Is Virtue Only a Means to Happiness? assesses the nature of virtue and happiness in Ayn Rand's writings and those of her Objectivist followers.
In the title essay, Neera Badhwar argues virtues are constitutive components of happiness. Supporting this position, she cites recent psychological findings and calls into question Rand's dictum "emotions are not tools of cognition." Badhwar holds that a separation of emotion and cognition undermines a proper understanding of virtuous dispositions. She pits Rand against Rand to buttress her claims, arguing that Rand's novels contradict her non-fiction writings on these points.
This volume also includes three commentary essays by Jay Friendenberg, Lester H. Hunt, and David Kelley. And in a reply to these comments, Badhwar defends her meta-ethics and conception of virtue.
