Viable Values

the long version

Smith begins her extensive description of Ayn Rand's approach to ethics (which Smith calls a "principled egoism") with a survey of the competing approaches throughout western philosophy's history. This survey covers just under half the book, generally since many of Rand's discussions do the same. Rand did not believe that previous thinkers grounded the need for ethics properly (at least not overtly so) and objected to such theories as duty-ethics, or what Smith calls claims of Intrinsic Value. In Rand's approach, one does something not because it's "just" good or is good-in-itself. One does something because it furthers the (rationally conceived) aims and condition of the person acting (ethics being in simplest form a guide to action). Smith further maintains that if the actor apprehends his/her aims and needs using the rational faculty properly, that method would deny the motivation of the hedonist, the drug addict, etc. Just because someone wants something does not mean that the thing wanted is of benefit.