Maximization of Self Interest - A philosophical outlook.

Maximization of self interest -
This idea of maximization has been widely endorsed by utilitarians and criticized by Amartya sen in his political philosophy of capability and development and not maximization of interests as the indicator of freedom. What I propose is a different perception of "interest" itself and not restricting it to only material objects. An idea of interest would be all encompassing , ranging from materialistic greed to altruistic philanthropy. Very certainly men have reason to do acts of such moral worth that may not necessarily reflect materialistic gains , but other non tangible objects , such as contentment , joy of giving , pride of superiority , gaining worth in glory . In championing the idea I would like to clarify that it's certainly not a new idea to flow across human community. Human interest has ranged from satisfaction of ego, satisfaction of physical wants , glory , material wants, fulfillment of duty, knowing the secrets of the world, fighting against the injustices of world, and so on. It is to be noted here that although with the increase in the faculty if human knowledge , new ideas may evolve which would render this idea useless, nevertheless. , the idea doesn't falter in it's essence , even in adopting to a different faculty of knowledge , they are adopting only better prospect or rather furthering their own interest.


Role of education - emancipation or chasing vested interests ?
That the Education is the torch bearer of emancipation from ignorance to knowledge , is beyond doubt, but what has caused that, and what gives strength to that philosophy? Education is the tool for furthering ones interest, no philosopher of this world ever intended to chase knowledge for the purpose of others , beyond their own desire. Each of them satisfied their own personal quest of knowing the world and in turn drew satisfaction from the fact that they were in turn working for mankind in general . Every intellect, which apparently ,working for betterment of humanity , started it only because they found their personal capacity or ego satisfied with that.
Lets consider politicians next . But who says that an idea of self cannot entail concern for others , even before the person has committed himself to that idea , he has realized his personal capacity to do it and that started from his personal self , Gandhi was Mohandas before he turned into Gandhi , it was Mohandas who had the belief and desire of being Gandhi and pursued it with the idea of a Gandhi .And even after he became Gandhi , it was " his " belief of Ahimsa that he pursued all his life , until his death.
The idea may look to be so simple that it could be passed on to be too simple.
If the thing is really too obvious then it merits no discussion, while if it were so simple ignorant and imbecile craving for something else wouldn't have had been present so widely.
It's not widely practiced as much as it is widely supposed to be understood . The inexorable uncertainties of life , the inescapable hands of destiny, weariness of ideas, fear of unknown , forces humans to think and act along the lines widely disparate from the maximization of interest , in the event of uncertainties and weariness people resort to " other " life, and something which is highly fantastic but too naive to deliver . The decisions made by humans in those situations are irrational by any means and this begets the need to have a firm belief in a system which has been their true companion and a rational source of life. If an idea is too pervasive in one's life then it merits considerable importance.
It is thus I reiterate the maxim - human being is an end in itself . And thus his only chase could be of furthering his own vested interests , only that the word "interest " has to be widened in it's scope and meaning.