Talk:Objectivist ethics
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[edit] Purpose of ethics
The criticism section says "In the Objectivist argument, it is simply assumed that the purpose of ethics is to preserve one's status as a human being..." but that's not what Rand says the purpose of ethics is. Rand says "'Happiness' can properly be the purpose of ethics, but not the standard. The task of ethics is to define man's proper code of values and thus to give him the means of achieving happiness." and "Happiness is thus appropriately described as the goal or purpose of ethical conduct..." So, apparently someone needs to work on that criticism. RJII 04:48, 17 November 2005 (UTC) I just noticed it says the same erroneous thing in the Values section. RJII 05:03, 17 November 2005 (UTC)
[edit] EAmergency Situations
If we're going to bring in "emergency situations" in general, we ought to talk about lifeboats, and the fact that AR didn't want to talk about lifeboats, but did talk about the act of talking about them, so to speak. This is somewhat different from the gun-to-head hypotheticals quoted so far in this section. --Christofurio 15:22, 24 June 2006 (UTC)
- Can you reference the essay to which you are refering? Crazynas 08:32, 25 June 2006 (UTC)
- THE VIRTUE OF SELFISHNESS, includes an essay, p. 47, called "The Ethics of Emergencies." The lifeboat question appears on p. 49 -- what should two good people do if they're on a sinking ship and the only lifeboat has room for only one? Shouldn't somebody be self-sacrificing in that situation? Her answer is to refuse to answer. --Christofurio 15:48, 25 June 2006 (UTC)
Rand did give an answer "lifeboat situations" elsewhere. LaszloWalrus 04:30, 23 October 2006 (UTC)
