Topic:
Chapter 7 details “egoism” and its many proponents, as well as its critics, in terms of both economic systems such as capitalism, and social issues such as who is included in or excluded from the moral community.
Ethical Egoism, described by Russian-American author Ayn Rand as Objective Ethics, has seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years. She once wrote, The achievement of his own happiness is mans highest moral purpose. She claimed that humans are fundamentally solitary individuals, and that there is no such entity as society, only individual men. (Boss 2019, p. 217)
In opposition to egoism, a philosophy known as communitarianism defines the entirety of society as the moral community, and as communitarian Hazel Barnes argued, to be fully humanmust include responsibilityto others as persons with moral value (Boss, p. 229).
Assignment:
1) Review Chapter 7, in particular, the section titled Ethical Egoism and the Moral Community (pp. 228-230).
2) Write an essay of 450-600 words in which you respond to the following questions:
Discuss what policies an ethical egoist and a communitarian would be most likely to propose regarding the status of illegal immigrants living in the United States.
Which policy do you regard as most consistent with morality?
Support your answer.
