veneer theory

People are moral out of fear of sanction/punishment. “Really” are deep-down self-interested (egoistic) creatures.

1. evolution by natural selection “selects” for selfishness
2. we are products of national selection
3. therefore, we must be egoists (i.e., selfish)

subscript gambit

subscript gambit is the notion to use multiple different terms/subscripts to define a possibly contested term in order to remove the contention.

altruism

• altruism1: A behaves towards B in a way that decreases its own reproductive success and increases the reproductive success of B
• altruism2: A acts towards B in a way that detracts from the fulfillment of its own current desired to promote the perceived desires of B
• altruism3: A acts towards B in ways motivated to promote B’s interests

egoism

• egoism1: person puts their own needs first doest’ consider others in a way that’s unacceptable
• egoism2
  1. every action is explained by the fact that we are motivated by ultimately self-interested desires
  2. every action is the result of an agent acting on their own strongest desire

question: are there good reasons that we should be egoists?

Theories of Morality

“Desires/Motives/Reasons” -> “Reflection/Reasoning” -> “Choices” -> “Actions” -> “Outcomes/Consequences”

Utilitarianism

“the greatest happiness for the greatest number”

The rightness or wrongness of an action depends only on the actual net total sum of pain and pleasure brought about by this particular action for all sentient creatures, compared to the alternatives considered from the “point of view of the universe.”

utility monster objection

Consider someone who is not stated

Kant

Morality follows from rationality—rules are “mind dependent”.

Categorical Imperative

• universal law formulation: “what if everyone did the same thing”
• humanity as an end in itself: “always treat humanity as an end it itself, and never merely a means”
• king

Lying vs. Reticence

• Lying: saying \(\neg p\) when you think \(p\) is true, in order to get your victim to believe \(\neg p\)
• Reticence: not saying \(p\) when \(p\) is relavent

You are disabling the capacity for someone to make a choice for themselves.

Why could something be right or wrong?

1. god says so (divine command theory)
2. who cares, just do what’s best for you? (egoism)
3. bring about happiness/misery (consequantlaism)
4. respect/disrespect autonomous (Kantian)
5. some representatives would agree to some rules under certain circumstance

Hobbian Contractariasm

Why be moral? It Constricts you from doing certain things you may want to do. They see the representatives as samples of egoistic humans.

This is an alternative to morality, which promotes egoism insofar as its beneficial for the deploying user.