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Objections to egoism
Objections to egoism
Psychological egoism vs ethical egoism
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Egoism is an ethical theory that views self-interest as the basis of morality. Essentially, it is a view that people will do whatever brings about the best consequences and is better for oneself. Egoism derives from the Latin term “ego” meaning “I.” The “best consequences” meaning the actions make that individual happier. There are two types of egoism in which we have so far discussed in HUM 105. Psychological egoism is “the theory that in fact people always act in their best interest, or that no one ever acts unselfishly” (Wells, Egoism: pg 1). This doctrine holds that individuals are always motivated by their own self-interest. It is a psychological theory about how people do behave. Ethical egoism is the normative ethical theory that “an …show more content…
The opening scene focuses on the character Mother Gothel whom is the primary egoist in this movie, also known as the antagonist. Gothel is the “mother” of princess Rapunzel. She is an old woman who discovered this magical golden flower that had the ability to heal the sick and injured. She did not share the flower’s magic with anyone else and utilized its powers for herself. The powers of the flower kept Mother Gothel young and immortal for hundreds of years. She hid this flower deep in a forest so no one else could have possession of it. Mother Gothel is an excellent example of psychological egoism because throughout the movie she is always motivated by her own self-interest and never acts …show more content…
She[Mother Gothel] portrayed actions that displayed her as an egoist throughout the movie. Stealing a baby, holding that baby captive all her life, working with thieves, and stabbing a man were all actions taken by Mother Gothel because of her want to appear young and be immortal. Although Mother Gothel always acted in her best interest, in the end her egoistic ways never brought about any good consequences for herself as she ended up shriveled and dead anyway. On the contrary, Rapunzel supports Thomas Hobbes's theory about egoism. She only ever acted morally in which it protected her self-interest. Over the course of the movie, Flynn Rider started out and egoist, but actually conformed into a utilitarianist. His want to get the stolen crown was very strong in the beginning, but as his adventure with Rapunzel commenced, love got in the way and he slowly began to disregard his want for the returning of his precious stolen crown. Flynn Riders egoist want turned into a utilitarianist desire to help his beloved Rapunzel. All things considered, some core tenets of egoism can be exemplified in the Disney movie
Imagining the similarities between one of the most famous Shakespearean plays and a new animated Disney movie is difficult, until you look deeply into the characters. From the Shakespearean play Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is extremely similar to Mother Gothel from the Disney movie Tangled. Lady Macbeth is Macbeth’s wife that has strong desires and personality. The movie Tangled created a similar character with Mother Gothel, she is Rapunzel's mother and believes in going after what you want. The two characters are not the exact same, they differ in their desires and in their ending demise. They are much more similar in their motives and their actions which reveal their shared character traits.
Imagining the similarities between one of the most famous Shakespearean plays and a new animated Disney movie is difficult, until you look deeply into the characters. From the Shakespearean play Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is extremely similar to Mother Gothel from the Disney movie Tangled. Lady Macbeth is Macbeth’s wife that has strong desires and personality. The movie Tangled created a similar character with Mother Gothel, she is Rapunzel's mother and believes in going after what you want. The two characters are not the exact same, they differ in their desires and in their ending demise. They are much more similar in their motives and their actions which reveal their shared character traits.
Presently, many books and fairytales are converted movies and often, producers alters the original tales to grasp the attention of a large audience. However, some of these interpretations hide the primary interpretation. The original interpretations of the Disney classics Snow White and Sleeping Beauty are greatly reinvented from the original fairytales Sun, Moon, and Talia and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs because of the brutal nature of the treatment women in these original forms. Although there are differences in certain aspects from the original tales to the movies, there are many issues that are influential to the young girls who are still watching the Disney version. I realize this when my youngest niece, Anella asks me, “Why can’t I be beautiful and fall asleep and suddenly wake up to finally find my prince?” This is true in all cases of the four different translations of the fairytales. Every single girl in these stories are in a “beautiful” state of half-death who wake to find a prince who if eager to carry them off. This can lead to negative psychological effects on young girls as they are growing up, creating a large amount of pressure and low self-esteem due to the beauty that these stories portray and maintaining restrictions that these women experience in the stories. While it is true that Sleeping Beauty and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves are considered Disney classics that entertain children and provide meaningful role models, it is evident that the true, vulgar nature of these tales are hidden; these stories are about women who are thrown away.
Thinking about “Cinderella” brings me to my mind invaluable memories from my childhood, and that is why this fairy tale has been in the life of almost every person for causing entertainment, teach a lesson and people are able to relate to the story and feel part of it. I have read the “Cinderella” version by Charles Perrault and the one by Grimm Brothers and I found the Perrault’s to have a greatest value. Perrault describes “Cinderella” as the sweetest person in the world and her actions confirm it in every moment, because it does not matter how bad is the situation she is not able to betray her feeling for revenge. She teaches about forgiveness and to be tolerant with others, and help them even when they are not action properly as she did
Gothel, who kidnapped Rapunzel for her own selfish needs demonstrates bad parenting persistently through the movie, Gothel demonstrates narcissistic behavior toward Rapunzel. When they are both standing in front of the mirror Gothel says, “Look in that mirror. I see a strong confidant young lady. Oh and look, you’re here too!” Gothel tends to her own wants and needs, neglecting the wants of Rapunzel. The adolescent stage of life is a period of time where teenagers need to find a personal identity and sense of self. Receiving positive reinforcement and encouragement from parents allows an adolescent to be able to find out who they want to be in life and gives them a sense of direction. According to Erik Erikson’s theory of development this is important to the process of forming a strong identity. (Kroger, 2006) Rapunzel is given no sense of self when is she is constantly being put down by what she thinks is her “mother”. She often receives more criticisms then she does compliments.
The familiar story of Rapunzel, as told by the brothers Jacob Ludwig Carl and Wilhelm Carl Grimm, takes on new meaning with a psychoanalytic interpretation. It is a complex tale about desire, achievement, and loss. The trio of husband, wife, and witch function as the ego, id, and superego respectively to govern behavior regarding a beautiful object of desire, especially when a prince discovers this object.
In other words, ethical egoism states that there are objective moral facts and an action is morally good if and only if it promotes my personal happiness and it is morally wrong if and only if that action hinders my personal happiness. Apart from Ethical Egoism there is another topic to be known clearly, it is called Psychological Egoism. Psychological Egoism It is the claim that each person, in fact, pursues his/her own happiness.
... use the story of “Rapunzel” to transmit the message to young women that in order to avoid the kind of misfortunes Rapunzel had to undergo, they must learn from her mistakes and not duplicate them in their own lives, lives best lived according to biblical principles.
• Once more, the ordinary science’ proves itself as the master of classification, inventing and defining the various categories of Egoism. Per example, psychological egoism, which defines doctrine that an individual is always motivated by self-interest, then rational egoism which unquestionably advocates acting in self-interest. Ethical egoism as diametrically opposite of ethical altruism which obliges a moral agent to assist the other first, even if sacrifices own interest. Also, ethical egoism differs from both rational and psychological egoism in ‘defending’ doctrine which considers all actions with contributive beneficial effects for an acting individual
Psychological egoism, a descriptive claim about human nature, states that humans by nature are motivated only by self-interest. To act in one's self-interest is to act mainly for one's own good and loving what is one's own (i.e. ego, body, family, house, belongings in general). It means to give one's own interests higher priority then others'. "It (psychological egoism) claims that we cannot do other than act from self-interest motivation, so that altruism-the theory that we can and should sometimes act in favor of others' interests-is simply invalid because it's impossible" (Pojman 85). According to psychological egoists, any act no matter how altruistic it might seem, is actually motivated by some selfish desire of the agent (i.e., desire for reward, avoidance of guilt, personal happiness).
Over the years, Disney has presented many movies to their audience—most having a Princess as the protagonist. These movies became a babysitter for most parents in the early stages of their child’s life. Most people found these movies as relatively harmless. The obvious assumption about the Disney Princesses is that they only desire true love since almost every movie ends in romance. Parents just viewed these movies as romantic movies on a child’s level. However, these movies were not solely intended for an audience of an age that can be counted on both hands. They were intended to speak to “an intelligent and active audience” (Sumera 40). However, there are many people who disagree with the ways of the Disney Princess movies. The disagreements lie within the portrayal of women gender roles in these movies. It is argued that Disney portrays women as a being nurturing individuals without any control over their identity. The women are unable to think for themselves, because they are uneducated, and they are quick to fall in love with the first man that pays them any attention. However, this is not completely true. The people that are against the portrayal of women in the Disney movies are failing to recognize the underlying concepts in these movies. For example, Belle, in Beauty and the Beast, was well educated, Mulan went to war despite the consequences, and Merida, in Brave, stood up to her mother in refusal to marry. The Disney Princesses desired intelligence, bravery, strength, and independence—not true love’s kiss.
Though Rapunzel’s lengthy confinement in one room, her home, is convincing evidence of the female’s domestic belonging, it does not adequately demonstrate the connectedness of the woman to the domestic. The ambitious young Prince faces an insurmountable task when he plans to elope with Rapunzel; he must, temporarily, displace the woman from her domestic home. After the Prince decisively wins Rapunzel’s affection, Rapunzel delineates her escape plan: “ 'I will willingly go away with you, but I do not know how to get down. Bring with you a skein of silk every time that you come, and I will weave a ladder with it, and when that is ready I will descend, and you will take me on your horse’” (The Brothers Grimm). First, Rapunzel states she will “go away with [the Prince]” and he will “take [her] on [his] horse,” two statements which reveal both Rapunzel’s dependence upon the Prince and her lack of independence. Though Rapunzel agrees to leave her domestic realm, she does so only to elope in the safe, steady hands of the Prince, venturing from one sphere of domesticity, with her mother, to another sphere of domesticity with a man. Rapunzel also promises to “weave a ladder with [silk].” Weaving, a deep-rooted, traditional female activity arises in Rapunzel because it is both feminine and perfectly accessible within a domestic setting. The woman’s skills, in any patriarchal work, are not
Not only is she the main character in the movie, but she also faces the most trials and tribulations of any other character. When the movie begins, Rapunzel is kidnapped and taken away from her birth parents by a woman who only wants her because her hair has magical properties. She was then locked away in a tower away from everything and everyone except for her pet chameleon and her captor. Rapunzel does not know she is being held captive at first. Mother Gothel, the woman who kidnapped her, has convinced Rapunzel that the world is a cruel place and that if she left the tower, people would hurt her to get to her magical
Ethical egoism can be a well-debated topic about the true intention of an individual when he or she makes an ethical decision. Max Stirner brings up a very intriguing perspective in writing, The Ego and its Own, regarding ethical egoism. After reading his writing some questions are posed. For example, are human beings at the bottom? Following Wiggins and Putnam, can we rise above our egoism and truly be altruistic? And finally, if we are something, do we have the capacity to rise to a level that we can criticize and transcend our nature? These questions try to establish whether or not we are simple humans, bound to our intrinsic nature, or far more intellectually advanced than we allow ourselves to be.
It is this element of hope in a true fairytale that creates the support for a protagonist to overcome the opposing force that has been thrust onto them. A genuine fairytale is said to have the element of, “A innocent character [placed against] the evil character who normally loses somehow,” (Gokturk) which is seen as Cinderella is chosen by the prince over the evil step-sisters at the ball. As human beings with a developed moral system, it has been seen that the more deserving, mistreated character is favored to succeed in the story. Cinderella is seen as this “underdog” character in her quest to find love with the prince and overcome her step-sisters’ mistreatment. As Cinderella is mistreated by her new family, sympathy is built for the emerging protagonist and hope of her to conquer her situation follows. The underdog of this story grows in favorability to be picked by the prince due to the societal belief that the more deserving candidate should overcome their opposition. If there was no sense of hope thought the story of Cinderella, this story could not be categorized as a true embodiment of a