Mastermind

Description

Masterminds are cunning egoists who believe that altruism as a philosophy is groundless. According to the Mastermind, people always act out of self-interest, even when they are ostensibly helping others.

Faithful Egoist

Masterminds are cunning egoists who believe that altruism as a philosophy is groundless. According to the Mastermind, people always act out of self-interest, even when they are ostensibly helping others. The Mastermind, therefore, has no qualms about embracing egoism to its fullest extent. Like the Guardian, the Mastermind is law-abiding and honorable, even though she is motivated by self-interest inwardly. The Mastermind may feign selflessness to move herself into a position of power, but ultimately she believes that laws exist to improve the welfare of the most ambitious among citizens. Evil, for the Mastermind, is nothing less than the burden of altruism, because she perceives self-sacrifice as a devaluing of the human condition. A Mastermind politician, for example, might enact laws that foster a free market and make the nation more powerful (thereby generating more influence for the politician), despite the fact that such policies also increase inequality and cause great suffering for the masses.

Ethos Tag

You make it easier for others like yourself to get ahead, even if it puts you at risk of being exposed.

Examples

• Magneto (The X-Men)
• Darth Vader (Star Wars)
• Dolores Umbridge (Harry Potter)