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About Objectivism
Objectivist Center ^ | 2/2002

Posted on 04/22/2003 5:25:25 PM PDT by RJCogburn

My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute. — Ayn Rand, Appendix to Atlas Shrugged

In her novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, and in nonfiction works such as Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal, Ayn Rand forged a systematic philosophy of reason and freedom.

Rand was a passionate individualist. She wrote in praise of "the men of unborrowed vision," who live by the judgment of their own minds, willing to stand alone against tradition and popular opinion.

Her philosophy of Objectivism rejects the ethics of self-sacrifice and renunciation. She urged men to hold themselves and their lives as their highest values, and to live by the code of the free individual: self-reliance, integrity, rationality, productive effort.

Objectivism celebrates the power of man's mind, defending reason and science against every form of irrationalism. It provides an intellectual foundation for objective standards of truth and value.

Upholding the use of reason to transform nature and create wealth, Objectivism honors the businessman and the banker, no less than the philosopher and artist, as creators and as benefactors of mankind.

Ayn Rand was a champion of individual rights, which protect the sovereignty of the individual as an end in himself; and of capitalism, which is the only social system that allows people to live together peaceably, by voluntary trade, as independent equals.

Millions of readers have been inspired by the vision of life in Ayn Rand's novels. Scholars are exploring the trails she blazed in philosophy and other fields. Her principled defense of capitalism has drawn new adherents to the cause of economic and political liberty.


TOPICS: Philosophy
KEYWORDS: aynrand; objectivism
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To: Anamensis
This from a CHRIST-ian, the ultimate in cult of personality.

When you accept the ultimate personality, it explains why such a thing as a "cult of personality" exists (and why it is the only successful kind of cult).

61 posted on 04/22/2003 7:23:19 PM PDT by unspun (It's not about you.)
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To: RJCogburn
I read Anthem and quite frankly, it is nothing but a atheist, self-exalted individualist piece of drivel.

Rand had some problems.
62 posted on 04/22/2003 7:24:33 PM PDT by rwfromkansas (God Reigns!)
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To: rwfromkansas
Now now, don't be nasty.
63 posted on 04/22/2003 7:25:10 PM PDT by unspun (It's not about you.)
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To: Sebastian
Right.
64 posted on 04/22/2003 7:27:21 PM PDT by rwfromkansas (God Reigns!)
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To: tpaine
In my limited experience those who write about:

-- "a certain type of suburban nerd"
-- "the kind of kid who thinks he's a Heroic Loner, because none of the cheerleaders will date him"
-- "Kids like this whom I've known tended to spend a lot of time in their rooms smoking pot and reading too much into prog-rock lyrics."

Are looking into a:

-- Mirror mirror on the wall, can B-chan be the loveliest projectionist of them all?

Not guilty, your honor. I was reasonably popular in high school, dated quite a bit (several cheerleaders, too), and didn't really get into smoking pot until I was in college (I've always preferred good old-fashioned liquor to the various other intoxicants). I admit to liking Rush for a brief time during my skool daze, but I soon grew out of my fascination with Randian prog-rock, and was in fact well-known around town as the resident punk rocker. I admit to being a hopeless Trekkie in the days of my youth, but Rand? I read her. It didn't "take".

65 posted on 04/22/2003 7:27:56 PM PDT by B-Chan (Anglican Use Bump!)
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To: unspun
I'm sorry, I can't parse your sentence. Can you put it another way?
66 posted on 04/22/2003 7:30:00 PM PDT by Anamensis
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To: Cultural Jihad; OrthodoxPresbyterian
Objectivists would rob people of their right to decide what kind of a society they are to live in, and that makes them anti-freedom.

I'd like to live in a libertarian society composed of Calvinists.

Will you agree, or attempt to rob me of my right to decide what kind of society to live in?

67 posted on 04/22/2003 7:32:35 PM PDT by A.J.Armitage (Christ died for the ungodly.)
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To: Anamensis
I'm sorry, I can't parse your sentence. Can you put it another way?

I think it should, if you read it objectively, without reading anything into the words (using "cult" here as in its basic root meaning, a group of people who worship together/similarly).

68 posted on 04/22/2003 7:34:52 PM PDT by unspun (It's not about you.)
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To: Anamensis
It should be quite "parsable" I mean.
69 posted on 04/22/2003 7:36:05 PM PDT by unspun (It's not about you.)
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To: Anamensis
Rush drummer/lyricist Neal Peart Was (and could still be; I dunno) a proponent of Objectivism. Their album 2112 is a rock-opera rendtion of the struggle between a future collectivist Brotherhood of Man and the rationalist/romantic "Elder Race" who return to Earth in their spaceships to overthrow the whim-worshiping Priests of the Temples of Syrinx and the hated Red Star banner. Ayn Rand would've given it a 98 on "Objectivist Bandstand".
70 posted on 04/22/2003 7:36:46 PM PDT by B-Chan (Anglican Use Bump!)
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To: B-Chan
You seem to have this weird idea that I care.

-- Sorry bout that.
71 posted on 04/22/2003 7:38:28 PM PDT by tpaine (Really, I'm trying to be a 'decent human being', but me flesh is weak.)
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To: B-Chan
I hope she wouldn't have danced to it with her "girlfriend," though.
72 posted on 04/22/2003 7:39:06 PM PDT by unspun (It's not about you.)
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To: A.J.Armitage
Sounds cool to me. But don't run to a horrible woman like Rand to try to justify what is already something you should be able to do.
73 posted on 04/22/2003 7:39:21 PM PDT by rwfromkansas (God Reigns!)
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To: RJCogburn
read later
74 posted on 04/22/2003 7:45:54 PM PDT by LiteKeeper
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To: Odyssey-x
He didn't base his arguments on the idea that Communism is immoral, etc. He just said that it was broken in that it would fail miserably to accomplish it's ends for various systemic reasons that he explains in great detail.

Well, just for the record, I am an admirer of von Mises, as well as Rand.

There's nothing wrong with a pragmatic indictment of Communism, per se. The trouble is that the pragmatic argument fails if they manage to hold things together (Mainland China comes to mind). Rand, OTOH, provides a powerful moral argument against Communism (or any form of totalitarianism) that is immune to the vulnerabilities of the pragmatic argument.

On balance, I think there's a great deal we can learn from both Rand AND von Mises.

75 posted on 04/22/2003 7:52:50 PM PDT by longshadow
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To: Hank Kerchief
Thanks for the ping. I'll have to take some time later and read through it.
76 posted on 04/22/2003 7:56:05 PM PDT by tacticalogic (Controlled application of force is the sincerest form of communication.)
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To: B-Chan
Kids like this whom I've known tended to spend a lot of time in their rooms, smoking pot and reading too much into prog-rock lyrics. When the decades-spanning career of Rush draws to a close, I suspect the ranks of Randfandom will similarly diminish.

Trash Rand all you want ... but trash Rush, now you've gone way too far!

Sic transit gloria mundi.

In my limited experience, using Latin phrases in a post tends to appeal to a certain type of suburban blowhard -- the kind of person who honestly believes he dated cheerleaders and was really cool.

77 posted on 04/22/2003 8:00:37 PM PDT by mikegi
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To: Sebastian
I said:
***Rand ... was wrong because she rejected the collective (the concept that the group is more important than the individual)... ***
You said:
***Your are right, or would be, if Rand actually said this. ***
Rand did reject the collective. How am I wrong?

I quote you, (again), "she rejected the collective (the concept that the group is more important than the individual)".

You are wrong because Rand did not consider the group to have any importance at all. There is no question in Objectivism of which is more importat, the individual or the group. With regard to the concept importance, a group is irrelevant, unless an individual has some personal goal or objective with regard to a group (is forming a football team, for example), and then the importance of the group is derived entirely from the intentions and purposes of the individual.

Hank

78 posted on 04/22/2003 8:01:50 PM PDT by Hank Kerchief
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To: longshadow
Every Rand fan I know is a God-hater. Are all you Rand fans atheists also?

I haven't read her, don't think I am going to. Someone here described her book as ...

"atheistic, self-exalted individualist piece of drivel."

That's all I need to know. And she hated Communism? That's like the pot calling the kettle black.
79 posted on 04/22/2003 8:13:28 PM PDT by sasportas
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To: sasportas
That's all I need to know.

It's always interesting to meet someone whose intellectual curiosity is so easily sated....

80 posted on 04/22/2003 8:16:56 PM PDT by longshadow
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