"RATIONAL" SELF-INTEREST

As I've mentioned before, I have a bunch of Objectivist buddies that I often get in debates with.  One of objectivists favorite mantras is:  I believe in RATIONAL SELF-INTEREST.  They say that rational self interest is the objectively most moral way that a person can act.  My question is: why the qualifier?  why the adjective "rational"?  To me all self-interest is already "rational" because it is always rational to do what is in one's self interest.  Even when it doesn't seem that way.

Let me give an example:  a person trying heroin for the first time.  An objectivist would say that that person shouldn't do heroin because it isn't in that person's rational self-interest to try heroin because it could lead to addiction, loss of friendship and family, loss of career or education, etc.  But their could be many different rational reasons why a person would want to try heroin -- acceptance from peers, escapism, wants to feel good, experimentation, etc. -- and all of these reasons could be a more rational reason for trying heroin than not.  In fact, I would say that when someone is acting out of self-interest it is ALWAYS the most rational way to act.

It is the Objectivist that asserts what is rational and what is not.  That is why they add the qualifier -- so that they can make the judgments of what is rational and what is not, so that they can point to whoever they disagree with and say, "They may be acting out of self-interest, but it is not rational."  Objectivism is a cult and they want to be able to define what is rational because, ultimately, they want control over their believers.

Now for my beliefs.  I did admit earlier that acting out of self-interest is always the most rational way to act.  This is true.  But that doesn't mean that it is the best or most moral way to act.  The most moral way to act is to realize that you have a future self and that your actions right now -- no matter how selfish and hedonistic you would like to be at any present moment -- affect your future self.  I say this because self-interest doesn't deal with your future self (no matter how much Objectivists would say it does).  To live most morally we would all be looking to the future, in order to secure a better life for our later selves (and consequently those people that follow us).  That is the most moral way we could act.

A Poem

Here's a poem I wrote a couple years ago for a poetry class I took.

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The Capital of Antarctica

I've become obsessed with something that won't exist:
the future,
more specifically, three-hundred-billion years from now
after the mountains have folded in on themselves
and all the world's oceans and lakes don't amount to spit.

People talk about Karma like it's a thing,
like it's important, like it's something I can chew on or squeeze.
But the only philosophy worth subscribing to is inevitability
in all its downtroddenness.

If no one wants it I'll take Antarctica
and build a capital there on the pivot of the Earth's axis.
I'll declare the next renaissance
and hire artists and prodigies to write a book
titled, "Keys to Producing Truly Original Works of Art".
It'll be written in a completely original language
and in a completely original form.
And when it's finished I'll put it behind glass
for the sake of our burgeoning tourist economy.

I can't be bothered until the first piano makes it to the moon
with a world-class pianist at its keys.
the pianist will play Beethoven or Mozart or some other bullshit.
And when the footage of the concert relays back to Earth
to be broadcast on television,
They'll have to play recorded music over the video to cover the silence.
And no one will know the difference.
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Even though there is a lot of anger and frustration in this poem I still really love it.  I think it is extremely important for me and has helped me to begin to formulate my beliefs just after leaving religion.

I know I haven't posted anything for a while.  But I want to start posting my beliefs about art, philosophy, government and religion once more.  I have been in many debates since leaving my former religion, and in that time I've noticed one thing:  that no ones beliefs/philosophy/outlook/worldview has as large or grand a perspective as I  have.  I really am proud of what I believe because I've worked hard for my beliefs and have tried extremely hard to be open-minded and honest with myself about what I believe.

This poem contains a lot of these beliefs.  The key line for me is "the only philosophy worth subscribing to is inevitability."  I would like to, with most of my forthcoming posts, describe what I mean by this line.  I want to explain my Philosophy of Inevitability.