IN1908,AHarvardphilosophernamedJosiahRoycewrote
abookwiththetitleThePhilosophyof Loyalty.Royce
wasnotconcernedwiththetrialsofaging.Buthewas
concerned witha puzzlethatis fundamentaltoanyone
contemplating his or her mortality. Royce wanted to
understand why simply existing—why being merely
housed and fed and safe and alive—seemsempty and
meaninglesstous.Whatmoreisitthatweneedinorder
to feel that life is worthwhile?
The answer, he believed, is that we all seek a cause
beyondourselves.Thiswas,tohim,anintrinsichuman
need. The cause could be large (family, country,
principle)orsmall(abuildingproject,thecareofapet).
Theimportantthingwasthat,in ascribingvaluetothe
causeand seeingitas worthmakingsacrifices for,we
give our lives meaning.
Roycecalledthisdedicationto acausebeyondoneself
loyalty.Heregardeditastheoppositeofindividualism.
Theindividualistputsself-interestfirst,seeinghisown
pain,pleasure,andexistenceashisgreatestconcern.For
anindividualist,loyaltytocausesthathavenothingtodo
with self-interest is strange. When such loyalty
encourages self-sacrifice, it can even be alarming—a
mistakenandirrationaltendencythatleavespeopleopen
totheexploitationoftyrants.Nothingcouldmattermore
than self-interest, and because when you die you are
gone, self-sacrifice makes no sense.
Roycehadnosympathyfortheindividualistview.“The
selfishwehadalwayswithus,”hewrote.“Butthedivine
righttobeselfishwasnevermoreingeniouslydefended.”
Infact,heargued,humanbeingsneedloyalty.Itdoesnot