Egoism facts for kids
Egoism is a philosophy, which is a way of thinking about life. It focuses on people doing things that help themselves or meet their own needs and wants. Some ideas of egoism suggest that everything people do is actually for their own benefit, even if they don't realize it. Other ideas say that people should do what they want or what helps them the most.
Egoism is often seen as the opposite of altruism. Altruism means caring about others and putting their needs first. A French thinker named Auguste Comte created the word "altruism." He believed people should always help each other and never be egoistic.
However, a German thinker named Friedrich Nietzsche had a different idea. He said that altruism isn't truly the opposite of egoism. He also pointed out that even though people often say being altruistic is good, they don't always treat each other well in real life. Some egoists also disagree with the idea that doing what benefits yourself is always bad.
An American researcher named James Scanlan said there are different kinds of egoism. He suggested that doing what benefits you might be a "fake" kind of egoism. He thought "real" egoism is simply doing whatever you truly want. Some thinkers who supported egoism, like Max Stirner, Nikolay Chernyshevsky, and Dmitry Pisarev, are also sometimes called nihilists. This means they questioned many traditional beliefs. The British egoist Aleister Crowley made the famous saying, "Do what thou will."
What are the Main Types of Egoism?
There are several ways to understand egoism:
- Ethical Egoism: This idea says it is the right thing for people to do whatever helps them. It's about what people should do.
- Default Egoism: This belief suggests that people mostly try to help themselves in their daily lives.
- Psychological Egoism: This is the idea that people always try to help themselves, even when they don't know they are doing it. It's about how people are naturally.
- Rational Egoism: This means it makes the most sense for people to do what benefits them. It's about what is logical.
How Does Egoism Relate to Our Minds?
Some ideas about egoism are studied in moral psychology, which looks at how our minds think about right and wrong. For example, Friedrich Nietzsche believed that many people wrongly connect being "good" with being "unselfish." He thought this idea came from certain priestly values taking over from older noble values.
Nietzsche argued that the ideas of "egoistic" or "altruistic" actions are not truly scientific ways to understand people's minds. He said, "there are no such things as egoistic and altruistic actions." He felt that traditional morality tries to confuse our understanding of psychology with these false ideas. He also believed that this kind of morality often serves the needs of some people more than others.
However, another British researcher, Alexander Moseley, said that egoists often disagree that psychology can fully understand why people do what they do.
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