School of Historical and Philosophical Studies - Theses
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ItemMoral self-love, altruism and moral motivation in the works of Joseph Butler( 2012)Is genuinely moral altruism possible? This paper claims that Butler distinguishes the issue "Why be moral?" from the issue of sceptical doubt about the possibility of genuinely virtuous altruism. It proposes that Butler's defence of altruism rests on his unique conception of self-love. It argues that Butler uses three different types of self-love throughout his works; one as a rational principle, another as a selfish drive, and a third as an affection or moral emotion. It proposes that moral self-love, which is experienced as an unintended by-product of performing a genuinely virtuous act, can help to cultivate altruistic habits in moral agents. Thus, re-visiting Butler's works allows us to contribute to the contemporary, empirically-informed philosophical debate on altruism. In particular, the influence of empathy on altruism is discussed. The analysis reveals that empathy is neither necessary nor sufficient for genuinely moral altruism. This paper suggests that much of our moral conduct is motivated by psychological egoism or psychological pluralism. It outlines the difficulties associated with demonstrating the existence of genuinely moral altruism when using models that include existing relationships between friends, family and colleagues. It suggests that the best empirical evidence for genuinely moral altruism is action which benefits strangers, such as blood donation. It argues argues that Butler provides a plausible account of how genuinely moral altruism is possible for moral agents. By building on Butler's work the paper argues that the satisfaction of moral self-love can help to promote genuinely moral altruism in moral agents by strengthening the agent's belief that she ought to obey the commands of her conscience. The paper argues that moral self-love depends on genuinely moral motivation and as such, moral self-love is distinct from simple "warm glow" feelings produced by egoistic or pluralistic motivation.