Self-interest and self-sacrifice
Is the best life lived for your own happiness, or is it noble to give up some of your own good for others? Egoists say self-interest is the proper aim. Others say real concern for others, even at a cost to yourself, is part of a good life.
What it is
A soldier throws himself on a grenade to save his comrades. A stranger gives up a seat, a kidney, a weekend. Are these people acting against their own interest, or is there always some benefit, such as pride or a clear conscience, hidden behind the sacrifice? And whichever it is, should we live mainly for ourselves, or is giving up something of our own for others a mark of a good life?
The topic is called egoism, from the Latin for 'I'. It comes in two forms that are easy to confuse, and separating them is most of the work.
The main views
- Psychological egoism. A claim about how people are: each of us always aims, in the end, at our own welfare, even when we seem to be helping others.
- Ethical egoism. A claim about how people should act: each person ought to do what is best for themselves.
- Altruism and sacrifice. The opposing view holds that people can and do act out of real concern for others, and that giving up some of your own good for them can be right, or even admirable.
An example
Someone volunteers every weekend at a shelter. A psychological egoist says that they do it because it makes them feel good, or because they would feel guilty if they did not, so it is self-interest underneath. A critic replies that this is a way of describing the act, not a discovery. If every desire is counted as self-interested, then the claim stops saying anything. People seem to want particular things for their own sake, such as that the shelter's residents are fed.
Why people still disagree
- Can egoism be tested? If any act can be reinterpreted as self-interested, the claim risks being empty. Studies of empathy suggest that people sometimes help others in ways that selfish explanations do not fully cover.
- Cooperation. Egoists point out that working together usually serves everyone's interest. Critics point out that pursuing only your own interest can leave everyone worse off, as in the prisoner's dilemma.
- What does morality ask? Ethical egoism seems to clash with ordinary duties to people in need, such as a drowning stranger. Its defenders reply that self-preservation and honest cooperation explain most of morality anyway.
- Is sacrifice noble? For some, giving up your own good for others is what makes a person admirable. For others it is a mistake, or at least not a duty.
Written by epchē in our own words, and checked against independent sources on 8 October 2026. The sources are listed below.
Philosophies that answer it
Where each philosophy leans on this question, from the same positions the walk uses.