Joel feinberg bibliography compiled by keith burgessjackson, j. Bibliography of joel feinberg, the journal of ethics 10. Pdf the argument from psychological egoism to ethical egoism selfish or selfless. It claims that, when people choose to help others, they do so ultimately because of the personal benefits that they themselves expect to obtain, directly or indirectly, from so doing. This paper is offered as a tribute to joel feinberg. Moral saints 200 susan wolf part iv ethics and religion 2 introduction to part iv 215 23.
In defence of weak psychological egoism springerlink. On the relation between psychological and ethical egoism. According to joel feinberg there are some points that have made psychological. It says, roughly, that human beings are so constituted as to. Perhaps his most memorable achievement is his fourvolume treatise on the moral lim. Psychological egoism elliott sober psycliological egoism is a theory about motivation that claims that all of our ulti mate desires are selfdirected. Joel feinberg and the justification of hard paternalism richard j. Pdf the argument from psychological egoism to ethical egoism. Psychological egoism is a theory that holds that human beings always behave selfishly in everything that they do, and that it is impossible for them to behave otherwise. Feinberg observes that such arguments for psychological egoism are rarely mounted. What is feinbergs point in telling the story about abraham lincoln. Psychological egoism is the thesis that we are always deep down motivated by. Psychological egoism is a claim about all intentional actions. Psychological egoism is the name given to a theory.
Introduction to psychological egoism tracy kline this selection is part of a larger article that appeared on the original sophia project in 2000. Psychological egoism psychological egoism, whose proponents include epicurus, hobbes, spinoza, and arguably bentham, and whose critics include butler, hume, and sidgwick, is a doctrine about human nature, and speci. A more commonly held subset of this belief is psychological egoistic hedonism, which says that we only act for our own pleasure. Does desire satisfaction have value when it occurs. What links here related changes upload file special pages permanent link page. Joshua may 2011 european journal of philosophy 19 1. Feinberg clarifies psychological egoism and maintains that there are several things wrong with this theory. It must be distinguished from the normative claim that. Psychological egoism, as we discussed it, is the view that every person acts, ultimately, only for selfish reasons joel feinberg rejects psychological egoism on the grounds that. Psychological egoism is the view that humans are always motivated by self interest and. An alternate form of psychological egoism, psychological hedonism, relates to jerry benthams ideals, the only kind of desire is the desire to get or to prolong pleasant experiences, and to avoid or cut short unpleasant experiences for oneself feinberg 167. Because psychological egoism states that every act of every person is motivated by selfinterest, it is universal. Joel feinberg bibliography compiled by keith burgess.
Arneson university of california, san diego joel feinberg was a brilliant philosopher whose work in social and moral philosophy is a legacy of excellent, even stunning achievement. Find materials for this course in the pages linked along the left. Relational desires and empirical evidence against psychological egoism. Download cabelas big game hunter 2012 pc full download rar download. Weak psychological egoism is the doctrine that anything an agent does.
Download cabelas big game hunter 2012 pc full download rar. The first section of the paper applies feinbergs analysis of freedom of expression to a contemporary case of academic freedom. These arguments strongly disagree on the view of psychological egoism due to the consideration of several factors and using counterevidence. Many of the arguments oppose the theory of psychological egoism which states that human acts are selfish because people act according to their own desire. Psychological egoism internet encyclopedia of philosophy. The assumptive nature of the theory introduces a number of possible avenues for refutation, some of which are very compelling. What links here related changes upload file special pages permanent link. Psychological egoism is the thesis that we always act from selfish motives.
A recent defense of a form of psychological egoism that appeals to introspection and the purported unintelligibility of altruistic explanations of actions. Joel feinberg october 19, 1926 in detroit, michigan march 29, 2004 in tucson, arizona was an american political and legal philosopher. Feinberg essay psychological egoism is an essay written by joel feinberg, which discusses the meaning and controversy over psychological egoism. Psychological egoism is a descriptive theory that rather than suggesting, as ethical or rational egoism does, how people ought to live, suggests how people actually go about their lives. The history about the psychological egoism philosophy essay. Joel feinberg was an american political and legal philosopher. Bentham, an introduction to the principles of morals and legislation, ch.
Feinberg and rachels both play fast and loose with these distinctions. Joel feinberg joel feinberg 19262004 was professor of philosophy at the university of arizona. Values in ethics does an individuals good consist in his or her pleasure. Psychological egoism psychological egoism is the doctrine that the only thing anyone is capable of desiring or pursuing ultimately is a. That is, it reduces what seems to be a plurality or a multiplicity of motives to a single kind. Psychological egoism is, i suppose, regarded by most philosophers as one of the more simpleminded fallacies in the history of philosophy, and dangerous and seductive too, contriving as it does to combine cynicism about human ideals and a vague sense of scientific method, both of which make the ordinary reader feel sophisticated, with conceptual confusion, which he cannot resist. It holds that all desires are egoistic desires, or else derived egoistic desires. It claims that, when people choose to help others, they do so ultimately because of the personal benefits that they themselves expect to. Do you agree with the verdict he draws from the story. Supplement on feinberg s psychological egoism critique of psychological egoism. Because psychological egoism states that all motivations are, in the final analysis, selfish, it is reductive. The moral limits of the criminal law, volume 4 joel feinberg snippet view 1984. With these points in mind, we can characterize egoistic and altruistic desires in the psychologidal way although actions may vary in content, the ultimate source is selfinterest.
Critique of psychological egoism the sophia project. Fallacy of suppressed correlative problem of language even if the psychological egoist is prepared to admit certain actions as less selfish than others which may be seen to be more selfish the correlative to selfish is unselfish and the psychological egoist denies such acts as even possible. Values in ethics universal does an individuals good consist in his or her pleasure. Joel feinberg psychological egoism for california high school. Psychological egoism her desire to win makes her anxious during her matches, and thus she does not play well and loses. Pdf psychological egoism is the view that each person is so constituted that he. Altruism contradicts psychological egoism and so is impossible by 1 and 3 5.
He is known for his work in the fields of ethics, action theory, philosophy of law, and political philosophy as well as individual rights and the authority of the state. Psychological egoism is the belief that men only act in selfinterest in all situations, and when we help others we do it for ourselves. Read bibliography of joel feinberg, the journal of ethics on deepdyve, the largest online rental service for scholarly research with thousands of academic publications available at your fingertips. Until we know what they psychological egoists would count as unselfish behavior, we cant very well know what they mean. However, since feinbergs aim was limited to defending psychological altruism, he used this argument only to prove that it. Figures may be missing from this format of the document. What is psychological egoism, and how does it differ from ethical egoism. Joel feinberg, in his 1958 paper psychological egoism, embraces a similar critique by drawing. The philosophy of joel feinberg received 14 march 2005. A new divine command theory 220 robert merrihew adams 25.
Dec 08, 20 psychological egoism is the belief that men only act in selfinterest in all situations, and when we help others we do it for ourselves. Psychological egoism by joel feinberg philosophercharlie. Altruistic acts involve putting others interests ahead of your own altruism 4. Egoism and altruism test psychologia give your company profile some tlc ppt. Joel feinberg psychological egoism psychological egoism in a paper prepared in 1958 for the benefit of students at brown, feinberg seeks to refute the philosophical theory of psychological egoism, which in his opinion is fallacious. Lafollette, h 1988, the truth in psychologicalegoism, in joel feinberg ed.
Psychological egoism is the view that humans are always motivated by selfinterest and selfishness, even in what seem to be acts of altruism. Whenever we want others to do well or ill, we have these otherdirected desires only instrumentally. Feinberg studied at the university of michiganwriting his dissertation on the philosophy of the harvard professor ralph barton perry under the supervision of charles stevenson. The second section engages feinbergs work on rights and. What is feinberg s point in telling the story about abraham lincoln. I does desire satisfaction have value when it occurs unbeknownst to the individual. This book discusses problems of conceptual analysis as well as nor. Critique of psychological egoism david hume there is a principle, supposed to prevail among many, which is utterly incompatible with all virtue or moral sentiment. Psychological egoism is the doctrine that the only thing anyone is capable of desiring or pursuing ultimately is. Arguments for psychological egoism philosophy essay. Joel feinberg psychological egoism pdf download download joel feinberg psychological egoismjoel feinberg psychological egoism pdfjoel feinberg psychological egoism articlejoel feinberg psychological egoism essayjoel feinberg psychological egoism summary 0fea0b1dc0 a specific form of psychological egoism is psychological hedonism. Assignments moral psychology linguistics and philosophy.
Supplement on feinberg s psychological egoism because he has no means to achieve that end, however, it takes little imagination joshua may european journal of philosophy 19 1. If one cannot do an act, one has no obligation to do it ought implies can principle 3. What do you think is the best argument in favor of the theory. Consequentialism jeremy bentham, an introduction to the principles of morals and legislation chs. We always seek to maximize our own self interest psychological egoism 2. Feinberg points out reasons to support the theory, but the majority of the time he critiques and points out its various flaws.