Ayn Rand’s philosophy of objectivism has received a lot of support as well as criticism. According to Ayn Rand’s philosophy of objectivism, an individual’s happiness should be a priority. This, according to her, can be achieved by pursuing a way of life that in the end, lead to an individual being happy and contented with their lives. Individuals need to be aware of the circumstances they are in and use reason to solve the challenges they face in their day-to-day life without being influenced by feelings or emotions. With this in mind, individuals should pursue their personal goals that do not include other people. Objectivity is only practical when altruism is rejected since it goes against all the principles of objectivity. In this essay, we shall breakdown and explain objectivism as described by Ayn Rand and also state how altruism affects the application of objectivity.
Reality is constant; thus, facts are facts.
In objectivism, the reality is independent of the feelings, wishes, or even fear by human beings. Reality cannot be altered to suit an individual’s needs and happiness and can only be understood the way it is. Ayn Rand states that “For nature to be commanded it must also be obeyed or wishing won’t make it so.” Because the reality is constant and, at the same time, constant, an individual has little to no influence on their current environment or condition. Furthermore, an individual is also not aware of their future, thus creating a form of equilibrium throughout. To manage or control the current and future conditions or environments, an individual will have to utilize reason.
Reason
According to Ayn Rand, the use of reason is the only way individuals can understand their surroundings and what is required to survive in these conditions. Through reason, an individual can be able to learn or acquire knowledge from his surroundings. An individual will have to forego their believes, stereotypes, or feelings to ensure that they reason efficiently. Ayn Rand states that an individual can also use reason as a guide to solving challenges experienced within the world. She adds that the adoption of reason is a basic survival instinct that will help individuals maneuver through their condition.
Self-interest.
The goal and basic principles of objectivity are channeled towards ensuring that individuals meet their personal goals or desires. According to Ayn Rand’s philosophy of objectivity, an individual’s success relies entirely on the individual themselves and no other people. Therefore, an individual should only focus on their success and not other people’s success. When striving for their success through an understanding of reality and use of reason, individuals should not offer themselves for the success of others. They should not expect others to also sacrifice themselves for their success. She states that the search for happiness and archiving personal goals is the reason we all exist.
Laissez-Faire capitalism.
Ayn Banks state that objectivity creates a conducive economic environment compared to the Laissez- Faire form of capitalism. In such an economic environment people do not consider themselves superior to other people but equals. Exchange or trade-in such an economic environment occurs through free will and voluntary exchange between people to benefit each other. According to Laissez-Faire capitalism, an individual cannot resort to any form of violence to have an added advantage over other people. In this form of an economic and political system, the government’s main role is to ensure that all people’s rights are respected and only result in violence when there is a threat. For such a capitalistic system to be effective and complete, the government should separate itself from the economy.
Altruism
According to Ayn Banks, altruism is a major challenger of objective principles. She describes altruism as a state where individuals have no say over their existence, and their purpose of existence is service to other people. In an altruistic state, individuals should always strive to ensure that they sacrifice everything, including their happiness, for the good of all. Ayn Banks adds that altruism and capitalism cannot be combined or work in the same environment. Principles of objectivity contradict principles of altruism, including slavery and the use of force to accomplish their goals.
Conclusion
Ayn Rand’s philosophy has, however, received some criticism. One of the major contradictions to her philosophy is that human beings are social beings who continuously collaborate to ensure success. Furthermore, the idea that an individual is free to do whatever they please may affect other people or an individual making the decision. Her notion that reason is the only way of acquiring knowledge ignores other forms of acquiring knowledge such as religion and apprenticeship.