Provocative discussion, despite the frustrating cross-talk around the philosophical definition of altruism as espoused by Rand. The Branden’s accepted the polarity of “self over others” versus “others over self” as mutually-exclusive objectives without precluding the possibility of certain acts of kindness perpetrated by the selfish (or “enlightened self-interested”). Mackey and Card, on the other hand, read into Atlas Shrugged in particular an artificial and unnecessary polarity posed between selfishness and altruism. To paraphrase Card: A society comprised of those who would not die for it would soon be conquered by a society of those that would.
There’s a real-world progressive orientation on the part of Mackey and Card that sounds well-meaning, though devoid of the disciplined philosophical rhetoric of the Brandens. Barbara Branden’s outbursts concerning our supposed plunge into Socialism under Obama discredited her otherwise reasonable arguments, however. First, how is it not in the enlightened self-interest of the haves to structurally improve the lives of the have-nots? And second, with due respect to the current Katrina anniversary, what’s the alternative?
