Ethics of Emergencies

Humanities 330

6 January 2013

Ethics of Emergencies

Ayn Rand’s Ideas in Today’s Moral Environment

Before anyone attempts to rationalize Ayn Rand’s ideas on what she calls “Objectivism” one should have an understanding of her background. Rand grew up in Russia in the early 1900s and later immigrated to United States in 1926. Coming from a socialist society may explain her total rejection of the ethical altruism concept. Although altruism and socialism don’t mean the same thing one can see how the meaning of altruism (concern for the interest of others) can be thought of as one of the pillars of socialism. Based on Rand’s writings she only recognizes the extreme or ideal definition of altruism which is the concern for the interest of others while disregarding one’s own interest. Her essay “The Virtue of Selfishness” is a good example of this and perhaps her real state of mind which could be contributed to issues related to her socialist upbringing.

To comment on Ayn Rand’s ideas in today’s moral environment, one has to determine if today’s moral environment is any different than it was during Rand’s lifetime. In Ethics of Emergencies her writings focused on the ageless moral responsibility issue of individual or personal happiness vs. the happiness of others (N Rosenstand, The Moral of the Story, 2013, p 215). In an interview with Mike Wallace posted by LibertyPen (2009) on YouTube, Rand clearly stated that all of the morals we have learned such as the “golden rule” and the value that we should care and be responsible for each other is evil. To her these moral values mean that life is to be lived only as a sacrifice to others, therefore man is nothing more than a sacrificial animal. In Rand’s mind the only real moral reality is one’s own rational reasoning that promotes one own self-interest and happiness. In this interview she also implied that no one or group, including government and religious organizations, should force moral values on...