Self Interest according to the Theory of Ethics

Self interest can be referred to as a certain type of concentration on the requirements or wishes by an individual or group of people. It is the viewpoint in morals which also states that an individual who does something to supplement on the interest of other groups will automatically and eventually serve their own interest. Jeremy Bentham, William Godwin and Emmanuel Kant tries to ague out whether there is room for self interest in a normative ethical society or not. Each one of them brings out the facts that either supports the proposal or not. Those who support the points in some ways almost do disagree with those who do not and this brings out the conflict amongst them.                                                                                                                    

According to Bentham’s theory of ethics, events that do correspond to the law of unanimity are the best, that is, it should be carried out. For Bentham, privileges and functions are some of the permissible conceptions that are related to the conception of order and that of permission. Natural privileges and responsibilities propose that a command without a lawmaker may not differ from discussion about a child without his or her parent or a close relative. Bentham also criticized the convictions that do exist in expected human rights on the opinion that the same motivated brutality as experienced in other conversations. Thus, all the stakeholders who are expected in a discussion should exist for its smooth flow, that is, parents should be involved in the discussion about their children.

On the other hand, Kant also explains that morality and freedom are some of the key elements that do promote self interest in any society. Kant describes that self-government or self rule provides one with the most needed self interest. He says that each and every individual should give the law to oneself, as this will not make the achievement of self interest a problem. This therefore means that every individual can become self interested in a normative ethical community. According to his objectives, using the primary standard of honesty, the moral law, is another way to achieving the most needed self interest.

William Godwin who is one of those concerned about the goodwill of the society expresses how he is not impressed with the idea of self interest and goes ahead to say that people should be engaged in activities that do yield positive feedback to the community as a whole and not for personal benefit. Godwin explains in form of an example that even in a critical point where two people are stark in a place and perhaps only one of them is to be rescued then he will go for the individual who might have more benefit to the community than the one who will be engaged in private issues. This strongly describes that in such a community; there will be no room for self interest at all, unlike Emmanuel Kant’s and Bentham’s suggestions which supports self interest.