FSTDT

David Kelley #elitist #wingnut atlassociety.org

Question: What is Objectivism ?
Answer: "My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute." — Ayn Rand, Appendix to Atlas Shrugged
Objectivism is the philosophy of rational individualism founded by Ayn Rand (1905-1982). Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Rand witnessed the Bolshevik revolution. She emigrated to America where she worked in Hollywood and became a bestselling author of novels, most famously The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged.
Objectivism holds that there is no greater moral goal than achieving one's happiness. But one cannot achieve happiness by wish or whim. It requires rational respect for the facts of reality, including the facts about our human nature and needs. It requires living by objective principles, including moral integrity and respect for the rights of others. Politically, Objectivists advocate laissez-faire capitalism.
Objectivism is benevolent, holding that the universe is open to human achievement and happiness and that each person has within him the ability to live a rich, fulfilling, independent life.

Brian Gordon #fundie atlassociety.org

Altruism, on the contrary, requires each individual to live for the sake of the group, trusting that his or her own needs will be provided for. Altruism typically holds that individual fulfillment occurs through service to others; most religions openly state this, and it is a driving force in socialism and communism, too. Altruism places the survival of the group ahead of the survival of any individual, and this is what enables the repression and slaughter common to extremely altruistic societies. Stalin is generally regarded to have had killed more people than Hitler, and both did it in the name of the group.
The danger of altruism is less obvious in freer countries like the United States, but it is still a powerful force that is a frequent justification for restricting individual rights. It is very typical for city councils to regulate, to a very fine degree, the uses that may be made of every piece of property in the city, all in the name of protecting the citizens. Because altruism puts the group first, it is much easier to pass restrictive laws, and this results in "creeping regulation," where the government passes progressively more intrusive legislation to protect "society." Many environmental laws have altruism as their base justification: they restrict our enjoyment of the earth so that future generations will receive the same planet as we do.