PHIL 2525 Contemporary Moral Issues

1. PHIL 2525Contemporary Moral Issues Lec 9 Is Me-First all right?

2. Difference between Egoist and Egotist • Egoist: thinking that your purpose in life is to look out for yourself – there is no obligation to look out for any one else – in fact, it would be morally wrong • Egotist: thinking that you’re the best thing since sliced bread

3. “The achievement of his own happiness is man’s highest moral purpose.” Ayn Rand

4. "What shall we do and how shall we live? According to Plato and Tolstoy and other reliable observers, this is our most important question! We should not trust any philosophy that makes this question appear foolish." [Peter Singer, The Player and the Cards: Nihilism and Legal Theory, 94 Yale L. J. 1, 3 (1984)]

5. More than 27,000 children die every day from preventable causes

6. 790 dead children for every one of us in this classroom…every day

7. Matthew 25:40 "I was hungry and you fed me; I was thirsty and you gave me drink... truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it unto me." Artist: Kathe Kollwitz

8. Psychological approaches are descriptive Egoism: All acts are basically selfish Altruism: Some of our acts are ‘naturally’ altruistic Ethical approaches are prescriptive Egoism: You ought to be selfish Altruism: You ought to be altruistic Egoism versus Altruism

9. Is altruism possible?

10. How often do you do things you don’t want to do?

11. Altruism

13. The Simpsons:

14. Ayn Rand essence of my philosophy (while standing on one foot)… • 1. Metaphysics: Objective Reality • 2. Epistemology: Reason • 3. Ethics: Self-interest • 4. Politics: Capitalism

15. “The achievement of his own happiness is man’s highest moral purpose.” Ayn Rand

16. Ayn Rand, born in Russia, was interviewed in the March 1964 issue

17. From the Playboy interview... PLAYBOY: As one who champions the cause of enlightened self-interest, how do you feel about dedicating one's life to hedonistic self-gratification? RAND: I am profoundly opposed to the philosophy of hedonism. Hedonism is the doctrine which holds that the good is whatever gives you pleasure and, therefore, pleasure is the standard of morality. Objectivism holds that the good must be defined by a rational standard of value, that pleasure is not a first cause, but only a consequence, that only the pleasure which proceeds from a rational value judgment can be regarded as moral,

18. From the Playboy interview... PLAYBOY: Would it be against the principles of Objectivism for anyone to sacrifice himself by stepping in front of a bullet to protect another person? RAND: No. It depends on the circumstances. I would step in the way of a bullet if it were aimed at my husband. It is not self-sacrifice to die protecting that which you value: If the value is great enough, you do not care to exist without it. This applies to any alleged sacrifice for those one loves.

19. Garrett Hardin: Lifeboat Ethics Freedom in a commons brings ruin to all. Possible solutions: Privatization: divide it up and everyone manages their part. Socialism: appoint someone and give them the power to manage the whole thing.

20. U of T Halloween Thought crime? Insensitivity? Exploitation?

21. U of T Halloween Thought crime? Insensitivity? Exploitation? 1900

22. U of T Halloween Thought crime? Insensitivity? Exploitation? 1900 and 1910

23. What is your answer to Lucy’s question?

24. Next week: On to the Social Contract....what do we owe each other and why? Where does society come from? Sample questions for the midterm test Essay questions for the midterm test