- objectivists rob nothing, they create
Fear true freedom no more, Fellow Worker! Renounce Objectivism-lite! ;)
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.
Guilty as charged. I am in fact a suburban blowhard.
...the kind of person who honestly believes he dated cheerleaders and was really cool.
While I wasn't cool, I was fairly popular -- for whatever that's worth. (And I really did date cheerleaders.) To deny these objective facts is to deny reality. A thing is what it is.
Here, here's an even better idea... What say I let you have the last word and you and I can just let it go, cause frankly, I'm tired of trying to figure out whether you're stupid or crazy.
Between your cryptic fairy-land remarks and CJ's psychotic tail-chasing, you've managed to make this thread fairly nonsensical. But that's not surprising; chaotic people bring chaos because they hate logical order. I'm going to just pat you on the head and go talk to someone I consider a little more rational.
Sorry to be curt, but this is a little like hanging out with junior high kids. Interesting for a moment or two, then wearisome.
Who ever said it was. Certainly Ayn Rand never did. She would never have said such a thing, because it is meaningless.
Neither are you nor I the center of "our" universe, because, of course, it's not really about you or me.
What is "it"? What's not really about you or me? Are you here contradicting your Christian doctrine that it is for "you and me" that the Savior died? What does this mean?
Also, the standards and best goals we would hope people live by are not brought by self-interest.
Really. So, what you are saying is that standards and best goals are bad for us. That if we do the very best there is to do, if we follow the highest possibile standards of morality and good, it will be worse for us than if we do not quite follow them.
Since you are a Christian, is not the very best thing you could do for yourself be to believe and have your sins remitted so that you might spend eternity in heaven? What could be more selfish than that. If being selfish is wrong, every Christian should denounce their Savior immediately in unselfish sacrifice and doom themselves to eternal separation from God.
Interestingly, it just so happens that actual values (highest standards) are about what is in my ultimate interest
You may think it is just "interesting," like a curiosity, but it is actually an obvious fact, because any other view is absurd.
"What shall if profit a (capitalist) if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?"
Now, see, if you knew your Bible a little better, you would never have used this passage for your argument. The Bible does not teach altruism, even though every theologian and every organized church does.
For your edification, the "soul" one ought to be careful not to loose, not matter what else is gained, do you know what it is? It is one's SELF, that one must never sacrifice to anything else, even the whole world, even their children, their family, their neighbors, or their "group."
The following are two Scriptural recordings of the same event, compare:
Mat. 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Luke 9:25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?
You can have it your way, but the Bible makes it clear, the most important thing to you or me, is you and me, and whatever else we should gain, if we loose ourselves, we have lost everything that matters.
Hank
As usual, your attempts to communicate, without having to resort to context and definitions, make me wonder what you do in your spare time. It doesn't seem to be spent analyzing argument or in self-reflection. Then again, you do have the ability to extend the length of any thread and, thereby, bring out rational readers who cannot stand your sophistry. Carry on!
And you got your theological degree in a Cracker Jack box? ;)
Matthew 16
[24] Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Matthew 19
[21] Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
Mark 8
[34] And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Luke 9
[23] And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
you base your arguments on the mythology of god
Yes, you've said that already -- but you failed to support your claims by either logic or evidence. In fact, your statement that there is no basis for a belief in God is demonstrably untrue; there are several good bases for such a belief.
Fear true freedom no more, Fellow Worker! Renounce Objectivism-lite! ;)
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