Quote by Ayn Rand
The common good of a collective -- a race, a class, a state -- was the claim and justification of every tyranny ever established over men. Every major horror of history was committed in the name of an altruistic motive. Has any act of selfishness ever equaled the carnage perpetrated by disciples of altruism? Does the fault lie in men's hypocrisy or in the nature of the principle? The most dreadful butchers were the most sincere. The believed in the perfect society reached through the guillotine and the firing squad. Nobody questioned their right to murder since they were murdering for an altruistic purpose. It was accepted that man must be sacrificed for other men. Actors change, but the course of the tragedy remains the same. A humanitarian who starts with the declarations of love for mankind and ends with a sea of blood. It goes on and will go on so long as men believe that an action is good if it is unselfish. That permits the altruist to act and forces his victims to bear it. The leaders of collectivist movements ask nothing of themselves. But observe the results.
Summary
This quote by Ayn Rand explores the dangers of collectivism and the misguided belief that actions done for the greater good are automatically justified. It argues that throughout history, tyrannies and atrocities were often committed under the guise of altruism and the pursuit of a perfect society. The quote suggests that the immense harm caused by these acts of "selflessness" may lie in the inherent flaw of the principle itself. It goes on to criticize the sincerity of those who commit these atrocities, highlighting that they sincerely believe in sacrificing individuals for the supposed betterment of society. The quote serves as a cautionary reminder about the potential dangers of sacrificing individual rights and freedoms for the sake of collective goals.
