It ought to be made clear that "egoism" refers to two different types of theories. One theory is a psychological theory, and the other is an ethical theory. These are not the same, and ought not be confused with each other.

What is a psychological theory?
This is not that easy to answer, because there is no single definition that adequately captures everything that different ethical theories do. But there are a family of related things that psychological theories do.

• They explain human behavior and human experience by offering explanations about motivation and cognition (the way we think and process information).
• They describe and explain patterns of emotional and cognitive development, from childhood to adulthood.
• They describe and explain the construction of personal identity, by appealing to features of the social environment: family dynamics, social structures, pressures and expectations, etc.
• They articulate standards of emotional and behavioral normalcy and health. The DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), lists a bunch of ways of measuring psychological health.

• They (sometimes) attempt to connect behavioral, emotional, and cognitive responses to physiological substrates. That is, some psychologists focus on the neurological basis of disorders as well as normal psychological functioning.

Psychological egoism is a theory which is presumed (by its advocates) to be a scientific theory. It is not a theory about what people ought to do, or about what we should do. It is not about values, or about obligations. It does not say that selfishness is good, or bad, or a virtue, or a vice. It does not condemn it, nor does it praise it. Psychological egoists simply state how, in their opinion, all humans actually behave.

Ethical egoism is entirely different on the above issues. It does not remain neutral on the issue of self-interest. It suggests that human behavior ought to be motivated in a particular way. Ethical egoists do not pretend to be speaking as scientists -- they are recommending a certain type of response.

From the perspective of the psychological egoist, all people do act in a certain way -- selfishly; from the perspective of the ethical egoist, all people should act in a certain way -- out of self-interest.

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