Objectivist Ethics

Who is to be the beneficiary of one's moral actions? Here is what Ayn Rand writes on Pages x and xi of her book, The Virtue of Selfishness: "The Objectivist ethics holds that the actor must always be the beneficiary of his action and that man must act for his own rational self-interest. But his right to do so is derived from his nature as man and from the function of moral values in human life--and, therefore, is applicable only in the context of a rational, objectively demonstrated and validated code of moral principles which define and determine his actual self-interest. It is not a license 'to do as he pleases' and it is not applicable to the altruists' image of 'selfish brute' nor to any man motivated by irrational emotions, feelings, urges, wishes and whims." My response: It is patently obvious that Rand recommends that the actor always be the beneficiary of his action; I agree for the most part, but my phrasing would be that the actor normally should be the beneficiary of his own action. If the actor must act from his rational self-interest, his rational self-interest should be reasonable, temperate, logical and common-sensical because it is rational. Thereby, Rand qualifies selfishness as a virtue that it must be rationally guided. Her view is that his right to act for his own benefit is is right to do so (I agree mostly.) is derived from his nature as man. I agree but likely for different reasons that Rand would accept. We are to be individualists and ethical egoists because that is how God made us in De's image, and that is how De commands us to conduct ourselves. Yes, moral considerations must guide our daily lives and as a rational, objective thinking agent, his self-interest being his telos is good for society and for him. Again, the true believing Rand admits that egoism is not a license for the agent to do as he pleases, and he is to be logical (emotional also and inevitably I suggest.). I agree that the reasonable egoist, the moderate, will feel and emote without passionate excesses like indulged urges, wishes and whims.