Egoism vs Altruism
2013SP-PHIL-202-006W
Egoism vs. Altruism The current political atmosphere has brought about a renewal in the interest of the works of Ayn Rand. The Russian-American novelist has once again been thrust into the limelight for a new generation of readers and political thinkers. Her ideas have been lauded in the Wall Street Journal and Fox News, and like many things these days, has had her ideas bent to meet certain political agendas. Much like Lenin used the ideas of Marx and Engels, the political right has used Rand’s Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead to push for their version of what America should be. The specific quote by Ayn Rand which states, “The proper method of judging when or whether one should help another person is by reference to one’s own rational self-interest and one’s own hierarchy of values: the time, money, or effort one gives or the risks one takes should be proportionate to the value of the person in relation to one’s own happiness,” is striking similar to the “father of modern economics” Adam Smith’s philosophy put forth in Wealth of Nations, but set in philosophical thought rather than an economic one. Stated simply, they say this; that one’s actions should be based on how much happiness (economic gain) that they bring to that particular person. Rand’s early life experiences during the Bolshevik Revolution clearly cemented her political and economic philosophy towards Communism, and by its stark contrast, Capitalism. It is no wonder, with her dislike of Communism and support strict Capitalism, that she has become a rallying point of the political right. While I agree that Ayn Rand’s philosophy belongs on the right side of the aisle, so to speak, I believe that all the calls for John Gault are premature, and people are cherry picking certain ideas that Rand put forth without looking at the whole picture. The problem with this is that Rand’s philosophy held that reason should be used to make decisions without regard for religion and
Egoism vs. Altruism The current political atmosphere has brought about a renewal in the interest of the works of Ayn Rand. The Russian-American novelist has once again been thrust into the limelight for a new generation of readers and political thinkers. Her ideas have been lauded in the Wall Street Journal and Fox News, and like many things these days, has had her ideas bent to meet certain political agendas. Much like Lenin used the ideas of Marx and Engels, the political right has used Rand’s Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead to push for their version of what America should be. The specific quote by Ayn Rand which states, “The proper method of judging when or whether one should help another person is by reference to one’s own rational self-interest and one’s own hierarchy of values: the time, money, or effort one gives or the risks one takes should be proportionate to the value of the person in relation to one’s own happiness,” is striking similar to the “father of modern economics” Adam Smith’s philosophy put forth in Wealth of Nations, but set in philosophical thought rather than an economic one. Stated simply, they say this; that one’s actions should be based on how much happiness (economic gain) that they bring to that particular person. Rand’s early life experiences during the Bolshevik Revolution clearly cemented her political and economic philosophy towards Communism, and by its stark contrast, Capitalism. It is no wonder, with her dislike of Communism and support strict Capitalism, that she has become a rallying point of the political right. While I agree that Ayn Rand’s philosophy belongs on the right side of the aisle, so to speak, I believe that all the calls for John Gault are premature, and people are cherry picking certain ideas that Rand put forth without looking at the whole picture. The problem with this is that Rand’s philosophy held that reason should be used to make decisions without regard for religion and