Morality In Ayn Rand's Analysis

In Plato’s Republic, Plato challenges the question of what defines morality. Morality is a subject that delineates Ayn Rand’s notion of the “sense of life.” Rand elucidates, “You have no choice about the necessity to integrate your observations, your knowledge into abstract ideas, ie., into principles (Thomas, p. 1).” It is explained in the article by William Thomas that a sense of life is something that all humans have. A sense of morality is also something that all humans have within them (we like to hope). Morality or lack there of, determines how one responds emotionally and physically to outside forces. It affects decision-making and the sense of life. Although Rand explains that the “the sense of life” is subconscious, it is also important to remember that one’s sense of life is developed from an early age and not without rearing from environmental factors, such as education, and parental guidance.
Before one develops a sense of life, he or she is just a child, a blank canvas. The blank canvas becomes art (good or bad) depending on how the child is raised. The good art versus bad art would be a moral child compared to an immoral
“We don’t want to do evil, and we would like to do good if we can. But to do that, we need to know what it means to be good, and what kind of actions tend to achieve it (Thomas, page 4).” The actions of good and evil were often depicted in the stories told by the caregivers during Plato’s time. Ayn Rand says, “Your only choice is whether these principles are true or false, [and] whether they represent your conscious… (Thomas, page 1).” After absorbing good versus evil, and taking in education throughout life, one develops a sense of self. Having a personal sense of self is how one determines how he or she will think, why he or she believes certain things, and what will motivate one to make important life