Rand and Christians
What isn't okay is being selfish and full of pride and letting material things take over your life.
Just so.
When you put your own desires above the needs of others, you have sinned.
Only insofar as it works to the detriment of others or to the detriment of one's own soul. In the quote given above, Hank Rearden has been hauled up in front of the bureaucracy in a kangaroo court. The intent is to nationalize his steel company and strip him of his wealth. The bureaucrats want him to admit that his capitalism is evil and harmful to society. No such thing is true. In the story, Rearden had created a new kind of steel that improved the lives of many people in diverse ways. Rearden pursued the new steel out of self-interest, not just monetary self-interest, but mostly in the interest of self-achievement. The passage is an expression of a corollary to Rand's deep understanding of Adam Smith's "invisible hand."
Again, Ayn Rand was not a Christian, so she did not have those values.
But Adam Smith was, and since this is a true rendering of Smith's concepts, Rand's lack of faith has nothing to do with the validity of the quote. Rand's problems with religion and faith had little to do with the actual teachings of any particular sect or religion. Her problems were with the use of mysticism to subvert intellect and reason. She objected to the use, particularly in Christianity, of the concept of sacrifice as a way to order the herd. She also objected to the tendency of religion to form theocracies. All of that has little to do with her views on capitalism, which come directly from the likes of Adam Smith and John Locke, both Christians and moralists.
Just so.
When you put your own desires above the needs of others, you have sinned.
Only insofar as it works to the detriment of others or to the detriment of one's own soul. In the quote given above, Hank Rearden has been hauled up in front of the bureaucracy in a kangaroo court. The intent is to nationalize his steel company and strip him of his wealth. The bureaucrats want him to admit that his capitalism is evil and harmful to society. No such thing is true. In the story, Rearden had created a new kind of steel that improved the lives of many people in diverse ways. Rearden pursued the new steel out of self-interest, not just monetary self-interest, but mostly in the interest of self-achievement. The passage is an expression of a corollary to Rand's deep understanding of Adam Smith's "invisible hand."
Again, Ayn Rand was not a Christian, so she did not have those values.
But Adam Smith was, and since this is a true rendering of Smith's concepts, Rand's lack of faith has nothing to do with the validity of the quote. Rand's problems with religion and faith had little to do with the actual teachings of any particular sect or religion. Her problems were with the use of mysticism to subvert intellect and reason. She objected to the use, particularly in Christianity, of the concept of sacrifice as a way to order the herd. She also objected to the tendency of religion to form theocracies. All of that has little to do with her views on capitalism, which come directly from the likes of Adam Smith and John Locke, both Christians and moralists.
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