Ethical egoism

Ethical egoism is the normative view that each person ought to act in their own self-interest. It prescribes self-interested action rather than merely claiming that people naturally act selfishly.

Psychological egoism: The descriptive theory that people ultimately act from self-interest, even when their actions appear altruistic. Unlike ethical egoism, it claims what motivates people rather than what they ought to do.
Self-interest: The pursuit or protection of benefits for oneself, such as well-being, security, or personal goals. Ethical egoism makes an agent’s own interests the standard for what they ought to do.
Normative ethics: The branch of ethics that develops principles for determining how people ought to act. Ethical egoism is a proposed standard of right action within this field.
Prisoner's dilemma: A game-theoretic situation in which individually rational choices can leave all participants worse off than cooperation would. It tests whether pursuing individual interest reliably produces good outcomes for the people involved.
Universalizability: The requirement that a moral principle apply consistently to relevantly similar cases. It raises whether everyone can be required to prioritize their own interests without contradiction.
Ethical altruism: The normative view that people ought to promote others’ interests, sometimes at a cost to their own. It reverses ethical egoism’s prescription about whose interests should guide action.
Prudence: Practical wisdom in choosing actions that serve long-term interests and avoid foreseeable harm. It helps distinguish considered self-interest from immediate gratification.
Moral realism: The view that at least some moral claims are true independently of individual attitudes or conventions. It raises the question of whether self-interest can be an objectively binding moral requirement.
Conflict of interest: A situation in which personal interests may improperly influence a role-based duty or decision. It shows how self-interest can collide with obligations attached to social roles.
Ethical egoism and the common good: The question of whether individually self-interested conduct can support shared welfare and social cooperation. The theory must explain what happens when personal interests conflict with collective needs.

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