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It's ironic that Ayn Rand is mocked so much in an age where individualism is a seen as the highest of virtues (in the US).
by zaptheimpaler 14y ago
It's ironic that Ayn Rand is mocked so much in an age where individualism is a seen as the highest of virtues (in the US).
- natep 14y agoOr perhaps it is because individualism is considered such a virtue that it is mocked. Humor is often employed by the minority or those not in power.
- javert 14y agoIndividualism is most definitely not seen as the highest of virtues in the US. Both major parties are highly altruistic. It's just given lip-service. By the way, there is no virtue of "individualism" in Objectivism, it's independence. Which isn't the most important virtue.
- guscost 14y agoIf I didn't know any better I would think that you just made a judgement about which virtues are most important...
- javert 14y agoI was only intending in that part of my comment to report on Objectivism. I guess that wasn't entirely clear. However, I do happen to agree with it. In Objectivism, one virtue is more fundamental/"above" the others. Want to take a guess at what it might be? It actually makes sense, so you might be able to guess it.
- cma 14y agoLet me guess: hoarding capital that wasn't even produced by a human hand? (unimproved value of land, etc.)
- zaptheimpaler 14y agoI don't think the parties have any choice but to present the image of being altruistic. After all, most people would (understandably) rather have their leaders say "We'll give you good things" rather than "We'll give you what you deserve". That is, I believe altruism is what's given lip-service rather than individualism. Anyways, parties have no direct control over the philosophies that people choose to follow; their motive in the matter is simply to run a nation that has high living standards. This is best accomplished by individual incentives and competition, which is why I think they will always fundamentally support independence rather than altruism.