To Enjoy

 

I was reading one of my free online messages (April, 2024) from the Atlas Society, and I saw a short quote from Ayn Rand which I shall quote and then comment on: “The purpose of  morality is to teach you not to suffer and die, but to enjoy yourself and live.”

 

My response: As a moral and ontological moderate (what is good, beautiful, lawful and right is normally half-way between posted extremes), I think Rand is half wrong and half right.

 

Christians and Jordan Peterson like to point out that suffering and encountering evil are unavoidable, existential realities, that one should not worry about avoiding suffering and promoting self-esteem so much getting right with Christ and God, to take up one’s cross, and living a meaningful, productive life, as holy and virtuous as one can muster, so that life in this world is a preparation for getting to heaven in the next world.

 

I cannot disagree with their recommendations. I would add self-realization theory and egoist morality to their recommendations to help each agent be as holy and virtuous and possible.

 

But, Rand makes great points too: both she and Dennis Prager sagely advise that one should be as happy as possible—that to be happy, maximize noble pleasure and simple pleasure, while minimizing senseless suffering and doing evil—in this life. Life is for the living, and one has a right to be happy and enjoy oneself in this world.

 

Prager goes so far as to advise that being happy is a moral obligation because unhappy people turn cruel, and happy people do not hurt themselves or others. I would argue that Prager’s adjective being happy is close to what I identity is healthy self-esteem or self-love.

 

Rand Is half wrong and half right: we need all that she offers ethically but the Christian take on life, the afterlife, humans being judged by God, and the role of suffering in life cannot be so summarily dismissed or downplayed.