Psychological Egoism Is the View That All of Our Choices

question 24

Essay

Psychological egoism is the view that all of our choices and actions, even those that seem altruistic, are selfish. Write an essay explaining and criticizing this thesis and defending the possibility of altruism. Begin your essay with a story that apparently illustrates psychological egoism-either the Abraham Lincoln story or another story of your own-and then construct an argument showing that the egoistic interpretation of this story isn't necessarily true. Then discuss how psychological egoism differs from ethical egoism, and explain why ethical egoism isn't true. You can use materials from Chapter 8 but also your own ideas.

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Definitions:

Public Sector

The portion of an economy that is controlled by the government, encompassing government services, enterprises, and state-owned entities.

Private Sector

The part of the economy that is owned and operated by private individuals and corporations, as opposed to the government or public sector.

Price Mechanism

The manner in which the prices of goods or services affect the supply and demand of those goods or services.

Equitable Distribution

The fair and just allocation of resources among members of a community or economy.