Which ethical belief asserts that actions are morally right if they promote one's self-interest?

• A. Altruism
• B. Egoism
• C. Restorative Justice
• D. Noble Cause Corruption

Answer: (B)

Ethical egoism holds that what makes an action morally right is that it serves the actor’s own interests. In this view, maximizing personal benefit is the standard for morality, so actions are judged by how well they advance the individual who performs them. This contrasts with altruism, which evaluates actions by their benefit to others, and with restorative justice, which focuses on repairing harm and relationships rather than a self-interest calculation. Noble Cause Corruption, meanwhile, describes misconduct carried out for a supposedly noble objective, not a general rule about right action based on self-interest. So the belief that actions are morally right if they promote one’s self-interest is ethical egoism.