1 (of 6 Overheads)
AYN RAND [1905-1982]: THE VIRTUE OF SELFISHNESS
þ BORN IN RUSSIA, GOT TASTE OF SOVIET SOCIALISM,
EMMIGRATED TO U.S., "THE COUNTRY OF THE
INDIVIDUAL," IN 1926.
þ BECAME WRITER & NOVELIST. MAIN WORKS:
þ WE THE LIVING [1936]
þ THE FOUNTAINHEAD [1043] *
þ ATLAS SHRUGGED [1957]
þ FOR THE NEW INTELLECTUAL [1961]
þ THE VIRTUE OF SELFISHNESS [1965]
þ CAPITALISM: THE UNKNOWN IDEAL [1966]
þ EGOISM =
þ EGO = SELF
þ THE ETHICAL DOCTRINE THAT MORALITY
HAS ITS
FOUNDATION IN SELF-INTEREST.
þ THE BELIEF THAT SELF-INTEREST IS
THE JUST &
PROPER MOTIVE FOR ALL HUMAN
CONDUCT.
þ ALTRUISM =
þ CONCERN FOR THE WELFARE OF OTHERS,
AS
OPPOSED TO EGOISM; SELFLESSNESS.
[FR. ALTRUI
=OTHER; L. ALTER = OTHER]
2
AYN RAND'S THE FOUNTAINHEAD
þ THE FOUNTAINHEAD DEPICTS A HIGHLY ROMANTICIZED
ARCHITECT-HERO, JOHN GALT, A SUPERIOR INDIVIDUAL
WHOSE EGOISM AND GENIUS PREVAIL OVER TIMID
TRADITIONALISM AND SOCIAL CONFORMISM.
þ AN IDEALISTIC, UNCOMPROMISING ARCHITECT, A
CREATIVE PERSON WHO STANDS UP AGAINST THE
IGNORANT COMMON HERD
þ HE ADMITS TO NO CONSTRAINTS OF HIS ACTIONS,
DEFYING BOTH ACCEPTED MORALITY [HE RAPES THE WOMEN
HE IS ATTRACTED TO] & THE LAW .
þ HE BLOWS UP THE HOUSING PROJECT HE DESIGNED
BECAUSE IT WAS CHANGED BY BUREAUCRATS PRESSURED BY
PUBLIC OPINION.
þ AT HIS TRIAL, THE ARCHITECT DEFENDS THE RIGHT OF
THE CREATIVE INDIVIDUAL TO PURSUE HIS OWN NEEDS &
DESIRES WITHOUT CONSTRAINT.
þ NOVEL IS A CONFUSING MIXTURE OF APPEALS TO
SELF-INTEREST & SUGGESTIONS THAT EVERYONE
WILL BENEFIT FROM LIBERATION OF THE CREATIVE
ENERGY THAT WILL FLOW FROM UNFETTERED SELF-
INTEREST.
þ SUGGESTS THAT TRUE SELF-INTEREST CANNOT BE
SERVED BY STEALING, CHEATING, OR OTHER
ANTISOCIAL CONDUCT.
3
AYN RAND'S THE FOUNTAINHEAD [C]
þ WHAT STARTS OUT AS A DEFENSE OF ETHICAL
EGOISM SEEMS TO TURN INTO AN INDIRECT FORM
OF UTILITARIANISM.
þ THE CLAIM IS THAT WE WILL ALL BE
BETTER OFF
IF EACH OF US DOES WHAT IS
IN HIS/HER SELF
INTEREST.
þ ETHICAL EGOIST COMPELLED TO MAKE THIS CLAIM.
þ OTHERWISE, A PARADOX IN ETHICAL
EGOIST
ADVOCATING ETHICAL EGOISM -->
OUR INTERESTS
WOULD BE THREATENED BY OTHERS
PURSUING THEIR
OWN INTERESTS --> THUS WE WOULD
NOT BENEFIT
BY OTHERS BECOMING EGOISTS
--> BETTER TO
KEEP OUR BELIEF IN EGOISM SECRET,
ADVOCATE
ALTRUISM.
4
ANY RAND'S ATLAS SHRUGGED [1957]
þ NOVEL DENOUNCES GOVN. INTERFERENCE WITH RIGHTS OF
INDIVIDUALS, WHO OUGHT TO BE COMPLETELY FREE TO ACT
IN THEIR OWN "RATIONAL SELF-INTEREST."
þ GLORIFIES COMPLETELY UNRESTRAINED LAISSEZ-FAIRE
CAPITALISM AS THE IDEAL ECONOMIC SYSTEM.
þ DESCRIBES HOW CONSTRUCTION OF TRANSCONTINENTAL RR
NOT ONLY SATISFIES THE NEEDS OF A RUTHLESS
CAPITALIST FOR WEALTH & POWER, BUT ALSO BENEFITS
THE NATION AS A WHOLE.
þ RAND'S PHILOSOPHY EMPHASIZES THE NEED OF COMPLETE
FREEDOM FOR THE CREATIVE INDIVIDUAL EXEMPLIFIED BY
THE LEADING CHARACTERS OF HER NOVELS, WHO OVERCOME
OR IGNORE THE OBSTACLES CREATED BY "THE STATE" &
THE UNCOMPREHENDING COMMON HERD.
þ LIKE NIETZSCHE'S SUPERMEN, THEIR
WILL TO
POWER & SELF-SATISFACTION IS THEIR ONLY GUIDE.
þ LAW & MORALITY DON'T MATTER.
þ SELF-AGGRANDIZEMENT IS HIGHEST
MORAL VALUE.
þ RAND: ONE PUTS ONESELF ABOVE ALL AND CRUSHES
EVERYTHING IN ONE'S WAY TO GET THE BEST FOR
ONESELF."
5
ANY RAND: ALTRUISM VS. EGOISM
þ RAND PROMOTED THE POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY OF
OBJECTIVISM:
þ A DEEPLY CONSERVATIVE PHILOSOPHY
THAT SEES
INDIVIDUAL EFFORT & ABILITY
AS THE SOLE
SOURCE OF ALL GENUINE ACHIEVEMENT.
þ ARGUES THAT PURSUIT OF SELF-INTEREST
AS
FIRST PRINCIPLE.
þ SCORNS ALTRUISM & SACRIFICE
FOR THE COMMON
GOOD AS LIBERAL DELUSIONS &
EVEN VICES.
þ SEES LAISSEZ-FAIRE CAPITALISM AS
MOST
CONGENIAL TO THE EXERCISE OF
TALENT.
ETHICAL EGOISM:
þ MANY ETHICAL SYSTEMS --> GOODS SOUGHT FOR ALL,
NOT JUST FOR ONESELF.
þ ETHICAL EGOISM DEPARTS FROM SUCH, SUGGESTS THAT
WE SHOULD EACH CONSIDER ONLY THE CONSEQUENCES OF
OUR ACTIONS FOR OUR OWN INTERESTS:
þ AVOIDS CONFLICT BETWEEN MORALITY
& SELF-
INTEREST.
þ TWO FORMS OF EGOISM:
þ INDIVIDUAL EGOISM = "EVERYONE SHOULD
DO WHAT
IS IN MY INTERESTS."
þ CAN'T BE UNIVERSALIZED.
þ WON'T
BE ABLE TO PERSUADE OTHERS TO
FOLLOW A COURSE DESIGNED TO BENEFIT
ONLY THE PERSON ADVOCATING IT.
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ANY RAND: ALTRUISM VS. EGOISM [C]
þ UNIVERSAL EGOISM -- " EVERYONE SHOULD
DO
WHAT IS IN HER OR HIS OWN INTEREST."
THIS
PRINCIPLE IS UNIVERSALIZABLE.
þ OTHERS
CAN ACCEPT BECAUSE IT APPEARS TO
OFFER THEM THE SUREST POSSIBLE WAY OF
FURTHERING THEIR OWN INTERESTS.
þ SOME
WRITERS SEIZE UPON THIS AS THE
ANSWER TO ALL OUR ILLS -- E.G. RAND.