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If you knew anything about what Rand wrote, you would know that she never regarded any subjective experience a basis of what would make a human happy, and never recommended the direct pursuit of happiness in that sense. She despised it and called it, correctly, hedonism.

I'll offer you the challenge, then, that our Canadian friend so badly bungled.

Define in measurable terms the objective basis of "happiness," keeping in mind that to be objective, any given basis must infallibly produce "happiness," for all people at all times.

And while you're at it, why not define happiness itself, in objective, measurable terms?

Define in measurable terms the objective basis of "happiness," keeping in mind that to be objective, any given basis must infallibly produce "happiness," for all people at all times.

A note: using that standard, properly modified, you can't prove that the existence of the sex drive is an objective phenomenon. Your challenge seems loaded.

“Define in measurable terms the objective basis of ‘happiness,’ keeping in mind that to be objective, any given basis must infallibly produce ‘happiness,’ for all people at all times.

And while you’re at it, why not define happiness itself, in objective, measurable terms?

Your are a presumptive ... You don’t know me, so I’ll say gently, no one tells me what to.

I’m not a Randian and have no intention of defending her philosophy. (I could certainly do it, but won’t, mostly because I do not agree with much of her philosophy, but for reasons no one on this thread would understand, especially the idiots.)

Only an ... would say, “Define in measurable terms the objective basis of ‘happiness,’ keeping in mind that to be objective, any given basis must infallibly produce ‘happiness,’ for all people at all times.”

What, you think happiness is like a secretion that is produced by, what, some glandular process? Happiness is not a something, it is a state and since everyone is different, there can never be something that “produces” or “defines” happiness for everyone.

I know what happiness is for me, and how to achieve it. I have no idea what would make an idiot happy.

I’m not interested in defending Rand’s philosophy, only interested in giving some balance against the ignorant smears and slander spread by supposed “conservative” people.

Hank

Objective happiness: physical life and health. Emotional pleasure proceeding from rational thought and action. You may consider it subjective; Rand considered introspection an objective process and emotions as objectively exisiting, though of course not tools of cognition.

Why are you pretending not to know what happiness is ? Even a dog intuitively knows what happiness is. "Measurable" is not synonymous with "objective" in Objectivism. That is the prevalent view of scientists and empiricist philosophers of science, but not in Objectivism.