The philosophy of ethical egoism tries to explain the underlying reasons for the various actions committed by people in a society. The theory states that people are wired to do things that benefit them. Consequently, an individual can do something for another person only when they stand to personally gain from the action to be accomplished (Solomon 15). Conversely, the social contract theory focuses on morality, which define how people behave and treat one another based on societal beliefs (Stone 177). Therefore, this paper defines the connection between ethical egoism and the social contract theory.
The theory of ethical egoism tries to define the feelings that people may have against others in society (MacKinnon and Fiala 17). For example, one may see a poor person and start feeling pity for them. The feeling may not be influenced by the sincere concern for the misfortune that has befallen the affected individual (Shafer-Landau 15). However, it may be influenced by the sole fact that he or she acknowledges that they might also be in the same situation. Therefore, people are not led by their actions, but their thoughts and feelings concerning others in the society are selfish in one way or another.
Furthermore, only rational individuals in the society will often encourage others to follow the rules of morality due to the attribute of it being mutually benefitting to both parties (Holmes 50). However, the philosophy of ethical egoism defines charity as an act aimed at showing one’s capability in either finances or other aspects of life. Therefore, the core of charitable actions is not to benefit the one being offered charity but to show the ability to provide for the one giving out charity (Medlin 112). Therefore, most people help others with the sole aim of helping themselves.
Indeed, ethical egoism and the social contract theory directly relate. While the ethical egoism focuses on the perception that people help others as a way of helping themselves to be better, the social contract theory defines the moral values that should guide people while helping others. Ultimately, these elements of moral philosophy have a profound effect on the different social and ethical implications of moral actions.
Works Cited
Holmes, Robert L. Basic Moral Philosophy. Nelson Education, 2014.
Holmes approach to ethical egoism and social contract theory stands to inform one of the underlying reasons that guide different moral actions in society. Furthermore, Holmes argues that the philosophy of ethical egoism tries to make people understand how selfish they might be even when their actions significantly assist others.
MacKinnon, Barbara, and Andrew Fiala. Ethics: Theory and Contemporary Issues. Nelson Education, 2014.
MacKinnon and Fiala are of the opinion that people will rarely be guided by their actions, but their desire to coexist and get help from others the same way they would provide it. Moreover, the rule of coexistence as depicted by the social theory indicates how people should behave in society to foster sociable living. The rules are those that drive positive actions towards others; actions that benefit those who initiate them.
Medlin, Brian. “Ultimate Principles and Ethical Egoism.” Australasian Journal of Philosophy, vol. 35, no. 2, 1957, pp.111-118.
Medlin argues on whether ethical attributes should be arbitrary. The author notes that ethical egoism directly influences morality in society.
Shafer-Landau, Russ. The fundamentals of ethics. OUP USA, 2014.
The paper focuses on two elements of moral philosophy: ethical egoism and social contract theory. Shafer-Landau argues that morality in society is dependent on how these elements relate. The paper asks a critical question on whether understanding the world through the perceptions of these two elements help get a clear picture of the moral philosophy that they present.
Solomon, Robert C. Morality and the Good Life: An Introduction to Ethics through Classical Sources. Mcgraw-Hill Higher Education, 2009.
The paper talks about the theory of Ethical Egoism and many ethical theories including the social contract theory. The author integrates them to form a guideline to explain various phenomena using elements of moral philosophy in the world.
Stone, Peter. “Social Contract Theory in the Global Context.” Law, Ethics, and Philosophy, vol. 2, no. 1, 2014, pp.177-189.
Stone focuses on the social contract theory, which majors on the philosophy of morality. The paper defines morality as a given set of rules that control how people in a society treat one another. Stone argues that people always treat one another based on the treatment they get, and are will most likely act worse if they feel that they received an unjustified treatment.
