The virtues, principles, and practices that Blacks need to be able to succeed and find happiness in the US:
Virtue of Rationality: The primary virtue for any individual seeking success and happiness is rationality. This means using reason as the sole means of knowledge and guide to action. One must think critically, focus on reality, and reject mysticism or emotionalism as a basis for decision-making. Success in any field—whether in business, education, or personal life—requires the consistent application of reason to identify facts, solve problems, and pursue goals based on objective reality.
Virtue of Independence: Individuals must orient themselves toward reality, not toward the opinions or expectations of others. Independence means thinking for oneself, making decisions based on one’s own rational judgment, and rejecting second-handedness or groupthink. For any person, including Black individuals, this means not relying on collective identity or social approval as a source of value, but instead cultivating personal conviction and self-reliance.
Virtue of Productiveness: Success and happiness depend on productiveness, which is the process of adjusting nature to one’s needs through creative work. This includes pursuing a career, building skills, accumulating wealth, and contributing value to the marketplace. In the context of the United States, a capitalist system (however imperfectly implemented) offers the opportunity to create and trade value freely. Embracing productiveness means seeking to achieve through one’s own effort, not through dependency or parasitism.
Principle of Rational Self-Interest: Every individual must recognize that they are an end in themselves, not a means to the ends of others. Happiness is achieved by pursuing one’s own rational self-interest, not by sacrificing for others or expecting others to sacrifice for oneself. This principle rejects altruism as a moral ideal and instead holds that one’s life and happiness are the proper focus of moral action.
Principle of Individualism: Collectivism, in any form, is antithetical to success and happiness. One must reject the notion that one’s value or path in life is determined by race, group identity, or social constructs. Individualism means recognizing that each person is a sovereign entity with the right to their own life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. In the United States, despite historical injustices, the legal framework of individual rights (however inconsistently applied) provides the foundation for personal achievement.
Practice of Integrity: Integrity is the loyalty to rational principles, even in the face of adversity or social pressure. This means consistently acting in accordance with one’s rational convictions, rejecting compromise on fundamental values, and maintaining honesty by refusing to evade reality. For anyone seeking success, integrity ensures that one’s actions align with one’s goals and principles.
Practice of Justice: Justice involves evaluating others rationally and giving them what they deserve based on their actions and character, not on arbitrary factors such as race or unearned claims. In practice, this means dealing with others as individuals, seeking relationships and opportunities based on mutual value, and rejecting any form of unearned guilt or entitlement.
Embracing Capitalism as the Moral System: The United States, at its best, operates under a system that approximates capitalism, the only moral social and economic system. Capitalism rewards individual effort, innovation, and trade based on voluntary exchange. To achieve success, one must embrace the principles of capitalism, including the pursuit of profit, the accumulation of capital, and the rejection of statism or socialism, which undermine individual rights and productivity.
Rejection of Victimhood and Evasion: It is critical to reject any narrative of victimhood or determinism that suggests one’s life is dictated by external forces, historical grievances, or systemic barriers beyond one’s control. While reality may present challenges, including instances of injustice, the metaphysically given must be accepted as absolute, and one must focus on what can be changed through rational action. Evasion of reality—whether by blaming others or denying personal responsibility—is a vice that obstructs success and happiness.
Pursuit of Personal Happiness: Happiness is the normal condition of a rational being and must be pursued as a primary goal. This involves identifying and achieving one’s own values, whether in career, relationships, or personal growth, based on rational standards. For any individual in the United States, happiness is attainable through the exercise of reason, the practice of virtue, and the rejection of self-sacrifice or dependency.
Virtue of Honesty: Honesty is the rejection of unreality and the commitment to perceiving and acknowledging facts as they are. For any individual seeking success and happiness, this means refusing to fake reality or engage in self-deception, whether about one’s abilities, circumstances, or the nature of others. Honesty ensures that one’s actions are based on truth, which is essential for long-term achievement in any endeavor.
Virtue of Pride: Pride, understood as moral ambitiousness, involves the pursuit of a virtuous character and the recognition of one’s own worth through achievement. It is the commitment to earning one’s self-esteem through rational action and rejecting unearned guilt or humility. In the context of the United States, where individual achievement is possible under a system that approximates capitalism, pride drives one to strive for excellence and to value one’s own accomplishments.
Principle of Natural Rights: Success and happiness require the recognition and defense of individual rights—life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness—as absolutes derived from reality and reason. These rights are not granted by society or government but are inherent to man’s nature as a rational being. In practice, this means advocating for a limited government that protects these rights and rejecting any form of statism or collectivism that violates them. It also means not violating the natural rights of others, harming them, or committing fraud against them.
Practice of Rational Goal-Setting: Achieving success involves setting goals based on rational evaluation of one’s context, abilities, and values. This means identifying long-term objectives—such as career advancement, financial independence, or personal growth—and breaking them into actionable steps grounded in reality. It requires rejecting arbitrary whims or unrealistic expectations and instead focusing on what is achievable through consistent effort.
Rejection of Mysticism and Emotionalism: As reason is man’s only means of knowledge, one must reject mysticism (the reliance on faith or supernatural claims) and emotionalism (the use of emotions as a guide to action) in decision-making. For instance, decisions about education, career, or relationships must be based on logical analysis of facts, not on fleeting feelings or unexamined beliefs. This ensures that one’s path to success is grounded in objective reality.
Commitment to Personal Responsibility: Since man is a volitional being with free will, every individual is responsible for their choices and actions. Success and happiness cannot be achieved by blaming external factors or expecting others to provide for one’s needs. In the United States, where opportunities for self-reliance exist, personal responsibility means taking ownership of one’s life, learning from mistakes, and persistently pursuing one’s values through rational effort.
Virtue of Justice in Action: Beyond the principle of justice mentioned earlier, the active practice of justice involves evaluating others based on their individual merits and actions, not on arbitrary characteristics or collective identities. This means rewarding achievement and virtue in others while refusing to sanction irrationality or parasitism. In the United States, where individual rights are the legal foundation, practicing justice ensures that one builds relationships and professional networks based on mutual value and earned respect [1].
Principle of Volitional Focus: As man is a volitional being, success and happiness depend on the choice to focus one’s mind and think rationally. This principle requires consciously directing one’s attention to reality, rejecting mental passivity or evasion. In practical terms, this means dedicating effort to learning, problem-solving, and planning one’s life based on objective facts, a practice essential for thriving in a society that rewards initiative and innovation [2].
Practice of Long-Term Thinking: Success requires orienting one’s actions toward long-term values rather than short-term whims. This involves rational planning, such as investing in education, building capital, and maintaining health, all of which are supported by a capitalist framework like that in the United States. Long-term thinking aligns with the virtue of productiveness and ensures sustained achievement over time [3].
Rejection of Force and Coercion: The initiation of physical force is evil, as it violates individual rights and undermines the rational pursuit of values. For any individual seeking happiness, this means advocating for a society based on voluntary trade and interaction, rejecting any form of coercion—whether by government or private entities. In the United States, the protection of rights against force is a cornerstone, though vigilance is required to maintain it [4].
Commitment to Objective Values: Values are objective, derived from the requirements of man’s life as a rational being. This means identifying and pursuing values such as productive work, rational relationships, and personal growth, rather than accepting arbitrary or subjective standards imposed by others. In a society like the United States, where freedom allows for the pursuit of such values, individuals must actively choose and uphold them through reason [5].
Cultivation of Rational Emotions: While emotions are not a means of knowledge, they are effects of one’s rational judgments. Cultivating emotions that align with rational values—such as joy in achievement or admiration for virtue—reinforces one’s commitment to a life of purpose. This practice supports happiness as the normal state of a rational being and is achievable through consistent application of reason in all areas of life [6].
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