The Virtue of Selfishness (Signet) by Ayn Rand
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Book Reviews of The Virtue of Selfishness (Signet)
Book Review: Review of the Book, not the Ideas
Summary: 5 Stars
I am writing, ostensibly, to provide you with some information regarding the book, in order that you may make a more rational decision as to whether you will purchase it.Rand is often provocative, and mention of her/and or her philosophy can create instant dichotomies. I will not, in this review, critique the ideational content of her work. I offer this review with some "objective", pardon the pun, criticism.
1. This work offers a concise, fairly complete philosophy (which you may or may not agree with), from the essential and foundational steps, to their eventual results in daily life. This complete-package approach is an interesting window into her philosophy. Several issues could have been explored in more detail surely, but this collection of essays acts primarily to spark thinking on behalf of the reader.
2. Her philosophy is a shocking alternative to the present implicity accepted norms in society. Her counter-arguments to both traditional and contemporary systems of ethics are interesting and worth consideration, even if you eventually endeavour to refute them.
3. This work presents profound ideas in rather straightforward text. Topics include: ethics metaphysics politics values comments on contemporary trends in philosophy comments on ethical relativism
4. This work provides some insight into the breadth and depth which simple assumptions may have on daily life. Rands ideas, and those she illustrates for purposes of refutation, are extrapolated from basic intellectual concepts to day-to-day effects on human life. This concept-to-consequence style of writing offers a holistic perspective that can easily be applied to the work of other philosophers. For this reason I suggest this book to students of philosophy to gain a perspective of the impact of philosophical ideas.
5. Finally, this is perhaps the most succinct and most accessible of Rand's works, and a reading of it should allow sufficient insight into the body of her thought to understand her stance on several issues. If you are looking for a 'summary of Rand', this is the book I would suggest.
Book Review: Dogmatic? Bitter? Not in this book (well, not much, anyway).
Summary: 5 Stars
Nobody has ever managed to find the mysterious dictionary that supposedly misled Ayn Rand about the standard meaning of "selfishness." Nor, to my knowledge, has anyone been able to reconcile this volume's essay opposing the "argument from intimidation" with Rand's own opening statement that she is using the term "selfishness" "for the reason that makes you afraid of it."In fact what she is reclaiming in this volume is the morality of rational self-interest, which is far from "selfishness" as ordinarily understood (and as defined in everyone's dictionary but Rand's).
But she does a damn fine job of this reclamation. I call particular attention to a neglected essay: "The 'Conflicts' of Men's Interests." The thesis of this essay is that there are no ultimate conflicts of legitimate interest among rational people, and this thesis really should be more central to Objectivist ethics than it has been to date. It is crucial to Rand's entire concept of "selfishness" that not only does one's self-interest not require the sacrifice of others' interests, but indeed it is positively served through the promotion of others' well-being. (In fact I'd recommend reading this essay in conjunction with "Causality vs. Duty" in _Philosophy: Who Needs It_.)
As I've suggested in a review that has now scrolled off the page, "The Objectivist Ethics" really could stand a good deal more emphasis on the virtue of benevolence and the rational propriety of directly seeking the good of people other than oneself. But fundamentally, all that is needed here is a straightforward recognition that human beings are social by nature and that the pursuit of eudaimonia is not a zero-sum game. So when Rand writes "man's life qua man," read "other people" as included in such a life and you won't go astray.
And if you read this book, do read _Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal_ as well. The two volumes belong together, and in my own view the latter is a better book.
Book Review: This is a book that will make you think!
Summary: 5 Stars
I picked up this book because I liked the title, although I had no real idea why. It just appealed to me. The summary of the book hooked me, and I read it.This is a real philosophy book, not just someone airing opinions in dime-store language and calling it intellectual discourse. Even so, it is not that hard to read and moves very quickly through its ideas. I was very impressed with the way the writers back up what they say with logic and examples.
I was constantly thinking, as I read the book, "Yeah! That's right!" Other times, I found myself, for the first time, questioning some real basic beliefs I had. Ultimately, this book has had a great positive influence on me and helped me to lead a life that is more productive and happy.
Just beware that if you accept this philosophy and want to remain objective, that it may be best to avoid some people who call themselves Objectivists. I've found that many are less interested in ideas than they are in agreeing with everything Ayn Rand wrote and said. They seem incapable of questioning even her most off-the-cuff remarks even when they are obviously in direct conflict with her formally stated views or are obbviously based on old/dated information.
For instance, the discussion of love in this book describes it as a manifestation of deeply held values and would therefore have little to say against a same sex relationship - as long as the relationship was based on proper values. Despite this, many objectivists continue to blast same-sex relationships. When asked why, they quote things Ayn Rand wrote in a letter to someone or whatever and don't seem able to discuss the issue - or many others - with their own independent thinking.
Don't let the "born-again" Objectivists or the shrill detractors of this philosophy (most of whom clearly don't understand it in the least!) sway you from reading this book. It's an excellent book, very enjoyable, and as corny as it sounds, it can really change your life for the better.
Book Review: Who's Zoomin' Who?
Summary: 5 Stars
So the anonymous reviewer below ("There you have it...") , thinks that I, FoxNShades, exercise "poor" and "superficial" reading comprehension skills.How unfortunate that the Anonymous Reviewer, who rejects "selfishness as a virtue" should so SELFISHLY consume webspace with a book review which does not even confront the actual content of the book!
How unfortunate that the anonymous reviewer, in spite of his "superior" reading and reasoning skills, carelessly MISquotes my actual words, and then proceeds to pontificate quite egregiously upon his fundamental perceptual error.
"Scalpel...., er, I mean DICTIONARY, please... Nurse!"
WHAT I SAID... is that "MOST" religions teach selfishness as a virtue... I did NOT say "all" religions. The word "most" is NOT interchangeable with ALL.
The Anonymous Reviewer stands corrected.
Further, I did NOT say that "everyone" describes Jesus as selfless... I said "How many times have you heard..." The phrase "how many" is NOT interchangeable with "everyone."
The Anonymous Reviewer stands corrected... again.
(Unfortunately, since the Anonymous Reviewer rejects Ayn Rand's epistemological theories, including the process and function of "perception", he will remain unlikely to correct his deficiencies.)
There is no contradiction between the "twin" claims that 1)the Bible portrays Jehovah and Jesus as "rational egoists" and that 2)modern christians perceive Jesus as "selfless." What the Bible actually says, and what modern christians believe, are more often than not at odds.
If you can't bear to think of Jesus as a rational egoist, then I suppose you wouldn't be interested in considering the plot and thematic parallels between Atlas Shrugged and the book of Revelations? Hmmm...?
Book Review: An Actual Review
Summary: 5 Stars
As the title suggests this is going to be an actual review of the _Virtue of Selfishness_ and not another argument for or against Miss Rand's thesis. I'm assuming here that you, as a potential reader, would possibly like to know a little something about what the book contains. If so, read on.Objectivism, the philosophy which Ayn Rand originated, is a full system of thought. This book presents a part of that system, its ethics. And here, as with the other books Miss Rand has written, her thesis is controversial, strikingly original and brilliantly articulated. The book, for instance, begins with the following premise:
"Ethics is _not_ a mystic fantasy--nor a social convention--nor a dispensable, subjective luxury. . . . Ethics is an _objective necessity of man's survival_--not by the grace of the supernatural nor of your neighbors nor of your whims, but by the grace of reality and the nature of life."
This conception of ethics as a _this-worldly, objective need of man determined by reality and not by some ruling consciousness_ is virtually unwarranted in the history of philosophy. Her conclusions are just as controversial however--and, for proof, read the following passage (which shows the difference between the Objectivist ethics and that of every other system known to mankind):
"Every human being is an end in himself, not the means to the ends or the welfare of others," says Miss Rand, "and therefore, man must live for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself."
In other words, Rand advocates _rational selfishness_. Now, what does this mean or entail--and how does one achieve it? These are the questions that the book answers (and which the other reviews posted at this site most certainly do not). If you would like to find out those answers, I highly recommend you read this book.