Ayn Rand on the Virtue of Selfishness : A Critical Study
was born under the load of obligations which motivated him to renounce his self-interest and live for the sake of others, a man’s life is like a piece of jigsaw puzzles which needs to lay down and combine with others in order to produce the beautiful picture. Therefore, the goodness and happiness of the whole social system is greater than those of the individual, like the happiness of the robbed and injured person is greater than that of the Samaritan; and the happiness of the children is greater than that of the parents, etc. 2.2 Altruism in Self-Sacrifice Since French philosopher Auguste Comte had coined the term “altruisme,” in 1851, which means that the meaning of self-sacrifice included the benefit of others, animals, and plants. The meaning of this term was rooted in the teaching of Jesus on “loving one’s neighbors,” which needs a man’s proper practical selfsacrifice and expressing the power of love in the positive form of giving,
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sharing, and helping other people with altruistic action without the expectation on award or reward. Thus, ethical altruism is the ethical theory holding that the standard of good and morality, virtue and value of the whole picture of the society is greater than that of individual. Furthermore, this ethical doctrine was challenging for a decision making in order to over cross the fence of a selfish person who is only interested in himself, wants everything for himself, is unable to give but to receive, and lack interest for the others. The ethical principle included a man’s altruistic behavior which L. Stephen had mentioned: “a man is altruistic who loves his neighbors as himself; who gives money to the poor that might have spent in luxury; who leaves house and home to covert savages; who sacrifices health to comfort prisoners or sufferers in a plague stricken city.” (Stephen, 1882, p. 220) Then, self-sacrificing, giving, sharing, and helping other people are necessary for ev-