[From Latin ego: I, i.e., the self; transliterated from the Greek word for "I am".]
(ethics) The view that the proper beneficiary of a person's actions is the self, not others as in altruism. Essentially, another word for individualism. The term egoism is used more frequently in philosophy than the term egotism, which in common usage implies an utter disregard for other people (whereas a broad notion of egoism could include regard for friends, family, etc.).