Hi Johannes,

How are you? Here is a quote"

"By elevating the issue of helping others into the central and primary issue of ethics, altruism has destroyed the concept of any authentic benevolence or good will among men. It has indoctrinated men with the idea that to value another human being is an act of selfnessness, thus implying that a man can have no personalinterest in others."

- The Virtue of Selfishness

Hello Johannes,

Thank you for your friendship.

I think everything good proceeds from this sense of life: "... fundamental idea that man can be a great being through the exercise of reason."

Regarding "the false dichotomy that one can act either in the interest of oneself or of others, but not both":

A person who worhips the heroic in man, like Ayn Rand, would think it is in his own interest that good people live and prosper.

I've read Ayn Rand's The Virtue of Selfishness (TVOS). She defined self-sacrifice as giving up a value for a non-value, or giving up a higher value for a lower value.

Ayn Rand and Howard Roark respect man. If they help out a stranger voluntarily, without any danger or gross inconvenience to them, I'm sure they would not consider this self-sacrifice or misplaced generosity; they would do it out of respect for a fellow human being.

It is the morality of self-sacrifice that Ayn Rand thought was evil, and she explained it in detail in TVOS. (Feel free to ask me questions).

I think so, too. These are quotes from Reason Reigns:

“I understand,” Anton reflected. He had deep-blue earnest eyes like his brother, Ali. “I will save or help good people because it is in my own interest that the good live and prosper. But I would not sacrifice myself, nor guilt myself for not doing so.”

“I won’t ever want anyone to sacrifice for me,” added Ali. “If Father or Mother dies saving Anton or me - that is not sacrifice since they value us more than their lives.”

* * *


Leo thanked __ __ solemnly.

__’s tone matched Leo’s earnestness. “__ and I did not do it for you, Mr. Thomas.”

“We did it for ourselves,” __ declared proudly.

__ affirmed, “It was the right thing to do. We couldn’t have done otherwise.”

“I thank you both for what you are.”

* * *


“The people on this boat, the Georgia Knox, are heroes. A hero knows the power of the mind. He respects and seeks ideas. He appreciates knowledge. He lives by reason and logic.

A hero trades – he is neither a master nor a slave. He is an independent thinker – he is neither a power seeker nor a mindless follower.

A hero admires other people’s abilities. He is happy.

His morality is self-interest based on reality and reason. In such a morality, would the interests of individuals ever clash? No, because no self-respecting person would ever desire the unearned or the forced. A moral man does not loot or defraud. He is loyal to ideas and to values, not to specific men or to a group. He respects every man’s freedom. He does not rule. He cannot be ruled.

Ron speaks of a God who is all-good and all-loving. May God bless these heroes.”

* * * (end of excerpts)


May everything good be always with you,

Ilyn

Wow, I'm so flattered both you and Laura are using my ancient emirenders for your userpics. :D