Doing the Right Thing Should Be the Only Thing

Cheers to Randy Harvey [Oct. 18] for decrying the ethics of athletes and fans who approve of cheating one’s way to victory. My only objection is that he thinks Mark Calcavecchia’s honesty is a “sacrifice.” In fact, Calcavecchia and other honest athletes are not sacrificing themselves: They are selfish--and properly so.

It is in one’s rational self-interest to be honest, to get what one deserves and only what one deserves. Calcavecchia did not sacrifice himself when he returned the unearned prize money. It is not in one’s self-interest to fake reality, to try to get something for nothing. Contrary to the view of many philosophers, virtue is not its own reward. Virtue is practical: Its reward is personal happiness.

MICHAEL S. BERLINER

Executive Director, Ayn Rand Institute