March 18, 2009

Ayn Rand: Sanction of the victim.

SANCTION OF THE VICTIM


"..Then I saw what was wrong with the world, I saw what destroyed men and nations, and where the battle for life had to be fought. I saw that the enemy was an inverted morality—and that my sanction was its only power. I saw that evil was impotent—that evil was the irrational, the blind, the anti- that the only weapon of its triumph was the willingness of the good to serve it. Just as the parasites around me were proclaiming their helpless dependence on my mind and were expecting me voluntarily to accept a slavery they had no power to enforce, just as they were counting on my self-immolation to provide them with the means of their plan—so throughout the world and throughout men’s history, in every version and form, from the extortions of loafing relatives to the atrocities of collectivized countries, it is the good, the able, the men of reason, who act as their own destroyers, who transfuse to evil the blood of their virtue and let evil transmit to them the poison of destruction, thus gaining for evil the power of survival, and for their own values—the impotence of death. I saw that there comes a point, in the defeat of any man of virtue, when his own consent is needed for evil to win—and that no manner of injury done to him by others can succeed if he chooses to withhold his consent. I saw that I could put an end to your outrages by pronouncing a single word in my mind. I pronounced it. The word was “No.”.."

Expect a post from me on this sooner or later. Or perhaps some learned person from among you can try.


5 comments:

  1. Hey!I've read this book too and I think this is the part where John Galt speaks, right? Well I agree with every single word of his 3 page(on laptop) speech... And as for comments/views/post on it, I am waiting for your take first....

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  2. Yes I think so Akansha.. not quite sure because I haven't read the book but saw this para on somebody's blog and found it very inspiring..

    I have exams tomorrow and on friday.. so perhaps will write something by sunday..(According to EST ) so have patience.. :)

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  3. Evil is like a HIV virus..It can only harm you provided you have a cut...

    Ohk that was a weird example. People always say that the situation prompted them to behave in a particular way. But it is them who behave in that way in the situation. People who blame the situation are nothing but cowards...

    People who give in to the situation are like those tempted by the evil snake in the Garden of Eden. You can't blame the snake for it did its job. The person who have in lost in its resolve...


    Btw I've scheduled a post as an answer to your question about my previous post (shipwreck) on my blog for tomorrow. I hope you'll realise what I meant by that blog tomorrow :D.. I hope you do read it!

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  4. a good one !! i have yet to read this book... someday ....

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