I have been studying objectivism ever since I have read Ayn Rand's novel "Atlas Shrugged" and I can honestly say this book changed my life and that is why I wanted to study this philosophy to see what I agree and don't agree with. Objectivism isn't just a philosophy, but a way of life. Ayn Rand was born in Russia and lived the mists of their socialism, and as she was growing up she hated socialism and hated the system that Russia had, and she dreamed and dreamed of coming to America. She is one of the most fascinating people I have ever learned about because she doesn't necessarily find beauty in nature but more specifically in man made objects things that man had to create and use his mind to engineer.
Ayn Rand & Mike Wallace Interview
"Reality exists as an objective absolute that man's mind, reason, is his means of perceiving it, and that men needs a rational morality.... a morality, not based on faith, not on arbitrary whims, not on emotions, not on arbitrary edits, mystical or social, but on reason. a morality which can be proved by means of logic which can be demonstrated to be true and necessary."
"He must live to the independent judgement of his own mind that his highest moral purpose is the achievement of his own happiness, and that he must not force other people or accept their right to force him. that each man must live in an end within himself."
"Self sacrifice (altruism) is the precept that man needs to serve other to justify his existence, that his moral duty is to serve others... man is entitled to his OWN happiness and that he must achieve it himself but he cannot demand that others give up their life to make him happy nor should he to wish to sacrifice himself for the happiness of others."
"It is immoral if it is a love placed above oneself, it is more than immoral, its impossible, because when you are asked to love everybody indiscriminately, that it is to love people without any standard, to love them regardless wither they have any value or virtue."
"What would it meant to have love above self interest? it would mean for instance that a husband would tell his wife, if he were moral according the conventional morality, that i am marrying you just for your own sake, i have no personal interest, but I am so unselfish that i am marrying for your own good, would any woman like that?"
There are more great quotes from this whole video series but I thought I would just quote from the first video.
This is one of my favorite papers she has written and it explains about the economy in a way it is easy to understand and she is very clever and witty as well!
Egalitarianism and Inflation
Somer you are MY hero. The objectivist view on love is so pure and so logical. How can you love your fellow man by forcing him to give up himself. Giving money to a homeless man is not charity, giving him a job is.
ReplyDeleteEven the bible says "give a man a fish he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he can eat for a lifetime." This is objectivism. You have not sacrificed your fish that would be one of your dinners, you have shown that man where to find his own fish so that he can eat of his own accord.
In a relationship(and I have experienced this first hand) the moment you begin to sacrifice yourself you begin down the path of destruction of that relationship. Love is not pity or charity. It is product and pride. I love Somer because she makes ME laugh, makes ME feel proud of who I am, she brings light into MY darkness. Not because I need her to but because I have something that she wants a friend to provide.
In Economy, the reason we have depression is because the government stuck their hands in to begin with. Regulation of utilities, nationalization of health care, Income taxes, etc, etc, etc. Objectivism preaches the separation of Economy and State. A governments sole purpose should be Military, Law enforcement, and international politics. Imagine how many jobs would be created if roads were privatized. How much more secure would airports be if they were privatized. How much farther into space would we be if Nasa could make a profit. Things like unions, affirmative action, and welfare have destroyed our powerhouse of an economy. Apply these priniciples to the current situations. If the government had let GM fall 100 other companies would have picked up the pieces and great minds might have turned that failure into great things and thousands of jobs.
Blind Faith is merely us closing our eyes to our own minds!
No Gods, No masters!