I agree 100 percent!!
-----Original Message-----
From: GURU PERF <guruperf@att.net>
To: vpFREE <vpFREE@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Mon, Feb 21, 2011 4:35 pm
Subject: Re: [vpFREE] Re: Gambling With an Edge Feb 17th
If you're going to be talking about Ayn Rand's philosophy, at least give her the
justice of first, understanding, and second, accurately conveying, what she
espouses.
"Do not hide behind such superficialities as whether you should or should not
give a dime to a beggar. That is not the issue. The issue is whether you do or
do not have the right to exist without giving him that dime. The issue is
whether you must keep buying your life, dime by dime, from any beggar who might
choose to approach you. The issue is whether the need of others is the first
mortgage on your life and the moral purpose of your existence. The issue is
whether man is to be regarded as a sacrificial animal. Any man of self-esteem
will answer: "No." Altruism says: "Yes."
""Now there is one word—a single word—which can blast the morality of altruism
out of existence and which it cannot withstand—the word: "Why?" Why must man
live for the sake of others? Why must he be a sacrificial animal? Why is that
the good? There is no earthly reason for it—and, ladies and gentlemen, in the
whole history of philosophy no earthly reason has ever been given.
It is only mysticism that can permit moralists to get away with it. It was
mysticism, the unearthly, the supernatural, the irrational that has always been
called upon to justify it—or, to be exact, to escape the necessity of
justification. One does not justify the irrational, one just takes it on faith.
What most moralists—and few of their victims—realize is that reason and altruism
are incompatible.""
Further detail may be found at:
http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/selfishness.html
http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/altruism.html
"Altruism as a great evil "?? What she was saying is typical conservative,
misguided logic.!!
"The American way??" Soon, China will be dominating the 'American way!"
"Ayn Rand regarded altruism as a great evil and selfishness as the
ultimate virtue."
I think what she was really saying is that justice is the great value.
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