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    The a priori argument for the strongest form of psycholog... — Carmelics
    Home/Moral Responsibility
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    The a priori argument for the strongest form of psychological egoism does not support the weak form that altruism is never pure.

    Moral ResponsibilityTruth & Knowledge
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    Reasons For

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    • 1.The a priori argument for strongest psychological egoism defines desire-satisfaction as inherently self-interested, but this equivocates on 'self-interest' by conflating the self as subject of desire with the self as beneficiary.
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    • 2.Weak psychological egoism requires the empirical claim that no desire is ever purely other-directed, which cannot be established by definitional maneuvers alone.
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    • 3.Joseph Butler demonstrated that the mere fact an agent acts on their own desire does not make the object of that desire self-regarding, undermining any logical bridge between the two forms.
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    Reason for 2 of 2
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    • 1.C.D. Broad distinguished self-love from self-interest, showing that logical derivations from motivational internalism do not automatically entail that all motivation is self-benefiting.
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    • 2.A valid deductive argument for the strongest form, if its premises are false or equivocal, provides zero inferential support for weaker claims that share those same problematic premises.
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    Reasons Against

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    • 1.The a priori argument for the strongest form of psychological egoism relies on two premises.
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    • 2.Those two premises are implausible.
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    Related

    A valid deductive argument for the strongest form, if its premises are false or ...C.D. Broad distinguished self-love from self-interest, showing that logical deri...Joseph Butler demonstrated that the mere fact an agent acts on their own desire ...The a priori argument for strongest psychological egoism defines desire-satisfac...
    +3 moreShow less
    The a priori argument for the strongest form of psychological egoism relies on t...Those two premises are implausible.Weak psychological egoism requires the empirical claim that no desire is ever pu...

    Similar

    The a priori argument for the strongest form of psychological egoism r...88%The premises that support the a priori argument for psychological egoi...87%The a priori argument for psychological egoism fails.85%Biological altruism does not entail psychological altruism.85%

    Source

    AI-extracted1/3 agreementValid
    SEP: altruism
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    Of the three forms of psychological egoism distinguished above, the one that is least open to objection is the weak form that holds that altruism is never pure. It claims that whenever we act, one of our motives is a desire for our own good. There is no good a priori argument for this thesis—or, at any rate, the a priori argument we have been considering for the strongest form of psychological egoism does not support it, because the two premises used in that argument are so implausible. But it m
    Extraction notes

    Validity: Extracted via Max plan + API grounding/validity checks

    Details

    Type
    claim
    Perspectives
    3 (2 for, 1 against)
    Edits
    1 edit