Egoism and Capitalism

Egoism can be either descriptive or normative. Hobbes' variety--the thesis that an instinct of self-preservation governs all behavior--is an example of the former. Smith's variety--an advocacy of self-interested pursuits, with respect to which sympathetic behavior is an alternative option, and which entails trust in the Invisible Hand--is an example of the latter, i. e. he conceives Egoism to be the best means to the goal of his system, which is the wealth of a nation. In contrast with both, Rand's variety is a normative principle that she portrays as a description, thereby exempting her from any responsibility for justifying what is, in fact, an arbitrary proposition. The resulting dogmatism of her 'Objectivist' doctrine is frequently expressed in the obstinant promotion of laissez-faire Capitalism by her followers.