from God which tells us how to behave
commands given by God are absolute + unchangeable, so a moral agent is able to have a moral compass which they can base their actions
VIRTUE THEORY IS SUPERIOR
if everyone acted out of self-interest, then society would collapse;
STIRNER
may have encouraged union of egoists, but he also claimed one doesn't have to agree wi the union if it doesn't align with their self-interest
virtue theory is superior as it considers the flourishing of society alongside that of the individual, while maintaining flexibility required of an agent to respond to certain circumstances
virtue relates to how one acts as a member of a wider community
ANSCOMBE
- DCT fails as it's dependent on a God that may not exist; other theories have no foundation for understanding good/ evil as they depend on God's authority
virtue ethics replaces good/ evil wi virtues like honesty, courage, which is more logically consistent, making it more superior
virtue theory is superior as its goal is eudaimonia: flourishing, or well-being, which
ARISTOTLE
described as the ultimate goal above all goals
this theory is superior as it doesn't require religious belief, and is based on something desirable for all
ETHICAL EGOISM IS SUPERIOR
DCT removes ppl's ability to self-rule, as they depend on the authority of a divine being, causing individuals to be misled into thinking they are acting freely
ethical egoism is therefore superior as it gives one freedom + moral autonomy, rather than feeling of obligation, and so avoids ppl acting in bad faith, where ppl lie to themselves
individuals will pretend they are under obligation to a God/ higher power, when we're able to actually act on free will
virtue theory removes the sense of moral obligation due to its absolute rules, but all it really does is replace one set of rules wi another
virtue theory requires ppl to be honest + compassionate when they have no obligation to do so
like DCT, virtue theory requires a sense of obligation to specific ideals about excellence, whereas ethical egoism doesn't
it instead allows ppl to act completely freely out of their own self-interest
ethical egoism is superior as it holds more honesty than the DCT + virtue theory as it acknowledges the actual reason as to why ppl want to act the way they do
it allows ppl to live genuine, flourishing lives that they've made for themselves
RAND
- the achievement of happiness for ourselves should be seen as our 'highest purpose'