re: Hugh Freeze Quote Ayn Rand????

quote:

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What was Ayn Rand’s view on charity?

My views on charity are very simple. I do not consider it a major virtue and, above all, I do not consider it a moral duty. There is nothing wrong in helping other people, if and when they are worthy of the help and you can afford to help them. I regard charity as a marginal issue. What I am fighting is the idea that charity is a moral duty and a primary virtue.

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Essentially Rand had no problem with compassion or empathy, she just didn't think the government needed to be involved or that people should be forced to be compassionate or empathetic. If doing good for others made you happy or fulfilled that is great, she just didn't think you should HAVE to do good for others if you did not wish to.

Mainly she thought government was a terrible way to express compassion for people because in order to do so you would have to forcibly take from others via taxes or freedoms. You can agree or disagree with that but you could actually argue her philosophy was more compassionate and empathetic because it was not forced.