Is the Objective Life Really Possible? Analysis of Nathaniel Branden’s Essays Cover Image

Czy obiektywne życie jest możliwe? Słów kilka na temat esejów Nathaniela Brandena
Is the Objective Life Really Possible? Analysis of Nathaniel Branden’s Essays

Author(s): Michał Bomastyk
Subject(s): History of Philosophy, Philosophical Traditions, Social Philosophy, Special Branches of Philosophy
Published by: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Szczecińskiego
Keywords: Branden; Rand; egoism; objective life; capitalism; selfishness

Summary/Abstract: The aim of this article is to present the theoretical standpoint of a Canadian-Americanpsychotherapist, Nathaniel Branden. He wrote five essays which I would like toanalyze. These essays can be found in the book The Virtue of Selfishness, writtenby a Russian-American philosopher, Ayn Rand, who was Branden’s associate.He postulated that individuals should live objective – act rationally and not succumbto whims. This way of behaviour is necessary to accomplish the existentialaim of individual, which is a producing and sustaining of life. The objective liferequires egoism, because the egoist is conscious of his own existence; he knows thathe must live rationally, respect his own values and not sacrifice himself for otherpeople. But it is still a question: Is the objective life really possible? The answerI try to find in this work.

  • Issue Year: 2017
  • Issue No: 37
  • Page Range: 101-114
  • Page Count: 14
  • Language: Polish