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**Boveosteors** · 10-12-2005, 07:41 PM

'Objectivism makes a brute out of you' is a popular belief. I think that is a misconception. Let me give an example. And I am going to be cliched here:

There is a limping puppy. I pick the puppy of the street treat and save it.( No, I do it even if there isn't a pretty girl looking on). I do it because it makes me feel good. To be more precise: I do it because if I had left the puppy and moved on, the rest of my day would have been miserable.This is quite compatible with Objectivism.

OTOH if I had to jump before a speeding truck and risk getting pulped then it is stupid to save the puppy. If the risk was only scraping my knee then I'd save the puppy. i.e. I make a judgement call, whether it is worth it. This is what Objectivism encourages you to do all the time.

We all make such calls anyway. Only that we feel disgusted making such calls. Objectivism questions this disgust and aims to bring love and hate closer to reason.

Of course, my Rand reading is cursory and my interpretations may not be 'pure'. This is what I took home.

10-12-2005, 07:41 PM	#3
Boveosteors Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 374 Senior Member	'Objectivism makes a brute out of you' is a popular belief. I think that is a misconception. Let me give an example. And I am going to be cliched here: There is a limping puppy. I pick the puppy of the street treat and save it.( No, I do it even if there isn't a pretty girl looking on). I do it because it makes me feel good. To be more precise: I do it because if I had left the puppy and moved on, the rest of my day would have been miserable.This is quite compatible with Objectivism. OTOH if I had to jump before a speeding truck and risk getting pulped then it is stupid to save the puppy. If the risk was only scraping my knee then I'd save the puppy. i.e. I make a judgement call, whether it is worth it. This is what Objectivism encourages you to do all the time. We all make such calls anyway. Only that we feel disgusted making such calls. Objectivism questions this disgust and aims to bring love and hate closer to reason. Of course, my Rand reading is cursory and my interpretations may not be 'pure'. This is what I took home.
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