[From Latin ego: I, i.e., the self.]
(ethics) The view that the self is the proper beneficiary of a person's actions, as opposed to the view that other people are the proper beneficiaries (i.e., altruism). Essentially, another word for individualism. The term 'egoism' is used more frequently in philosophy than 'egotism', which in common usage implies an utter disinterest in or disregard for other people.
(metaphysics) An obsolete word for solipsism.