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What's so special about the seven virtues?

Ayn Rand identified seven virtues: rationality, honesty, productiveness, independence, justice, integrity, and pride. What's different about those qualities -- as compared to other commonly-touted virtues like benevolence, creativity, temperance, or courage? Basically, why are those the virtues in Objectivism?

Anonymous , 18.06.2013, 07:55
Idea status: completed

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jack, 22.01.2015, 22:17
I'm pretty sure Diana has discussed this from various angles in several previous podcasts. I seem to recall something along the lines of that Rand didnt claim this was an all inclusive set, or that this was a smallest set, so much as she identified some virtues and described them at length , integrating them into the larger context of her philosophy. They differ from other qualities that are often toued as virtues, but that are more along the lines of what the Diana calls moral amplifiers, in being always beneficial toward attaining values necessary for living as a human, rather than sometimes beneficial, sometimes harmful, conditionally. Although now I wonder about honesty, because it is moral to lie to the murderer who is at your front door asking if your children are at home. Hmm. Now Im confused. I probably didnt fully understand those previous discussions. Good idea to go back and re listen to at least her main podcast on moral amplifiers.
chees!

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