Episode 65
65 A Review of The Virtue Of Selfishness By Ayn Rand
The Voluntary Life · Jake Desyllas, Stephanie Murphy
July 16, 201258m 57s
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Show Notes
This episode is a review of "The Virtue of Selfishness" by Ayn Rand. It is a group discussion and the guests include Stephanie Murphy from Porc Therapy and other friends. Here are some of the things we cover in the discussion:
- The book's gutsy title and the controversy surrounding it.
- The pros and cons of Ayn Rand's morality and her own moralising.
- Aspects of the book we found unconvincing, such as her dismissal of voluntaryism and her idea that no conflict of interest is possible between rational people.
- Rand's convincing takedown of ethical lifeboat scenarios.
- The fact that Ayn Rand is ignored in universities.
- The impact that some of Ayn Rand's contradictions (on intellectual property and on non-aggression) have had on the objectivist movement's development, especially it's pro-war stance on foreign policy.
- Her deconstruction of other moral theories that were around during her time.
- Plus, we have a lot of fun talking about her strange views on tapdancing and morality!