A634.7.4.RB - Egoism: Psychological and Moral_SharpMelissa

In reading about psychological egoism and ethical egoism, I am admittedly confused. LaFollette (2007) noted that psychological egoism is the theory that everyone’s actions are always self-interested, while ethical egoism is the theory that people should always and only act to encourage their own self-interests (p. 272). Maybe it’s me, but even after reading further, I can’t see the big difference. In other words, one form of egoism did not seem any better than the other because both are self-focused. In order to better understand, I watched an Ethical Egoism presentation for a verbal explanation of the terms (Ethical Egoism, 2016). In the presentation, the speaker provided the same definitions outlined in the LaFollette text, along with examples; even with the examples, after re-reading my text, I am still confused.

Is it correct to say that psychological egoism is selfish, while ethical egoism looks after self, but is not selfish and when self-interest is not the motivator, morality may be the reason? If my reasoning is accurate, I think I understand; however, if my summary is incorrect, I need clarity. Again, the terms are as follows:

• Psychological egoism- everyone’s actions are always and totally self-interested. (LaFollette, 2007, p. 272)
• Ethical egoism- people should always and only act to promote their own self-interests (LaFollette, 2007, p. 272)

Egoism

When I think of egoism, I generally think of the negative descriptions that follow; for example, egoism is associated with conceit, pride, self-centeredness, and any other negative “self” related term. Egoism theory states that one’s self is, or should be, the motivation behind one’s own action (Moseley, 2019). Based on the theory’s meaning, those who do nice things for others, for example, are motivated by self (maybe doing nice things feels good or maybe there’s a tangible or intangible reward). In egoism, self-interest is the focus and while there may be a positive spin on egoism, it still sounds selfish to me.

Ego in the Workplace

Unfortunately, ego in the workplace go hand-in-hand. I have watched others “save face” by blaming others for their own mistakes; I have heard managers declare their greatness and reference followers as lower-levelers, and I have allowed ego to influence some of my decisions. When I think of ego, I think of pride. When we are prideful, it is hard for us to admit fault, ask for help, or praise those who are succeeding. Ego can get in the way of ethical decision-making because our judgement is clouded by selfishness.  For example, when judgement is clouded by pride, we may speak untruths or act in ways that hinder the success of others.

Manager Benefits

There’s a well-known saying that goes, “with the title comes the responsibility”. Managers are held to a higher standard because they are responsible for many things. Additionally, when organizational issues arise, the manager is held accountable. While leading an organization and/or team has its perks, it is not easy. Therefore, because managers’ responsibilities are so great, there should be manager-specific benefits. Benefits do not give managers’ the right to mistreat others; benefits are just an added, “thank you for the load you carry”, 

reward.

Leaders Rewarded to Promote Ethical Behavior

Should the presence of an award prompt a leader to promote ethical behavior? I think leaders should promote ethics whether they are rewarded or not. Maybe a reward would motivate a leader to promote ethical behavior. Still, if a leader is not rewarded, will he or she promote ethical behavior, or is the promotion of ethical behavior only contingent on a reward?  Instead of awarding leaders for promoting what they should already be promoting, we could encourage leaders to promote ethics among their employees. For example, if an employee goes above and beyond to put personal interests aside for the good of her clients, that is considered ethical behavior and she should be rewarded (Belcher, 2019). I am not saying that leaders should not receive awards or recognition; I am saying that leaders are responsible for promoting ethics without reward.

Belcher, L. M. (2019, February 01). Ways to Promote Ethical Conduct. Retrieved from Chron: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/ways-promote-ethical-conduct-24132.html

Ethical Egoism. (2016, April 03). Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXoGatDZfvI

LaFollette, H. (2007). The Practice of Ethics. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, Ltd.

Moseley, A. (2019). Egoism. Retrieved from Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: https://www.iep.utm.edu/egoism/