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 Reference
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]