When the theory of rational egoism begins to be affected in the dialogues of philosophers, the surname of N. Chernyshevsky, a multifaceted and great writer, philosopher, historian, materialist, critic, unwittingly pops up. Nikolai Gavrilovich absorbed all the best - a persistent character, an irresistible zeal for freedom, a clear and rational mind. The theory of rational egoism of Chernyshevsky is the next step in the development of philosophy.
Definition
Reasonable egoism should be understood as a philosophical position that establishes for each individual the primacy of personal interests over the interests of other people and society as a whole.
The question arises: how is rational egoism different from egoism in its direct sense? Proponents of rational egoism claim that the egoist thinks only of himself. While it is unprofitable for rational egoism to neglect other personalities, it simply does not represent a selfish attitude to everything, but only manifests itself as shortsightedness, and sometimes even as stupidity.
In other words, the ability to live by one’s own interests or opinion, without contradicting the opinion of others, can be called rational egoism.
A bit of history
Reasonable egoism begins to emerge in the ancient period, when Aristotle assigned him the role of one of the components of the problem of friendship.
Further, during the period of the French Enlightenment, Helvetius considers rational egoism as the impossibility of the coexistence of a meaningful balance between a person’s egocentric passion and public goods.
Feuerbach L. received a more detailed study of this issue. In his opinion, a person’s virtue is based on a sense of personal satisfaction from the satisfaction of another person.
The theory of rational egoism was thoroughly studied by Chernyshevsky. It relied on the interpretation of the egoism of the individual as an expression of the usefulness of a person as a whole. Based on this, if corporate, private and universal interests collide, then the latter should prevail.
Views Chernyshevsky
The philosopher and writer began his journey with Hegel, telling everyone that belongs only to him. Adhering to Hegelian philosophy and views, Chernyshevsky nonetheless rejects his conservatism. And having become acquainted with his works in the scripts, he begins to reject his views and sees in Hegelian philosophy continuous flaws:
- Hegel's creator of reality was an absolute spirit and an absolute idea.
- Reason and idea were the driving forces of development.
- Hegel's conservatism and his commitment to the feudal-absolutist system of the country.
As a result, Chernyshevsky began to emphasize the ambiguity of Hegel's theory and criticize him as a philosopher. Science continued to develop, and the Hegelian philosophy for the writer was outdated and lost its meaning.
From Hegel to Feuerbach
Not satisfied with Hegelian philosophy, Chernyshevsky turned to the works of L. Feuerbach, which subsequently forced him to call the philosopher his teacher.
In his essay “The Essence of Christianity, ” Feuerbach argues that nature and human thinking exist separately from each other, and that the supreme being created by man’s religion and fantasy is a reflection of the individual’s own essence. This theory inspired Chernyshevsky very much, and he found in it what he was looking for.
And even being in exile, he wrote to his sons about Feuerbach's perfect philosophy and that he remained his faithful follower.
The essence of the theory of rational egoism
The theory of rational egoism in Chernyshevsky’s works was directed against religion, theological morality and idealism. According to the writer, the individual loves only himself. And it is selfishness that encourages people to act.
Nikolai Gavrilovich in his works says that in the intentions of people there cannot be several different natures and that the whole set of human desires to act comes from one nature, according to one law. The name of this law is rational egoism.
All human actions are based on the thoughts of the individual about his personal benefit and good. For example, a rational egoism can be considered a person’s sacrifice of his own life for the sake of love or friendship, for the sake of any interests. Even in such an action lies a personal calculation and a flash of egoism.
What is the theory of rational egoism according to Chernyshevsky? That personal interests of people do not diverge from the public and do not contradict them, benefiting others. Only such principles were accepted and tried to convey to others the writer.
The theory of rational egoism is briefly preached by Chernyshevsky as a theory of "new people."
The basic concept of the theory
The theory of rational egoism evaluates the benefits of human relationships and the selection of the most beneficial ones. From the point of view of theory, the manifestation of selflessness, mercy and charity are absolutely meaningless. Only those manifestations of these qualities that lead to public relations, making a profit, etc., have meaning.
Under reasonable egoism is understood the ability to find a middle ground between personal capabilities and the needs of others. In addition, each individual proceeds solely from self-love. But having a mind, a person understands that if he thinks only of himself, he will face a huge set of problems, wanting only to satisfy personal needs. As a result of this, individuals come to a personal restriction. But this is done again, not out of love for others, but out of love for oneself. Therefore, in this case, it is advisable to talk about rational egoism.
