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Originally Posted by smoothmoniker
The following five statements aren't direct quotes, but they are accurate summaries of five philosophers, and how they answered the question of why we should be virtuous. ....
“The best reason to be virtuous is increased personal well-being in the midst of social pressure - if you are dishonest and cruel to others, society will shun you, and your capacity to enjoy life will be diminished.” (Ayn Rand)
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That's not an accurate summary of Ayn Rand's view. She believed that one requires virtue even on a desert island -- ESPECIALLY on a desert island. The reason to act virtuously, she would say, is that your continued existence and happiness require it. Failing to act virtuously leads to a lessened enjoyment of life and, if you acted contrary to virtue consistently, you'd soon be dead.
This makes more sense if you understand what Ayn Rand held to be major virtues. It's certainly not things like helping others, sacrificing, being humble, etc. She wrote that:
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Man—every man—is an end in himself, not the means to the ends of others. He must exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself. The pursuit of his own rational self-interest and of his own happiness is the highest moral purpose of his life.
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You can find out more here:
http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServ...ism_essentials