Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: annalex; BradyLS
The fact remains that objectivism has nothing to teach us in terms of ethics.

Taking traditional altruism to heart, I was suicidal at the age of 12. My interpretation of Rand's ethics -- that there are TWO kinds of selfishness AND ONE OF THEM (involving, in part, something you might have heard of called "The Right to the Pursuit of Happiness") is THE GOOD KIND.

So she saved my life, and I will be forever grateful. If you've never faced the terror of having the purest of self-sacrifice demanded of you, and demanding it of yourself, you may never appreciate the intensity of my gratefulness, and it would be easy for me to disparage your antagonism as a form of hostility, or at least, unkindness born of ignorance.

158 posted on 03/21/2005 9:46:51 PM PST by FreeKeys ("Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish." -- Euripides)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 155 | View Replies ]


To: FreeKeys
Taking traditional altruism to heart, I was suicidal at the age of 12

Traditional altruism cannot lead to suicide because a suicide does not transfer any good to anyone. You misunderstood altruism.

But, since you bring this up, the foolish Randian idea, that altruism is self-denigration, may indeed lead the altruistically minded to suicide.

160 posted on 03/21/2005 9:55:18 PM PST by annalex
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 158 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson