Nietzsche, Rand, and the Ethics of the Great Task

Abstract: This essay traces a trajectory of ethical thought from Epicurus through Nietzsche to Ayn Rand. Nietzsche originally celebrated Epicureanism as a form of refined heroism but subsequently repudiated Epicurus for being overly concerned with mere happiness. Out of Nietzsche's turn away from Epicurus came a focus on the nobility of creative work, which provided a springboard for Rand's ethics of productivity and achievement.

The essay has been published in the Journal of Ayn Rand Studies, Volume 10, Number 2 (officially Spring 2009, although publication was delayed until Spring 2010). I shall post it here in late 2010, at least six months after this issue of JARS has appeared in print.