Thephysicalfunctionsoftheirbodiescan performautomaticallyonlythetaskofusingfuel,butcannotobtainthatfuel. Toobtainit, thehigherorganismsneedthefacultyofconsciousness. Man hastoproduceit. Aplanthasnochoiceofaction;thegoalsitpursuesareautomaticand innate,determinedbyitsnature.
Nourishment,water,sunlightarethevaluesitsnaturehas setittoseek. Therearealternativesin theconditionsitencountersinitsphysicalbackgroundsuchasheatorfrost,droughtor floodandtherearecertainactionswhichitisabletoperformtocombatadverse conditions,suchastheabilityofsomeplantstogrowandcrawlfromunderarocktoreach thesunlight.
Butwhatevertheconditions,thereisnoalternativeinaplantsfunction:itacts automaticallytofurtheritslife,itcannotactforitsowndestruction. Therangeofactionsrequiredforthesurvivalofthehigherorganismsiswider:itis proportionatetotherangeoftheirconsciousness.
Anorganismthatpossessesonlythe facultyofsensationisguidedbythepleasure-painmechanismofitsbody,thatis:byan automaticknowledgeandanautomaticcodeofvalues. Itslifeisthestandardofvalue directingitsactions. Withintherangeofactionpossibletoit,itactsautomaticallytofurther itslifeandcannotactforitsowndestruction.
Hehasnoautomaticcourseofaction,noautomatic setofvalues. Hissensesdonottellhimautomaticallywhatisgoodforhimorevil,whatwill benefithislifeorendangerit,whatgoalsheshouldpursueandwhatmeanswillachieve them,whatvalueshislifedependson,whatcourseofactionitrequires. Hisown consciousnesshastodiscovertheanswerstoallthesequestionsbuthisconsciousnesswill notfunctionautomatically. Man,thehighestlivingspeciesonthisearththebeingwhose consciousnesshasalimitlesscapacityforgainingknowledgemanistheonlylivingentity bornwithoutanyguaranteeofremainingconsciousatall.
Mansparticulardistinctionfrom allotherlivingspeciesisthefactthathisconsciousnessisvolitional. Justastheautomaticvaluesdirectingthefunctionsofaplantsbodyaresufficientforits survival,butarenotsufficientforananimalssotheautomaticvaluesprovidedbythe sensory-perceptualmechanismofitsconsciousnessaresufficienttoguideananimal,but arenotsufficientforman.
Mansactionsandsurvivalrequiretheguidanceofconceptual 4. Butconceptualknowledgecannotbeacquired automatically. Aconceptisamentalintegrationoftwoormoreperceptualconcretes,whichareisolated byaprocessofabstractionandunitedbymeansofaspecificdefinition. Everywordof manslanguage,withtheexceptionofpropernames,denotesaconcept,anabstractionthat standsforanunlimitednumberofconcretesofaspecifickind. Itisbyorganizinghis perceptualmaterialintoconcepts,andhisconceptsintowiderandstillwiderconceptsthat manisabletograspandretain,toidentifyandintegrateanunlimitedamountof knowledge,aknowledgeextendingbeyondtheimmediateperceptionsofanygiven, immediatemoment.
Manssenseorgansfunctionautomatically;mansbrainintegrateshis sensedataintoperceptsautomatically;buttheprocessofintegratingperceptsinto conceptstheprocessofabstractionandofconcept-formationisnotautomatic. Theprocessofconcept-formationdoesnotconsistmerelyofgraspingafewsimple abstractions,suchaschair,table,hot,cold,andoflearningtospeak.
Itconsistsofa methodofusingonesconsciousness,bestdesignatedbythetermconceptualizing. Itis notapassivestateofregisteringrandomimpressions. Itisanactivelysustainedprocessof identifyingonesimpressionsinconceptualterms,ofintegratingeveryeventandevery observationintoaconceptualcontext,ofgraspingrelationships,differences,similaritiesin onesperceptualmaterialandofabstractingthemintonewconcepts,ofdrawing inferences,ofmakingdeductions,ofreachingconclusions,ofaskingnewquestionsand discoveringnewanswersandexpandingonesknowledgeintoanever-growingsum.
The facultythatdirectsthisprocess,thefacultythatworksbymeansofconcepts,is:reason. The processisthinking. It isafacultythatmanhastoexercisebychoice. In anyhourandissueofhislife,manisfreetothinkortoevadethateffort.
Thinkingrequires astateoffull,focusedawareness. Man canfocushismindtoafull,active,purposefullydirectedawarenessofrealityorhecan unfocusitandlethimselfdriftinasemiconsciousdaze,merelyreactingtoanychance stimulusoftheimmediatemoment,atthemercyofhisundirectedsensory-perceptual mechanismandofanyrandom,associationalconnectionsitmighthappentomake.
Mancannotsurvive,asanimalsdo,bythe guidanceofmerepercepts. Asensationofhungerwilltellhimthatheneedsfood ifhehas learnedtoidentifyitashunger ,butitwillnottellhimhowtoobtainhisfoodanditwill nottellhimwhatfoodisgoodforhimorpoisonous. Hecannotprovideforhissimplest physicalneedswithoutaprocessofthought. Heneedsaprocessofthoughttodiscoverhow toplantandgrowhisfoodorhowtomakeweaponsforhunting.
Hisperceptsmightlead himtoacave,ifoneisavailablebuttobuildthesimplestshelter,heneedsaprocessof thought. Noperceptsandnoinstinctswilltellhimhowtolightafire,howtoweavecloth, 5. Yethislifedependsonsuchknowledgeandonlyavolitionalactofhis consciousness,aprocessofthought,canprovideit. Butmansresponsibilitygoesstillfurther:aprocessofthoughtisnotautomaticnor instinctivenorinvoluntarynorinfallible.
Manhastoinitiateit,sustainit,andbear responsibilityforitsresults. Hehastodiscoverhowtotellwhatistrueorfalseandhowto correcthisownerrors;hehastodiscoverhowtovalidatehisconcepts,hisconclusions,his knowledge;hehastodiscovertherulesofthought,thelawsoflogic,todirecthisthinking.
Nothingisgiventomanonearthexceptapotentialandthematerialwithwhichto actualizeit. Thepotentialisasuperlativemachine:hismind;butitisamachinewithouta sparkplug,amachineofwhichhisownwillhastobethesparkplug,theself-starterand driver;hehastodiscoverhowtouseitandhehastokeepitinconstantaction.
The materialistheentireuniverse,withnolimitsettotheknowledgehecanacquireandtothe enjoymentoflifehecanachieve. Buteverythingheneedsordesireshastobelearned, discovered,andproducedbyhim,byhisownchoice,byhisowneffort,byhisownmind.
Abeingwhodoesnotknowautomaticallywhatistrueorfalse,cannotknowautomatically whatisrightorwrong,whatisgoodforhimorevil. Yetheneedsthatknowledgeinorderto live. Heisnotexemptfromthelawsofreality,heisaspecificorganismofaspecificnature thatrequiresspecificactionstosustainhislife. Hecannotachievehissurvivalbyarbitrary meansnorbyrandommotionsnorbyblindurgesnorbychancenorbywhim.
Thatwhich hissurvivalrequiresissetbyhisnatureandisnotopentohischoice. Whatisopentohis choiceisonlywhetherhewilldiscoveritornot,whetherhewillchoosetherightgoalsand valuesornot. Heisfree toevadereality,heisfreetounfocushismindandstumbleblindlydownanyroadhe pleases,butnotfreetoavoidtheabyssherefusestosee.
Knowledge,foranyconscious organism,isthemeansofsurvival;toalivingconsciousness,everyisimpliesanought. Manisfreetochoosenottobeconscious,butnotfreetoescapethepenaltyof unconsciousness:destruction.
Manistheonlylivingspeciesthathasthepowertoactashis owndestroyerandthatisthewayhehasactedthroughmostofhishistory. Whatarethevalueshissurvival requires? Andthis,ladiesand gentlemen,iswhymanneedsacodeofethics. Ethicsisnotamysticfantasynorasocial conventionnoradispensable,subjectiveluxury,tobeswitchedordiscardedinany emergency.
Ethicsisanobjective,metaphysicalnecessityofmanssurvivalnotbythe graceofthesupernaturalnorofyourneighborsnorofyourwhims,butbythegraceof realityandthenatureoflife. IquotefromGaltsspeech:Manhasbeencalledarationalbeing,butrationalityisamatter ofchoicethealternativehisnatureoffershimis:rationalbeingorsuicidalanimal. Man hastobemanbychoice;hehastoholdhislifeasavaluebychoice;hehastolearnto sustainitbychoice;hehastodiscoverthevaluesitrequiresandpracticehisvirtuesby choice.
Thestandardofvalueof Objectivistethicsthestandardbywhichonejudgeswhatisgoodorevilismanslife,or thatrequiredformanssurvivalquaman. Sincereasonismansbasicmeansofsurvival,thatwhichispropertothelifeofarational beingisthegood;thatwhichnegates,opposesordestroysitistheevil.
Sinceeverything manneedshastobediscoveredbyhisownmindandproducedbyhisowneffort,thetwo essentialsofthemethodofsurvivalpropertoarationalbeingare:thinkingandproductive work. Ifsomemendonotchoosetothink,butsurvivebyimitatingandrepeating,like trainedanimals,theroutineofsoundsandmotionstheylearnedfromothers,nevermaking anefforttounderstandtheirownwork,itstillremainstruethattheirsurvivalismade possibleonlybythosewhodidchoosetothinkanddiscoverthemotionstheyarerepeating.
Thesurvivalofsuchmentalparasitesdependsonblindchance;theirunfocusedmindsare unabletoknowwhomtoimitate,whosemotionsitissafetofollow. Theyarethemenwho marchintotheabyss,trailingafteranydestroyerwhopromisesthemtoassumethe responsibilitytheyevade:theresponsibilityofbeingconscious.
Ifsomemenattemptto survivebymeansofbruteforceorfraud,bylooting,robbing,cheatingorenslavingthemen whoproduce,itstillremainstruethattheirsurvivalismadepossibleonlybytheirvictims, onlybythemenwhochoosetothinkandtoproducethegoodswhichthey,thelooters,are seizing.
Suchlootersareparasitesincapableofsurvival,whoexistbydestroyingthosewho arecapable,thosewhoarepursuingacourseofactionpropertoman. Themenwhoattempttosurvive,notbymeansofreason,butbyforce,areattemptingto survivebythemethodofanimals. Butjustasanimalswouldnotbeabletosurviveby attemptingthemethodofplants,byrejectinglocomotionandwaitingforthesoiltofeed themsomencannotsurvivebyattemptingthemethodofanimals,byrejectingreasonand countingonproductivementoserveastheirprey.
Suchlootersmayachievetheirgoalsfor therangeofamoment,atthepriceofdestruction:thedestructionoftheirvictimsandtheir own. Ananimalslife consistsofaseriesofseparatecycles,repeatedoverandoveragain,suchasthecycleof breedingitsyoung,orofstoringfoodforthewinter;ananimalsconsciousnesscannot integrateitsentirelifespan;itcancarryjustsofar,thentheanimalhastobeginthecycleall overagain,withnoconnectiontothepast.
Manslifeisacontinuouswhole:forgoodorevil, everyday,yearanddecadeofhislifeholdsthesumofallthedaysbehindhim. Hecanalter hischoices,heisfreetochangethedirectionofhiscourse,heisevenfree,inmanycases,to.
Ifheistosucceedatthetaskofsurvival,ifhisactionsarenottobeaimedathisown destruction,manhastochoosehiscourse,hisgoals,hisvaluesinthecontextandtermsofa lifetime. Suchisthe meaningofthedefinition:thatwhichisrequiredformanssurvivalquaman. Itdoesnot meanamomentaryoramerelyphysicalsurvival. Itdoesnotmeanthemomentaryphysical survivalofamindlessbrute,waitingforanotherbrutetocrushhisskull.
Itdoesnotmean themomentaryphysicalsurvivalofacrawlingaggregateofmuscleswhoiswillingtoaccept anyterms,obeyanythugandsurrenderanyvalues,forthesakeofwhatisknownas survivalatanyprice,whichmayormaynotlastaweekorayear.
Manssurvivalqua manmeanstheterms,methods,conditionsandgoalsrequiredforthesurvivalofa rationalbeingthroughthewholeofhislifespaninallthoseaspectsofexistencewhichare opentohischoice. Hecanabandonhismeansof survival,hismind,hecanturnhimselfintoasubhumancreatureandhecanturnhislife intoabriefspanofagonyjustashisbodycanexistforawhileintheprocessof disintegrationbydisease. Buthecannotsucceed,asasubhuman,inachievinganythingbut thesubhumanastheuglyhorroroftheanti-rationalperiodsofmankindshistorycan demonstrate.
Manhastobemanbychoice,anditisthetaskofethicstoteachhimhowto livelikeman. TheObjectivistethicsholdsmanslifeasthestandardofvalueandhisownlifeasthe ethicalpurposeofeveryindividualman. Thetaskofapplyingthisprincipletoaconcrete, specificpurposethepurposeoflivingalifepropertoarationalbeingbelongstoevery individualman,andthelifehehastoliveishisown. Manmustchoosehisactions,values andgoalsbythestandardofthatwhichispropertomaninordertoachieve,maintain, fulfillandenjoythatultimatevalue,thatendinitself,whichishisownlife.
ThethreecardinalvaluesoftheObjectivistethicsthethreevalueswhich,together,arethe meanstoandtherealizationofonesultimatevalue,onesownlifeare:Reason,Purpose, Self-Esteem,withtheirthreecorrespondingvirtues:Rationality,Productiveness,Pride.
Productiveworkisthecentralpurposeofarationalmanslife,thecentralvaluethat integratesanddeterminesthehierarchyofallhisothervalues. Reasonisthesource,the preconditionofhisproductiveworkprideistheresult.
Rationalityismansbasicvirtue, thesourceofallhisothervirtues. Mansbasicvice,thesourceofallhisevils,istheactofunfocusinghismind,thesuspension ofhisconsciousness,whichisnotblindness,buttherefusaltosee,notignorance,butthe refusaltoknow. Irrationalityistherejectionofmansmeansofsurvivaland,therefore,a commitmenttoacourseofblinddestruction;thatwhichisanti-mind,isanti-life. ThevirtueofRationalitymeanstherecognitionandacceptanceofreasonasonesonly sourceofknowledge,onesonlyjudgeofvaluesandonesonlyguidetoaction.
Itmeans onestotalcommitmenttoastateoffull,consciousawareness,tothemaintenanceofafull mentalfocusinallissues,inallchoices,inallofoneswakinghours. Itmeansa commitmenttothefullestperceptionofrealitywithinonespowerandtotheconstant, activeexpansionofonesperception,i. Itmeansacommitmenttothe realityofonesownexistence,i. Itmeansacommitmenttotheprinciplethat allofonesconvictions,values,goals,desiresandactionsmustbebasedon,derivedfrom, chosenandvalidatedbyaprocessofthoughtaspreciseandscrupulousaprocessof thought,directedbyasruthlesslystrictanapplicationoflogic,asonesfullestcapacity permits.
Itmeansonesacceptanceoftheresponsibilityofformingonesownjudgments andoflivingbytheworkofonesownmind whichisthevirtueofIndependence. Itmeans thatonemustneversacrificeonesconvictionstotheopinionsorwishesofothers whichis thevirtueofIntegrity thatonemustneverattempttofakerealityinanymanner which isthevirtueofHonesty thatonemustneverseekorgranttheunearnedandundeserved, neitherinmatternorinspirit whichisthevirtueofJustice.
Itmeansthatonemustnever desireeffectswithoutcauses,andthatonemustneverenactacausewithoutassumingfull responsibilityforitseffectsthatonemustneveractlikeazombie,i.
Itmeansa commitmenttoreason,notinsporadicfitsoronselectedissuesorinspecialemergencies, butasapermanentwayoflife. ThevirtueofProductivenessistherecognitionofthefactthatproductiveworkisthe processbywhichmansmindsustainshislife,theprocessthatsetsmanfreeofthe necessitytoadjusthimselftohisbackground,asallanimalsdo,andgiveshimthepowerto adjusthisbackgroundtohimself.
Productiveworkistheroadofmansunlimited achievementandcallsuponthehighestattributesofhischaracter:hiscreativeability,his ambitiousness,hisself-assertiveness,hisrefusaltobearuncontesteddisasters,his dedicationtothegoalofreshapingtheearthintheimageofhisvalues.
Productivework doesnotmeantheunfocusedperformanceofthemotionsofsomejob. Itmeansthe consciouslychosenpursuitofaproductivecareer,inanylineofrationalendeavor,greator modest,onanylevelofability.
Itisnotthedegreeofamansabilitynorthescaleofhiswork thatisethicallyrelevanthere,butthefullestandmostpurposefuluseofhismind. ThevirtueofPrideistherecognitionofthefactthatasmanmustproducethephysical valuesheneedstosustainhislife,sohemustacquirethevaluesofcharacterthatmakehis lifeworthsustainingthatasmanisabeingofself-madewealth,soheisabeingof 9.
ThevirtueofPridecanbestbedescribedbytheterm: moralambitiousness. Itmeansthatonemustearntherighttoholdoneselfasonesown highestvaluebyachievingonesownmoralperfectionwhichoneachievesbynever acceptinganycodeofirrationalvirtuesimpossibletopracticeandbyneverfailingto practicethevirtuesoneknowstoberationalbyneveracceptinganunearnedguiltand neverearningany,or,ifonehasearnedit,neverleavingituncorrectedbynever resigningoneselfpassivelytoanyflawsinonescharacterbyneverplacinganyconcern, wish,fearormoodofthemomentabovetherealityofonesownself-esteem.
And,above all,itmeansonesrejectionoftheroleofasacrificialanimal,therejectionofanydoctrine thatpreachesself-immolationasamoralvirtueorduty. ThebasicsocialprincipleoftheObjectivistethicsisthatjustaslifeisanendinitself,soevery livinghumanbeingisanendinhimself,notthemeanstotheendsorthewelfareof othersand,therefore,thatmanmustliveforhisownsake,neithersacrificinghimselfto othersnorsacrificingotherstohimself. Toliveforhisownsakemeansthattheachievement ofhisownhappinessismanshighestmoralpurpose.
Inpsychologicalterms,theissueof manssurvivaldoesnotconfronthisconsciousnessasanissueoflifeordeath,butasan issueofhappinessorsuffering. Software Images icon An illustration of two photographs. Images Donate icon An illustration of a heart shape Donate Ellipses icon An illustration of text ellipses. EMBED for wordpress. Want more? Advanced embedding details, examples, and help! Ayn Rand here sets forth the moral principles of Objectivism, the philosophy that holds human life--the life proper to a rational being--as the standard of moral values and regards altruism as incompatible with man's nature, with the creative requirements of his survival, and with a free society.
From Morality to Virtue. In this book, Slote offers the first full-scale foundational account of virtue ethics to have appeared since the recent revival of interest in the ethics of vir. The Philosophy and Practice of Medicine and Bioethics. This book challenges the unchallenged methods in medicine, such as "evidence-based medicine," which claim to be, but often are not, scientific. It completes med. Selfish Women. This book proceeds from a single and very simple observation: throughout history, and up to the present, women have received a clear message that we are not sup.
The Missing Link.
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