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Ethical goods are goods in relation to persons -- goods for persons.
There are multiple persons, and these are divided generally into
self and others. Ethical goods thus fall into two
categories: goods for the self and goods for others. All ethical goods are
autonomously defined by selves (i.e. people know what they like), except in
relation to morality, which contains absolute ethical goods. The pursuit of
goods for the self is self-interest, and in general it is no moral duty,
only prudence, to pursue one's own self-interest.
But I consider our relations with others as constituting the boundaries of
morality....To ourselves, in strict language, we can owe no duties, obligation
requiring also two parties. Self-love, therefore, is no part of morality. Indeed
it is exactly its counterpart. It is the sole antagonist of virtue, leading us
constantly by our propensities to self-gratification in violation of our moral
duties to others.
The fallacies of egoism are: 1) egoistic moralism (or moralistic egoism), the sense that it is a moral duty to pursue one's own interests and 2) egoistic [moral] aestheticism, the sense that no moral duty exists to restrain the actual pursuit of one's own interests Egoistic aestheticism eliminates all moral duties to others, leaving only prudent or "enlightened" self-interest to govern relations with them. An egoistic aestheticism which is not a moral aestheticism would simply mean that goods for the self are worthy of pursuit; and that is not a moral fallacy. Egoistic moralism and egoistic aestheticism can actually be combined, which would make it a duty to pursue self-interest whatever the cost to others. The pursuit of goods for the self is self-interest, and in general it is no moral duty, only prudence, to pursue one's own self-interest. |
