Philosophy

A descriptive or a normative position can be egoism.  There are mainly three different types of egoism.
Psychological Egoism
Ethical Egoism
Rational Egoism

In this essay I will be explaining the different types of egoism one by one with their theories and criticism.

Psychological Egoism
Psychological Egoism claims that when ever people choose to help other people, they only do so as to get personal gains that they expect to get indirectly or directly from the people. It has the view that all the people are motivated by self-interest or self-welfare.

This egoism is controversial but its proponents argue that its a fact and a true reflection on the human mind and psychology and it is also empirically supported. Critics argue that its not true because, either an overly-simplified interpretation of human behavior or there is an empirical evidence of altruistic behavior. The critics have recently argued that the evolutionary theory provides significant evidence against the psychological egoism.

The critics have also mentioned that the proponents confuse the contentment of their own self-centered needs with the contentment of their own desires. Even though everyone tries to seek his own self-satisfaction, this sometimes can only be achieved by the welfare of the other. An example can be calling to a police station when a crime has been witnessed. In this situation, the well-being of the caller depends on the well-being of the victim.

But Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher, says that there are some cases in which fears of unconsciousness regarding ones own safety comes up. The suffering of other person is regarded as a threat to ones own sense of safety and happiness because it uncovers ones own vulnerability to misfortunes.

Criticism of Psychological Egoism
If one would accept the theory of the universal good feeling it is still very hard to explain, for example, the actions of a solider who gives away his life by jumping on a grenade in order to save his fellow comrades, in this situation there is no time to practice a good feeling for ones dealings.

Psychological egoism has also been blamed of using circular logic. For example, if a person is eagerly executing an act, that signifies that he gains personal enjoyment from it, as a result, people only execute the acts that gains them personal enjoyment.

Ethical Egoism
Ethical egoism claims that to maximize ones self-interest it is very important and sufficient that ones action is also morally right and accepted in the society.

The argument of ethical egoism is in this manner. Every human being requires help or collaboration of others to get services like friendship. If one acts as if he doesnt gives others a chance or doesnt weigh there thinking or perspective then others will not cooperate with him. If someone breaks him promises as only to him self-welfare then doing so the others will not accept the promises made by him and even harm him from breaking the promises. Ethical egoism may also be appropriate to stuff for instance policy or personality traits other than acts.

Ethical egoism is divided into three different formulations individual, personal and universal. An individual egoist will think that people should do whatever is in the benefit of them. A personal egoist will think that one should act in his or her own self-interest, but will not expect others to do so, a universal egoist will think that all the people in the universe i.e. everyone, should act in their own interest. Moreover, the philosophy saying that one should be benevolent, honest and just etc. should always serve in ones own self-welfare. Any one saying that he is practicing these virtues for the reason other then self-welfare is not an egoist at all.
The argument concerns that how much ethical egoism is different from all the standard moral theories. It differs a great deal. The disagreement in the midst of the ethical egoism and the typical moral philosophy come into view in two ways

Foremost, the ethical egoist will set his priorities on the basis of what gives him a better or the highest payoff, but the standard moral theories analyze the importance of the interest to those assisted, which gives the greatest interest to the person helped not to the person who helped.

Second, the argument of cooperation cannot be extended so far to justify very large sacrifices like ones sight or life.

Criticism of ethical egoism
Ethical egoism is opposed not only by most of the religions but also by most the altruist philosophers. Many religions say that ethical egoism shows the individuals submersion in greed and lack of genuine spirituality.

Rational egoism
Rational egoism is of the belief that an act should be sufficiently based on a reason, as long as it get the most out of ones self-welfare. It is the normative form of egoism. Rational egoism is every sane process by which one can analyze what each person thinks is correct in support of them and by executing that action they seek out to comprehend it by an intended act.  It is in the view that a rational egoist will regard number of its resulting pain and pleasure to him only which is significant in selecting among the substitutes of acts and constantly seek the maximum reachable excess of enjoyment over suffering.
It is hard to locate any convincing reasons for approving or choosing rational egoism over utilitarianism, though utilitarianism can also be given by coherent source and then resigned with the principles of rationality, but rational egoism emerges to be an evenly conceivable policy concerning what one has the most cause to do.

Criticism of rational egoism
There are two rational egoisms. Primary, as of the rational egoist viewpoint, it is cogent to make a payment to a retirement fund plan at present, although this is damaging towards ones current interest, which is to spend the money now.

Some also argue that since the links between ones current state of mind in addition to the emotional state of the upcoming self may shrink, it is not reasonable to assert that one must be apathetic among his current and upcoming self.

Conclusion
Psychological egoism is the famous non-normative and the most descriptive position which argues that people have only one main ultimate aim i.e. his own self welfare and only works in his self interest. The psychological egoist argues with the purpose that they do not turn up to track stuff other then their own wellbeing for their individual sakes. . In theory, it appears likely to demonstrate this by presenting that non-self-centered needs do not carry out for a very long period as soon as their association to ones wellbeing is wrecked. While on the other hand the normative forms of egoism make arguments that what the person should do rather then just describe what a person does. An ethical egoist will dispute no matter what restraint is setup alongside him. However a more sensible answer is to shift to rational egoism which argues on the subject of what the person has the grounds for doing and pay no attention to the issue of what is ethically true. One could disagree in favor of ethical egoism from rational egoism from the conceivable argument that the finest ethical theory have got to enlighten what someone have the most cause to do.