new drug
I went to Ayn Rand's philosophy website and I think that I've found my new obsession. Objecivism. I loved nothing more of her character, Howard Roark, than his ability to be unmoved by the things around him. Nothing budged him because he knew that nothing, in all of nature, could prevent him from doing what needed to be done. Growing up in america, we have been brainwashed early on to believe that if yo have no money or possessions you have nothing. Hmm...Objectivism:
ob·jec·tiv·ism (Pronunciation Key) (ob-jek-te-vi-zem) n.
1. Philosophy. One of several doctrines holding that all reality is objective and external to the mind and that knowledge is reliably based on observed objects and events.
2. An emphasis on objects rather than feelings or thoughts in literature or art.
This is a bit of what I read from Ayn Rand's site:
At a sales conference at Random House, preceding the publication of Atlas Shrugged, one of the book salesmen asked me whether I could present the essence of my philosophy while standing on one foot. I did as follows:
"1. Metaphysics: Objective Reality
2. Epistemology: Reason
3. Ethics: Self-interest
4. Politics: Capitalism
If you want this translated into simple language, it would read:
1. "Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed" or "Wishing won't make it so."
2. "You can't eat your cake and have it, too."
3. "Man is an end in himself."
4. "Give me liberty or give me death."
If you held these concepts with total consistency, as the base of your convictions, you would have a full philosophical system to guide the course of your life. But to hold them with total consistency—to understand, to define, to prove and to apply them—requires volumes of thought. Which is why philosophy cannot be discussed while standing on one foot—nor while standing on two feet on both sides of every fence. This last is the predominant philosophical position today, particularly in the field of politics.
My philosophy, Objectivism, holds that:
1. Reality exists as an objective absolute—facts are facts, independent of man's feelings, wishes, hopes or fears.
2. Reason (the faculty which identifies and integrates the material provided by man's senses) is man's only means of perceiving reality, his only source of knowledge, his only guide to action, and his basic means of survival.
3. Man—every man—is an end in himself, not the means to the ends of others. He must exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself. The pursuit of his own rational self-interest and of his own happiness is the highest moral purpose of his life.
4. The ideal political-economic system is laissez-faire capitalism. It is a system where men deal with one another, not as victims and executioners, nor as masters and slaves, but as traders, by free, voluntary exchange to mutual benefit. It is a system where no man may obtain any values from others by resorting to physical force, and no man may initiate the use of physical force against others. The government acts only as a policeman that protects man's rights; it uses physical force only in retaliation and only against those who initiate its use, such as criminals or foreign invaders. In a system of full capitalism, there should be (but, historically, has not yet been) a complete separation of state and economics, in the same way and for the same reasons as the separation of state and church."
Now, I was all for Ayn until she mentioned the seperation form state and church. This country was founded by protestants. It brings me back to the aricles of taking "in God we trust" off of the money as well as eliminating bible readin and prayers from the public schools. It seems thoguh that this is the right thing to do only because a public school is government property and so it currency. But, if we eliminate God from out government, it will be like saying "our country does not believe in God, only certain individuals". which is primarily true. but if God was removed, then on what morale will the government be run? Dont they know that the laws against stealing (theif), murder (homicide), adultry (incompetence), etc. etc. are all based on factors from the bible? Well, I guess our goverment is on its way out to being athiest anyway, with the brainwashing of product (i.e. "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." 1 Timothy 6:10).
Well, I guess that's that. But I'm still intetersted in learning about the philosophies of Objectivism. I need something to make me stronger, but I'm sure you've read your fill of that from my last post...
I'm supposed to be going out to lunch with kitty around 1pm today. I'm glad, I haven't seen her in a few weeks. I'll try not to be too excited when we meet.
[note: kitty has been changed to protect their current existence]
ob·jec·tiv·ism (Pronunciation Key) (ob-jek-te-vi-zem) n.
1. Philosophy. One of several doctrines holding that all reality is objective and external to the mind and that knowledge is reliably based on observed objects and events.
2. An emphasis on objects rather than feelings or thoughts in literature or art.
This is a bit of what I read from Ayn Rand's site:
At a sales conference at Random House, preceding the publication of Atlas Shrugged, one of the book salesmen asked me whether I could present the essence of my philosophy while standing on one foot. I did as follows:
"1. Metaphysics: Objective Reality
2. Epistemology: Reason
3. Ethics: Self-interest
4. Politics: Capitalism
If you want this translated into simple language, it would read:
1. "Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed" or "Wishing won't make it so."
2. "You can't eat your cake and have it, too."
3. "Man is an end in himself."
4. "Give me liberty or give me death."
If you held these concepts with total consistency, as the base of your convictions, you would have a full philosophical system to guide the course of your life. But to hold them with total consistency—to understand, to define, to prove and to apply them—requires volumes of thought. Which is why philosophy cannot be discussed while standing on one foot—nor while standing on two feet on both sides of every fence. This last is the predominant philosophical position today, particularly in the field of politics.
My philosophy, Objectivism, holds that:
1. Reality exists as an objective absolute—facts are facts, independent of man's feelings, wishes, hopes or fears.
2. Reason (the faculty which identifies and integrates the material provided by man's senses) is man's only means of perceiving reality, his only source of knowledge, his only guide to action, and his basic means of survival.
3. Man—every man—is an end in himself, not the means to the ends of others. He must exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself. The pursuit of his own rational self-interest and of his own happiness is the highest moral purpose of his life.
4. The ideal political-economic system is laissez-faire capitalism. It is a system where men deal with one another, not as victims and executioners, nor as masters and slaves, but as traders, by free, voluntary exchange to mutual benefit. It is a system where no man may obtain any values from others by resorting to physical force, and no man may initiate the use of physical force against others. The government acts only as a policeman that protects man's rights; it uses physical force only in retaliation and only against those who initiate its use, such as criminals or foreign invaders. In a system of full capitalism, there should be (but, historically, has not yet been) a complete separation of state and economics, in the same way and for the same reasons as the separation of state and church."
Now, I was all for Ayn until she mentioned the seperation form state and church. This country was founded by protestants. It brings me back to the aricles of taking "in God we trust" off of the money as well as eliminating bible readin and prayers from the public schools. It seems thoguh that this is the right thing to do only because a public school is government property and so it currency. But, if we eliminate God from out government, it will be like saying "our country does not believe in God, only certain individuals". which is primarily true. but if God was removed, then on what morale will the government be run? Dont they know that the laws against stealing (theif), murder (homicide), adultry (incompetence), etc. etc. are all based on factors from the bible? Well, I guess our goverment is on its way out to being athiest anyway, with the brainwashing of product (i.e. "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." 1 Timothy 6:10).
Well, I guess that's that. But I'm still intetersted in learning about the philosophies of Objectivism. I need something to make me stronger, but I'm sure you've read your fill of that from my last post...
I'm supposed to be going out to lunch with kitty around 1pm today. I'm glad, I haven't seen her in a few weeks. I'll try not to be too excited when we meet.
[note: kitty has been changed to protect their current existence]
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