Tara Smith on the Role of Desires in an Egoistic Life

How can we live more egoistically? What makes us want to live more egoistically? Not everyone does. In her talk “Egoism Without Permission – It Begins with Desire” at Objectivist Summer Conference 2024 in Anaheim, Tara Smith explored the connection between these questions, drawing material from her new book Egoism Without Permission: The Moral Psychology of Ayn Rand’s Ethics.

Ayn Rand rejected the conventional portrayal of egoists as people who are driven by their whims and who lack consideration for other people. Instead, she advocated for rational egoism, the view that truly selfish actions are guided by reason. However, as Smith explains in her talk, some people mistake Rand’s emphasis on the role of reason for the idea of banishing or repressing desires. Contrary to this mistaken interpretation, Smith argues: “Rand recognizes that desire is critical to personal flourishing and to its rational pursuit.” It is then crucial to understand the nature of desires and their role in our lives.

Desires are not our enemies. Smith explains that without them we wouldn’t even bother to attempt to achieve any goals, regardless of our beliefs about facts. Even though desires themselves are not tools of cognition, they are “vital to motivate action and vital to the enjoyment of life.” Grasping the nature and proper role of desire – for example that we wouldn’t have values without desires – can help us understand how to lead a happier, more egoistical life. Smith shows this by using the example of Peter Keating from The Fountainhead, who only pursues what’s desired by others. Pursuit of alleged values independent of one’s desires can only lead to a life of misery. There is no self-interest to achieve that isn’t based on our desires.

During the Q&A session, Smith addressed questions on various topics, such as:

• Whether there are different kinds of desires;
• The difference between healthy and unhealthy desires;
• Why many people equate being rational with banishing emotions;
• Desires for things outside of our control;
• The meaning of the choice to live.