In this episode, we sit down with Greg Salmieri, senior scholar of philosophy at the Salem Center at UT Austin, to discuss ethical egoism—the theory that central to what makes an action good, what makes it right, what makes it moral—is that it benefits the person taking it.
Salmieri argues that unlike other living creatures who follow biological algorithms, humans must consciously compose their lives through reason. We dive deep into why this leads to a specific form of rational egoism, one grounded in understanding human life as a creative, self-sustaining system. Salmieri explains why values only make sense from the standpoint of a living agent, why productive work is both an economic and psychological necessity, and why the choice to focus your mind forms the foundation of free will and individual ethics.
Along the way, we touch on how this perspective interacts with other issues and social movements of our times: the problems with traditionalism, objections to utilitarianism and Effective Altruism, enforcing, social norms, the pronatalist movement and more. LInks to Greg's media presence and work: A Companion To Ayn Rand Talks & Lectures Follow Greg on X
