The Virtue of Selfishness
a new concept of egoism
by Ayn Rand, C. M. Hebert · first published 1964
52% recommend39% neutral10% critical
Why HN recommends it
Short essay collection laying out Rand's ethics directly, with The Objectivist Ethics as the core argument. Suggested as the easiest nonfiction starting point for Objectivism and for readers wanting to shed guilt.
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For all those who are hating on the free-market and greed and selfishness, I advise you to check out Ayn Rand's collection of essays compiled into a book called The Virtue of Selfishness. http://www.atlassociety.org/cth--406-FAQ_Virtue_Selfishness....
on “Edward O. Wilson: Marx was right, he had the wrong species” ↗"The Virtue of Selfishness" "Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal" "Philosophy: Who Needs It" "Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology" All by Ayn Rand. Whether you end up agreeing with her or not, she will definitely will make you…
on “Ask HN: Best Philosophical Books?” ↗Have you read The Virtue of Selfishness? I thought she did a decent job in justifying the first principles. Considering that a lot of philosophers rely upon concepts like God, I think Rand's is a lot better developed than people give it credit…
on “Atlas Shrugged film to be released in 2011” ↗…intellectual ground work. Fortunately there is real intellectual opposition to this fate in Ayn Rand's philosophy. You should read "Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal" and more importantly her intro on ethics "The Virtue of Selfishness". She identified what is wrong with the Left and the Right and proposes an alternative ethical and political theory to support Capitalism and her writings are crystal clear and to the point.
on “Ask HN: What are your recommended reads that are available for free?” ↗…you don't have a lot of money to invest, it's far better to put that cash into developing yourself. That can be as simple as reading books such as The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton Christensen or The Virtue of Selfishness by Ayn Rand, or following an interest you already have (mine are things like machining, chemistry, structural engineering, neon art). If you have a business idea, one of the best books I've read is The…
on “Is Being Salaried a Scam?” ↗…hope you follow through with your intent, ignore the smears and misrepresentations, and read Rand firsthand and judge for yourself. As the first book I recommend Philosophy Who Needs It followed by The Virtue of Selfishness and leave the politics for later. Rand argued that politics follows from ethics and that is where the debate needs to shift if you want to understand the dire state of the world.
on “It's Time for the 99% to Give Back to the 1%” ↗Another good introduction to Ayn Rand is the 'Virtue of Selfishness'. Its a collection of her essays with some that were written by people in her group. Its pretty short (100ish pages) and in my opinion says about everything she was trying to say in Atlas Shrugged.
on “Ask HN: Recommend any good business/hacker fiction?” ↗…here. Following today's common sense, this seems like a great idea. To argue against it in a meaningful way, you have to attack the ethical root beneath it: altruism. To this end, I recommend reading The Virtue of Selfishness (google for it, if you haven't heard of it already.)
on “To end poverty, guarantee everyone in Canada $20,000 a year.” ↗The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. Those are the two to start with. If you like those, check out some of her nonfiction books: The Virtue of Selfishness: A New Concept of Egoism, Philosophy: Who Needs It, and Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology (these are but a few - Rand wrote a long series of nonfiction books). Ayn Rand's Normative Ethics: The…
on “Ask HN: What are some books that changed how you think?” ↗…in America. I hope we can avoid this fate but I am not optimistic. If you are sincerely interested in these issues then I urge you to read two books by Ayn Rand; Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal and The Virtue of Selfishness.
on “David Simon: 'There are now two Americas. My country is a horror show'” ↗…to ignore - they are important! Highly recommend reading at least Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead, and Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand. Then pick up Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology, Virtue of Selfishness, Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal, and the recently released Understanding Objectivism . UO is very good (it's useful/personal, down to earth), but requires familiarity with Objectivism.
on “The Criminalization of Everyday Life” ↗…culture you would have been given much more guidance before being pushed out of the nest but the problem is still yours to solve. I recommend two books to read by Ayn Rand; Philosophy Who Needs It and The Virtue of Selfishness. My recommendation is not so much about her philosophy but about learning to think philosophically about your life.
on “Why am I here?” ↗…others don't like you for who you are, then ignore them. Remember, be nice to people but don't be a doormat. If you believe in something, then stick to it (well unless it is illegal of course). Read "The Virtue of Selfishness" by Ayn Rand.
on “Ask HN: How to become a more powerful man?” ↗…your subconscious emotions. Moreover, to counter the onslaught of anti-selfishness in the culture and lay down a path to being integrated in mind/body and thought/action you should read Ayn Rand's "The Virtue of Selfishness" and "Philosophy:Who Needs It".
on “How can one become obsessed with anything?” ↗…could read The Fountainhead or Atlas Shrugged. https://www.amazon.com/Atlas-Shrugged-Ayn-Rand/dp/0451191145... https://www.amazon.com/Fountainhead-Ayn-Rand/dp/0451191153/ Or for non-fiction, try The Virtue of Selfishness. https://www.amazon.com/Virtue-Selfishness-Fiftieth-Anniversa... Or if you prefer podcasts addressing practical questions, try The Peikoff Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/peikoff-com-q-a-on-ayn-r...…
on “Most Vegetarians and Vegans Eventually Return to Meat” ↗