The Virtue of Selfishness (Signet)
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First Sentence
Since I am to speak on the Objectivist Ethics, I shall begin by quoting its best representative-John Galt, in Atlas Shrugged: "Through centuries of scourges and disasters, brought about by your code of morality, you have cried that your code had been broken, that the scourges were punishment for breaking it, that men were too weak and too selfish to spill all the blood it required. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Since I am to speak on the Objectivist Ethics, I shall begin by quoting its best representative-John Galt, in Atlas Shrugged: "Through centuries of scourges and disasters, brought about by your code of morality, you have cried that your code had been broken, that the scourges were punishment for breaking it, that men were too weak and too selfish to spill all the blood it required. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This book focuses on the ethics of the philosophy of objectivism. Rather than being a book with chapters, it is a selection of articles which cover various questions, such as what selfishness is, the ethics of charity and voluntary help, the false dichotomy of altruism and selfishness, and what the theory of Objectivism actually is.
This is a good place to start to learn about the philosophy of objectivism as it concentrates on the philosophy itself rather than applying it to real-world examples. For those who wish to know more about objectivism applied, the books "Capitalism, the Unknown Ideal", "The Anti-Industrial Revolution", and "Why Businessmen Need Philosophy" would be more relevant.
Whether one disagrees with the philosophy or not, the articles in this book are clearly written, simple to understand, and passionately argued. Some parts are flippant, particularly with reference to the dismissal of the ideas of other philosophers, and Rand does not truly manage to justify why objectivism is actually objective [see Nozick's book Socratic Puzzles). Nevertheless, this book is worth reading if you are interested in this area of politics and philosophy.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Rand's explanation of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights is very impressive. She has a grasp of the exact principles that the Founding Fathers intended. I would recommend this book not only to the beginning philosopher, but also to students of government, politics, and ethics.
18 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This, like many of Ayn Rand's works, seems to be one of those "love it or hate it" books that has a very loyal following as well as many opponents. I don't think it's that easy because this is a very mixed collection of essays.
Much of the ideas presented in the first few essays are good and should be truly thought provoking for most readers. I have come to regard selfishness (though I prefer the term "egosim") in a new light, which has been good for me.
But here are also many flaws. Most of these are due to the utopian ideas in the essays. There seems to be no place for sick and unable people in Rand's perfect society. Based on my own self interest, I want a society that takes care of their sick and poor, because I would like to be helped if I got in that situation.
Rand's worldview is an oversimplified version of reality. She seems to believe in the libertairian myth that all men have equal chances in life to pursue their ambitions. She writes that one can only achieve one's goals through one's own effort. Never mind that some people (such as the heroes Dagny Taggart and Hank Rearden in her novel "Atlas Shrugged") are born wealthy while some people have to work full time just to feed themselves, not leaving much spare time to pursue their true ambitions.
Rand is so rabidly opposed to all forms of altruism she goes to the extremes to demonize it. This is another proof of her oversimplified worldview which leads me to the next point, how proudly she declares that she's an extremist. This is the essay titled "The Cult of Moral Grayness", in which she explains that it is evil to combine ideas from different philosophies and that the world must only be viewed in black and white, in terms of absolute good and absolute evil, with no shades of gray. My only interpretation of this is that Rand - Objectivism being the only rational philosophy - is always right about everything and if you disagree with her on any issue you are morally corrupt and evil. Thus, you must accept all of her teachings without questioning. In reality this means you are not allowed to think for yourself and evaluate them critically. This blind obedience is not compatible with rationalism and individualism. On the contrary, this demands you to stop think for yourself, out of fear that you may reach some "incorrect" conclusion that only a corrupt and evil person could do, which is exactly the sort of rethorics she opposes in the essay titled "The Argument from Intimidation".
It is quite sad that some of the essays express a very old fashioned and uninformed attitude towards homosexuality.
Although I found much of the rethorics flawed, I am glad I read the book, first of all because I did find good ideas in the first three essays, and secondly for the simple reason that it gave me a good insight of Rand's way of thinking, and it's always valuable to get exposed to different ideas in order to keep an open mind. Only after you've read something can you decide whether you agree with it or not. For these reasons I recommend this book. If you read it with a critical mind, it has some good ideas to offer, but don't automatically swallow the whole package just becase you agree with some of it. Be rational.
Much of the ideas presented in the first few essays are good and should be truly thought provoking for most readers. I have come to regard selfishness (though I prefer the term "egosim") in a new light, which has been good for me.
But here are also many flaws. Most of these are due to the utopian ideas in the essays. There seems to be no place for sick and unable people in Rand's perfect society. Based on my own self interest, I want a society that takes care of their sick and poor, because I would like to be helped if I got in that situation.
Rand's worldview is an oversimplified version of reality. She seems to believe in the libertairian myth that all men have equal chances in life to pursue their ambitions. She writes that one can only achieve one's goals through one's own effort. Never mind that some people (such as the heroes Dagny Taggart and Hank Rearden in her novel "Atlas Shrugged") are born wealthy while some people have to work full time just to feed themselves, not leaving much spare time to pursue their true ambitions.
Rand is so rabidly opposed to all forms of altruism she goes to the extremes to demonize it. This is another proof of her oversimplified worldview which leads me to the next point, how proudly she declares that she's an extremist. This is the essay titled "The Cult of Moral Grayness", in which she explains that it is evil to combine ideas from different philosophies and that the world must only be viewed in black and white, in terms of absolute good and absolute evil, with no shades of gray. My only interpretation of this is that Rand - Objectivism being the only rational philosophy - is always right about everything and if you disagree with her on any issue you are morally corrupt and evil. Thus, you must accept all of her teachings without questioning. In reality this means you are not allowed to think for yourself and evaluate them critically. This blind obedience is not compatible with rationalism and individualism. On the contrary, this demands you to stop think for yourself, out of fear that you may reach some "incorrect" conclusion that only a corrupt and evil person could do, which is exactly the sort of rethorics she opposes in the essay titled "The Argument from Intimidation".
It is quite sad that some of the essays express a very old fashioned and uninformed attitude towards homosexuality.
Although I found much of the rethorics flawed, I am glad I read the book, first of all because I did find good ideas in the first three essays, and secondly for the simple reason that it gave me a good insight of Rand's way of thinking, and it's always valuable to get exposed to different ideas in order to keep an open mind. Only after you've read something can you decide whether you agree with it or not. For these reasons I recommend this book. If you read it with a critical mind, it has some good ideas to offer, but don't automatically swallow the whole package just becase you agree with some of it. Be rational.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Life changing
I read this book in my late teenage years and it literally changed my life. It has such a clear cut approach to ethics which is grounded in rationalism and provides flesh to an... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Bradley Barnes
so misunderstood. . .
Ayn Rand has got to be one of the most misunderstood philosophers of the 20th Century.
For those that think this book advocates a selfishness at the expense of everyone... Read more
For those that think this book advocates a selfishness at the expense of everyone... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Ryopinion
A profound and original theory of egoism
To add to other positive reviews that greatly admire this lively set of philosophical essays, I think it is useful to explain in just what way Ayn Rand's theory of egoism is... Read more
Published on 7 Oct 2009 by G. Imroth
The Bible of Objectivist
This is maybe Ayn Rand's best work regarding Objectivism.
She expresses her concepts briefly and clearly. Read more
She expresses her concepts briefly and clearly. Read more
Published on 25 Sep 2009 by lordcris
A meaningful and righteous philosophy, but weak minds beware
This book clearly shows that the irrational is that which contradicts the facts of reality and that irrational values are those which go against human survival. Read more
Published on 18 Feb 2008 by S. J. Trujillo Gentges
About the only true philosopher since Aristotle
Ayn Rand at her brilliant best. If you have n't read her novels or essays this is a good place to start. Read more
Published on 1 July 2003 by Genarius
ONE interesting idea, drowned in COUNTLESS clutter
There is no arguing with those who already like Ayn Rand and enjoy her linguistic dramatics.
But that is precisely what makes everyone else not take her seriously--she is more... Read more
But that is precisely what makes everyone else not take her seriously--she is more... Read more
Published on 21 Feb 2003 by "hklivingston"
Rand's selfishness isn't wrong
By all accounts Ayn Rand was a weird and rather mean person, and her theories about knowledge were complete rubbish, but this book makes some good points. Read more
Published on 22 July 2001 by Alan Michael Forrester
Unprecedented
"Capitalist Excess" was always an unanswered doubt in the back of my mind. The chapters in this book which show that crises and depressions are caused by Government... Read more
Published on 9 Aug 1999
Better yet, read INSTEAD of Atlas Shrugged
- and stop when you reach the point in the introduction at which Rand says she's using the term 'selfishness' to intimidate people. Read more
Published on 4 Aug 1999
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