Deck 7: Psychological Egoism

Question 1

Describe the theory of psychological egoism, and explain why it is not considered a theory about ethics. Then explain why the truth of psychological egoism would nonetheless have serious implications for ethics if it were true.

Answer 1

No Answer.

Question 2

Define altruism, and describe a case in which a person appears to behave altruistically. How would the psychological egoist explain the person's behavior in the case you describe? Do you find the egoist's explanation plausible in this case? Why or why not?

Answer 2

No Answer.

Question 3

How might the phenomenon of a guilty conscience be used to support the theory of psychological egoism? How might the very same phenomenon be used to argue against psychological egoism? Which argument do you think is better, and why?

Answer 3

No Answer.

Question 4

"Every action is motivated by one's strongest desire." Explain how this claim might be used to argue for psychological egoism. How would opponents of psychological egoism respond? Which side do you think has the stronger case? Defend your answer.

Question 5

Explain what you take to be the strongest argument in favor of psychological egoism. Then, raise what you take to be the strongest objection to this argument. How would the egoist respond to this objection? Do you find this response satisfying? Why or why not?

Question 6

Write an essay examining the relationship between evidence and psychological egoism. What evidence is thought to support psychological egoism? What evidence is thought to undermine it? Is there any conceivable evidence that would refute psychological egoism? If so, what would it be? If not, is this an attractive or an unattractive feature of the theory?

Question 7

The story of the Ring of Gyges suggests that when people are free to do whatever they want without consequences, they tend to behave

A) in ways that are spontaneous and creative.
B) more kindly and less competitively.
C) selfishly.
D) Both a and b

Question 8

Altruism is

A) any action that benefits others.
B) a direct desire to benefit others for their own sake.
C) a desire to benefit others in order to further our own ends.
D) All of the above

Question 9

Psychological egoism is

A) a political theory about how society ought to be organized.
B) a descriptive theory of human motivation.
C) an ethical theory about how we ought to act.
D) a character trait that certain people have.

Question 10

If psychological egoism is true, then

A) this has no ethical implications because psychological egoism is not an ethical theory.
B) we cannot be morally obligated to behave altruistically.
C) most of what is commonly taken for granted about morality would be mistaken.
D) Both b and c

Question 11

If all of our actions are motivated by our strongest desire, then

A) psychological egoism is proven correct.
B) psychological egoism is true only if all of our strongest desires are for self-interest.
C) psychological egoism is refuted.
D) all action is strictly conscientious action.

Question 12

According to the text, the argument from expected benefit

A) is invalid.
B) begs the question.
C) shows that psychological egoism is true.
D) shows that psychological egoism is false.

Question 13

If getting what we want makes us better off, then

A) all of our actions are self-interested.
B) when we do what we want, our actions are self-interested.
C) when we do what we want and what we want is to make ourselves better off, our actions are self-interested.
D) None of the above

Question 14

According to the text, the first premise of argument from expected benefit,

A) couldn't possibly be true.
B) doesn't account for the fact that people can be mistaken about what's good for them.
C) seems to ignore the possibility of pessimists.
D) All of the above

Question 15

According to the text, from the fact that I expect my action to result in X, we can infer

A) that my aim is to get X.
B) that X will satisfy at least one of my desires.
C) that I believe X is good.
D) None of the above

Question 16

A psychological egoist would claim that giving up something you want for the sake of a loved one

A) is actually a self-interested action.
B) is inadvisable.
C) is impossible.
D) is immoral.

Question 17

According to the text, the existence of a guilty conscience

A) is evidence against psychological egoism.
B) is evidence for psychological egoism.
C) is irrelevant to the question of whether psychological egoism is true.
D) is impossible unless psychological egoism is true.

Question 18

The case of the invisible hair elves is meant to show that

A) seeing is believing.
B) you should accept aging with grace.
C) it is a mistake to hold a view as immune from refutation by evidence.
D) there are some truths that can't be refuted by evidence.

Question 19

According to the text, the evidence available

A) proves that psychological egoism is true.
B) suggests, but does not prove, that psychological egoism is true.
C) proves that psychological egoism is false.
D) suggests, but does not prove, that psychological egoism is false.

Question 20

What lesson have many people taken from the story of the Ring of Gyges?

A) People are fundamentally self-interested.
B) People are fundamentally altruistic.
C) Political power is best concentrated in the hands of a few good people.
D) Political power is dangerous when concentrated in the hands of a few people.

Question 21

Which of the following is impossible, according to psychological egoism?

A) Acting to benefit oneself
B) Acting to benefit others for the sake of oneself
C) Giving up some present benefit for the sake of a future benefit
D) Acting to benefit others for the sake of others

Question 22

Why isn't psychological egoism considered an ethical theory?

A) It aims to tell us how we do behave, not how we should behave.
B) It has no implications for ethics.
C) It is regarded as immoral.
D) Both a and b

Question 23

What does psychological egoism say about acts of altruism?

A) They are very nice to perform but never morally obligatory.
B) People sometimes perform them, but doing so is immoral.
C) They are rare and are performed only by truly exceptional people.
D) They are impossible.

Question 24

Which of the following best describes the relationship between psychological egoism and ethics?

A) Psychological egoism has no implications for ethics.
B) Psychological egoism aims to provide a comprehensive guide to our moral obligations.
C) The truth of psychological egoism would have a few minor implications for ethics.
D) The truth of psychological egoism would mean that most of what we take for granted about morality would be mistaken.

Question 25

What is strictly conscientious action?

A) Any action that is morally permissible
B) Any action that is morally required
C) Any action performed because one believes it to be morally required
D) Any action performed because one consciously chooses it from a set of alternatives

Question 26

Which of the following must be true in order for the argument from expected benefit to succeed?

A) Any time we act, we expect to be better off.
B) Any time we act, we aim at making ourselves better off.
C) Any time we act, we make ourselves better off in some way.
D) Both a and b

Question 27

If one cannot conceive of any evidence that would refute psychological egoism, what does this suggest about the theory?

A) It is clearly true.
B) It is clearly false.
C) The theory is not being held rationally.
D) The theory is probably, but not certainly, true.

Question 28

According to the text, what does the evidence suggest about psychological egoism?

A) It is very probably true.
B) It is very probably false.
C) It is proven to be true.
D) It is proven to be false.

Question 29

What would the psychological egoist say about someone who acts to avoid a guilty conscience?

A) This would be impossible, according to psychological egoism.
B) Such a person acts out of a direct concern for morality.
C) Such a person acts out of a self-interested desire to avoid guilt.
D) Such a person behaves altruistically, which, according to psychological egoism, is very rare.