universal egoism

Ethical egoism is a philosophical theory asserting that moral decision-making should be guided solely by self-interest. It contrasts with psychological egoism, which claims all actions are motivated by self-interest. A key advantage of ethical egoism is that it aligns self-interest with morality, making actions rational by definition.1234

There are two forms: individual ethical egoism ("Everyone should do what is in my interests") and universal ethical egoism ("Everyone should do what is in their own interests"). Universal ethical egoism is considered a true ethical principle because it is universalizable. However, the claim that universal self-interest benefits everyone is often disproven by scenarios like the "prisoner's dilemma," where individual self-interest leads to worse outcomes for all involved.123