more on this theme | more from this thinker
Full Idea
Egoism is inadequate as a guide to good living. Though it tells us what to do, given pre-existent desires, it cannot help us critically form those desires.
Gist of Idea
Egoism submits to desires, but cannot help form them
Source
Gordon Graham (Eight Theories of Ethics [2004], Ch.9)
Book Ref
Graham,Gordon: 'Eight Theories of Ethics' [Routledge 2004], p.176
A Reaction
A crucial point in morality. It also applies to utilitarianism (should I change my capacity for pleasure?), and virtue theory (how should I genetically engineer 'human nature'?). I think these problems push us towards Platonism. See Idea 4840.
Related Idea
Idea 4840 Reason perceives things under a certain form of eternity [Spinoza]
| 6685 | 'Subjectivism' is an extension of relativism from the social group to the individual [Graham] |
| 6691 | It is more plausible to say people can choose between values, than that they can create them [Graham] |
| 6688 | Life is only absurd if you expected an explanation and none turns up [Graham] |
| 6690 | A standard problem for existentialism is the 'sincere Nazi' [Graham] |
| 6689 | The key to existentialism: the way you make choices is more important than what you choose [Graham] |
| 6693 | 'What if everybody did that?' rather misses the point as an objection to cheating [Graham] |
| 6700 | We can't criticise people because of unforeseeable consequences [Graham] |
| 6701 | Rescue operations need spontaneous benevolence, not careful thought [Graham] |
| 6699 | The chain of consequences may not be the same as the chain of responsibility [Graham] |
| 6698 | Negative consequences are very hard (and possibly impossible) to assess [Graham] |
| 6704 | Egoism submits to desires, but cannot help form them [Graham] |
| 6705 | Existentialism may transcend our nature, unlike eudaimonism [Graham] |
| 6706 | The great religions are much more concerned with the religious life than with ethics [Graham] |
| 6709 | Western religion saves us from death; Eastern religion saves us from immortality [Graham] |