An Investigation into the Concept of Psychological Egoism in Allameh Mesbah Yazdi's Attitude and its Distinction with Economic Literature

Yaqub Jamali / PhD in Economics, IKI     ya.jamali@chmail.ir
* Ali Jaberi / Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, IKI    ali_jaberi2@yahoo.com
Received: 2021/02/12 - Accepted: 2021/06/27

Abstract
The concept of "egoism" in the humanities and normative ethics explains the motivation of human behavior. From the point of view of the current economic literature, motives are largely confined to egoistic motives, and other motives are seen along with it. This approach is very common even in Islamic economics; with the difference that in conventional economics these egoistic motives are considered materialistic and worldly, but in Islamic economics spiritual and otherworldly motives. Using an analytical method, this paper studies the concept of psychological egoism in Allameh Mesbah Yazdi's attitude and its distinction with economic literature. Considering man's tendency towards God and others along with egoism, from the point of view of Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, limiting motives to selfish motives and psychological egoism is not easily acceptable. He also sees man's tendency towards God and towards others along with the motive of egoism, not in line with it. This view is distinct from conventional economics in terms of philosophical foundations such as deism, humanism, and from economic literature in terms of accepting non-selfish tendencies along with selfish motives and attention to the impact of moral values on economic behavior.

Keywords: Psychological egoism, Ethical egoism, Allameh Mesbah Yazdi, tendency towards others, Godliness, Conventional economics, Islamic economics.
JEL Classification: A13, D46, P4..