Ethical Egoism, one of the perennial conceptions of ethics, has been much lampooned over the years and consequently has not been paid enough attention. Simply put, it says that not only is it right to promote one's own interests above all others but that it is one's only moral duty, or responsibility. This can have very serious implications and while there have been differing interpretations and reactions to it, "it has not been a popular doctrine; the most important philosophers have rejected it outright". One of the strongest arguments against Ethical Egoism comes from the Principal of Justice, which it would appear to violate. Yet despite all outspoken rejection and reasons against it, it appears to be a dominant trend in the world today. Global Capitalism embodies much of the implications of this theory. There appears to be a rather large dichotomy between what people believe, or claim to, and their actions. It is in this dichotomy that perhaps a final saving grace can be found for Ethical Egoism, as it appears to have been accepted as a global system. Regardless, it needs to be given more consideration than it generally appears to have been given today.

Although moral experts have generally dismissed Ethical Egoism as a viable moral philosophy, individuals' responses and interpretations of it can be quite different. Reactions to Ethical Egoism vary, with some readily accepting it, while others see it as evil. Some dismiss Ethical Egoism as being "of no practical importance" because "every action which most promotes the general good always also most promotes the agent's own good, and vice versa". While this may frequently be the case, as the method of reinterpreting motives would seem to support, it is not always true. A simplified explanation of the method of reinterpreting motives is finding self-interested motivations behind seemingly selfless acts. For example someone who saves another person from harm at great risk to himself or herself may be seeking fame or freedom from guilt. Examples of situations in which the agent's own good and the general good do not coincide are plentiful, such as slave labor, exploitation, and theft. These clearly benefit the agents of the action, but there are several victims in each case. At first glance, many would intuitively reject Ethical Egoism as simply wrong, but upon closer inspection many would no doubt find themselves pursuing their own interests above all others. Most people do not do so all the time, and perhaps they would not choose to do this at all, but to survive in the current economy, there is little choice.

Ethical Egoism requires that people give special treatment to themselves. However, some argue that there is no good reason to do so, this is the core of the argument from the Principle of Justice. The Principle of Justice states that any two people should be treated equally unless there is a relevant characteristic or reason to do otherwise. Thus, according to this principle, in order to justify treating one person differently than another one must have a good reason, a characteristic that sets the two people apart and be relevant to the current issue. Thus, to justify Ethical Egoism there needs to be a characteristic that everyone has that sets him or her above everyone else in all situations. This makes no sense because if everyone had this characteristic, it would not be unique to him or her and thus not provide a means for comparison. This argument contends that Ethical Egoism's reasoning depends on something, which by its very definition cannot exist and if it did could not be of relevance to all situations nor a valid reason for discrimination since both parties would posses it.

Ethical Egoism does have its flaws, but its arguments need to be paid more attention and treated with more respect, and perhaps even fear. To simply point out its shortcomings is not enough because irrespective of these flaws, it is becoming a global standard. Ethical Egoism may not be right, but if anything is to be done about it, it must be seen as more dynamic than just a flawed theory. Global Capitalism, which is largely based on Ethical Egoist ideals, has managed to survive these arguments and even flourish despite them. Global Capitalism demands competition and promotes human greed, power, and other such characteristics. These are generally seen as negative, but they seem to go along with Ethical Egoism. Ethical Egoism provides a bit of an excuse for it, by which the capitalists can claim they are simply fulfilling their moral duty. Indeed, society appears to reward those who ruthlessly put themselves first before all others. Many immoral acts occur and are condoned under Global Capitalism and if these are to be dealt with effectively one must first examine Ethical Egoism and respect its power.

It has been clearly established that Ethical Egoism is imperfect and not a well supported theory, however this by no means transcends into a reason to ignore or dismiss it. People are not always as rational and logical as they might like and Ethical Egoism, in the form of Global Capitalism, appears to have taken hold around the world. Interpretations may vary, but Ethical Egoism is generally seen as unsupportable and with some possibly disastrous consequences, so it must be dealt with. It is disturbing to consider how many people have in a way turned their backs on the Principle of Justice possibly without even knowing it. After consideration of these points it is easy to conclude that Ethical Egoism is not an easily defensible theory, however it is still a major force is world social structure today. It needs to be given more consideration as a possible tool for analysis and perhaps even a key in pointing out the flaws of some of society's greatest immoral acts. Perhaps in the future the arguments against Ethical Egoism can be turned against the evils of the current dominant socioeconomic trends.