Article Preview
TopObjectivist Ethics
First proposed by the philosopher and novelist, Ayn Rand, objectivist ethics seeks to apply rational self-interest to every part of an individual’s life in order to pursue happiness (1964). In effect, Rand proposed that an individual should behave selfishly, or in a rationally self-serving manner, to achieve happiness through objectivist virtues. Rand does not describe “selfishness” in a conventional sense, as she contextualized it to mean an individual that is self-respecting, self-supporting, and one that does not engage in self-sacrifice (Rand, 1964). She argued that selfishness is a virtuous concept that is necessary for an individual to achieve a productive life (Enright, 2014). Objectivist virtues provide a philosophical framework in decision making (Rand, 1964) that includes a moral code of rationality, honesty, independence, integrity, justice, pride, and productiveness (Younkins, 2012). By creating this type of philosophical framework, Rand’s goal was to design ethical principles that, if adhered to, would yield sustained success, with life being the standard of success not at any given moment, but within the context of an individual’s entire life (Touchstone, 2008).
Despite this framework, the concept of pursuing one’s rational self-interest can be misunderstood, as many may believe that an individual pursuing and achieving happiness, with others pursuing and achieving their own individual happiness, invariably leads a person to exploit or manipulate others to serve one’s own end. In effect, such a misunderstanding supports the notion that an individual’s pursuit and achievement of happiness is at the expense of another individual’s, thus creating a zero-sum game. This perspective could not be further from the tenets of objectivist ethics, as applying reason to values and rejecting emotions as a means of knowledge (Becker, 1998) prior to taking action is a critical component of making ethically sound decisions. Further, Randian self-interest presumes that everything following objectivist principles is rational while everything else is irrational (Enright, 2014) according to a strict moral code. An individual loving a life grounded in objectivist ethics understands that self-interest is the essence of a moral existence, with benefits from one’s own moral actions (Rand, 1964).