IN DEFENSE OF SELFISHNESS: WHY THE CODE OF SELF-SACRIFICE IS UNJUST AND DESTRUCTIVE
Book ID/图书代码： 08900014B72220
English Summary/英文概要： There is one central idea we’re all taught about morality. What if it’s wrong? Virtually everyone regards self-sacrifice as a virtue. From childhood on, we are told that serving the needs of others, rather than our own, is the essence of morality and is the way to achieve social harmony. To be ethical—it is believed—is to be altruistic. In Defense of Selfishness is a cultural analysis of a deeply ingrained idea, one that influences our most important personal and political choices. The book makes the case—a sober, meticulous case—against the tenets of altruism. It shows that altruism demands not, as many superficially believe, that you respect the rights of your neighbor, but rather that you subordinate yourself to others. Altruism entails not benevolence and cooperation, but servitude. Whether you are told to sacrifice by liberals in order to provide for the homeless or by conservatives in order to preserve your community’s traditions, the code of altruism insists that the needs of others take precedence over your own interests. Schwartz explains why altruism leads to the opposite of social harmony: continual conflict. He scrupulously demonstrates, in theory and in nuts-and-bolts practice, the injustice and the destructiveness of self-sacrifice. And he offers a rational, non-predatory alternative. Replete with real-life examples, the book forcefully challenges readers to question the fundamental standard by which they decide that something is morally right or morally wrong.
Chinese Summary/中文概要： 關於美德我們每次總會宣揚一種中心思想，但是假使這一中心思想其實是謬誤？事實上，每個人都認為自我奉獻是一種美德。從孩提時代起，我們就被告知滿足他人，而非自己的需要，是使得社會和諧的重要道德理念。人們相信，如果要有道德，就必須是利他且毫無私心的。《自我之辯》（IN DEFENSE OF SELFISHNESS）是對人們根植於腦中的想法進行的文化剖析，這一根深蒂固的想法恰恰影響著我們最重要的個人即政治選擇。本書分析了一個清晰且細節的案例，對其進行詳細闡述解釋，以反對利他主義的信條。書中認為利他主義並非像其表面上簡單宣稱的那樣，你只是在尊重鄰居的權利而不是在從屬於他人。
利他主義所導致的並非是所謂的仁慈與配合，而是一種奴役狀態。不論是否有自由黨人告知你去做出自我犧牲以幫助那些無家可歸的人，或是有保守黨人告訴你，你應該這樣做以維持社區傳統，利他主義者的信條都堅稱：其他人的需求優先於你自身的利益。
作者在書中解釋了為何利他主義沒有產生所謂的社會和諧效果，反而產生了反作用：持續不斷的衝突。他從理論上以及具體的實際操作中對自我犧牲的不公平性及其破壞性進行了謹慎的論證。並對此提出了合理且不具侵略性的其他選擇方案。本書中充滿了各種來自生活的真實案例，強有力地衝擊著讀者們去質疑他們的思想根基，從而決定從道德上考量，孰對孰錯。
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Awards/获奖情况：
About the Author/作者介绍： Peter Schwartz是艾茵•蘭德（Ayn Rand）機構的名譽董事會主席、傑出會員，該機構曾為解構艾茵•蘭德思想的重要機構。他曾幫助成立並編輯了“The Intellectual Activist ”(1979-1991)雜誌，該期刊雜誌涵蓋了諸多從關於個人權利觀點出發的文化及政治問題。他曾與著名的傑拉爾多•瑞福拉（Geraldo Rivera）、索恩•哈特曼（Thom Hartmann）一同出現在諸多電視機廣播訪談節目中，並經常在大學及專家會上發表演說。其作品曾刊登在全國各大報刊雜誌上，包括《芝加哥論壇報》及《福布斯》等。作者官方網站為：www.peterschwartz.com
Peter Schwartz is the emeritus Chairman of the Board of Directors, and currently a Distinguished Fellow, of the Ayn Rand Institute—the pre-eminent organization for the dissemination of Ayn Rand’s ideas. He is the founding editor and publisher of The Intellectual Activist (1979-1991), a periodical covering cultural and political issues from a pro-individual rights perspective. He has been featured in television and radio interviews with such personalities as Geraldo Rivera and Thom Hartmann, and often speaks at colleges and professional conferences. His articles have appeared in magazines and newspapers across the country, including The Chicago Tribune and Forbes. His website is www.peterschwartz.com.
Format:HARDCOVER
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