Is Virtue Only a Means to Happiness? - praxeology

Is Virtue Only a Means to

Happiness?

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Neera K. Badhwar Jay Friedenberg Lester H. Hunt and David Kelley

This monograph, an analysis of virtue and happiness in Ayn Rand's writings, is part of The Atlas Society's "Objectivist Studies" series. Editor: William R Thomas

Is Virtue Only

A Means To

Happiness?

An Analysis of Virtue and Happiness in Ayn Rand's Writings

By Neera K. Badhwar

Neera K. Badhwar is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Oklahoma. Her articles have appeared in Ethics, Nous, American Philosophical Quarterly, Social Philosophy and Policy, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, and other journals. Her anthology, Friendship: A Philosophical Reader, was published by Cornell University Press in 1993, and she is currently working on a book on virtue and happiness. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Toronto in 1986, and has been a Visiting Scholar or Fellow at several institutions: Dalhousie University, 1986-87; the Social Philosophy and Policy Center, Bowling Green State University, Spring 1994; the University Center for Human Values, Princeton University, 1996-97; SUNY, Potsdam Fall 1999. In 2002 she will be a Visiting Scholar at Liberty Fund, Indianapolis.

Objectivist Studies series editor: William Thomas

Objectivist Studies is a monograph series published by The Atlas Society. Founded in 1990 as the Institute for Objectivist Studies, and also formerly known as The Objectivist Center, TAS is a notfor-profit research organization for the study, development, and dissemination of Objectivism, the philosophy originated by Ayn Rand. Objectivism is a secular world view that stresses reason, individualism, respect for achievement, and liberty. The series is edited by William R Thomas.

Individual monographs deal with topics relevant to Objectivism: exposition of Objectivist themes, advances in the theoretical development of the philosophy, or critical studies of the philosophy. Manuscripts are selected for publication on the basis of their value for these ends. Manuscripts submitted for publication should:

? Be double-spaced throughout, including notes. ? Conform with The Chicago Manual of Style. ? Be submitted in hard copy and in electronic form. ? Include an abstract and author's biography of no more than 250 words each.

Opinions expressed in these works are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of TAS's staff or trustees. TAS is grateful to Frank Bubb for his generous support of Objectivist Studies.

Copyright ? 2001 by The Objectivist Center. All rights reserved. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Badhwar, Neera K., 1946? Is Virtue Only a Means to Happiness?: An Analysis of Virtue and Happiness in Ayn Rand's Writings/Neera K. Badhwar Includes bibliographic references (p. 33) ISBN 1-57724-059-6

Printed in United States of America 2nd printing; 2010

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Contents

Is Virtue Only A Means To Happiness? An Analysis of

Virtue and Happiness in Ayn Rand's Writings

Neera K. Badhwar

I. Introduction ............................................ 5 II. The Ultimate Value: Survival or

Happiness ............................................... 6 III. Virtue and Happiness: The Logical

Relationship ................................... 9 IV. The Nature of Virtue ............................ 10 V. Happiness ............................................. 25 VI. Conclusion ........................................... 31

Notes ............................................................. 33

Commentaries

Jay Friedenberg: Evolution, Psychology, and Happiness .............................. 37 References.......................................51

Lester H. Hunt: Philosopher-Novelist, or Novelist and Philosopher? ......... 53 Notes................................................59

David Kelley: Why Virtue is a Means to Our Ultimate End ......................... 61 Notes................................................71

Author's Response

Living Long and Living Well: Reflections on Survival, Happiness, and Virtue ........................................... 73 Notes................................................90

Badhwar: Is Virtue Only A Means To Happiness? 5

Is Virtue Only A Means To Happiness? An Analysis of Virtue

and Happiness in Ayn Rand's Writings

I. Introduction

"The Objectivist ethics holds man's life as the standard of value-- and his own life as the ethical purpose of every individual man."1

"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.... Happiness can properly be the purpose of ethics, but not the standard.... It is only by accepting `man's life' as one's primary and by pursuing the rational values it requires that one can achieve happiness--not by taking `happiness' as some undefined, irreducible primary and then attempting to live by its guidance" (VOS 29/32).

"[T]he achievement of his own happiness is man's highest moral purpose" (VOS 27/30). "Happiness is the successful state of life" and the emotional concomitant of such a life.2

"[T]he work of achieving one's happiness" is "the purpose, the sanction and the meaning of life" (AS 674).

"Virtue is not an end in itself. Virtue is not its own reward.... Life is the reward of virtue--and happiness is the goal and reward of life"(AS 939).

Virtue, according to Ayn Rand, must be justified in terms of the requirements of life and happiness. I will not comment on Rand's justification, except tangentially. Instead, I will focus on analyzing the logical relationship between virtue and happiness, understood as a successful state of life and its emotional concomitant. My central question will be: is virtue only a means to happiness, or also constitutive of it? Objectivist Studies 4 (Poughkeepsie, NY: The Objectivist Center, 2000): pp. 5?36.

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