Universal Egoism Sample Clauses

Universal Egoism. Universal egoism is understood as the principle that no matter what else we know about individuals, we know that they will be motivated by their desire to preserve themselves. Somewhere along the line ‘self-preservation’ became ‘self-interest’, which then became rational 59 Frontiers of Justice. 60Feminist Politics and Human Nature, p. 29. 61 Feminist Politics and Human Nature, p. 40. 62 Feminist Politics and Human Nature, p. 40. 63 Feminist Politics and Human Nature, p. 41. self-interest. 64 Xxxxxx presents universal egoism as the idea that, “No matter where or when they live, human beings are seen as tending naturally toward egoism or the maximization of their own individual utility” 65 Universal egoism is the result of the skeptical principle that we cannot assume that individuals share beliefs or purposes. But no matter how great human diversity, we can assume that individuals preserve themselves. This skeptical principle yields liberal skepticism about shared ends, suggests that ‘ends’ could not be the basis for uncoerced agreement. Contemporary versions of this are Xxxxx’ notion of reasonable pluralism. Since the only justifiable ‘good’, under these conditions, which is justifiable in terms of self-preservation is the object of an individual’s desire, about which they are not wrong, the only ‘common good’ is that which is reached by each individual pursuing his or her own desires. Xxxxxx suggests that this liberal faith in universal egoism yielding the ‘common good’ for all is misplaced. Xxxxxx believes that individual desires are caused by social context and interactions with others, and that to expect the common good to be created by each individual following his or her own interest is irresponsible. The good society, from a liberal point of view, would be one in which each individual is free to follow his own desires and ends, which is guaranteed by maximal liberty, meaning that the state should be limited, so that the individual would have as much space as possible to realize their rational desires. Rather than Xxxxxx’x four basic aspects of the liberal conception of human nature, I believe that we can identify two as the main culprits and that the other problematic characteristics can be derived from these two. The assumptions of universal egoism and the dualistic association of human essence with mind rather than body are at the root of the problematic atomism and egoism of the liberal subject. Without a body, humans can be understood as separa...