Psychologists and philosophers have long been searching for what the basis of human interactions is. Currently, there are many paradigms, theories, speculations and models, however, one stands out as the most commonly accepted theory, and that is the theory of egoism. There are two perspectives on egoism, the psychological psychological egoism, and the philosophical ethical egoism. Here, well discuss each one and their differences.

As I briefly mentioned above, psychological egoism is a descriptive theory (meaning a theory based on observation) that is largely regarded as the theory that best explains human behavior. Most psychologists believe that ones self-interest (or ego) is the foundation of all the interactions that person does.

For example, if you were to go to a store to buy some water or groceries, it would be because you felt thirsty or hungry. Similarly, if you went to a doctor, it would be because you were sick. In both these cases, your motivation for doing something arose from the fact that you wanted to do something that was in your best interest.

A thing to note here, though, would be that this theory doesnt state you do what you do for your own short-term satisfaction, quite the opposite you do it for your long term satisfaction and benefit. As an example, if you were in a store and saw something you really wanted but didnt have the money for, and you just wanted to experience short-term benefit, then you would steal that thing. This would, however, lead to you getting arrested, so, when looking at it long-term, you would most likely avoid stealing it if possible. And thats exactly what this theory states your behavior is led in a way that ensures your long-term satisfaction.

While psychological egoism is a scientific theory based on observation, ethical egoism, on the other hand, is just a philosophical viewpoint on the morality of actions driven by self-interest. Briefly explained, it states that any consequence that was caused by an action driven by self-interest, is necessarily ethical. People often confuse psychological and ethical egoism because they have similar definitions regarding a similar area. However, they are two fundamentally different things, and their differences will be discussed below.

As I just stated, psychological and ethical egoism are two fundamentally different things. Psychological egoism is a scientific theory that was based on years of observations and collected data, and, as such, it only tries to describe the behavior of people, by stating that its fundamentally led by their self-interest. This means that it doesnt in any way try to give those actions ethical or moral value, or judge them as right or wrong. It just tries to describe reality.

Ethical egoism is a completely different thing. Its not a scientific theory, and it doesnt try to explain anything. On the contrary, it tries to do what psychological egoism doesnt give ethical and moral values to actions (and consequences caused by those actions) that were driven by ones self-interest.

Many interesting moral dilemmas can be found on the Internet. If you take any one of them, and apply your knowledge of psychological egoism, youll find out how the protagonist of the dilemma should act, but youll still most likely feel like that might not exactly be the right choice no matter what the choice was (if it was a true moral dilemma, youll feel that way no matter what you choose). Ethical egoism comes into play here. As a philosophical standpoint, it can give an answer to which of the possibilities the protagonist can make is right and based on the fact that its the most moral choice.

Briefly covered, the differences would be:

Finally, one might wonder if one of the two egoisms shown above is more valid or important than the other. The short answer would be no. A longer explanation would be the following science, by definition, doesnt meddle with whats moral or ethical and whats not. Its purpose is to show how things are and why theyre like that, nothing more, and nothing less. However, in order to have a stable and healthy society, some moral and ethical norms are necessary, and thats where philosophy (or ethical egoism, as a special case), comes into play, providing an opinion on exactly that moral and ethical principles.

So neither is more important and both are necessary in order for society and humanity to grow and improve.

Dr. Howard is a Clinical Psychologist and a Professional Writer and he has been partnering with patients to create positive change in their lives for over fifteen years. Dr. Howard integrates complementary methodologies and techniques to offer a highly personalized approach tailored to each patient.

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Difference Between Psychological and Ethical Egoism ...