Chapter 3, "The Ethics of Emergencies", Ayn Rand (1963) Summary and Analysis

In this chapter, Rand contrasts the principle of good will toward fellow men in the realm of the Objectivist model of ethics with the principle of good will toward men in the realm of the altruist model of ethics. For an altruist to value another human life, he must be willing to sacrifice his one life. For an altruist, an act of good will toward another is an act of self-sacrifice. Conversely, for an Objectivist to value another human life, she must value her own life. For an Objectivist, an act of good will toward another is an act of self-interest. Rand provides different instances in which one has the option of saving another—instances of immediate starvation, poverty, illness, and emergency. In each case, she...