Should you pull over when you see 2 cars collide in front of you? Is dialing 911 enough? These are moral dilemmas based on altruism Ayn Rand tried to answer.
Ayn Rand rejected absolute, unhindered altruism. She did not want people self-sacrificing themselves against their self-interest. Her altruism involved self-preservation. She believed in generosity based on individual voluntary action. Unrestricted altruism affected her views of maximum liberty.
Her opinions on altruism receive much criticism. Opponents call her all sorts of hateful names I will not mention here.
Whether you love her or hate her views, I will unpack them for you.
Rands Unpopular Position on Altruism
Rand’s View
Many of her analyses on altruism came from 2 sources: The Virtue of Selfishness and a 1959 Mike Wallace interview.
Essentially, she believes altruism states that you live for others and not yourself. She doesn’t want you sacrificing yourself for others.
You sacrifice all your goals, dreams, and aspirations at what cost? Should you save the puppy in the middle of an 8-lane interstate?
Any question begging that kind of emotional response deserves thought. She doesn’t want you blindly following some innate sense of moral duty she finds unfounded.
It leads to your demise if you’re not careful.
In her early writings, she uses these terms to discuss altruism:
- Collectivism
- Christian Moralism
- Morality of Selflessness
To Rand, all these terms have the same definition of absolute altruism. She went to the diehard side against it.
I will describe the 2 opposite extremes:
1. Absolute Egoism
Although Rand’s views are extreme to most, she doesn’t hold this version of egoism. The word “absolute” concludes you don’t use logic. It is all arbitrary self-interest.
Rand believed in “rational, self-interest”. You use your knowledge and science to explain the facts presented to you.
She wanted you to put evidence before fiction and not live a secondhand life.
2. Absolute Altruism
A Frenchman by the name of Auguste Comte coined the term “altruism”. His reputation as a true collectivist preceded him. He believed you should renounce all your self-interest.
Your sole duty became “to live for others” without regard for yourself. And you truly become selfless. This altruism makes “self-sacrifice” your highest moral duty and value.
Comte mentioned sympathy as a key ingredient to maintaining true selflessness.
As a side note, Rand doesn’t mention Comte directly in her writings. But these are the roots of altruism she disliked.
This extreme version of altruism allows no time for:
- Self-Reflection
- Self-Preservation
- Self-Interest
Ultimately, Rand saw this as collectivism denying you basic life happiness. This type of altruism doesn’t value the individual and individualism.
- Are you curious to what Rand thought about collectivism? LEARN MORE by reading my post where I discuss Rand’s opposition to collectivism.
- Here is a guide to individualism vs collectivism. LEARN MORE about the economics, politics, and family dynamics of these 2 distinct ideologies.
Self-Sacrifice for the State
One of Rand’s constant themes against altruism is self-sacrifice. Here are the defined reasons it misleads people.
The Road to Self-Sacrifice
Dishonorable governments take advantage of people’s emotions for dastardly deeds.
They will require you to forgo any type of common sense for the collective good. In other words, the beneficiary of your sacrifice isn’t you but the state and dictator in charge.
Remember, the guys at the top of any communist regime are already living a plush life. They have decadent mansions with servants- or slaves. And they gained their wealth through coercion-not voluntary action.
Publicizing sacrifice through propaganda is effective.
If you’re tired and hungry, you’ll do anything for a meal. You’ll do what the charismatic leader tells you. Because you’re dependent on them for substance.
Your common sense, self-interest, and growling stomach will tell you to stop your self-sacrifice.
But a true communist altruist will forgo reason and will put their own needs aside. You’re still hungry and tired.
Dictators keep you weak on purpose. A strong individualist recognizes the exploitation taking place. Yes, communist leaders manipulate altruism.
A collectivist will shrug their shoulders dismissing the reality of the situation. Their diminished physical and mental capabilities keep them in poverty.
What keeps them down?
The answer is self-esteem.
Collectivists sacrificing themselves do the following:
- Sacrifice Self-Esteem
What’s your self-worth?
Individualism provides you with high self-esteem. It offers you confidence knowing you’re able to sustain your basic needs like food and water.
You demand respect. In response, you respect others.
Cultures thrive on acknowledging others’ ideas through high self-esteem.
- Sacrifice Individuality
By not knowing your self-worth, you feel like you don’t matter. A healthy Individuality keeps your self-esteem high.
Stagnation in personal growth results from sacrificing your individuality to the state.
You’re identified by a number on a uniform instead of your name without individuality.
- Sacrifice of the Mind
What does sacrificing your mind look like?
An absolute altruist’s mind tells you not to stand out. You conform to the government’s expectations. And your sole purpose is to take orders.
Unless you’re told to act, you stand by waiting indefinitely. You surrender your free will and sacrifice your needs regardless of your self-interest.
Others decide your morals. You don’t determine what’s just or unjust.
Rand warns of these horrors but most don’t understand or listen. Critics misinterpret her views stating she hates humanity. She doesn’t.
Martyrdom- The Ultimate Self-Sacrifice
Giving up your life is the most selfless act. You only receive one chance on this earth to make your impact.
How do you want to spend your time?
The average life expectancy in the United States is 74 years for males and 80 years for females.
From your first breath to your last, opportunity exists.
State leaders want you to sacrifice yourself for them. Before you submit your body and mind, common sense dictates you ask a series of questions:
- What cause am I fighting for?
- If I die, what will be my legacy?
- Do I have any other choice?
To prove my point, I will give an example.
During the American Revolution, “Live Free or Die” became a popular slogan. New Hampshire adopted it as their state motto in 1945.
Essentially, this slogan referred to self-sacrifice. Is it just or unjust? Is it altruistic or not altruistic?
Rand believed fighting for a cause-such as liberty- is not self-sacrifice and martyrdom. Once the conflict ended and liberty reigned supreme, you’re free to make your own judgments. The world is a better place you want to live in.
However, martyrdom and self-sacrifice for arbitrary whims are evil. Dictators will use propaganda. They’ll tell you to sacrifice yourself for the “common good” with no moral justification.
They use you as slaves for their interests. You’re their sacrificial animal. This disguised altruism Rand called “evil”. And it is wicked because what you do is in vain.
Your body and mind are of no value. And your individual worth is nothing but a statistic.
A piece of paper will appear on the dictator’s desk with no names of the individuals deceased. They will not mourn your loss.
It is a fake altruism leading to no societal improvements for your fellow citizens. The only beneficiaries are the top crooked leaders.
Marx and Communism wanted you to sacrifice yourself to the state. LEARN MORE about the how Karl Marx is the complete opposite of Rand.
Against Empathy and Absolute Altruism
A rational person uses logic and not emotion to make public policy decisions. As I mentioned above, governments trick you. They use your emotions against you to cause government-introduced altruism.
In a book by Paul Bloom named Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion, Bloom argues against societal pressure for unrestrained empathy.
If Rand lived today, she would agree with the title. It prioritizes logic as the foundation for giving.
Empathy and altruism are closely related ideas. People give their resources based on their emotional empathy.
Let’s start with the basic definition of empathy.
Empathy is allowing yourself to experience how others perceive issues.
Bloom refers to it as “wearing the shoes of someone else”. You see the world from their perspective. It is you standing on the sidewalk imagining yourself in their body.
You feel their struggles and heartaches. And you literally feel their pain like a voodoo doll of them.
I call this the “voodoo doll effect”. Whenever someone prods or pokes a voodoo doll, you directly feel the discomfort of the poke.
Also, Bloom and Rand aren’t against generosity toward the less fortunate. If you want to voluntarily give to beggars, that’s acceptable altruistic behavior.
However, Bloom dislikes “emotional empathy” based on arbitrary feelings. Again, Rand would agree with his thoughts. Emotional empathy blinds you.
There are 2 types of empathy associated with altruism:
1. Helpful Empathy and Altruism
You see someone suffering. Thus, you feel that person’s pain as I mentioned with the “voodoo doll effect”.
Out of your selfish desire to get rid of your newfound pain, you help the person with what their need is.
This empathy is emotional and unproductive.
A common public policy associated with it is the liberal push for gun control. This empathy causes a trampling of individual rights based on altruistic behavior.
People think they have the moral high ground because “firearms are bad”. In actuality, their legislative initiatives are useless.
Their laws wouldn’t have prevented the tragedy. They’re acting irrationally because they want “to do something”.
Bloom called this the “spotlight effect”.
Essentially, people blind themselves to the overall impact of an incident. They highlight what they think the problem is.
Due to media hype, the broadcasting networks “spotlight” a problem that is an extremely rare occurrence. Don’t get me wrong I don’t want these tragedies to happen.
I’m informing you how emotional empathy operates so you’re aware.
Furthermore, liberals push empathy toward the victims to confiscate firearms. Conservatives advance empathy about the defenseless homeowner against a burglar.
Rand didn’t want individual rights stomped on by pretend altruism. And the 2nd amendment is a right protected and recognized in the Constitution.
Thus, emotional empathy blinds you from actual data to finding real solutions. The goal of these public policy debates is to stop the problem. Temporarily feeling good about ineffective measures does nothing for safety.
2. The Avoidance Empathy
You see hurt in the world and want to avoid it.
A prime example of this is seeing a beggar on the street. To dodge the poverty, you cross the street and pass on the other side.
You didn’t want to look the street person in the eyes and feel guilty.
Thus, an important component of empathy is compassion.
Compassionate people provide good to the world. Instead of basing decisions on raw emotion, you have concern for the people without the “voodoo doll effect” as mentioned above.
Compassion combined with the right kind of altruism leads to a term Bloom called “Effective Altruism”.
Effective Altruism uses intelligence and compassion. Its aim produces an altruism providing the best use of resources.
Against Empathy
Bloom and Rand agree that empathy and altruism need refinement. Simple logic is the solution to uncontrolled altruism.
Are individualists altruistic? LEARN MORE where I discuss it in a more general sense with altruism vs individualism.
Conclusion
Rand’s stance against altruism is her saying “live for yourself”. She’s for you being generous with your time, sweat, and money as long it’s voluntary. Your maximum happiness is her goal.
Yes, her views are controversial. I’m giving you a different perspective rarely acknowledged.
You always associate altruism with being good.
Yet, gangs and governments disguise their altruism to gain people’s trust. For instance, Stalin wanted you to sacrifice for his personal communist goals.
In a more modern example, criminal actors like drug cartels use altruism to promote goodwill among local populations. For example, they’ll donate money to help feed local residents.
But they are some of the most ruthless illegal organizations worldwide. The cartels exploit empathy for no good.
Society tells us unlimited altruism is good. Rand’s misunderstood views dictate you to think rationally before you open up your wallet in a dark alley full of beggars. Be aware and don’t be robbed blind.
What kinds of voluntary charities do you participate in?
J. Liberty
References:
Bloom, P. (2016). Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion. New York: Harper Collins Publishers .
Campbell, R. L. (2006). Reply to Robert H. Bass,” Egoism Versus Rights”(spring 2006): Altruism in Auguste Comte and Ayn Rand. The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies, 357-369.
Life Expectancy. (2023, May). Retrieved from worlddata.info.
Sharaf, R., & Eslami Ardakani, S. H. (2015). Ayn Rand’s Egoism: Theory and Analysis. Religious Inquiries, 4(7), 31-42.
