A Brief Explanation of Objectivist Ethics

Some clarification on the Objectivist view of ethics.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Egoism
• Altruism
• Hedonism
• Selfishness
• Rationality
• Logic
• Idea
• Interest
• Virtue
• Ayn
• Rand
• Human
• Nature
• Objectivism

[riverlioness]

Objectivism is a philosophy regarding the pursuit of happiness, and seeing something as it exists. The value of self interest was an entirely separate philosophy. As an objectivist, neither selfishness nor altruism is a requirement. In fact, both are rather extreme sides of an issue. Nobody is entirely selfish or entirely selfless. An entirely selfless person would be incapable of survival, and an entirely selfish person incapable of relationships. This is not an objectivist argument though

[XOmniverse]

@riverlioness Wouldn't someone who only engaged in relationships that benefited them be selfish? Why would anyone want any other kind of relationship?

[AttunedFlux]

The audio is gone for this one.

[riverlioness]

@XOmniverse

My point is you have person A who has needs and person B who has needs; the two relate by give and take. The reptilian brain is the source of both. This part of the brain is primal, it is the essential survival tool. Selfish and selfless describe the actions of one or the other part. Not to get too Dr. Ruth here, but healthy relationships prevent the build up of hormones that cause an imbalance. My boyfriend's a science major, this logic works on women.XD

[michalchik]

How about a society where the presumption of compassion and care keep people involved with caring for the sick and mentally ill so they don't turn into monsters. Where everyone understands what diminishes one man diminishes us all so the health of that man is all our concerns as is the safety of that girl. A society that does not look at the desires of the individual as supreme so that a rape and murder enters fewer peoples heads. Objectivists seem blind to the social contract and community.

[michalchik]

This is very simplistic thinking that I think misses the historical context of what jesus was doing. He was breaking a historical cycle of violence that had crippled middle-eastern society by changing the assumptions of he social contract. Based on what I have heard of objectivist moral philosophy, what Gandhi, MLK and Nelson Mandela accomplished was not only immoral but theoretically impossible.

[BRYAN351]

Hmm, this bearded circus lady makes a lot of sense.

[Guevaristas]

"long term self-interest"?

Do we operate only in our own self-interest, all of the time? (cf. Hobbes, 1651)

[XxxNuMbxxX0301]

You know, I might espouse objectivism, were it not for its elitist tendencies.

[thedreameater]

There are several ways you could approach this - again, being a flawed individual, I would give in to my weaker emotional side and respond; but what drives a man to do such a crime? How could we prevent it from happening again, rather than quickly brushing it aside. Is it not better to identify the problem than ignore it? Evil is such an xtian term...

Also, the flaw in your jesus argument - according to him, forgiveness is a reward; thus that example does not demonstrate immoral sacrifice.