Dr. Tara Smith on "Egoistic Justice and Some of its Practical Implications"
People frequently complain that injustice results from selfishness. Ayn Rand demonstrated that nothing could be farther from the truth.
This lecture will explore Ayn Rand's illuminating account of the egoistic nature of justice. After tracing the practical case for being just, we will consider four of the unconventional implications that flow from this: the emphatic need to judge other people; the diametrical opposition between justice and today's ubiquitous ideal of egalitarianism; the proper place of forgiveness in a just man's life; the proper place of mercy in a just man's life. When, if ever, are forgiveness and mercy justified? Is either of them ever not merely permissible, but required?
Since injustice is the result not of too much egoism, but of too little, a fuller understanding of the egoistic character of justice can fortify us to exercise the virtue of justice more consistently and to reap thereby its selfish rewards.
Dr. Smith is associate professor of philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin. She is the author of Moral Rights and Political Freedom (Rowman & Littlefield, 1995), a book on individual rights, and Viable Values: A Study of Life as the Root and Reward of Morality (Rowman & Littlefield, 2000). In addition to these books, Dr. Smith has published articles and/or lectured on such topics as self-interest, objectivity, affirmative action, business ethics, pride, justice, forgiveness, and romantic love. Dr. Smith has also presented seminars on clear thinking to businessmen.