The Charlotte Capitalist

Sunday, June 12, 2011

The Objectivist Ethics Versus The Sermon On The Mount

Objectivism, as Ayn Rand noted, is a philosophy for living on earth.

The following contrasts the Objectivist virtues for living on earth with the ideas of Jesus' Sermon On The Mount. Definitions of the Objectivist virtues are from "Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand" by Dr. Leonard Peikoff. Quotes from SOTM are from here.

In each numbered section, the Objectivist virtue is defined. It is then followed with quotes from the SOTM. Some of the contrasting SOTM quotes could go under multiple virtues. I took my best shot. If you think differently, please comment. Feel free to add your own.

1. "Rationality is the recognition and acceptance of reason as one's only source of knowledge, one's only judge of values and one's only guide to action."

SOTM: "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."

"But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell."

"Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself."

2. "Independence is one's acceptance of the responsibility of forming one's own judgments and of living by the work of one's own mind."

SOTM: "Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."

"Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

3. "Integrity is loyalty in action to one's convictions and values."

SOTM: "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

4. "Honesty is the refusal to fake reality, i.e., to pretend that facts are other than they are."

SOTM: "Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly."

5. "Justice is the virtue of judging men's character and conduct objectively and of acting accordingly, granting to each man that which he deserves."

SOTM: "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy."

"Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison."

"Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;"

"Judge not, that ye be not judged."

6. "Productiveness is the process of creating material values whether goods or services."

SOTM: "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth."

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"

7. "Pride is the commitment to achieve one's own moral perfection."

SOTM: "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."

8. "The initiation of force...represents the antithesis and destruction of the virtue of rationality -- and therefore of every other virtue..."

SOTM: "But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also."

Link posted by Exalted Moments @ 8:27 PM

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