What's objectivism? (Ayn Rand's philosophy)

[The Willow Of Darkness]

GunsmithKitten

A Benevolent Dreamer

Then that isn't objectivism. Violating another persons natural individual rights violates the philosophy. Yes, self-interest and success are your reason and purpose respectively, but the philosophy behind social structure is incorporated into this philosophy.

Again, you are missing that key point. You are not debunking the philosophy of objectivism, rather you are simply excluding key axioms in order to make it seem barbaric.

Seem? A philosophy of "All for me, ******** the world" doesn't need much help to seem barbaric.

Technically, it doesn't quite say that. You are only meant to follow rational self-interest, which takes out things like murdering or stealing(at least directly) from others.

What it does do, however, is make one blind to the effects of social organisation on people. This means there are three major problems. The first is that an objectivist will be blind, in some circumstances, to the problems that are caused to others by following their rational self interest. An objectivist who is consumed by seeking out their rational self interest might well miss the problems that their actions might cause others. For example, if someone was buying up land to expand their business, that people could be adversely affected by not having access to land would likely be missed.

Secondly, there is the problem that proper and improper self-interest is not clearly defined. Indeed, there can be rather a blindness to that there can even be people who act only for their persons benefit, as such action will often be dismissed as being not actually in there self-interest(as it could bring risk from others getting angry). The trouble is that people will often understand "self-interest" in a manner of "what benefits me," so there is a section who, although they might not realise, end up acting only for themselves.

Finally, if objectivism is the governing school thought, there is a tendency to shy away from describing specific actions as immoral, as it any action that shouldn't be taken usually gets explained in the context of not following proper-self interest. This means that one cannot very effectively engage people with ideas about what shouldn't and shouldn't be done unless they have a complete understand of objectivism.

[Doctor Wolfington MD]

TrueLore

This man right here speaks the truth!