The Definition of Selfishness 1 of 2

Addendum to the video on Ayn Rand's choice of the word selfish to describe her ethics.

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• Ayn
• Rand
• Objectivism
• education
• Leonard
• Peikoff
• Brandon
• Cropper
• selfishness
• selfish
• virtue
• ethics
• luinguistics

[cropperb]

"You can have a long-term, productive altruist goal."

What would an example be? What qualifies as altruistic?

[wolfwolfwolf1979]

The definition of "selfish" that everyone uses is "devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one's own interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others." That can be applied to any "type" of person, long range or short range, rich or poor, as long as that definition holds to that person they are selfish. There is nothing contradictory in that definition if it is not as specific as you want it to be.

[cropperb]

" ...that everyone uses is "devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one's own interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others."

Murderrs, rapists, theives and social workers are NOT concerned with themselves in any meaningful way. So a concept of selfishness that subsumes some of these people would be invalid for that reason - it is a direct contradiction.

[wolfwolfwolf1979]

I don't understand why you think murderers, rapists and thieves are not concerned with themselves...Are you suggesting that they are concerned with others?

[cropperb]

I am suggesting they are empty, selfless and neurotic, driven by a fear of thinking, driven be evasion. That is NOT concern for one's self. That is suicide, emotional albeit.

[lnights4]

what's your personal philosophy in life? very interesting points made in the video by the way

[ArchitectOfEvil]

@Mig440 Psychological egoism has merit.

"It is the view that humans are always motivated by self-interest, even in what seem to be acts of altruism."

So if that is true, should you not also be Objective? Or just another brainwashed psychologically messed up personality?

Take the case where the soldier in the war jumps on the grenade to protect others. Psychological Egoism states that means he thought it would somehow benefit him in the long term. So he was brainwashed!

Be Objective.

[juicearibe]

Turn that shit vacuum off in the background.

[juicearibe]

objectivists is selfish, and evil.

[blaziermissy]

Rand was a product of her environment and her own conclusions..non science.

[KiddaDevonHiHi7]

LMAO! I couldn't stop laughing!!1 xD

but good points anyway:)

[ubermensch81]

i left a comment earlier in jest , so you know, i enjoyed this vid . very much . 5 stars and subscribe.

[ubermensch81]

isnt he though , sweeper in the background with his dinner jacket over his janitors outfit. the great epic janitorial philosopher , but hey he tries and his pretty articulate.

[Ruralta]

I disagree with all but the most redundant of these gremlins/invalid concepts... All of this intellectual contortionism is conjured for the end purpose of moralizing (verb - used with object) exploitation of the subjects or people. Belief in this as good leadership is socially reprehensible as it promotes the construction of an economic house of cards.

[eddylon1983]

you think too much cock sucker, look at your thumbs down, n none of them was by me, its coz your boring, go shag a brass, go take drugs go live