Objectivist sin and vice

We know that Rand lists Reason, Purpose, and Self-esteem as cardinal values with Rationality, Productiveness, and pride as their correlative cardinal virtues.

I don't recall her listing the same for their opposites although she discusses values' and virtues' detractors in great detail. I'm not sure what to call the opposite of a "value," so I'll use "disvalue" for now even though that doesn't sit quite right. The opposite of virtues are, of course, vices.

If I were to venture a guess, here's what I'd say her list of disvalues and vices might be, as linked to her values and virtues.

VALUE/VIRTUE....................... DISVALUE/VICE
Reason/Rationality.............Willful Evasion/Irrationality
Purpose/Productiveness............Apathy/Sloth
Self-Esteem/Pride.................Self-Immolation/Humility
............................ (as in feeling humiliated, not
..................................as in feeling humble)

I think this is a useful exercise in that it's helpful to denote not just what to pursue but also what to avoid.

Thoughts?
Jordan

Post 1

Thursday, January 22, 2009 - 6:39pm

All of those "disvalues" can be summed up with one word: Sacrifice.

Post 2

Thursday, January 22, 2009 - 7:17pm

Teresa, look at the excerpt of your post above in the unread messages board - you'll have to mark the post unread.

Or better yet, just let me cut and paste it for you:

(1) Teresa Summerlee Isanhart - 1/22, 6:39pm - All of those "disvalues" can be summed up with one word: Sa...

Of course, this immediately came to mind.

Post 3

Friday, January 23, 2009 - 3:28am

Well, sacrifice is our "satan!"

DISVALUE

Willful Evasion/Irrationality - Sacrifice of reason

Apathy/Sloth - Sacrifice of purpose

Self-Immolation/Humility - Sacrifice of self (esteem) and Pride
(as in feeling humiliated, not
as in feeling humble)

Post 4

Friday, January 23, 2009 - 4:38am

That was a very insightful post, Jordan. I would add "hubris" to the list opposing "pride" and would in fact consider it a bigger sin in terms of its destructive power. Many of the various Randian villains practiced it consistently.

As for "sloth," its close relative is "slack." This can serve either virtue or vice depending on how closely one couples it with rationality. Paying someone else to cut my lawn because I'm lazy is both rational and productive (if I can afford it) whereas letting the grass grow unabated is neither.

(Edited by Luke Setzer on 1/23, 6:06am)

Post 5

Friday, January 23, 2009 - 12:41pm