The prisoner dilemma and its ethical consequences

Abstract

The typical egoist is someone self-centered, commited to his own interest and determinated to promote his/her own good even beyond the morally permissible. Ethical egoism is a philosophical position that tries to justify the view that people ought to do what is in their own self-interest. This paper provides a philosophical argument against rational and ethical egoism trough the analysis of the prisoner dilemma. The aim is to show that the rational and ethical egoism are unattainaible and irreconcilable moral positions. Keywords: Altruism; Egoism; Moral argumentation; Prisoner dilemma.