Can a good Mormon be an Ayn Rand Objectivist?

[_bcspace]

Ayn Rand believes that an an act's moral worth depends on whether it advances self-interest or not. This is called ethical egoism. So, a command by God is moral only in so far as obeying it advances your self interest. If it didn't, you'd be morally obligated to disobey. You may believe this. Do you?

There doesn't seem to be a single example of how obeying a command from God wouldn't advance one's self interest; to gain a reward, to avoid punishment/consequences, to lead a better and more worthwhile life, etc.

Where one might be morally obligated to disobey is when one does not believe in God. But that case is outside the conditions imposed which assumes God exists and one believes in Him.

[Guest]

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[Guest]

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[_Blixa]

Possibly the most juvenile "theorist" of any ideologue in history. When someone says they "like" Ayn Rand it's usually a good indication that you are dealing with an conceptually illiterate asshole with astonishing levels of narcissism and entitlement.

That said, the film of The Fountainhead is a camp classic in its over-the-top psychosexual hysteria. Read against the grain, it's an example of how shallow material can be transformed by melodrama into something which functions as a de facto critique of the original source.

On the other hand, the recent two part film of Atlas Shrugged is a hilariously inept kitsch train wreck. It's hard to even call it film making. In a fine bit of historical irony, it has all the nuance and finesse of the Soviet Realism Rand her ilk would claim to abhor, and yet are seemingly condemned to repeat, proving out the famous insight of The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte: that history repeats itself, the first time as tragedy, but the second time as farce.

[_Kishkumen]

Possibly the most juvenile "theorist" of any ideologue in history. When someone says they "like" Ayn Rand it's usually a good indication that you are dealing with an conceptually illiterate asshole with astonishing levels of narcissism and entitlement.

My heart just skipped a beat.

[_RockSlider]

Possibly the most juvenile "theorist" of any ideologue in history. When someone says they "like" Ayn Rand it's usually a good indication that you are dealing with an conceptually illiterate asshole with astonishing levels of narcissism and entitlement.

Ouch!
I was raised around my Grandfather, from whom I learned my work ethic. He being of the generations that endured the Great Depression, and emerged from it as a very successful construction company owner. He did water and sewer pipelines, putting in a fair amount of the original infrastructures in SLC, Utah.

It was hard grueling work, of which I worked with him during the summers of my youth.

I remember the groups of "auditors" that would spend countless hours in his offices pouring over the books and how much he resented them. This is how I was raised, that it was good that by the sweat of our brows shall we earn our bread, and yet having a government hand constantly reaching in and taking larger and larger chucks of that bread.

I would suggest that the industrial revolution of the America's during this time, with the logarithmic growth of technology and quality of life in America, up through the baby boomer generation was a direct result of many men and women like my Grandfather. Those who had no concept of entitlement but instead went after the "American Dream" with a vengeance, and with much success.

I assume you can guess how my read of Atlas Shrugged went.

I know that I've always been narcissistic and unfortunately not well read, yes that fits … but entitlement … no just the opposite.

[_huckelberry]

Possibly the most juvenile "theorist" of any ideologue in history. When someone says they "like" Ayn Rand it's usually a good indication that you are dealing with an conceptually illiterate asshole with astonishing levels of narcissism and entitlement.

That said, the film of The Fountainhead is a camp classic in its over-the-top psychosexual hysteria. Read against the grain, it's an example of how shallow material can be transformed by melodrama into something which functions as a de facto critique of the original source.

On the other hand, the recent two part film of Atlas Shrugged is a hilariously inept kitsch train wreck. It's hard to even call it film making. In a fine bit of historical irony, it has all the nuance and finesse of the Soviet Realism Rand her ilk would claim to abhor, and yet are seemingly condemned to repeat, proving out the famous insight of The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte: that history repeats itself, the first time as tragedy, but the second time as farce.

I could not help but enjoy these comments. I still am puzzling about the oversized influence flowing from her. Yesterday, home ill, I rambled around some net information regards her. There was a Mike Wallace interview from 1959 where Ayn Rand stated each and every current tea party shibboleth. My curiosity wonders about what sort of train is coming down the tracks.

[_Morley]

Possibly the most juvenile "theorist" of any ideologue in history. When someone says they "like" Ayn Rand it's usually a good indication that you are dealing with an conceptually illiterate asshole with astonishing levels of narcissism and entitlement.

Ouch!
I was raised around my Grandfather, from whom I learned my work ethic. He being of the generations that endured the Great Depression, and emerged from it as a very successful construction company owner. He did water and sewer pipelines, putting in a fair amount of the original infrastructures in SLC, Utah.

It was hard grueling work, of which I worked with him during the summers of my youth.

I remember the groups of "auditors" that would spend countless hours in his offices pouring over the books and how much he resented them. This is how I was raised, that it was good that by the sweat of our brows shall we earn our bread, and yet having a government hand constantly reaching in and taking larger and larger chucks of that bread.

I would suggest that the industrial revolution of the America's during this time, with the logarithmic growth of technology and quality of life in America, up through the baby boomer generation was a direct result of many men and women like my Grandfather. Those who had no concept of entitlement but instead went after the "American Dream" with a vengeance, and with much success.

I assume you can guess how my read of Atlas Shrugged went.

I know that I've always been narcissistic and unfortunately not well read, yes that fits … but entitlement … no just the opposite.

Your grandfather built 'water and sewer pipelines' for the government, right? So he worked for and was paid by the government. Is this correct?

[_sock puppet]

On the other hand, the recent two part film of Atlas Shrugged is a hilariously inept kitsch train wreck. It's hard to even call it film making. In a fine bit of historical irony, it has all the nuance and finesse of the Soviet Realism ...

How did the rest of the audience you were in react to part two? Or was it simply silence?

[_RockSlider]

Your grandfather built 'water and sewer pipelines' for the government, right? So he worked for and was paid by the government. Is this correct?

There were many private works (golf course's, sub-divisions etc.) but yes a lot of city and county work.