Ethics of Emergencies
Ethics of Emergencies “The Ethics of Emergencies” explains Ayn Rand’s radical and unique view of altruism. She believes that there are 4 consequences of altruism, all of which are negative. These, simply put, are lack of self-esteem, lack of respect for others, a pessimistic view of life, and an indifference to ethics. She says that altruism hinders acts of true benevolence, and instead people act out of an obligation to others that has been internalized over time. Rand then argues that one should only volunteer to help strangers in emergency situations, and even then, only when the risk to one’s own life is less than the risk to the stranger’s. Rand advocates action in such emergencies because of the high value of human life. But Rand does not believe that assistance should not be given in non- life threatening situations. She views hunger, illness, and poverty as part of the experience of human life and not a threat to human life. Rand also analyzes the motives of those who risk their own lives to save a loved one’s. She denies an altruistic motive and instead cites selfishness as the cause. Rand says the Altruist’s favorite argument is that of the downing man. She disagrees with the notion of saving the man and recommends the contrasting view: "If the person to be saved is a stranger, it is morally proper to save him only if the risk to one's own life is minimal; when the danger is great, it would be immoral to attempt it; only a lack of self esteem could permit one to value one's life no higher than that of any random stranger." I was shocked when I first read her rationale. If you endanger your life to save a stranger, you are immoral! But not just immoral, also psychologically damaged, in that you lack self-esteem! Now imagine the downing man incident occurring in a world where almost everyone has adopted Rand’s moral code. A lone young man is swept out to sea on a dangerous beach. The crowd stands by, doing nothing, as they have too much self-esteem to