Rand Ethics of Altruism - 1105 Words

Altruism is a concept in which the individual sacrifices regard for themselves in the interest of another. The ethics of altruism state that a person should act in a matter where their self-sacrifice yields the greater well being on the whole. To put that statement in the form of a fundamental principle of rightness, an action is right if and only if (and because) the action brings a net-gain of well being to anyone except the individual performing the action. The altruistic mentality of an individual according to this moral theory means that any action that they undertake should be in the interest of others rather than themselves. The ethics of this concept also state that relationships of greater value to the individual carrying out an action should come second in priority to those they have with strangers since the close relationship has a much more meaningful connection to a person’s life. In these situations, the only morally correct way of acting is in the way that defea ts the well being of the agent of an action for the sake of others. Ayn Rand has an attitude of condemnation towards the practice of this type of ethics, as it’s fallible when its seems intuitively right that the agent of an action should have some precedence when it comes to acting in their life. She calls those who subscribe to this moral theory â€Å"psychopaths who do not challenge altruism’s basic premise†, and also notes that there is an intuitive contradiction, whereby a person in a close relationshipShow MoreRelatedAn Argument Against The Virtue of Selfishness by Ayn Rand780 Words   |  3 Pages In The Virtue of Selfishness Ayn Rand argues that self-interest is the norm of ethics. Perhaps the strongest argument Rand gives for this claim relies on the argument that it is up to every individual to decide what values his or her life needs. 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