The Genesis of Objectivism
My diagnosis of the ills of moralism has been that we objectify what is fundamentally subjective, transforming our beliefs and desires into facts and (objective) values. Thus, if we believe something, we take it to be true ; and if we desire (or like) something, we take it to be right [1] (or good ). [2] The resultant “ ills ” are therefore twofold: We are overconfident in our judgments, and as a result of these hardened attitudes, we take actions that are both stultifying and aggressive. Thus, wars are fought because the opponents consider each another not simply to have different or conflicting beliefs and desires, but to be wrong and evil. If the differences were only the former, there would be more possibilities for mutual tolerance, negotiation, and change. But where does the faux and noxious objectification come from? I have previously noted that it lends a certain advantage in certain circumstances, which may have been instrumental in assuring the survival of our