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Assignment:
Write a four-page essay (no less than 800 words, no more than 1200) in response to the following prompt:
In this essay, which you will revise later into your final essay assignment, I would like you to think about one of the most foundational questions in ethics—whether human beings are naturally selfish (i.e., psychological egoists), naturally altruistic (i.e., ethical creatures), or whether circumstance is primarily responsible for these tendencies in a culture. Be careful with this third option because you can get lost or tangled up in it!
First, introduce the topic. I would like you to give an account of the question using at least two (2) of the articles given below. These articles approach the question largely from an experimental point of view. Make sure to give at least two opposing views in this part, but you do not have to decide who is right just yet.
Second, using the theories we have read from the beginning of chapter 7 in Palmer, talk about the question of egoism vs. altruism from a philosophical point of view. So far, we have a few different positions you can talk about: Plato’s three-part soul, Hobbes’ psychological egoism, Utilitarianism’s overarching interest in the greatest good/pleasure. These theories are not experimental, but conceptual. They begin from observation, but go on to talk about what humans should do. Discuss at least two of these views in regard to the same question introduced in the first part.
Third, using the evidence from your presentation in part one, alongside the philosophical theories from part two, tell me what you think the best answer is to the question about human nature is, as well as why it is not either of the other two possibilities. If you choose the third option (the circumstantial option), you will need to be very clear about what kinds of cultural circumstances lead to egoism or altruism (education, entertainment, religious influence, etc.). Finish by telling me how the two sets of knowledge claims (the experimental and the conceptual) work together to produce your final answer (i.e. your thesis).
Here are some articles
Articles (be sure to cite with a full works cited, using MLA, as noted in “Essay Writing for this Course”). Please work from these articles and articles they link. Other articles you find on the topic may not be of high enough quality to cite, and these present a good range of arguments.
Fields, Helen. “Mulling over a Decision Makes People More Selfish, Study Suggests.” Science, 19 Sep 2012, http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2012/09/mulling-over-decision-makes-people-more-selfish-study-suggests
Robinson, Matthew. “Are People Naturally Inclined to Cooperate or Be Selfish?” Scientific American, 1 Sep 2014, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/are-people-naturally-inclined-to-cooperate-or-be-selfish/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Monbiot, George. “We’re not as Selfish as we think we are. Here’s the Proof.” The Guardian, 14 Oct 2015, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/14/selfish-proof-ego-humans-inherently-good (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Pappas, Stephanie. “Conflicts of Interest: Are Humans Inherently Selfish?” Live Science, 23 Feb 2017, com/57991-conflicts-of-interest-science-humans-selfish-cooperation.html” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow noopener noreferrer”>https://www.livescience.com/57991-conflicts-of-interest-science-humans-selfish-cooperation.html (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Chandler, Lori. “Study: Brains of Selfish People Immediately Seek to Exploit Others.” Big Think, 2016, com/ideafeed/study-some-peoples-brains-are-wired-to-be-selfish” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow noopener noreferrer”>http://bigthink.com/ideafeed/study-some-peoples-brains-are-wired-to-be-selfish (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Berry, William. “You’re So Selfish.” Psychology Today, 19 Apr 2016, https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-second-noble-truth/201604/youre-so-selfish (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.