The objectivist ethics of Ayn Rand

Abstract

The objectivist philosophy of Ayn Rand is still a direction in philosophy to which some people actively subscribe, and at the same time, it is an ideological inspiration for some political movements. The presented text is devoted to the critical appreciation of the concept of virtue in objectivist ethics, the so-called ethics of egoism. First, we look at Rand's assessment of these previous ethical approaches, then we briefly describe the foundation of her own philosophy – the principle of self-preservation and rational human life. Next part of the text deals with the issue of interpersonal interactions, that provide context of her understanding of virtues, and we describe why Rand rejects any sacrifice and altruism. The central role in her philosophy plays the concept of productive work and her concept of virtue refers to creative work as a specific center of gravity. Throughout the text we point out some problems and difficulties of her approach; specific problem represents the concept of rational interest, which leads to some paradoxical consequences. The text ends with a comparison with conception of R. Nozick and a brief conclusion.