Discuss the factors with examples which guide the prioritization of human decisions on whether they should be taken in self-interest or public interest.

Ans. Aristotle will say Eudaimonia, that is happiness should be the basis for prioritization of human action in life.

Humans have different aims and objectives in life, which can be related to oneself or society. Humans tend to be more self-interested in the aims related to oneself rather, when the objective is for the society, human tends to be more selfless.

As Buddha suggested that humans should try to understand the meaning of life. Socrates also said, “Knowledge is Virtue”. By acquiring knowledge, one can move away from the material world and be more selfless in their decisions and conduct. For instance, Ratan Tata and Azim Premji donate most of their wealth and profits to charity.

There are also Determinants of Human Action:

• Knowledge – Deliberate human action.
• Intention – Purpose
• Circumstances
• Consequences
• Normative theories of ethics
• Moral belief and values

They also work as a guide for human action.

Based on motive: Whether one wants to serve their own motive, family’s motive or societal motive can be considered their intentions. A civil servant has to serve the public interest; therefore, he needs to subordinate his personal interests, but at the same time a businessman has to serve his personal interest, therefore he/she needs to become self-oriented.

Based on situation: A situation or circumstance can also force certain human action. For instance, in a cricket match when 4 wickets get down in the first over itself, then the upcoming batsman has to bat according to the prevailing situation and not play his natural game if his natural game pertains to aggressiveness.

In different situations humans try to serve different interests; for instance, a cricketer plays for the team, but when he nears a century, he also fulfils his own interest but takes extra caution to complete his century. Human actions have influence of all the determinants in different proportions at different times, however people with good conduct tend to be selfless in their actions and be more dedicated towards the greater good of society.

Based on consequence: Consequences also influence human actions to a limit. People with good character generally feels that other should not face the consequences and they take it over themselves. This can also go on the other side; for instance, an employee reaches the office a time fearing the consequence of getting fired.

Therefore, one it can be summarized that there are numerous factors which help in prioritization of human action. But as per the popular perception in society, people priorities their action more on the basis of self-interest following utilitarian philosophy like money-driven, job, good status, materialistic life, and hassle-free life have become more important than life based on selflessness.

In philosophy, the decisions of humans can be utilitarian (teleological) and deontological. Utilitarian decisions are self-interested, where the result is more important than means, and the self is more important than society. In case of deontological decisions tend to be selfless, where means are prioritized over results and society is prioritized over self. In Indian Nishkama Karma also reflect the philosophy of deontology.

Conclusion: It’s important to note that the prioritization of self-interest or public interest can vary among individuals, and different situations may call for different considerations. Balancing these factors requires thoughtful deliberation and an understanding of the potential consequences of our choices. Ultimately, the ideal approach is to seek a harmonious alignment between self-interest and the public interest, recognizing that collective well-being often leads to individual well-being in the long run.