Are we naturally Egoistic or Altruistic? Zoe Dixon - 102646526

Are we naturally egoistic or altruistic? Zoe Dixon

THOMAS HOBBES – DAVID HUME – ‘Leviathan’ ‘Treatise and second Enquiry’. Egoism Man is selfish in the state Altruism of nature; we achieve Hume puts forward that peace through a sovereign not only do we Calculated altruism, which we obey for self- experience in ourselves a Natural interest in the preservation. feeling for humanity but good of others? underlying self- we also observe it in interest? BERNARD MANDEVILLE others. He argues that – ‘The Fable of the this sympathy and Bees’ benevolence disproves the selfish hypothesis Altruistic behaviour is a and is “contrary both to myth and the motivation common feeling and to for everything we do is Doing good for the sake our most unprejudiced egoistic. Our ultimate goal Doing good for the sake notions”. of good? is always to increase our of reward? own welfare and we help JEREMY BENTHAM

others only to the extent V AND JOHN STUART that helping them can MILL - benefit ourselves. The theory of AYN RAND – ‘The Virtue utilitarianism somewhat Developed and evolved of Selfishness’ contrasts with both Selfishness in disguise? egoism and altruism. throughout humanity? Rand believes that since selfishness is serious, JEAN-JACQUES rational and concerned ROUSSEAU - with one’s own well- being, then it is therefore Rousseau argues that a requirement to achieve human nature on the Survival of the fittest? ultimate moral value. whole is good. He argues Must we be taught Rand therefore states that that it is the influence of altruism due to natural this is the reason that society that corrupts and selfishness is in fact a changes the ‘natural selfishness? virtue. man’ into an egoistic

being. Deep rooted in human