Objectivism: Difference between revisions
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The word "altruism" was coined by Auguste Comte. He defined it as ''live for others'' and intended it to mean, basically, that a person can be called noble if the ''ultimate end'' of their actions is the benefit of others. In other words, the motive of service to others is ''intrinsically'' virtuous.
It is ''this'' definition of altruism that Rand was attacking. And Rand was not the only person to consider it insane. John Stuart Mill, a Utilitarian philosopher (''not'' an ethical egoist like Rand), was quite shocked at the implications of Comte's definition. For more on this, please see Robert L. Campbell's [https://web.archive.org/web/20120917075943/http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~campber/altruismrandcomte.pdf ''Altruism in Comte and Rand''], The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies 7, no. 2 (Spring 2006): 357 to 369.
Rand argued that Comtean Altruism essentially results in a situation where the ends justifies the means with "others" as the end. As long as the intended end is the benefit of others, anything goes. For someone as concerned as she was with individual liberty, this is an understandable concern; Comtean Altruism can easily justify revoking the liberty of individuals if it is "for their own good."
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