 Reason vs. Faith
by Joseph Rowlands
Sometimes the best way to understand a concept is to contrast it with others. There are some aspects of reason that fit this description. Specifically, it's useful to contrast it with the concept of faith. (Read more...)
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Tuesday
September 26, 2006 |
Hierarchical Theory of Knowledge
by Joseph Rowlands
We've already hinted at a lot of things along the way. First, we talked about concepts having a genus and differentia as part of their definition. This rests on an interesting assumption. In order to have a genus, the concept you're referring to must be part of a larger category. A larger concept, actually. (Read more...)
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Thursday
September 14, 2006 |
Higher Levels of Abstraction
by Joseph Rowlands
Let's continue on the theme of concepts. We've discussed the process of concept formation already, and this is most easily seen when the referents are perceptual existents. That means it's easiest when you can directly see what you're talking about. So length, color, and cars are all easy examples. These are all concepts formed at the perceptual level. You see them out in the world, and can point to them. (Read more...)
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Definitions and Words
by Joseph Rowlands
We just discussed how concepts are formed. There's a little more to know about the topic. At the point I ended the concept formation discussion, we had completed the process of abstraction. But to retain the concept, it needs to go a little further. (Read more...)
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Concept Formation
by Joseph Rowlands
It's time to go over exactly how a concept is formed. Understanding this process can help you in several ways. First, by understanding how they are formed, you get a better idea of what a concept is. By understanding the method, you can learn to perform it more efficiently, and more accurately. You'll learn the kinds of mistakes that can happen if someone doesn't construct a concept correctly. You'll be able to understand the limits and advantages of conceptual thought. (Read more...)
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 Concepts
by Joseph Rowlands
Ayn Rand wrote a series of articles called Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology, which eventually became a book. It was only ever designed as an introduction, not even covering many aspects of epistemology. The one issue she thought was most critical was the nature of concepts. And that's what we'll discuss on this thread. (Read more...)
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 Eliminating the Altruistic Baggage
by Joseph Rowlands
Coming from an altruistic culture, there are mental habits and assumptions that get carried with you even when you decide to adopt an ethics of rational self-interest. Here is a discussion of how these implict ideas can affect your worldview. This speech was delivered at The Objectivist Center/ The Atlas Society summer seminar in July of 2006. (Read more...)
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Objectivity
by Joseph Rowlands
With a name like Objectivism, you knew we had to talk about objectivity eventually. (Read more...)
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Emotions
by Joseph Rowlands
It's time to talk about emotions, and how they fit into the Objectivist theory of knowledge. Where do they come from? How reliable are they? What can you do with them? What should you do with them? Are some good and some bad? (Read more...)
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Standards of Evaluation
by Joseph Rowlands
What's the difference between fact and opinion? A standard of evaluation. When someone says "Sports team X scored the most points", it is a fact that everyone can go and verify. When someone says "Sports team X is the best", it is opinion because it's unclear what the standard is. Other people can't verify the results because there is no explicit method by which you came up with the result. (Read more...)
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Integration
by Joseph Rowlands
Integration is the method by which you take new ideas or facts and fit them in with the rest of your knowledge. It means more than just accepting something as true. You actually have to tie it in with the rest of your knowledge. The more you do so, the better integrated it is. (Read more...)
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Induction and Deduction
by Joseph Rowlands
Induction is a process of taking specific data and generalizing it. It something we do all the time, and you use the product of it constantly. For instance, if you see that the first car you drive has turn signals, and you see another car, and it has turn signals, you can extrapolate and guess that all of them do. If you see the sun rises in the morning, and falls in the evening, you guess that it will continue to do that. You may later supplement this knowledge with a reason behind it, but you start of seeing the results and you generalize the event. (Read more...)
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Sense Perception
by Joseph Rowlands
The reason we start with perception is that it's the source of all of our knowledge about reality. It is our link to the real world. It's what keeps us honest. And because of that, it's also been attacked viciously by the opponents of reason. If you can invalidate the senses, you throw everyone into an imaginary world where anyone's thoughts or ideas are just as good as anyone else's. (Read more...)
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The Themes of Epistemology
by Joseph Rowlands
I call this thread The Themes of Epistemology because there are some broad patterns to Epistemology you need to be aware of before going into more detailed analaysis. You need to understand what are the goals of Epistemology, and the kinds of topics it covers. (Read more...)
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The Themes of Epistemology
by Joseph Rowlands
I call this thread The Themes of Epistemology because there are some broad patterns to Epistemology you need to be aware of before going into more detailed analaysis. You need to understand what are the goals of Epistemology, and the kinds of topics it covers. (Read more...)
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Structure of Philosophy
by Joseph Rowlands
The second in a series of lectures from the Objectivism 101 site. (Read more...)
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Objectivism 101: What is philosophy?
by Joseph Rowlands
The first in a series of lectures from the Objectivism 101 site. (Read more...)
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Objectivism 101
by Joseph Rowlands
Today I announced the birth of a new website, Objectivism101. It's an educational site dedicated to explaining Objectivism at multiple levels. You can find it at Objectivism101.com. (Read more...)
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 Spotting a Rationalization
by Joseph Rowlands
Recently I've had a couple opportunities to suggest that someone is rationalizing. I hesitate to make those kind of statements since they make assumptions about the motives of a person. When analyzing an argument, those motivations are irrelevant. The argument stands or falls on its own merit, not on who's making it... (Read more...)
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Unquestionable Irrationality
by Joseph Rowlands
Ayn Rand warned her readers to distinguish between the metaphysical and the man-made. The metaphysically given are facts of reality outside of our control. You can't get angry with gravity for existing. You can't get angry at the sun for shining. The man-made, on the other hand, is chosen and doesn't have to be tha... (Read more...)
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Moral Habits or Mental Habits?
by Joseph Rowlands
I've seen some Objectivists describe virtues as a kind of moral habit. I believe the idea is that by practicing them consistently, they become second-nature to you. If you consciously practice the virtue of honesty, then your immediate reaction in any given situation is to tell the truth. As you act virtuous, it ge... (Read more...)
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Objectivist Newbie Guide
by Joseph Rowlands
There are many ways someone can pursue activism in Objectivism. I've typically focused my own activist efforts on in-reach programs for Objectivists. I think there's often a preconception that real activism must be outwards oriented, like introducing the ideas to new people. In-reach programs are sometimes thought o... (Read more...)
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The Evil Package-Deal
by Joseph Rowlands
One of the bigger challenges to promoting or understanding a radically new philosophy is that so many words and concepts are tied to the traditional worldview. Take the word 'evil'. (Read more...)
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 Altruism Against Freedom
by Joseph Rowlands
Politics is a branch of ethics. It is defined by the ethical system at its root. You can't just pick and choose ethical standards and political systems. Some are necessarily incompatible, and others are mutually reinforcing. The combination I want to focus on is the political system of liberty and the ethics of alt... (Read more...)
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Differences between Objectivist Politics and Libertarian Politics
by Joseph Rowlands
Objectivists have sometimes argued that you can't accept the Objectivist politics without the philosophical base. Certainly if you try, there should be significant differences due to the lack of grounding. Since the September 11 terrorist attacks, it's become quite clear that there are in fact significant differences... (Read more...)
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