This document discusses Ayn Rand's Objectivist philosophy, which argues that selfishness is a virtue and selflessness is a vice. It makes three key points:
1) Rand believes that individuals should pursue their own happiness and interests, rather than prioritizing the happiness of others. Productive work and achievement are moral values according to Rand.
2) Self-esteem is another important virtue in Rand's view - individuals should value themselves highly and focus on self-improvement. Capitalism best enables growth by allowing freedom.
3) Rand's moral code holds that right and wrong can be clearly defined, with no room for ambiguity. Goodness lies in pursuing one's rational self-interest through work and
This document summarizes an article from the Doctoral Forum journal about Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism. The article argues that selfishness is not inherently negative, and that there are times when being selfish is necessary and expected, such as when working to one's full potential or being productive. It discusses two of Rand's works, Atlas Shrugged and The Virtue of Selfishness, and how they establish that selfishness can be positive when focused on rational thinking and achievement. The article also examines several concepts from Objectivism like rationality, responsibility, and morality to argue that selfishness is right and good when driven by virtue rather than exploiting others.
The document provides an overview of Objectivism, the philosophy developed by Ayn Rand. It discusses Rand's life and influences, the key branches of Objectivism including metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, politics and aesthetics. It also addresses some common misconceptions about Objectivism and the divisions that emerged within the Objectivist movement between those who saw it as a closed system and those who favored a more open approach.
This document discusses human values and theories. It defines values as goals that give meaning to human existence and help people achieve fulfillment. The document outlines three kinds of values: biological values related to physical survival, social values related to relationships and community, and rational values related to using reason and will. Moral values directly relate to choices and actions. The document also discusses characteristics of moral values, other types of values like religious and cultural values, a hierarchy of values from most to least important, and the importance of choosing values wisely.
This document discusses several ethical theories and concepts, including:
1) Kantian ethics focuses on duty and the categorical imperative, holding that an action is only moral if motivated by duty rather than consequences.
2) Utilitarianism judges the morality of actions based on their consequences and promoting the greatest good for the greatest number.
3) Aristotle's doctrine of the mean teaches that virtue and developing good character lead to a good life.
4) Indian traditions discuss concepts like dharma, artha, moksha, and the gunas that influence views of human nature, society, and development.
The document discusses human values and ethical theories. It begins by defining man as a person with intellect and will. It then outlines 3 categories of values: biological values related to survival, social values related to fulfillment, and rational values related to intellect and will. The document also discusses moral values as having intrinsic desirability and being universal and obligatory. Finally, it summarizes 5 major ethical theories - Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Utilitarianism, and Christianity - and what each sees as the highest good or value.
Virtue ethics focuses not so much on principles or the consequences of action, nor even the action itself so much as on the agent, the person who performs the action, in the light of the circumstances and all of his or her other actions. The focus is on the person’s character, or alternatively, on those traits of character expressed in this and other actions, his or her virtues.
Aristotle’s virtue ethics The most famous virtue ethicist, and in many ways still the starting point for most virtue ethicists, is the great Greek philosopher Aristotle (384–322 BCE). In his Nicomachean Ethics (1954), Aristotle laid out a system of virtue ethics which still remains the starting point, if not the model, for most virtue ethicists. A virtue (areté which can also be translated as “excellence”) for Aristotle was the mean between the extremes.
This document provides an overview of Immanuel Kant's deontological ethics. It discusses that for Kant, morality is concerned with doing one's duty rather than personal gain. Kant believed there is a single "Categorical Imperative" or universal obligation that forms the basis of moral rules and duties. For an action to have moral worth, it must be done purely out of respect for the moral law as one's duty, not because of personal interests or desires. The Categorical Imperative takes an unconditional form of "Do X" rather than a conditional "If X, then Y" structure like hypothetical imperatives.
This document summarizes an article from the Doctoral Forum journal about Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism. The article argues that selfishness is not inherently negative, and that there are times when being selfish is necessary and expected, such as when working to one's full potential or being productive. It discusses two of Rand's works, Atlas Shrugged and The Virtue of Selfishness, and how they establish that selfishness can be positive when focused on rational thinking and achievement. The article also examines several concepts from Objectivism like rationality, responsibility, and morality to argue that selfishness is right and good when driven by virtue rather than exploiting others.
The document provides an overview of Objectivism, the philosophy developed by Ayn Rand. It discusses Rand's life and influences, the key branches of Objectivism including metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, politics and aesthetics. It also addresses some common misconceptions about Objectivism and the divisions that emerged within the Objectivist movement between those who saw it as a closed system and those who favored a more open approach.
This document discusses human values and theories. It defines values as goals that give meaning to human existence and help people achieve fulfillment. The document outlines three kinds of values: biological values related to physical survival, social values related to relationships and community, and rational values related to using reason and will. Moral values directly relate to choices and actions. The document also discusses characteristics of moral values, other types of values like religious and cultural values, a hierarchy of values from most to least important, and the importance of choosing values wisely.
This document discusses several ethical theories and concepts, including:
1) Kantian ethics focuses on duty and the categorical imperative, holding that an action is only moral if motivated by duty rather than consequences.
2) Utilitarianism judges the morality of actions based on their consequences and promoting the greatest good for the greatest number.
3) Aristotle's doctrine of the mean teaches that virtue and developing good character lead to a good life.
4) Indian traditions discuss concepts like dharma, artha, moksha, and the gunas that influence views of human nature, society, and development.
The document discusses human values and ethical theories. It begins by defining man as a person with intellect and will. It then outlines 3 categories of values: biological values related to survival, social values related to fulfillment, and rational values related to intellect and will. The document also discusses moral values as having intrinsic desirability and being universal and obligatory. Finally, it summarizes 5 major ethical theories - Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Utilitarianism, and Christianity - and what each sees as the highest good or value.
Virtue ethics focuses not so much on principles or the consequences of action, nor even the action itself so much as on the agent, the person who performs the action, in the light of the circumstances and all of his or her other actions. The focus is on the person’s character, or alternatively, on those traits of character expressed in this and other actions, his or her virtues.
Aristotle’s virtue ethics The most famous virtue ethicist, and in many ways still the starting point for most virtue ethicists, is the great Greek philosopher Aristotle (384–322 BCE). In his Nicomachean Ethics (1954), Aristotle laid out a system of virtue ethics which still remains the starting point, if not the model, for most virtue ethicists. A virtue (areté which can also be translated as “excellence”) for Aristotle was the mean between the extremes.
This document provides an overview of Immanuel Kant's deontological ethics. It discusses that for Kant, morality is concerned with doing one's duty rather than personal gain. Kant believed there is a single "Categorical Imperative" or universal obligation that forms the basis of moral rules and duties. For an action to have moral worth, it must be done purely out of respect for the moral law as one's duty, not because of personal interests or desires. The Categorical Imperative takes an unconditional form of "Do X" rather than a conditional "If X, then Y" structure like hypothetical imperatives.
This document provides a history of ethics from ancient philosophers like Plato and Aristotle through modern thinkers such as Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Kant. It outlines three main schools of ethical thought: utilitarianism which focuses on outcomes, deontology which focuses on following principles, and virtue ethics which focuses on character. It then discusses a shift from a vertical hierarchy of ethics before the Enlightenment to a view of horizontal equality after the Enlightenment. The document concludes by discussing modern debates around free will in ethics and psychological influences on moral decisions.
Aristotle believed that the chief good for humans is eudaimonia or happiness. He defined this as achieving all goods like health, wealth, knowledge, and friends through a complete lifetime to perfect human nature. Aristotle viewed moral virtue as a mean between extremes of deficiency and excess regarding behavior. He distinguished between intellectual virtue developed through teaching and moral virtue developed through practice of habits over time in accordance with one's nature. Moral virtue involves finding the golden mean between excess and deficiency for each virtue.
The document seeks to provide definitional clarity around terms like morality, ethics, values, and beliefs which are often used interchangeably. It discusses that morality refers to the rules and standards of a society, while ethics often refers to codes of conduct for specific groups. Values are thought-based concepts that form the basis for action. The document also examines different perspectives on morality from various philosophers and schools of thought. It aims to remove opaqueness around these concepts for scholars pursuing inquiries related to social reality.
Humanistic psychology focuses on human potential and self-actualization. Abraham Maslow developed humanistic psychology and theories like hierarchy of needs and self-actualization. Maslow believed people are innately good and strive to reach their full potential. His hierarchy of needs explains how basic needs must be met before higher-level growth needs. Self-actualized people experience peak experiences and are driven by meta-motivations beyond just fulfilling needs. However, humanistic concepts are difficult to objectively study and measure.
Objectivism holds that the greatest moral goal is individual happiness. It was founded by Ayn Rand and advocates rational individualism and laissez-faire capitalism. Objectivism believes that man must pursue happiness through respecting reality and not be a victim of forces beyond his control, and rejects ideas like altruism and collectivism.
Objectivism holds that the greatest moral goal is individual happiness. It was founded by Ayn Rand and advocates rational individualism and laissez-faire capitalism. Objectivism believes that man must pursue happiness through respecting reality and not be a victim of forces beyond his control, and rejects ideas like altruism and collectivism.
Aristotle is considered the most important virtue ethicist. He argues that happiness, or eudaimonia, consists in living according to virtue. For Aristotle, virtue is a mean between deficiencies and excesses of emotions and actions. The virtuous person feels and acts moderately in various situations. Aristotle identifies several intellectual and moral virtues. Intellectual virtues like practical wisdom can be learned, while moral virtues become ingrained through practice and habit. True happiness is achieved by cultivating moral excellence and using reason to guide our desires toward what is good.
Introduction to ethics (Term 30/11/2012 to 7/4/2013)MonyNeath Srun
This document provides an overview and syllabus for an Introduction to Ethics course at Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia. It includes information about the course lecturer, textbook, and topics that will be covered over the course of the semester. The course aims to provide students a fundamental understanding of major issues in ethics and help answer questions about morality, character, right and wrong actions, and living an examined life. It will examine theories of ethics and virtues, as well as issues of diversity, relativism, and religious ethics. The first chapter will define morality and ethics, and discuss morality in relation to self-interest.
This document discusses virtue ethics and its adoption within Christianity. It provides an overview of Aristotle's conception of virtues as excellences that enable human flourishing. It also discusses how Christian thinkers like Augustine and Aquinas incorporated virtue ethics by valuing moral exemplars and saints. Finally, it summarizes more recent philosophers like MacIntyre who argue for reviving virtue ethics by grounding morality in communities and traditions.
Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics discusses the concept of eudaimonia (happiness or human flourishing). It argues that eudaimonia results from living according to reason and possessing moral virtue as well as external goods like wealth and social status. Moral virtue is developed through habituation from a young age and practicing virtuous actions. The virtues involve finding the golden mean between excess and deficiency. Key virtues are courage, temperance, and justice. Justice involves both obeying just laws and treating others fairly based on their merits. Freedom and moral responsibility are also discussed as relating to developing virtue and eudaimonia.
Do you have ethics? Scientists defined ethics as the social behavior and moral as natural personal behavior. Ethics have been developed years B.C. where every civilization put its own ethics and rules. Religion as well was the main element in enhancing and developing the human social behavior. The main challenge for the applied ethics comes with the controversial moral issues, which faces the conflict of interest between the plaintiff, person-in-duty and defendant, to each other or to the society. Ethics and morals affect the human behavior, where a need to understand what is it, and which level one stands at becomes a necessity, not only for personal development but also for the society peaceful development.
Ancient Greek philosophers sought to understand the principle of life by comparing living and dead things. They believed living things were animated by a "breath of life" or spirit/soul/self that directed goal-oriented and self-directed activities to unify the parts of an organism. When these activities ceased upon death, the organism would decompose as its material parts separated from the life-giving psyche. The Greeks also believed all things had a natural telos or purpose, and knowing a thing's telos was key to understanding its nature. Living things were seen to have vegetative, sensitive, and rational functions aligned with their telos, with arete or excellence determining how well a thing achieved its purpose.
The document discusses the field of ethics and moral philosophy. It defines ethics as the study of evaluating human actions and morality as concerning proper behavior. It outlines the three main areas of moral philosophy: metaethics investigates the basis of morality, normative ethics focuses on ethical standards, and applied ethics applies theory to practical issues. The document also examines the views of several philosophers on the importance of moral reflection, including Socrates advocating examining one's life, Aristotle linking happiness to fulfilling one's nature through reason, and Kant's notion of conscience as a process of moral self-judgment.
Aristotle believed that happiness consists of living virtuously according to reason. He defined virtue as finding the golden mean between two vices - having too much or too little of a trait. Aristotle taught that humans become virtuous through practice and habit, and that developing moral virtues and intellectual virtues leads to eudaimonia, or human flourishing. The function of human beings is to act in accordance with reason using our rational souls.
Apple has made excellent use of the network economy through its interoperable products like iTunes, benefiting from increased users and content. Kelly's Laws of Plentitude and Allegiance helped drive iTunes' and Apple's exponential growth, as more users and loyalty bred more users, rather than lower prices reducing demand. The success of the App Store, modeled after iTunes, showed Apple's ability to instantly scale new platforms.
Book Review: Ethical Decision Making in School Administration: Leadership as ...William Kritsonis
1. PK-12 school administrators are constantly faced with making difficult decisions. In their book, Paul Wagner and Douglas Simpson offer a framework called "moral architecture" and "pragmatic idealism" to help school leaders make purposeful and ethically consistent decisions.
2. "Moral architecture" refers to the environment leaders foster through their daily tasks and decision-making. "Pragmatic idealism" means pursuing truth through incremental progress. The book reviews the ethics of philosophers to help readers reflect on their own value systems.
3. The book is a valuable resource for practicing and aspiring leaders. It supports reflection, mentoring in leadership programs, and developing the ability to make decisions aligned with one
Functions of the Doctoral Dissertation Advisor by William Allan Kritsonis, PhDWilliam Kritsonis
The document outlines 42 functions of a doctoral dissertation advisor. It suggests that advisors should keep organized records of each student's work, communicate frequently with students, and develop a personal but professional relationship with them. Additionally, advisors should provide constructive feedback, encourage students throughout the dissertation process, and make themselves available to students. Overall, the document provides general guidelines for advisors to help guide students successfully through completing their dissertations.
Lunenburg, fred c creating a professional learning community nfeasj v27 n4 2010William Kritsonis
School leaders play a vital role in creating professional learning communities within schools by bringing stakeholders together to engage in a four-step process: 1) creating a mission statement, 2) developing a vision, 3) developing value statements, and 4) establishing goals. This process allows the school community to identify shared values and priorities to work towards. The principal then communicates and models the mission, vision, values, and goals established to ensure they are embedded in the daily life of the school. When implemented successfully, this process can help improve schools by developing a cooperative culture where teachers collaborate and focus on student learning.
Dr. Fred C. Luenburg, Published in SCHOOLING, NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS, www.na...William Kritsonis
Dr. Fred C. Luenburg, Published in SCHOOLING, NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS, www.nationalforum.com, Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, Editor-in-Chief, Houston, Texas
Mr. Cooke is the principal of Melville Intermediate School in Hamilton, New Zealand. He takes pride in his school and ensures all students are happy. The school has class gardens, a large hall for assemblies, options classes for talents, a library, sports fields, and a canteen. It also has uniforms, year 7 day camp, and year 8 week-long camp. The teachers and students are friendly and welcoming to new students.
This document provides a history of ethics from ancient philosophers like Plato and Aristotle through modern thinkers such as Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Kant. It outlines three main schools of ethical thought: utilitarianism which focuses on outcomes, deontology which focuses on following principles, and virtue ethics which focuses on character. It then discusses a shift from a vertical hierarchy of ethics before the Enlightenment to a view of horizontal equality after the Enlightenment. The document concludes by discussing modern debates around free will in ethics and psychological influences on moral decisions.
Aristotle believed that the chief good for humans is eudaimonia or happiness. He defined this as achieving all goods like health, wealth, knowledge, and friends through a complete lifetime to perfect human nature. Aristotle viewed moral virtue as a mean between extremes of deficiency and excess regarding behavior. He distinguished between intellectual virtue developed through teaching and moral virtue developed through practice of habits over time in accordance with one's nature. Moral virtue involves finding the golden mean between excess and deficiency for each virtue.
The document seeks to provide definitional clarity around terms like morality, ethics, values, and beliefs which are often used interchangeably. It discusses that morality refers to the rules and standards of a society, while ethics often refers to codes of conduct for specific groups. Values are thought-based concepts that form the basis for action. The document also examines different perspectives on morality from various philosophers and schools of thought. It aims to remove opaqueness around these concepts for scholars pursuing inquiries related to social reality.
Humanistic psychology focuses on human potential and self-actualization. Abraham Maslow developed humanistic psychology and theories like hierarchy of needs and self-actualization. Maslow believed people are innately good and strive to reach their full potential. His hierarchy of needs explains how basic needs must be met before higher-level growth needs. Self-actualized people experience peak experiences and are driven by meta-motivations beyond just fulfilling needs. However, humanistic concepts are difficult to objectively study and measure.
Objectivism holds that the greatest moral goal is individual happiness. It was founded by Ayn Rand and advocates rational individualism and laissez-faire capitalism. Objectivism believes that man must pursue happiness through respecting reality and not be a victim of forces beyond his control, and rejects ideas like altruism and collectivism.
Objectivism holds that the greatest moral goal is individual happiness. It was founded by Ayn Rand and advocates rational individualism and laissez-faire capitalism. Objectivism believes that man must pursue happiness through respecting reality and not be a victim of forces beyond his control, and rejects ideas like altruism and collectivism.
Aristotle is considered the most important virtue ethicist. He argues that happiness, or eudaimonia, consists in living according to virtue. For Aristotle, virtue is a mean between deficiencies and excesses of emotions and actions. The virtuous person feels and acts moderately in various situations. Aristotle identifies several intellectual and moral virtues. Intellectual virtues like practical wisdom can be learned, while moral virtues become ingrained through practice and habit. True happiness is achieved by cultivating moral excellence and using reason to guide our desires toward what is good.
Introduction to ethics (Term 30/11/2012 to 7/4/2013)MonyNeath Srun
This document provides an overview and syllabus for an Introduction to Ethics course at Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia. It includes information about the course lecturer, textbook, and topics that will be covered over the course of the semester. The course aims to provide students a fundamental understanding of major issues in ethics and help answer questions about morality, character, right and wrong actions, and living an examined life. It will examine theories of ethics and virtues, as well as issues of diversity, relativism, and religious ethics. The first chapter will define morality and ethics, and discuss morality in relation to self-interest.
This document discusses virtue ethics and its adoption within Christianity. It provides an overview of Aristotle's conception of virtues as excellences that enable human flourishing. It also discusses how Christian thinkers like Augustine and Aquinas incorporated virtue ethics by valuing moral exemplars and saints. Finally, it summarizes more recent philosophers like MacIntyre who argue for reviving virtue ethics by grounding morality in communities and traditions.
Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics discusses the concept of eudaimonia (happiness or human flourishing). It argues that eudaimonia results from living according to reason and possessing moral virtue as well as external goods like wealth and social status. Moral virtue is developed through habituation from a young age and practicing virtuous actions. The virtues involve finding the golden mean between excess and deficiency. Key virtues are courage, temperance, and justice. Justice involves both obeying just laws and treating others fairly based on their merits. Freedom and moral responsibility are also discussed as relating to developing virtue and eudaimonia.
Do you have ethics? Scientists defined ethics as the social behavior and moral as natural personal behavior. Ethics have been developed years B.C. where every civilization put its own ethics and rules. Religion as well was the main element in enhancing and developing the human social behavior. The main challenge for the applied ethics comes with the controversial moral issues, which faces the conflict of interest between the plaintiff, person-in-duty and defendant, to each other or to the society. Ethics and morals affect the human behavior, where a need to understand what is it, and which level one stands at becomes a necessity, not only for personal development but also for the society peaceful development.
Ancient Greek philosophers sought to understand the principle of life by comparing living and dead things. They believed living things were animated by a "breath of life" or spirit/soul/self that directed goal-oriented and self-directed activities to unify the parts of an organism. When these activities ceased upon death, the organism would decompose as its material parts separated from the life-giving psyche. The Greeks also believed all things had a natural telos or purpose, and knowing a thing's telos was key to understanding its nature. Living things were seen to have vegetative, sensitive, and rational functions aligned with their telos, with arete or excellence determining how well a thing achieved its purpose.
The document discusses the field of ethics and moral philosophy. It defines ethics as the study of evaluating human actions and morality as concerning proper behavior. It outlines the three main areas of moral philosophy: metaethics investigates the basis of morality, normative ethics focuses on ethical standards, and applied ethics applies theory to practical issues. The document also examines the views of several philosophers on the importance of moral reflection, including Socrates advocating examining one's life, Aristotle linking happiness to fulfilling one's nature through reason, and Kant's notion of conscience as a process of moral self-judgment.
Aristotle believed that happiness consists of living virtuously according to reason. He defined virtue as finding the golden mean between two vices - having too much or too little of a trait. Aristotle taught that humans become virtuous through practice and habit, and that developing moral virtues and intellectual virtues leads to eudaimonia, or human flourishing. The function of human beings is to act in accordance with reason using our rational souls.
Apple has made excellent use of the network economy through its interoperable products like iTunes, benefiting from increased users and content. Kelly's Laws of Plentitude and Allegiance helped drive iTunes' and Apple's exponential growth, as more users and loyalty bred more users, rather than lower prices reducing demand. The success of the App Store, modeled after iTunes, showed Apple's ability to instantly scale new platforms.
Book Review: Ethical Decision Making in School Administration: Leadership as ...William Kritsonis
1. PK-12 school administrators are constantly faced with making difficult decisions. In their book, Paul Wagner and Douglas Simpson offer a framework called "moral architecture" and "pragmatic idealism" to help school leaders make purposeful and ethically consistent decisions.
2. "Moral architecture" refers to the environment leaders foster through their daily tasks and decision-making. "Pragmatic idealism" means pursuing truth through incremental progress. The book reviews the ethics of philosophers to help readers reflect on their own value systems.
3. The book is a valuable resource for practicing and aspiring leaders. It supports reflection, mentoring in leadership programs, and developing the ability to make decisions aligned with one
Functions of the Doctoral Dissertation Advisor by William Allan Kritsonis, PhDWilliam Kritsonis
The document outlines 42 functions of a doctoral dissertation advisor. It suggests that advisors should keep organized records of each student's work, communicate frequently with students, and develop a personal but professional relationship with them. Additionally, advisors should provide constructive feedback, encourage students throughout the dissertation process, and make themselves available to students. Overall, the document provides general guidelines for advisors to help guide students successfully through completing their dissertations.
Lunenburg, fred c creating a professional learning community nfeasj v27 n4 2010William Kritsonis
School leaders play a vital role in creating professional learning communities within schools by bringing stakeholders together to engage in a four-step process: 1) creating a mission statement, 2) developing a vision, 3) developing value statements, and 4) establishing goals. This process allows the school community to identify shared values and priorities to work towards. The principal then communicates and models the mission, vision, values, and goals established to ensure they are embedded in the daily life of the school. When implemented successfully, this process can help improve schools by developing a cooperative culture where teachers collaborate and focus on student learning.
Dr. Fred C. Luenburg, Published in SCHOOLING, NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS, www.na...William Kritsonis
Dr. Fred C. Luenburg, Published in SCHOOLING, NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS, www.nationalforum.com, Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, Editor-in-Chief, Houston, Texas
Mr. Cooke is the principal of Melville Intermediate School in Hamilton, New Zealand. He takes pride in his school and ensures all students are happy. The school has class gardens, a large hall for assemblies, options classes for talents, a library, sports fields, and a canteen. It also has uniforms, year 7 day camp, and year 8 week-long camp. The teachers and students are friendly and welcoming to new students.
This document discusses various facts about Africa, including that Lake Victoria is the largest lake, The Seychelles is the smallest country, Lake Tanganyika is the deepest lake, and the Namib desert is the oldest desert inhabited by several animal species.
The volunteer training process
for Project Open Door has been
unorganized and impromptu, without
a planned calendar, explanation of
the layout of the program, guidelines,
responsibilities, and a social
approach to teaching high school
students. Due to these inadequacies,
a proper training process needs
to be implemented to make the
transition as a volunteer a smooth and enticing one.
This mission of the Peppers initiative is to improve Project Open
Door’s after school program through a coherent three-part volunteer
engagement process
1. The document announces the 1st European Career Days to take place in Katowice on October 10-11, 2008 and in Warsaw at the EXPO XXI Centre on October 24-25, 2008.
2. It lists the media partners promoting the career fair, including the largest Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza and technical journal Przegląd Techniczny, as well as the magazine Praca i Życie za Granicą about foreign employment.
3. Details are provided on the advertisements and articles to be placed in these media partners to promote the career fair events.
The document discusses various aspects of Fielding, a town of 14,000 people in New Zealand that has been voted the nicest city in the country 14 times. It is located near Palmerston North in the Manawatu region and is known for its clock tower, gardens, and rugby team called the Turbos.
William Allan Kritsonis, PhD (California Presentation)William Kritsonis
William Allan Kritsonis is a professor of educational leadership at Prairie View A&M University. He has over 40 years of experience in education, including serving as a visiting scholar at Stanford and Columbia Universities. He has chaired over 20 doctoral dissertations. His research focuses on educational leadership, research methods, and multicultural education. He is the founder of National FORUM Journals, which has published over 5,000 professors. His goals for 2012 are to teach, mentor students, provide service, and continue his professional development and research.
As a part of RISD’s Bike-Town, Pink
Rides is a bike sharing program
which extends the joys of cycling to
those who do not own bikes in order
to promote active living, sustainable
transportation and interpersonal
connectedness.
This phenomenological study investigated the lived experiences of 6 African American women in predominantly white doctoral programs in educational leadership. The findings showed the women dealt with issues like discrimination from white professors and a sense of white privilege/entitlement from white students. However, they thrived due to mentoring from black professors and bonding with black students. The study aims to give voice to these women's experiences and help universities support minority students and reduce feelings of marginalization.
This document outlines a service learning project pairing leadership students with a special education classroom. The project aims to create meaningful relationships between students, expose leadership students to careers in teaching, and provide new learning opportunities for both classes. Leadership students will volunteer one-on-one as tutors and assist with art projects, cooking, and classroom tasks over a 12 week period in the fall semester. The goals are to increase interaction, time on task, number of tasks completed, and response time for the special education students.
El documento resume la historia de la terapia ocupacional desde las civilizaciones antiguas hasta la actualidad. Los chinos, egipcios y griegos utilizaban actividades como el ejercicio, la música y el trabajo manual con fines terapéuticos. En los siglos XVIII y XIX, médicos como Pinel y Tissot prescribían ocupaciones para tratar enfermedades mentales. La terapia ocupacional emergió formalmente a finales del siglo XIX basada en el valor terapéutico de las ocupaciones.
This document summarizes an article from the Doctoral Forum journal that discusses Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism as presented in her novel Atlas Shrugged and other works. The article argues that selfishness is not inherently negative, and that there are times when being selfish is necessary and expected, such as when working to one's full potential or being self-reliant. It analyzes several concepts from Objectivism like rationality, responsibility, and individualism versus collectivism to support the position that selfishness can be virtuous when the purpose is personal achievement and productivity.
This document summarizes an article from the Doctoral Forum journal that discusses Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism as presented in her novel Atlas Shrugged and other works. The article argues that selfishness is not inherently negative, and that there are times when being selfish is necessary and expected, such as when working to one's full potential or being self-reliant. It analyzes several concepts from Objectivism like rationality, responsibility, and individualism versus collectivism using examples from Atlas Shrugged. The overall aim is to establish why individuals should be selfish and prioritize their own interests and success.
1. The document discusses Ayn Rand's perspective on selfishness presented in her book "The Virtue of Selfishness". Rand argues selfishness is seen negatively but truly means rational self-interest, which benefits both individuals and society.
2. It recommends educators teach students the distinction between the self-interest of productive members of society versus "looters and brutes" who exploit others. Students should understand rational self-interest and their moral right to benefit from their own actions.
3. Educators are urged to clarify selfishness as a positive virtue and reclaim the word from those who use it to mentally enslave society. Students taught this way will be motivated to learn for their own benefit and future
Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, Educational PhilosophyWilliam Kritsonis
Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged explores her Objectivist philosophy which holds that man should pursue his own happiness through reason and as the moral purpose of his life. In the novel, highly productive individuals go on strike against a society that exploits them through overregulation, high taxes, and a moral code of altruism and collectivism. As the great thinkers disappear, society's economy collapses, demonstrating Rand's view that a prosperous society depends on individual rights and the rational mind. Rand uses the novel to promote the importance of independence, productive work, and individualism.
Barbara Ann Thompson & William Allan Kritsonis, PhDWilliam Kritsonis
This document discusses Ayn Rand's philosophy of selfishness as a virtue. It summarizes her views on:
1) Man must use rational principles to determine his self-interest, not random desires. His choices will either advance his life or cause him to decline.
2) A rational man values his own well-being and works to achieve a purposeful, fulfilling life. He is not morally obligated to sacrifice himself for others.
3) Self-esteem, pride in one's work, and focus on reality allow a man to have a healthy mind and adjust successfully to life's changes. Self-sacrifice is rejected.
This document provides an overview and analysis of Ayn Rand's theory of ethical egoism. It summarizes Rand's biography and key works promoting egoism. Rand believed ethics applies solely to humans and the criterion for determining the moral value of actions is whether they help or harm one's own life and interests. While plants and animals act instinctively to survive, humans can conceptualize and choose their actions. The document examines Rand's arguments for egoism and introduces an alternative theory called ego-altruism that balances self-interest and consideration for others.
Ayn Rand was a Russian-American writer and philosopher who became famous for her novels defending individualism and capitalism. She was born in Russia but fled to the United States in 1926 to escape communism and pursue her dream of being a writer. Her most influential works were the novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, which celebrated reason, freedom, and individualism. Rand developed an objectivist philosophical system grounded in the idea that human nature and life itself make concepts like value and ethics possible. She believed that one's own happiness is the highest moral purpose and that individuals should be free to pursue their self-interest without interference.
A good society can be either narcissistic or outward-looking. Ayn Rand had an individualistic view that people should pursue their own self-interest and self-esteem through their work. Robert Bellah argued people must take responsibility for social institutions to address problems collectively. While Rand focused on individual goals and motives, Bellah believed people's lives are shaped by institutional forces and democracy can improve institutions for social problems. Both philosophies see a role for individualism and institutions in a functioning society.
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Desiree Skinner & William Allan Kritsonis, PhD - ANY RANDWilliam Kritsonis
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Carl Rogers developed humanistic psychology as an alternative to behaviorism and psychoanalysis, which he saw as too limiting or negative. His client-centered therapy, now called person-centered therapy, rejected the medical model where the therapist is the expert. Instead, he believed unconditional positive regard, empathy, and congruence between a person's real and ideal self were necessary conditions for growth. This allowed people to reach their full potential as a "fully functioning person" through their actualizing tendency in a way that was optimistic and healing. While broad, his focus on relationships and subjective experience was influential in moving psychology to a more positive perspective.
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The humanistic approach emerged in reaction to more pessimistic theories and focuses on free will, personal growth, and fulfilling one's potential. Key figures Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow believed people are inherently good and strive for self-actualization. Rogers described the ideal self and congruence between real and ideal selves as important for growth. Maslow's hierarchy of needs proposes basic needs must be met before pursuing higher-level growth needs and self-actualization. However, the humanistic approach lacks empirical evidence and standardization, and its focus on subjectivity makes research difficult.
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This document provides an overview of a college-level ethics course. It discusses how moral decision-making is shaped by many contextual factors like culture, religion, emotions and feelings. It introduces Kohlberg's stages of moral development and emphasizes the importance of studying ethical theories to develop mature, rational decision-making. The document outlines how ethical frameworks like utilitarianism, natural law theory, Kantian ethics and virtue ethics can guide individuals in making moral decisions regarding themselves, society and the environment. It closes by stating that the study of ethics is an ongoing, never-ending process rather than a conclusive one.
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This document discusses communication law and ethics. It covers several topics: historical traditions in ethics like virtue ethics, consequence ethics, and duty ethics; religious traditions that inform ethics like Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam; moral principles such as autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, and veracity; professional codes of ethics for fields like journalism, advertising, and public relations; and concepts of social responsibility and media like cultivation theory and peace journalism. The goal is to provide an overview of the key considerations and approaches to communication ethics.
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1. DOCTORAL FORUM
NATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PUBLISHING AND MENTORING DOCTORAL RESEARCH
VOLUME 6 NUMBER 1, 2009
1
Ayn Rand Says: Mend Thy Selfless Ways!
Carmelita Thompson
PhD Student in Educational Leadership
Whitlowe R. Green College of Education
Prairie View A & M University
Prairie View, Texas
Educational Diagnostician
Bellville Independent School District
Bellville, Texas
William Allan Kritsonis, PhD
Professor and Faculty Mentor
PhD Program in Educational Leadership
Whitlowe R. Green College of Education
Prairie View A & M University
Prairie View, Texas
Member of the Texas A & M University System
Visiting Lecturer (2005)
Oxford Round Table
University of Oxford, Oxford, England
Distinguished Alumnus (2004)
Central Washington University
College of Education and Professional Studies
ABSTRACT
The definition of selfish means too much concern with one’s own welfare or interest
and having little or no concern for others. This term is depicted as a negative image
of selfish people who are brutish and oblivious to the consequences that their actions
may have to other people. Selfish people abuse others to satisfy their personal
needs. Ayn Rand (1964) and her “Objectivist” philosophy deem this assertion as
absurd. Since selfishness is a concern with one’s own self interest, which is the
attainment of the ultimate moral value, Rand (1964) insists selfishness is a virtue
and selflessness is a vice.
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Introduction
Ayn Rand’s (1964) “Objectivism” philosophy was probably her most
controversial. She rejected classical arguments for altruism and asserted that man must
pursue his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life. The happiness of others
should not take precedence over one’s own happiness. Ayn Rand makes a compelling
argument that counters the conventional understanding of selflessness as an altruistic
framework. Rand views selfishness as a virtue and selflessness as a vice.
Purpose of the Article
The purpose of this article is to discuss Rand’s view that man should pursue his
own happiness as the moral purpose of his life. Productive achievement is a noble
activity and an absolute. Man should view being selfish, the pursuit of his own
happiness, as the ultimate moral value. A selfless man, one not motivated by concern for
one’s self, is a flawed individual.
Ethics
Traditional ethics praise acts that are selfless and call selfish acts amoral or
immoral. A self-interested person is viewed as a person that may potentially harm others
in pursuit of their own happiness. Rand’s ethical view is the exact opposite of the
traditional view of ethics. She believes that self-interest is the standard of morality and
selflessness is immorality. Ayn Rand’s ethics identifies the good and evil according to
the rational standard of value of man’s life qua man. “What is morality, or ethics? It is a
code of values to guide man’s choices and actions-the choices and actions that determine
the purpose and the course of life” (Rand, 1964, p. 13). Rand’s “Objectivist” ethics
focuses on what is good for each individual human being. According to Rand, ethics is
rational.
The “Objectivist” ethics hold man’s life as the standard of value and man’s own
life as his ethical purpose. The standard is an abstract principle that serves as a
measurement or gauge to guide man’s choices in the achievement of the specific purpose.
The survival of the qua man is an abstract principle that applies this concrete specific
purpose, the purpose of living life properly to every individual man. “Man must choose
his actions, values and goals by the standard of that which is proper to man-in order to
achieve, maintain, fulfill and enjoy that ultimate value, that end in itself, which is his own
life” (Rand, 1964, p. 27). The “Objectivist” ethics allows man to earn success for his life
based upon his standard of value that is ethical and selfish. The three values of the
3. CARMELITA THOMPSON AND WILLIAM ALLAN KRITSONIS
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“Objectivist” ethics are reason, purpose, and self-esteem with their corresponding virtues
being rationality, productiveness and pride.
Productive Work
Productiveness is one of the seven virtues in the “Objectivist” ethics. Rand
believes there are five interconnected areas that allow man to experience the enjoyment
of his life: productive work, human relationships, recreation, art, and sex. Rand defines
productive work as the central purpose of a rational man’s life. One of the two essentials
of the method of survival proper to a rational being is productive work.
Productive work is the road of a man’s unlimited achievement and calls upon the
highest attributes of his character: his creative ability, his ambitiousness, his self
assertiveness, his refusal to bear uncontested disasters, his dedication to the goal
of reshaping the earth in the image of his values. (Rand, 1964, p. 29)
If a man values productive work, his happiness is the measure of success. Man gains his
basic sense of control over existence through productive work. “Productive work is the
most fundamental of these: through his work man gains his basic sense of control over
existence—his sense of efficacy—which is the necessary foundation of the ability to
enjoy any other value” (Rand, 1964, p. 72). According to Rand, productivity is a matter
of life or death.
In order to survive, man has to create and produce everything he needs. His well-
being depends on his success in life. Productivity is the cardinal moral value and is
unleashed to the fullest extent possible in free-market capitalism Rand identifies this type
of system as a social system based on the recognition of individual rights and property
rights (The Condensed Edition of Ayn Rand’s The Virtue of Selfishness, 2006). Every
man speaks, thinks, and works for himself. The man who regards the universe as a place
filled with opportunities, challenges to conquer and earn the pride of a constantly
expanding efficacy is a man with the ability to obtain productiveness. In reference to
pride in Atlas Shrugged, John Galt states, “Pride is the recognition of the fact that you are
your own highest value and, like all of men’s values, it has to be earned-that of any
achievement…” (Rand, 1957, p. 934). Rand’s view of the ethical relevance of
productivity may enable individuals to become happier and more productive by allowing
them to concentrate on their personal goals and accomplishments. John Galt says,
Productiveness is your acceptance of morality, your recognition of the fact that
you choose to live-that productive work is the process by which man’s
consciousness controls his existence, a constant process of acquiring knowledge
and shaping matter to fit one’s purpose… (Rand, 1957, p. 933)
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Rand’s view of ethics and the ethical roots of productivity allow man to become more
productive and happier in the selfish pursuit of the achievement of his own happiness.
Self-Esteem
Man must choose proper values in order to achieve, maintain, fulfill and enjoy his
life. The three cardinal values of “Objectivist” ethics are: reason, purpose, and self-
esteem. Rand states, “Only a rationally selfish man, a man of self-esteem, is capable of
love—because he is the only man capable of holding firm, consistent, uncompromising,
unbetrayed values” (Rand, 1964, p. 35). Self-esteem means a feeling of pride in oneself.
This is a perfect “Objectivist” concept because it forces man to focus on himself.
Nathaniel Branden noted that a man of self-esteem is a man in love with himself
and his life. In Atlas Shrugged, John Galt says this about self-esteem in his speech,
…the first precondition of self-esteem is that radiant selfishness of soul which
desires the best in all things, in values of matter and spirit, a soul that above all
else seeks to achieve its own moral perfection, valuing nothing higher than
itself… (Rand, 1957, p. 934)
Self-esteem is the consequence, expression, and reward of a mind fully committed to
reason. Commitment to reason is the commitment to the maintenance of full intellectual
focus and one’s understanding and expansion of knowledge, to the principle that one’s
actions must be consistent with one’s convictions. The man of self-esteem has a
psychological need for constant growth. Self-esteem is a value that can be maintained
only by action. One must be engaged in a process to constantly increase one’s efficacy.
“The great merit of capitalism is its unique appropriateness to the requirements of human
survival and to man’s need to grow” (Rand, 1964, p. 143). A man’s self-esteem
encourages him to seek growth. Capitalism creates the optimum social conditions
leaving man free to think, act, produce, rewards effort and achievement, and penalize
passivity.
Morality
Man must have a moral code to define what is good and what is evil. This moral
code is asserted in regard to persons, actions, conduct, and morality in general. Rand
(1964) believed that good and evil could be ascertained as black and white. (The catch
phrase is actually in the reverse order). Upon defining what is good and what is evil,
what is black and what is white; one has no justification for choosing a mixture. There is
5. CARMELITA THOMPSON AND WILLIAM ALLAN KRITSONIS
_____________________________________________________________________________________5
no justification for gray and one should not choose any part of that which one knows is
evil.
If a moral code offers contradictions, gray areas, it should be rejected. A moral
code cannot offer uncertainty and obscure confusion to disguise a doctrine of moral
grayness. Rand (1964) does concede that there are many reasons that most people are
morally imperfect such as altruistic morality, contradictory premises, and values. That
does not invalidate the need for moral “whiteness”, in fact, it makes the need greater.
The dialogue that exists considers that there are “two sides to every issue” and there are
complex issues in which both sides are right. Rand insists, “The basic error in all these
various confusions is the same: it consists of forgetting that morality deals only with
issues open to man’s choice-which means: forgetting the difference between “unable”
and “unwilling” (Rand, 1964, p. 89). Man has the ability to choose to be wholly good or
wholly evil, there is no gray. “Just as, in epistemology, the cult of uncertainty is a revolt
against reason-so, in ethics, the cult of moral grayness is a revolt against moral values.
Both are a revolt against the absolutism of reality” (Rand, 1964, p. 90). Rand believes
that man must choose one or the other.
Errors of knowledge are not breaches of morality; no proper moral code can
demand infallibility or omniscience. But if, in order to escape the responsibility
of moral judgment, a man closes his eyes and mind, if he evades the facts of the
issue and struggles not to know, he cannot be regarded as ‘gray’; morally, he is as
‘black’ as they come. (The Condensed Edition of Ayn Rand’s The Virtue of
Selfishness, 2006, topic 7)
When it comes to morality, man must choose black or white. If someone asks me if I
think in black and white, I will answer, “You’re damn right I do!”
Rights
According to Rand, capitalism is the foundation that protects the principle of
individual rights.
Rights are a moral concept—the concept that provides a logical transition from
the principles guiding an individual’s actions to the principles guiding his
relationship with others—the concept that preserves and protects individual
morality in a social context—the link between the moral code of man and the
legal code of society, between ethics and politics. Individual rights are the means
of subordinating society to moral law. (Rand, 1964, p. 108)
A right is a moral principle defining a man’s individual freedom of action in a social
context.
6. DOCTORAL FORUM
NATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PUBLISHING AND MENTORING DOCTORAL RESEARCH
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All political systems are based on some code of ethics. Rand states that the
altruist-collectivist ethics, mystical or social, are amoral. The United States was the first
moral society in history with the implementation of the subordination of society to moral
law. “The principle of man’s individual right’s represented the extension of morality into
the social system—as limitation on the power of the state, as man’s protection against the
brute force of the collective, as the subordination of might to right” (Rand, 1964, p. 109).
Previous systems regarded man’s life as belonging to society and as a sacrificial means to
the ends of others. Rand states,
The United States held that man’s life is his by right (that means: by moral
principle and by his nature), that a right is the property of an individual, that
society as such has no rights, and that the only moral purpose of a government is
the protection of individual rights. (Rand, 1964, p. 110)
Rand defines a right as a moral principle which sanctions a man’s freedom of action in a
social context. Man has a fundamental right to his own life.
Life is a process of self-sustaining and self-generated action; the right to life
means the right to engage in self-sustaining and self-generated action—which
means: the freedom to take all the actions required by the nature of a rational
being for the support, the furtherance, the fulfillment and the enjoyment of his
own life. (Rand, 1964, p. 110)
According to Rand, man is an end in himself and the source of man’s rights is the law of
identity.
The rights of man are extended to the right to property. This means that man has
a right to earn, keep, use, and dispose of material value. Rand states, “The source of
man’s rights is not divine law or congressional law, but the law of identity” (Rand, 1964,
p. 111). According to Rand, rights are logically derived from man’s nature. The
government is not involved in the creation of rights (The Condensed Edition of Ayn
Rand’s The Virtue of Selfishness, 2006). The Declaration of Independence states, in so
many words, that the government exists to protect man’s individual rights by protecting
him from physical harm. Rand referenced the Constitution and The Bill of Rights-which
were written to protect man from the government. The purpose of the government is to
protect man’s rights. According to Rand, America’s contradiction was the altruistic-
collectivist ethics. “Altruism is incompatible with freedom, with capitalism and with
individual rights. One cannot combine the pursuit of happiness with the moral status of a
sacrificial animal” (Rand, 1964, p. 112). Ayn Rand believes that laws are made to
protect individual rights, economically advantaged should not assist the economically
disadvantaged, and man’s individual rights are violated when the government imposes
such laws (1964).
7. CARMELITA THOMPSON AND WILLIAM ALLAN KRITSONIS
_____________________________________________________________________________________7
Concluding Remarks
In conclusion, man must act for his own rational self-interest. In Rand’s view,
simply stated, putting other’s interests before one’s own interest is silly. Man’s ultimate
moral value should be his own self interest which is his own happiness. Happiness is a
state of guiltless joy. Selflessness, putting the interest of other’s before your own, is
rather absurd. Man can not help others if he can not help himself. Man has a
responsibility to be happy and successful. Human flourishing and selfishness should be
celebrated as a virtue. The argument is compelling. A man must be an ethical individual
that is very productive. A productive man has high self-esteem and good moral values.
As man understands his individual rights, he understands the tremendous amount of
responsibility he has as a citizen. All men must be selfish in order to obtain his best life.
References
Rand, A. (1957). Atlas shrugged. New York: Penguin Putnam, Incorporated.
Rand, A. (1964). The virtue of selfishness (Condensed Edition). New York: Penguin
Putnam, Incorporated. Retrieved February 19, 2006, from
www.btinternet.com/~glynhughes/squashed/rand.htm