The Proclamation By Ayn Rand

On Pag xi, of her book, The Virtue Of Selfishness, Ayn Rand defines her Objectivist ethics: "Just as man cannot survive by any random means, but must discover and practice the principles which his survival requires, so man's self-interest cannot be determined by blind desires or random whims, but must be discovered and achieved by the guidance of rational principles. This is why the Objectivist ethics is a morality of rational self-interest or of rational selfishness." My response: As always, I am sympathetic with her announcement that the Objectivist ethics is a model of rational self-interest or of rational selfishness. The best way to serve God, ourselves and others is to chase after and fulfill our enlightened self-interest. To be selfish is irrational and is a groupist motivation. Also, not all irrational motivators can or should be dismissed as irrational blind desires or random whims. How we feel can inform our moral choice. Humans are complex character with passion and reason often pitted against each other, but we must reason our way to conclusions most of the time.