Ayn Rand's Normative Ethics

Abstract

Ayn Rand is well known for advocating egoism, but the substance of that instruction is rarely understood. Far from representing the rejection of morality, selfishness, in Rand's view, actually demands the practice of a systematic code of ethics. This book explains the fundamental virtues that Rand considers vital for a person to achieve his objective well-being: rationality, honesty, independence, justice, integrity, productiveness, and pride. Tracing Rand's account of the harmony of human beings' rational interests, Smith examines what each of these virtues consists of, why it is a virtue, and what it demands of a person in practice. Along the way she addresses the status of several conventional virtues within Rand's theory, considering traits such as kindness, charity, generosity, temperance, courage, forgiveness, and humility. Ayn Rand's Normative Ethics thus offers an in-depth exploration of several specific virtues and an illuminating integration of these with the broader theory of egoism.

Leadership Virtues Exposed

“…In rock climbing there is an objective-and visiblestandard of value against which a leader's performance is measured: the climbing party reaching the top (or another predetermined goal)-and returning safely. This standard is objective, based on the fundamental goal of rock climbing, and consistent with the requirements of human survival and flourishing (Smith, 2006). Any standard inconsistent with such requirements would be destructive.…”

“…Rationality has four primary requirements: (a) focus on reality, (b) continual learning, (c) holding reason as an absolute, and (d) acting based on facts (Smith, 2006). Leading in rock climbing demands focus; it is eminently clear to even the most inexperienced leader that if the mind wanders from the demanding task at hand, consequences could be serious and even fatal.…”

“…It has also been suggested that rationality is the fundamental virtue: without adherence to facts, no other virtues, such as honesty, justice, and integrity can be practiced (Moccia, 2012, citing Pieper, 1970. Rand (1964) considered rationality as the fundamental virtue from which the others are derived (Smith, 2006). As a leadership virtue, it can be summarized as Proposition 3: Ethical leaders use observation and logic to base their decisions on facts only and then act accordingly.…”

“…For example, a climber following a line of preset bolts up a rock face is obliged not to use those bolts for anything but protection from a fall. If she pulls on For a full discussion, see Smith (2006).…”

“…It also means honesty to oneself. Both kinds of dishonestyto others and to oneself-are futile and hazardous (Smith, 2006), as a climbing leader's dishonesty in one small matter may breed dishonesty in more important (and possibly lifethreatening) matters. Honesty-not faking facts to gain a value-is equally important for business leaders (Bauman, 2013;Brown et al, 2005), although it is easier for them to fool themselves into thinking that it is possible to get away with dishonesty, such as deceiving investors, customers, or employees.…”