Pursuit of Happiness as Moral End

Atlas Shrugged as a Philosophical Novel Lecture IV

Pursuit of Happiness as Moral End

David Kelley

Outline I. The Principle: Moral individualism II. Plot implementation: Rearden’s victimization and the producers’ strike III. Characterization: Francisco D’Anconia vs. Lillian Rearden IV. Statement of the theme V. Buried riches

Moral Individualism  Independence: acting by one’s own judgment  Egoism: acting for one’s own benefit  Life and happiness as ultimate ends

Altruism

The basic principle of altruism is that man has no right to exist for his own sake, that service to others is the only justification of his existence, and that self-sacrifice is his highest moral duty, virtue, and value.

"Faith and Force"

The Alternatives Rational egoism

Conventional altruism

Value

Life Happiness

Relief of need Common good

Beneficiary

Oneself Others in one’s life

Other people Oneself as a means to helping others

Virtues

Rationality, Compassion, self-sacrifice, productiveness, integrity, compromise, humility, mercy pride, justice

Outline I. The Principle: Moral individualism II. Plot implementation: Rearden’s victimization and the producers’ strike III. Characterization: Francisco D’Anconia vs. Lillian Rearden IV. Statement of the theme V. Buried riches

The Assault on Rearden  State Science Institute tries to buy rights to Metal, then

issues public warning (I, 7)  Government imposes “Equalization of Opportunity” bill  Gov’t directive limits production of Rearden Metal to production of all other alloys, sold equitably to all comers (I, 10)  Rearden refuses to fill SSI order for Rearden Metal for Project X (II,1) Rearden said evenly, in the grave, unstrained tone of finality, "You need my help to make it look like a sale—like a safe, just, moral transaction. I will not help you.“ (342)  Rearden is tried for secretly selling Metal to Danagger (II,4)

Rearden’s Defense I work for nothing but my own profit—which I make by selling a product they need to men who are willing and able to buy it. I do not produce it for their benefit at the expense of mine, and they do not buy it for my benefit at the expense of theirs…

I could say to you that I have done more good for my fellow men than you can ever hope to accomplish—but I will not say it, because I do not seek the good of others as a sanction for my right to exist, If it were true that men could achieve their good by means of turning some men into sacrificial animals,… if I were asked to serve the interests of society apart from, above and against my own—I would refuse.… I would fight the whole of mankind, if one minute were all I could last before I were murdered, I would fight in the full confidence of the justice of my battle and of a living being's right to exist.

Outline I. The Principle: Moral individualism II. Plot implementation: Rearden’s victimization and the producers’ strike III. Characterization: Francisco D’Anconia vs. Lillian Rearden IV. Statement of the theme V. Buried riches

Lillian and James “I didn't think he'd go that far. I didn't think he'd ever divorce me. I didn't—" He chuckled suddenly, with a glance of astonishing perceptiveness. "You didn't think that guilt is a rope that wears thin, did you, Lillian?"

She looked at him, startled, then answered stonily. "I don't think it does."

"It does, my dear—for men such as your husband."

"I don't want him to divorce me!" It was a sudden scream.

"I don't want to let him go free! I won't permit it! I won't let the whole of my life be a total failure !" She stopped abruptly, as if she had admitted too much.

Lillian and James She was speaking into space, staring past him. "He did notice my existence—even though I can't lay railroad tracks for him and erect bridges to the glory of his Metal. I can't build his mills—but I can destroy them. I can't produce his Metal—but I can take it away from him. I can't bring men down to their knees in admiration—but I can bring them down to their knees.“ Atlas Shrugged, 831

Outline I. The Principle: Moral individualism II. Plot implementation: Rearden’s victimization and the producers’ strike III. Characterization: Francisco D’Anconia vs. Lillian Rearden IV. Statement of the theme V. Buried riches

The Morality of Life It is only a living organism that faces a constant alternative: the issue of life or death. Life is a process of self-sustaining and-self-generated action. (Galt’s speech) The maintenance of life and the pursuit of happiness are not two separate issues. To hold one's own life as one's ultimate value, and one's own happiness as one's highest purpose are two aspects of the same achievement.

Existentially, the activity of pursuing rational goals is the activity of maintaining one's life; psychologically, its result, reward and concomitant is an emotional state of happiness. (The Virtue of Selfishness)

The Alternatives Rational egoism

Conventional altruism

Value

Life Happiness

Relief of need Common good

Beneficiary

Oneself Others in one’s life

Other people Oneself as a means to helping others

Virtues

Rationality, Compassion, self-sacrifice, productiveness, integrity, compromise, humility, mercy pride, justice

The Alternatives The morality of life

The morality of death

Value

Life Happiness

Exemption from reason and causality Destruction of the good

Beneficiary

Oneself Others in one’s life

One’s envy and self-hatred

Virtues

Rationality, productiveness, integrity, pride, justice

Power-seeking, exploitation, deception, instilling guilt

The Ultimate Value  Through all the steps of the years behind them, the steps down a

course chosen in the courage of a single loyalty: their love of existence ... [241, Dagny and Reardon, love scene]

 "...man exists for the achievement of his desires." [375,

Reardon's soliloquy]  "I damned the fact that joy is the core of existence, the motive power of every living being, that it is the need of one's body as it is the goal of one's spirit...." [529, Reardon's soliloquy on signing the Gift Certificate]  "[Dagny] knew that there was no meaning in motors or factories or trains, that their only meaning was in man's enjoyment of his life, which they served.... the work of achieving one's happiness was the purpose, the sanction and the meaning of life." (679)

The Ultimate Value  "Man's motive power is his moral code." [428, Francisco's

speech to Reardon]  "...the anger shaking her body, the anger which made her ready, with the same passionate indifference, either to kill or to die, was her love of rectitude, the only love to which all the years of her life had been given." [518, Dagny's response to Directive 10-289]  "They know that you'll bear anything in order to work and

produce, because you know that achievement is man's highest moral purpose, that he can't exist without it, and your love of virtue is your love of life." [579, Francisco to Dagny, explaining looter's game]

The Ultimate Value  [Mr. Thompson:] "'Don't you want to live?'

[Galt:] "'Passionately.'.. 'I'll tell you more: I know that I want to live much more intensely than you do.'... 'And because I want it so much, I will accept no substitute.'" [1025]  The hours ahead, like all her nights with him, would be

added, she thought, to that savings account of one's life where moments of time are stored away in the pride of having been lived. The only pride in her workday was not that it had been lived, but that it had been survived. It was wrong, she thought, it was viciously wrong that one should ever be forced to say that about any hour of one's life."

[Dagny, waiting for Rearden, 347]