Self Interest - Coursework Example

Self Interest Self Interest Humans commonly do things for their own benefit because of egoistic motives. Ethical egoism holds that, it is good for people to pursue their own self-interest (MacKinnon and Fiala, 2015). However, ethics overrides self-interest, one of the traditional elements in ethical decision-making is an impartial consideration of the interest of others. Ethics assumes that self-interest is not the basis for all human behaviour, although some philosophers, for instance, Hobbes base ethics on self-interest.

He says that he once helped a beggar to cure his own distress. Human beings are psychologically inclined to pursue their own self-interest above all, including morality. Self-interest brings about egoistic reasons, while altruistic reasons are rooted in their concern for others. In some situations, human beings tend not to act to satisfy their own interest, the reason behind it is the code of ethic that is characterised by morality. Human beings are homo societicus. For that reason, man needs to interact with fellow humans for survival.

Several theories attempt to explain this phenomenon. There has been an emphasis on the moral discipline on human actions, whether human actions and utterances are just or unjust, righteous or unrighteous or even human or inhuman to humankind or the environment. Ethics is a moral conduct that is good, fair, just, and admirable in the society. It brings out a clean air of behaviour and aims at showing ones dignity while interacting with fellow human beings. Morality always triumphs over selfishness, without morality social life would be nearly impossible.

Naturally, people would be brutal, unjust, and selfish. Religion contributes to morality, because about 60% of individuals believe in a certain religion (MacKinnon and Fiala, 2015). Theologically, people care of what will happen in their afterlife. For many religions, an afterlife involves a person been rewarded or punished for what they have done. “Do to others what you would have them do to unto you” is a golden rule with a religious birth, which has been cemented in most people’s minds since childhood.

Religion exists as a factor of unity in the society. Confucius in the ancient china was vocal in establishing a “gentleman’s code” to avoid social disorder in China. The comfort or wrath of after life is based on the moral conduct of people’s behaviour while on earth. This regulates the conduct of people and motivates them to help others. Arguably, it is much better for people to follow rules. In the state of nature, according to social contract theory by Hobbes, it was brutal, lawless, unjust and short.

The absence of rules was the cause. Inherently, man desires law and security. The need for self-preservation and protection of property prompts man to surrender their rights voluntarily. For that reason, egoism result into constant war. It is often in one’s rational self-interest to behave morally because moral values frequently demand that one sacrifices the pursuit of their self-interests. For that reason, proper application of moral values curtails the need to pursue self-interest. Reference MacKinnon, B.

and Fiala, A. (2015). Ethics: Theory and Contemporary issues (8th Ed.). Stamford: Cengage Learning. Pg. (67-87). Print.