The Virtue of Selfishness by Ayn Rand (EPUB)

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A collection of essays that sets forth the moral principles of Objectivism, Ayn Rand’s controversial, groundbreaking philosophy.Since their initial publication, Rand’s fictional works—Anthem, The Fountainhead, and Atlas Shrugged—have had a major impact on the intellectual scene. The underlying theme of her famous novels is her philosophy, a new morality—the ethics of rational self-interest—that offers a robust challenge to altruist-collectivist thought. Known as Objectivism, her divisive philosophy holds human life—the life proper to a rational being—as the standard of moral values and regards altruism as incompatible with man’s nature. In this series of essays, Rand asks why man needs morality in the first place, and arrives at an answer that redefines a new code of ethics based on the virtue of selfishness. More Than 1 Million Copies Sold!

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐My General Overview:Ayn Rand has a ‘controversial’, but brilliant and effective philosophy that can best be applied to your personal life and sense of ethics.She advocates both ethical and rational egoism and dismisses altruism as a vice rather than a virtue. Ayn made a great case against altruism in favor of ethical/rational egoism as a much better alternative. Her writing style is concise, direct, and illustrative of her points and arguments. It’s accessible to readers who don’t have a thesaurus nearby at all times, so this is much better than Immanuel Kant’s confusing, convoluted, nonsensical work.Ayn Rand also makes a strong case for the rejection of mysticism and the adoption of reason as your primary guiding principle in life. Objectivism is a very motivating philosophy because, if you live by it, you will be pursuing your Values (she uses the word ‘values’ to describe passions and aspirations).The core components of Objectivism are Reason, Productivity, and Self-Esteem, all great on their own, but even better in combination. Ayn’s philosophy addresses how we ought to live, in a very practical sense rather than meandering abstractions like some other philosophers.My Contentions:Ayn Rand’s philosophy, Objectivism, is great when applied to your personal life. However, my biggest contention with her work is the fact Ayn endorses capitalism that is unregulated by the government. No; I’m not a socialist. I’m a capitalist, but I believe government regulation is an extremely important aspect of a market economy.There are too many real world examples (i.e., 2009 recession, Flint Michigan’s water, etc.) of unregulated or barely regulated markets causing serious economic problems and, worse, even public health concerns. So, while I’m on board with Objectivism as a personal philosophy, I’m certainly not on board with it as a POLITICAL philosophy. Definitely not.Ayn Rand dismisses collectivism as inherently bad, while individualism is heralded as inherently good. To a certain extent, I agree with this assessment, but Ayn paints a picture that’s way too ‘black and white’ on this issue. I believe MOST collectivism is bad, but I can’t help but notice Social Collectivism, such as government building roads or providing single-payer healthcare, is reliably successful. Research the Nordic Model if you don’t believe some forms of collectivism can actually be good.Yes, most collectivism fails by almost every measure, but SOME forms of collectivism are very successful and beneficial to society.I agree with Ayn Rand’s advocacy of Individual Rights being of maximal importance. However, there must be a government that both grants and protects those Individual Rights. They do not come out of thin air; they’re not ‘natural’ rights. Rights are social constructs, so while I agree Individual Rights are the most important thing in society, I don’t believe those rights to be self-evident.We human beings must figure out what those rights are, set up a system that grants them, and also have a system that PROTECTS them. No rights are natural or just fall out of the sky. Individual Rights are the most important thing we need in society, so I agree with Ayn Rand on that bit, but rights are still social constructs at the end of the day.If Individual Rights were truly self-evident, these huge authoritarian nightmare governments of human history would have never existed. But, sorry… they did exist and some still DO exist (i.e., North Korea), so rights are social constructs, not self-evident, and we must establish those rights ourselves, as humans. I agree with Ayn Rand about using Reason as our primary guiding principle; we have to use Reason to determine what our Individual Rights are. They’re not clear until we make propositions and arguments in favor of why certain rights ought to be granted/protected in our civilizations.Property Rights are also something I agree with Ayn Rand on. Yes, I definitely believe in private property being extremely significant to a prosperous society. However, those too, like the Individual Rights, are not self-evident and we must figure out for ourselves what these Property Rights are, what they mean, what the nuances and implications are, etc. And we should use Reason, not Mysticism, to do that.My Politics:Since I know Ayn Rand’s work is very politically charged ever since the Tea Party movement leaders pretended to be Objectivists (they were definitely pretending and probably didn’t even read Ayn’s work)… I will go ahead and reveal my personal political beliefs.I’m a Social Democracy style liberal and a Civic Nationalist. Now that you know that about me, you can probably see why I had some issues with the political implications of Ayn’s philosophy. But, that’s okay.Objectivism is still a great PERSONAL philosophy to live your life by; I just think you ought to evaluate your politics differently than how you live as an individual. Politics is a lot more nuanced and complicated than Ayn makes it out to be. A market without government regulations is simply NOT the solution to modern economic struggles and it also isn’t an ideal market in my view.Why 4 Stars?Because I have a lot of contentions with Ayn’s economic and political ideas. Having said that, Objectivism is sound, logical, and great for your personal life.

⭐Love all Ayn Rand literature!!! Amazing author. She’s been able TO show truth thru this last 100 years!!!!!

⭐This book is a collection of essays by Ayn Rand and Nathaniel Branden. It covers the ethics of Ayn Rand’s philosophy, Objectivism.You don’t have to be interested in philosophy or Ayn Rand to get something out of this book, but you do have to approach it with an open mind. Quite predictably, a continuous theme throughout the book is the immorality of altruism and virtuousness of (rational) selfishness. I picked up this book a bit skeptical, especially because of the cult that seems to surround Ayn Rand. But this work was extremely thoughtful and thought-provoking. Probably one of the most interesting books I’ve ever read. More people should give it a chance.Rand and Branden talk a lot about “the virtue of selfishness.” “Selfishness” is defined from the get-go as “rational self-interest,” and Rand even offers an explanation for why she uses the word “selfishness” at all (it’s in the Kindle preview!).In the first chapter, Rand says that life is an end in itself, and that “Reason, Purpose, and Responsibility” are the things we should value in order to secure our life. We achieve those three values by being rational, productive, and having pride in ourselves and our work. So, since our life is an end in itself, there’s no moral obligation to subject ourselves to the will or whims of others. In fact, she argues that living for others is flat-out immoral.Throughout the book, Rand and Branden addressed almost every concern and question I had (and have seen others have) regarding the ethics of her philosophy. Altruism is defined as sacrificing oneself for someone else, and Rand denounces it as immoral. But there are cases where an “altruist act” is actually in your rational self-interest. Rand gives the following example: Someone is going to torture your significant other to death in order to get something from you. If you love this person so much that living without them would be impossible, then the moral thing to do would be to “sacrifice” yourself. It’s not really self-sacrifice though, since it’s in your rational self-interest.Rand also denounces racism, violence (except in self-defense), criminal activity, and exploiting others for your own gain (!!!). Really, it’s like her critics have never read her work. She is very clear on her stance with each of these issues: vehemently opposed.One unanswered question I still have after reading this work: since I have the right to do what I want with my property and time, can I give a homeless man a dollar? Can I loan my friend my car for the weekend? Would either act be immoral? I’m confident that the answer is yes, I can do these things, but I’m not sure whether (according to Objectivist ethics) it would be immoral.What I got from this book:The essays by Nathaniel Branden on self-esteem and mysticism were especially enlightening for me. I also really enjoyed reading about the “doomsday mindset” (my words – I forget how Rand/Branden called it exactly) that we all apparently have inherited from religion and superstition. This “the world is going to shit” outlook is what compels us to embrace altruism.Overall, the virtue of selfishness itself is incredibly empowering. It says that I am responsible for myself and my actions, and that I owe it only to myself to live a happy, meaningful life. I love that. And I loved this book.Who should read this book:Everyone and anyone can get something out of this book, but especially students and people just getting into the working world. It’ll empower you to work harder and take responsibility for yourself and your actions. And it’ll also get you to think more about what you’ve been taught, what you believe, and why.I alternated evenings between reading this book and listening to Leonard Peikoff’s lectures on “The Philosophy of Objectivism” (available online through the Ayn Rand Institute). I thought Peikoff’s lectures complimented this work well. Now I’m reading something that’s the polar opposite: Bertrand Russell’s

⭐. I recommend both/either if you want to do some more in-depth thinking about individualism. I also recommending Nathaniel Branden’s

⭐for those interested in self-esteem and self-efficacy (which was a prevalent theme in The Virtue of Selfishness).

⭐As usual, Ayn Rand has such control and finesse over her writing. And she leverages this skill to provide a very thought-provoking, bold and very convincing ideas of about Individualism, all while debunking the fad of Altruism.Not a book for the narrow-minded or the faint-hearted ! Very relevant in a period where capitalism and right-wing politics, individualism and selfishness is all frowned upon.Makes you re-realise the virtues of selfishness and how focusing on yourself is the greatest contribution you can make to society. Ricardo’s law of absolute advantage holds I guess. This book had a profound impact on me.

⭐Ayn Rand’s “The Virtue of Selfishness” is certainly an interesting and thought provoking collection of essays. In the book you get what is displayed on the cover by means of its title, namely an undiluted brand of selfishness. But don’t be put off by the brand because whilst many might disagree with the book’s broad thrust there is certainly plenty of food for thought.The collection of essays was written in the early 1960’s making some of them 50 years or nearly 50 years old. The range of topics the essays cover is quite broad including issues such as: mental health versus mysticism, the ethics of emergencies, selfishness, the psychology of pleasure, man’s rights, the nature of government and racism to mention a few of the topics. Most of the essays were written by Rand with some contributions from one of her disciples, Nathaniel Branden. If there is a single unifying issue threading its way through the essays it is the concept known as an “ethics of rational self-interest”. Rand begins her collection of essays with “The Objectivist Ethics” in which she seems to be in search of an Ethics that is based on rational objectivity. This first essay should be read carefully as it provides the theoretical foundation for all the other essays.In her effort to lay the foundation of an objectivist ethics, Rand outlines a dense argument by analogy in order to undermine the acceptance of Hume’s argument that one cannot derive “ought” form “is”. In other words, something that is a fact does not tell us how we should behave or act. In short, Rand’s dictum states: “the fact that a living entity is, determines what it ought to do.” Although she does not undermine Hume’s argument, to some extent her argument here is quite persuasive especially as she emphasises the point by telling us that: “knowledge for any conscious organism is the means of survival; to a living consciousness, every “is” implies an “ought”.What we get in the Objectivist Ethics feels like a sermon. A sermon blasted at the reader from a right wing perspective. Although Rand was an atheist one is left with the impression that the text of “The Objectivist Ethics” could serve as a new chapter in the bible for those right wing USA preachers and broadcasters. It’s a text that rails against slot and dependency. We are told: “Happiness is that state of consciousness which proceed from the achievement of one’s own values. If a man values productive work, his happiness is the measure of his success in the service of his life.”Let’s be clear what’s been railed against in these essays is altruism. The OED defines altruism as: “The belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others.” In the essay, The Ethics of Emergencies, for Rand this position is almost despicable and she has an interesting way of turning the issue upside down. She says: “By elevating the issues of helping others into the central and primary issue of ethics, altruism has destroyed the concept of any authentic benevolence and good will among men.” But despite this hard headed stance against altruism and one’s intuitive negative reaction against it, nonetheless one is left feeling that there is some truth to the objectivist ethics as many of our behaviour and actions are borne of selfishness.The relevancy test raises its head in relation to these essays or at least some of them. The obvious question is 50 years on does these essays address the contemporary socio-economic, political and moral situation in which human beings find themselves? Some might want to argue that the question is at least debateable for me the short answer is yes at least some of the essays do address our contemporary situation. Where rand points out that: “moral neutrality necessitates a progressive sympathy for vice and a progress antagonism to virtue” one can easily apply that dictum to the liberalism that we encounter today in so many aspects of our lives – for example those in authority wanting to sit on the fence and try to find reasons to mitigate bad behaviour.One question to bear in mind when reading these extreme right wing texts is to ask oneself who are these kinds of texts ruling out or ignoring? Reading between the lines of many right wing texts one could sometimes detect the sexist, homophobic and or racist nature of them. Ayn Rand’s essays are no exception. She holds the USA and its historical trajectory in high esteem. But in doing so Rand appears willing to overlook one of the indelible stains on the USA – namely slavery. In discussing the declaration of independence in relation to man’s right, Rand points out that the limits of a government role in society is one of protecting man’s rights from physical violence. As a result of this limited role of government in relation to the USA of course Rand goes on to say: “The result was the pattern of a civilized society which – for the brief span of some hundred and fifty years – America came close to achieving” tell that to those who suffered as slaves and those still suffering from the legacy. Although she acknowledges that such high aim was not “consistently practiced” she nonetheless blames what she calls “America’s inner contradiction” on “alturist – collectivist ethics”. This is disingenuous those who did not achieve high standards set by the declaration of independence were of the same right wing, individualistic ilk as Rand.Rand’s essay on racism is to be applauded. I broadly agree with some of the points she raise. However, I found it ironic that she should attribute the critical points she makes to collectivism rather than to her own right wing followers. I guess the extreme brand of right wing politics and philosophy Rand puts forward knows how to perpetrate its racism in a subtle and covert manner.Whatever, my stance is towards the essays, they certainly are engaging and thought provoking. Some fifty years on the essays resonate, they are still relevant and worth reading.

⭐Ayn Rand takes you further through an economic system before running out of steam than anyone else. You do have to have the mental agility to accept her redefinition of certain everyday terms, though. I find her the most persuasive of the modern philosophers as her premises are the simplest. Only one, really. Strongly recommended, together with others of hers. If you prefer your philosophy packaged, read also Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged.

⭐A brief but pointed introduction to Objectivism, it pulls no punches.A good description if you don’t want to slog through Atlas Shrugged or The Fountainhead.

⭐great

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