|
Is morality real and in what way does it manifest, how is it justified, and how is it strategically wise and practically efficient? How is it beneficent? Does society flourish under this system? More so than other systems? Freedom, unity, justice, security, glory...there are many values nations regard as great. Can morality help or hinder the journey to meet them or under it are we bound for degradation? Points If it is the society that provides the meat, figuratively, for the rational self-interests of individuals, then it is absolutely in their interest to further and advance society. Another fact is if the random inclinations of individuals leads to the overall downfall of the lot, then Rand's talk of death being the thing we should avoid following would not be reflective in the simple directive "do what you will regardless of consequence, so long as you are the central pillar of interest". (quotes reflect my present conception of Rand's morality) Can a great world that advances technologically and socially, also do so under the 100% volition of its population as individuals? Would it not then fall on the basic question: is each human the human that can help build a great and prosperous world? I don't want to see the world fall, I want to see it advance, and I am afraid of what free individuals would do, I am afraid that their path would be self-destructive to the lot of the human species. Can you not empathise with that? Time is not infinite here on Earth, people must absolutely choose survival and advancement, or what can then stop the ultimate demise of humanity, of people, of individuals in this apathetic universe. Only we can care for us, the species, the civilisation. Freedom and restriction do not need to be one or the other, they can be in between and change adaptively with necessity of advancement and prosperity of human civilisation. Those that want out of that contract must give sufficient advanced notice and only where their absence is uncritical to the furtherance, in an orderly disengagement, so that the advancing civilisation can have chance to make due preparation and adaptation. So, there would be the advancing civilisation and those that settle in a stand-by civilisation. |
|
Dr. Peikoff does a nice job of presenting this topic in Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand. The first question which needs to be answered though: Is morality necessary or not, and if so, why?
Fundamentally then, morality deals with life or death as the ultimate value. Morality identifies the fundamental principles or virtues he should practice in order to achieve this end. With this in mind, it is his own life as a value that the practice of virtues seeks to maintain. When men grasp the principles necessary to achieve this end, they are equipped with the knowledge needed to help guide and formulate principles in the context of governance to establish guiding principles for a nation. To the degree they identify and implement the correct principles, freedom, unity, justice and prosperity have flourished accordingly. When the criteria necessary to bring these ends about is circumvented, stat-ism, discontent, injustice and poverty are manifested proportionally. |
Morality is very real. They are basically a set of principles of justice that people follow specifically by choice. Those who are moral believe that all men are equal, and that no man should live for the sake of another. There are many different definitions of "morality," but each religion suggests altruism, along with the belief that God is in control of your life...not yourself. They all basically say that you're living for God's cause, and not your own. They say it is in your self-interest to follow the path of God, but Ayn Rand says you should follow your own path in life.
I am in the formative stages of understanding Objectivism. I like learning via discussion. Not immediately agreeing with the statements in the books, I may need discussion to eliminate confusion.