Question

Scenerio:

Your neighbor, with whom you are friendly but not friends, asks you to buy a random number lottery ticket for them when you are pulling out of your driveway to go to the Royal Farm Store. They say to you laughing, "Just buy my ticket with my dollar and make sure you don't get it mixed up with yours in case mine wins!" "You bet," you say and drive away. At the Royal Farm Store you smile to yourself and decide to actually follow your neighbor's instructions precisely and buy them a “random number” ticket with the dollar they gave you. You then place the ticket in your shirt pocket so that you can remember that it is the ticket you bought for them. You then buy a "set number" ticket for yourself with your own money.

explain your ethical reasoning! To help you form your ethical conclusion, you MUST utilize the theory of ethical egoism. For example, you may say, “I came to this conclusion by utilizing the theory of ethical egoism…” and explain (in detail) how that theory applies

Answer 1

Ethical Egoism in many ways promotes self happiness above all others. It suggests that the whole purpose of living is living for oneself but it doesn't promote hurting others and gaining pleasure.

In this example I placed my neighbor’s random number ticket in my shirt pocket so that it doesn't get mixed with my selected number. I'm bit selfish here because I have already chosen my numbers which I thought would be the winning number thus applying my interest first. I also make sure that I fulfill my neighbor’s request of not mixing his ticket with mine thus not deceiving him.