Egoism, Self-Interest, and Altruism - Arts and Humanities Assignment Help

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Egoism, Self-Interest, and Altruism

One of the most notorious examples of selfishness in the business world is that of Nestlé’s infant formula. During the 1970s and 1980s,Nestlé launched a marketing strategy in developing countries that lured countless poor mothers into infant formula dependency. Wearing uniforms that resembled those of legitimate nurses,Nestlé’s sales force infiltrated hospitals,praised the health benefits of their infant formula,and left mothers with free samples that would last a few weeks—just long enough to diminish the mothers’ abilities to produce breast milk. Left with no choice,mothers purchased the formula. However, proper use of it required up to 70 percent of a family’s income, and unable to pay, mothers diluted the formula, often with contaminated local water.The result was the death of millions of infants from disease and malnutrition. After a decade-long worldwide boycott against Nestlé, in 1984 the company changed its marketing practices. However, even today some activist groups charge that infant formula companies, including Nestlé, are still marketing to poor mothers, resulting in 4,000 babies dying each day.1 Even the worst corporations do not intentionally set out to kill people. Rather,they are continually driven by the need to make a profit, which overrides all other considerations. If people are harmed or die in the course of doing business, that is not an issue for them unless it seriously harms sales through fines, bad publicity, or boycotts. One lesson that we might learn from the Nestlé story is that corporations arechronically selfish:Every decision is made in a way that ultimately serves the best interest of the company and only that company. Even when corporations donate to charities, it’s invariably done as a public relations effort to improve public image and in turn improve sales. Considering that corporations are composed of nothing but human beings,this raises serious questions about whether selfishness is the driving force behind all human conduct—in our private as well as business lives.What is the place of self-regard, self-interest, or self-love in the moral life? Is everything that we do really done out of the motive of self-interest so that morality is necessarily egoistic? Is some form of egoism the best moral theory? Or is egoism really diametrically opposed to true morality? Is selflessness possible,and if so, is it rational? These are the questions that we discuss in this chapter.There are many different kinds of egoism, but the two main types that interest moral philosophers are psychological egoism and ethical egoism

(1) Please complete one question from each of the three sections below according to the instructions;

(2) All answers must be double-spaced and typed in Times Roman 12 font;

(3) This is an open-book examination. You can consult your course readings, lectures, and class notes to write your answers. You can, but do not have to, consult outside materials; 

(4) You will be graded on your mastery of the course materials, and your own independent and critical thinking. Please provide citations for any texts that you quote from the readings or outside source. I am interested in your views and answers, written in your own words;

(5) Any evidence of plagiarism from readings, outside sources, or other student answers will be penalized;

(6) The Take-home examination will have to be submitted by 11:30 p.m. on Monday, January 03, in the Turnitin software. Note that Turnitin won’t accept any submission at any time after this deadline.

SECTION I: Answer the following questions:

1. Using Immanuel Kant’s first version of the “categorical imperative,” explain in detail why cheating in an examination would be considered a violation of a perfect duty. First, begin by explaining the meaning of a categorical imperative as opposed to a hypothetical imperative. Second, discuss in detail why Kant regards the categorical imperative as a “good without qualification.” Third, state and explain Kant’s first formulation of the categorical imperative. Next, briefly discuss the distinction between perfect duty and imperfect duty in Kant’s formulation. Finally, provide a detailed account of the Kantian moral test (using the first formulation of the categorical imperative) to show why cheating in an examination would constitute a violation of a perfect duty.

2. Some people argue that everyone is an egoist. What do they mean by this? Does this mean that egoism is the basis for all ethics? If human nature compels us all to be egoist, does this mean that human beings are necessarily hedonist? In other words, explain the statement that “Not all egoists are hedonists and not all hedonists are egoists.” Begin by clearly distinguishing between hedonism and egoism. Next, discuss the different conceptions of hedonism (e.g., of Aristippus and Epicurus), as well as the different conceptions of egoism (psychological and ethical). In the final part of the essay, discuss Thomas Hobbes’s view of human nature and its relationship to the state of nature and social contract theory. End with a brief discussion of Locke’s criticism of the views of Hobbes.

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