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The Good In Machiavelli's The Republic

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The belief of an ideal such as the public good has been the fuel for past leaders that have sought to establish a world of harmony. Plato’s dialogue “The Republic” has sparked countless publications creating such utopian worlds in which the good of the many is sought. The United Nations established the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” so as to lay the foundation for the good of the public in contemporary times. Revolutionists willing to sacrifice their very lives for the public good are admired for their courage and fearlessness. Yet; history also contains moments when a leaders’ profession to care for the public good was manifested through Nazi concentration camps, Communist societies and the adherence of principles set for Machiavelli’s …show more content…

It is essential however to understand that Rearden is not merely an egotist with his own good in mind; rather he acknowledges the good found when any person refuses to sacrifice their own good. This is the essential part to note as it displays that every part of freedom he wishes for himself he also desires for every other individual. Objectivism acknowledges the dignity of individual beings. These beings have the purpose of achieving their own good. This is naturally inconsistent with altruism, which denies individual rights and considers acting for ones own self as morally …show more content…

For Objectivism to vanquish its enemies it requires a more capable proponent. Whilst Rearden is willing to die for his purpose Galt acts according to the ethical duty appropriate to his glorious human nature. He calls for a strike by “men of the mind”(1605). Unlike Rearden, Galt literally destroys bridges (1805) that allow looters to profit from the benefits of producers. Galt undergoes even torture in his defense for the sanctity of the human mind. The essence of his fight for the human intellect, which he considers the “basic tool for survival” (1607) is summarized in the conclusion of his great speech “I swear, by my life and my love for it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.”

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Unlike during the Unmentionable Times, when men created “towers [that] rose to the sky,” it is an affliction to be born with powerful intellectual capacity and ambition in Ayn Rand’s apocalyptic, nameless society in Anthem. Collectivism is ostensibly the moral guidepost for humanity, and any perceived threat to the inflexible, authoritarian regime is met with severe punishment. The attack on mankind’s free will and reason is most evident in the cold marble engraving in the Palace of the World Council: “We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but only the great WE, One, indivisible and forever” (6). Societal norms force homogeneity and sacrifice among all people.

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The final chapter, chapter 21, of Russ Shafer-Landau’s book, The Fundamentals of Ethics, emphasis is placed on the fact that moral objectivity is not always completely universal but does not mean the idea of moral objectivism has to be rejected. Moral objectivism states that moral standards should be universal but there are some circumstances and exceptions to this claim. Shafer-Landau presents eleven arguments in chapter 21 that some consider challenges to the universality principle of moral objectivity. Not only will moral objectivism be examined in this paper but also another philosophical view known as moral skepticism will be discussed. In addition to the arguments present by Shafter-Landau’s book this paper will include an analysis from

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Caleb Stephens April 15, 2017 Introduction to Philosophy The goal of this paper is to demonstrate that Philippa Foot’s objection, raised to her own argument against utilitarianism, is correct. Her initial thesis is that benevolence, while the foundation of utilitarianism, is an internal end of morality, rather than the ultimate end of morality. The possible objection to this that there must be some overarching reason behind morality, which must imply a form of consequentialism. The response she offers is that there should be some other form of morality, which is a weak argument, as it does not provide an alternate conception of morality itself.

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