This week I finished up reading Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged which was definitely a huge read, but was very rewarding and worth it. Rand's extreme view on capitalism and socialism made for an interesting story line in a projection of America as it falls to socialism. Whether you agree or disagree with Rand's philosophy, you cant help but enjoy the way she so elegantly portrays it through a complex storyline, and beautiful descriptons.

After reading the book, I had to write an essay answering whether or not i believed selfishness to be virtuous in both a practical and moral sense. I chose to argue that it was for two main reasons. First, selfishness implies all men living for themselves, which inherently implies all men's freedom from having to live for eachother. 2) Selfishness and freedom from living for others allows uninhibited rationality (no emotional restraints), to breed optimal success.

Overall I found both the book and the topic to be very thought-provoking.

Selfishness as a Virtue

This week we have been focusing a lot on analyzing the poems we chose for honors, as well as finding articles that relate to our essential questions. My groups essential questions is: "Is selfishness a virtue?"

This question was inspired by the book we are reading for class, Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. The novel is essentially a 1200 page explanation of Rand's philosophy, which is that of an extremist capitalist. The novel constantly delineates through the story how those who are selfishly independent in their business and affairs are the ones who succeed and manage to stay afloat in a sinking economy that is turning more and more socialist.

This capitalist mentality is shared in Badger Clark's poem, The Westerner. His poem also greatly pushes the importance of independence and making one's own success rather than sailing along on the success and accomplishments of others. Throughout the poem it becomes apparent that Clark would also agree that selfishness is a virtue, due to the very strict version of independence pushed which I elaborate on in my essay delineating the relation of the poem to my essential question.

So far after reading the majority of Atlas Shrugged and Clark's The Westerner I would definitely have to say that in a business and career related sense, that I agree selfishness is a virtue.