Reply #39: interesting topic--relevant to our situation today

[marions ghost]

The philosophy of Ayn Rand vs. the philosophy of Thomas Jefferson:

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"And now I see the face of god, and I raise this god over the earth, this god whom men have sought since men came into being, this god who will grant them joy and peace and pride. This god, this one word, "I." --Ayn Rand, Anthem

The philosophy of selfishness, in fact, replaces a sense of morality which identifies the individual with one's fellow man, and substitutes a rationalization for an exclusive concern with oneself. It is viewed as "moral" providing one permits everyone else to adhere to the same sense of self-concern. Morality then consists in a respectful isolation and alienation from everyone else. Everyone thinks only of themselves, and considers it moral if everyone else has the right to think only of themselves also. One individual will help a second only if it is in some way to the benefit of the first individual.

Jefferson embraced no such all-for-myself individualism. He clearly distinguished between a society of people who willingly work together and the isolated individualism of those who think only of themselves.

"Every man cannot have his way in all things. If his opinion prevails at some times, he should acquiesce on seeing that of others preponderate at other times. Without this mutual disposition we are disjointed individuals, but not a society." --Thomas Jefferson to John Dickinson, 1801.

A corollary of this philosophy of selfishness is that one should not use another person for one's own ends -- which sounds nice, until one realizes that social interaction means that one is always using others for one's own ends. Even if one person helps a second only if it benefits the first, that first can be said to be "using" the second for his own benefit. Thus, this corollary is a mere illusion. The only genuine moral relationship with others is where one acts responsibly towards the other. And since there is NO responsibility to others in selfishness, this corollary becomes a smoke-screen for the most overt use of other people in the name of self-interest. Cutting through the sophisms, it becomes obvious that there can be no morality in dealing with others apart from a sense of responsibility towards them. If one's sense of morality includes only whatever serves one's own self-interest, then morality has been eradicated by self-interest."

From article at: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7842/otj40.htm


-----Is this the basic difference between Conservatives and Liberals?
.....A philosophy of selfish action vs cooperative action?