JOURNAL ASSIGNMENT Lesson 6

Please Make sure to respond to every single prompts question below, NO outside sources use the only information provide on the download.

1.What is the main argument of psychological egoism? The essay says it is possible to reinterpret apparently unselfish actions as having selfish motives behind them. Does that prove the actions are really selfish in your opinion? What kind of example or evidence would convince a psychological egoist that they are wrong? Would anything? Have you been convinced that psychological egoism is correct?

2. Think about the example of the husband taking care of his dying wife through her last ailing months given at the end of the reading for the psychological altruist. Are his actions completely unselfish? How do we usually define “egoistic”? If he derives some pleasure (or avoids some pain) by helping his wife and so behaves “egoistically” is this usually what we mean when we use the word “egoistically”? In your opinion, has his action been selfish somehow?

3.How does the definer define happiness? Does the definer think that the particular goal is crucial to one’s happiness, or is achieving one’s goal the only requirement? Suppose my goal is to rob banks, kill innocent people, or become a brutal dictator. Can I be happy by achieving those goals in the definer’s view? Do you agree or disagree that a person can be truly “happy” doing the things mentioned above? In your opinion, is there one definition for happiness that applied to all or most human beings? Why or why not? If so, what is it?