ethical egoism

Ethical egoism is a moral theory asserting that decision-making should be guided solely by self-interest. It contrasts with psychological egoism, which claims self-interest is the sole human motive. A key advantage is the absence of conflict between self-interest and morality, making actions rational by definition.

There are two forms:
* Individual ethical egoism: "Everyone should do what is in my interests." This is not universalizable and unlikely to persuade others.
* Universal ethical egoism: "Everyone should do what is in their own interests." This is universalizable and may appeal to those seeking to justify desires that conventional morality restricts.

However, universal ethical egoism is often self-defeating, as demonstrated by "prisoner's dilemmas" and commuter traffic examples, where individual self-interest leads to worse collective outcomes.12