There are many traditions within Satanism. All of them teach Self Empowerment above all else. This is a form of Spiritual Selfishness that is actually necessary for survival. This does not mean that Satanists do not help others. It simply means that they look after themselves first. In my opinion, the logic behind this point of view, when helping others, is that you must be content within yourself and have your own needs met before you can truly be of much help to others.
The traditions upon which ours is based is mixes the religious doctrines of Yezidism, a form of Hatha Yoga and Magick that works with the spirits of the Goetia. In the original Story of the Fall of Man, as recounted in the Biblical Book of Genesis, Satan (the Serpent) fell from Paradise along with Man after Adam ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The symbol for the Fallen Satan is the Inverted Pentagram. Satan, in this form, is the fallen Spirit of Man. His number is 666.
The Yezidis believe that Satan repented for his Sin against God and, when he did, God restored him to his original position as Chief of the Archangels. This is Satan Redeemed. The sign for the Redeemed Satan is the Pentagram with one point up. His number is still 666, which is the number for the Spirit of Man. Satan is unique in that he represents both the Soul and Consciousness of Man.
In Hermeticism, this identifies him with both the One Mind and the One Thing. In making the Philosopher's Stone, Satan is both the object to be transmuted and the Mind that governs the Transmutation.
The rituals which are taught here balance and empower the human psyche and produce the Philosopher's Stone. It is a Hermetic teaching that one of the possible origins of the Emerald Tablet is that it fell from Lucifer's crown during his Fall to Earth from Paradise. From this basis, we have our tradition of Hermetic Satanism.