Spinoza and Egoism

Spinoza's Ethics can be classified as 'Egoism', but his anti-Teleological version distinguishes it from many of the standard varieties. While Psychological Egoism asserts that one always acts in one's self-interest, Ethical Egoism asserts that one should always act in one's self-interest, implying not merely that one does not always act that way, but that one can fail to act that way even while believing that they are doing so, e. g. conditioned behavior. Thus, Teleological 'self-interest', in which one finds satisfaction in the attainment of external goods, whether 'higher' or 'lower', is only conditioned behavior, and, hence not truly for one's own good. Instead, argues Spinoza, only the endeavor itself to persist in one's being is in one's self-interest, because it constitutes independence from external influences, which, rather serve it as promoting it. Furthermore, since mutual interpersonal activity enhances the endeavors of each involved, Egoism and sociality are not antagonistic, according to him. Finally, Spinoza's kind of Egoism is divinely based, because the endeavor of a Mode to persist in its being is nothing but a modification of God's ceaseless creativity.