A conflict of interest is the privileging
of the interest of a part, by that part, over a conflicting broader interest,
such as the public good. In exploiting such a conflict, a part of a whole puts
the part’s own interest, and therefore benefit, above those of the whole to
which the part belongs. A state government in the E.U., for example, could veto
governance reforms of the federal government because the state would benefit in
some way, even just in terms of retaining its portion of governmental sovereignty,
even though the E.U. itself would be harmed. Exploiting a conflict of interest is
selfishness in governance. The underlying assumption is that the part is
greater than the whole. Aristotle warns of such misordered concupiscence, which
is the placing of a smaller good above a higher good.
The full essay is at "Reforming E.U. Governance."
