Objectivist Ethics

When someone calls another person selfish, it is usually taken in a negative sense. But why? Is it truly bad to be concerned with yourself before anyone else? 


If I’m crossing the street with my friend and I see a car coming at us, would I be wrong to save myself and jump out of the way rather then pushing my friend out of the way and getting hit by the car myself? Why should I value another life over mine? Who would protect me better than I can protect myself? 


Fortunately, I’m not alone in believing that selfishness is not a bad thing. Ayn Rand believes in the Objectivist ethics as well. The Objectivist ethics says that the actor must always be the beneficiary of his action. It holds that man must act for his own rational self-interest. After all who will value your life better than yourself? The Objectivist ethics is often misunderstood. It is widely believed that Moral Cannibalism comes from the Objectivist ethics.Moral Cannibalism says that the only way one can advance oneself is by injury to another. Ayn Randbelieves in the contrary, he holds that the Objectivist ethics says that human good does not require human sacrifices and can’t be achieved by the sacrifices of anyone.