Papers by Marsha Familaro Enright
The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies, Jul 1, 2017
In this article, the author responds to “Remembering the ‘Self’ in ‘Self-ish-ness,’” Robert White... more In this article, the author responds to “Remembering the ‘Self’ in ‘Self-ish-ness,’” Robert White's critique of her own article, “The Problem with Selfishness,” which appeared in the July 2014 issue of The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies.
The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies, 2014
Ayn Rand argued that “selfish” is the correct designation for a person living according to the Ob... more Ayn Rand argued that “selfish” is the correct designation for a person living according to the Objectivist ethics and that selfishness is a virtue. The accuracy of this claim is examined along with the meaning of “selfish,” the wider implications for the Objectivist ethics, and ethics in general. Alternatives to the term are suggested.
The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies, Jul 1, 2023
The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies, 2015
In her article “The Problem with Selfishness,” Marsha Familaro Enright compares the definition of... more In her article “The Problem with Selfishness,” Marsha Familaro Enright compares the definition of “selfish” used by Ayn Rand with the definition given in several dictionaries, including the Oxford English Dictionary ( OED ). The OED , however, justifies the definition of any word by referring to its actual use in written English, in the past and the present, making it the definitive English dictionary. In particular, the OED shows that “selfish” has been used with a decidedly negative connotation since the seventeenth century, contrary to Rand’s argument for a morally virtuous meaning.
The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies, 2000
The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies, Jul 1, 2023
Journal of Ayn Rand Studies, 2015
This article acknowledges Arnold Baise’s detailed examination of the origin and use of the word “... more This article acknowledges Arnold Baise’s detailed examination of the origin and use of the word “selfish,” which adds interesting details to the topic. It then turns to the issues raised by Merlin Jetton. While Jetton makes important contributions to the discussion, I think that, ultimately, we are using different classification systems.
Journal of Ayn Rand Studies, 2015
This article acknowledges Arnold Baise’s detailed examination of the origin and use of the word “... more This article acknowledges Arnold Baise’s detailed examination of the origin and use of the word “selfish,” which adds interesting details to the topic. It then turns to the issues raised by Merlin Jetton. While Jetton makes important contributions to the discussion, I think that, ultimately, we are using different classification systems.
Journal of Ayn Rand studies, 2017
In this article, the author responds to “Remembering the ‘Self’ in ‘Self-ish-ness,’” Robert White... more In this article, the author responds to “Remembering the ‘Self’ in ‘Self-ish-ness,’” Robert White’s critique of her own article, “The Problem with Selfishness,” which appeared in the July 2014 issue of The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies.
thegreatconnections.org/blog, 2019
Children need literature that informs and inspires them to live a good life, to be thoughtful and... more Children need literature that informs and inspires them to live a good life, to be thoughtful and courageous. There are such books from decades past which are now overlooked; this paper seeks too remedy that and offer suggestions for great reading
Before I go into my reading suggestions, I wanted to make some comments about what's going on in ... more Before I go into my reading suggestions, I wanted to make some comments about what's going on in children's literature today that particularly motivated John to ask me for suggestions and motivates me to write this post. A recent article by Dave Seminara in The Wall Street Journal catalogues the leftist dogma that reigns in the children's book section these days: Reading From Left To Left at Barnes And Noble. Even worse, in my opinion, are the books that feature an unrelenting parade of "realism" with drunken mothers, molesting fathers, and teens that cut themselves to relieve their psychological pain. No heroes, adventure, or greatness in sight. Meg Gurdon outlined this trend in "The Case for Good Taste In Children's Books," WSJ, back in 2011. The idea with these so-called "realistic" stories is that they allow children in horrific situations to see that they're not alone and to teach other children about what can go on. The first presumably makes the readers feel better about their situation, the latter teaches those readers to empathize with others who are less fortunate. But what's missed is the child's deep need to see examples of courage, pluck, creativity, and the achievement of greatness. As Virginia Postrel says in The Power of Glamour, one wants to see that life can be wonderful. Children, whether they are in terrible situations or not, need an inspired vision of life to help them craft their future and to fortify them against adversity. I know an inspired vision was very important to me-how about you? What's a parent to do? A parent's problem is not simply trudging through piles of dreck to find any good contemporary books, it's that one doesn't hear about many of the best older books. They are widely ignored today, partly because they are eschewed for ideological reasons and partly because the younger generation of teachers simply doesn't know about them.
Good Reading for Chilidren, 2019
Children need books that inspire and uplift them; books which show them how to live courageously ... more Children need books that inspire and uplift them; books which show them how to live courageously and well and how to think well. Many such pieces of children's fiction are forgotten about today and this paper aims to restore awareness of some valuable literature.
Real Clear Markets, 2019
The ancient Greek bronze statues of Riace in Reggio Calabria embody the heroic spirit of that age... more The ancient Greek bronze statues of Riace in Reggio Calabria embody the heroic spirit of that age and civilization. The achievements of our age deserve great art to embody its noble qualities and inspire our people.
Real Clear Markets, 2019
For decades, leftists have championed socialism while ignoring its mountains of skulls, from Russ... more For decades, leftists have championed socialism while ignoring its mountains of skulls, from Russia to Venezuela. The million-life question is: why? What do these collectivists want to achieve. In contrast, how does capitalism, as distinguished from mercantilism and cronyism, enable humans to go from caves to skyscrapers? Why is capitalism the morally good social system?
The New Individualist, 2007
In this 2007 interview by Sara Pentz in The New Individualist (link above), Ms. Enright explains ... more In this 2007 interview by Sara Pentz in The New Individualist (link above), Ms. Enright explains fundamentals of excellent education, the ingenious ways the Montessori Method gives students what they need, how we arrived at the dismal state of education we have today, the dire effects of Post Modernist influence on education, and how she is bringing the Montessori approach to higher education.
A summary of the essence of Binswanger's argument on goal-causation, an expansion on the issues h... more A summary of the essence of Binswanger's argument on goal-causation, an expansion on the issues he brings up, and discussion of problems with and objections to his arguments. This was originally a post on the Moderated Discussion of Objectivist Philosophy, 1995.
The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies, 2015
The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies, 2014
Ayn Rand argued the "selfish" is the correct designation for a person living according to the Obj... more Ayn Rand argued the "selfish" is the correct designation for a person living according to the Objectivist ethics and that selfishness is a virtue. The accuracy of this claim is examined along with the meaning of "selfish," the wider implications for the Objectivist ethics, and ethics in general. Alternatives to the term are suggested.
Most university programs fail to teach young people how to live as free, autonomous persons. Thei... more Most university programs fail to teach young people how to live as free, autonomous persons. Their classrooms rely heavily on an authoritarian, top-down structure of a single arbiter of knowledge, often in the position of lecturer, discussion leader, and knowledge authority, who conveys information to the waiting student-receptacles. For the most part, this methodology has been unchanged for centuries.
I examine what we now know about human development, learning, and motivation, and argue that university education is ripe for a revolution in its psychological technology, ripe for a program that embodies the ideals of self-sufficient, self-responsible, goal seeking, and autonomous individuals. Furthermore, when freedom and autonomy are directly experienced, students become more engaged, interested, and enthusiastic learners, and more often adopt the ideas and values of liberty.
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Papers by Marsha Familaro Enright
I examine what we now know about human development, learning, and motivation, and argue that university education is ripe for a revolution in its psychological technology, ripe for a program that embodies the ideals of self-sufficient, self-responsible, goal seeking, and autonomous individuals. Furthermore, when freedom and autonomy are directly experienced, students become more engaged, interested, and enthusiastic learners, and more often adopt the ideas and values of liberty.
I examine what we now know about human development, learning, and motivation, and argue that university education is ripe for a revolution in its psychological technology, ripe for a program that embodies the ideals of self-sufficient, self-responsible, goal seeking, and autonomous individuals. Furthermore, when freedom and autonomy are directly experienced, students become more engaged, interested, and enthusiastic learners, and more often adopt the ideas and values of liberty.
[Originally published in Common Ground On Common Core, ed. Kirsten Lombard, 2015, http://www.resoundingbooks.org/books/commonground/