christop

Hi all, I am just getting into Objectivist philosophy, so please excuse these questions if they seem sort of academic. Is putting ourselves first really something that we need to consciously aspire to do? It would seem to me that this is rather innate. It seems to me that it is in the best interest of the wealthy to do what benefits society because this benefits them as well through better living conditions for themselves etc. It strikes me that this is similar to the evolution of morality. Why stop a man from trying to kill your brother? Because if your brother dies, there is one less to protect and care for you, and thus your chances of survival decrease. Is this the same sort of self interest? On the subject of no government aid or intervention of any kind: This would seem fine to me if we all started from zero. However, until very recently (and to some extent, even today) blacks did not have the advantages that were given to the white man. That being the case, is it realistic to try to employ a system such as this today? I appriciate any and all responses, as I am just learning of Objectivism. Thanks.