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Axioms Revisited
by Joseph Rowlands
Objectivism is not purely deductive. You can't prove that we have rights by starting with "existence exists" and performing deductive steps from there.... (Read more...)
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The Relative Nature of Doubt
by Francois Tremblay
The mere act of doubting is seen as a good thing for many people with a deconstructivist agenda. But like any other method, doubt can be used in a good or bad way. (Read more...)
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Tuesday September 17, 2002 |
No Judging?
by Joseph Rowlands
Skepticism claims that moral judgments are impossible, not because morality is subjective, but because even if it were objective, knowledge is impossible. (Read more...)
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Objectivism as an Intuitive System
by Francois Tremblay
Objectivism is often seen, even by intellectually inclined individuals, as a philosophy that is intellectually backwards or counter-intuitive. I always find such judgments bizarre. (Read more...)
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Theft At the Speed of Light!
by Barry Kayton
We're living in a fantastic age of invention. Gadgets that were the stuff of science fiction only two decades ago -- such as cell phones and handheld computers -- are now commonplace. These technologies, like all those that preceded them, bring fantastic benefits that tend to change not only our behaviour but the structure of economic relationships within and between countries. However, the arrival of digital media poses unprecedented challenges. (Read more...)
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Altruist Guilt
by Francois Tremblay
Altruism is considered a noble, humane alternative to egoism, which is perceived as a necessary evil at best. Yet Objectivists propose the exact contrary: that egoism is the only life-affirming ethical viewpoint, and that altruism is an unnecessary evil, a mindset held by people who are too ignorant to know better. (Read more...)
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Of Heretics and Pagans
by Kernon Gibes
It's a curious thing. You might think that if you were, say, running a discussion group or choosing places to speak at, that you'd be more interested in people at least somewhat sympathetic to your positions than those diametrically opposed. For example, if you were going to have people "sign" a loyalty oath, would you -- as an avowed Objectivist -- be more concerned about closet communists or lurking libertarians? Is it naïve to think it would be the former? (Read more...)
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 Objectivism and Homosexuality pt4: The Times They Are A Changin'
by Chris Matthew Sciabarra
In this fourth installment of the series, I examine the growing signs of change in the attitudes toward homosexuality expressed by people who have been involved to varying degrees with Objectivism. (Read more...)
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What is Objectivism?
by Lindsay Perigo
Ayn Rand herself, relative to other philosophers, didn't write "volumes." In terms of quality & import, however, she out-wrote most of them combined & multiplied. Some philosophers (not many) had argued discretely for one or more of the above; she integrated ALL of it & brought esthetics into the mix as well. She argued that facts are facts; that reality is what it is, independent of our feelings or wishes; that human reason is able to grasp what it is; that reason's tools - sense-perception, concept-formation & logic - are, contrary to many philosophers, valid; that these facts have irresistible & demonstrable implications for ethics, politics, economics & art: they enjoin rational self-interest, individual liberty, capitalism & what she called "romantic realism" as part of "man's proper estate" - an "upright posture." (Read more...)
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 Objectivism and Homosexuality: Part 3 in a Series
by Chris Matthew Sciabarra
The current installment of this multi-part series on “Objectivism and Homosexuality” is a “Horror File” in and of itself in that it documents the depressing experiences of gay people in their dealings with self-identified “Objectivists.” (Read more...)
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 Kelley/Nola/Perigo Debates
by Lindsay Perigo
A debate on whether logic has anything to do with reality. (Read more...)
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 The Contested Legacy of Ayn Rand by David Kelley
by Lindsay Perigo
In the end, as Luther admonished in his rebellion against papal authoritarianism, we must all march to our own drum-beat. Sometimes, inevitably, we will bumble, stumble & flail. But help is at hand – The Contested Legacy of Ayn Rand, above caveats notwithstanding, offers many invaluable, powerful, historically significant lamp-lights & warning signs along the way. Incontestably, it will be a proud part of the legacy of David Kelley. (Read more...)
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 Rand Among the "Queers"
by David C. Adams
It is not the statist left which is the natural ally of gays and lesbians — but a philosophy which celebrates individuality, achievement, and joy. Given the chance, the philosophy chosen by this young man — and countless others like him — will be: Objectivism. (Read more...)
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Interview with Chris Matthew Sciabarra
by Chris Matthew Sciabarra
Is there a resurgence of sorts in Randian studies? If there is, and I wager this is true, then the most prominent of the neo-Randian scholars, Dr. Christopher Sciabarra, should take a tremendous amount of credit for it. (Read more...)
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 Dialectics & The Art of Nonfiction
by Chris Matthew Sciabarra
Discussion of Ayn Rand: The Art of Nonfiction: A Guide for Writers and Readers and his own Total Freedom: Toward a Dialectical Libertarianism. (Read more...)
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 Objectivism and Homosexuality - Again
by Chris Matthew Sciabarra
I have been especially impressed with SOLO's credo that "acknowledge[s] that Ayn Rand made mistakes; that she did not address some philosophical questions needing to be addressed; that she was wrong about some matters of considerable existential moment, such as homosexuality." It is this last issue, in particular, that has always provoked some of the most virulent responses I have ever witnessed in Objectivist circles (Read more...)
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 Objectivism and Homosexuality: Part 2 in a Series - The Rattigan Society
by Chris Matthew Sciabarra
"The Rattigan Society is named after the Romantic British playwright, Sir Terence Rattigan, who in a nonstrident, consistent and courageous way, lived honestly as a gay man." So says the Society's home page at www.rattigan.net. And any discussion of the history of Objectivism and its treatment of homosexuality cannot ignore the existence of this organization. (Read more...)
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 In Praise of Egoism
by Cameron Pritchard
This is a tribute to the egoist. Since the birth of history he has been maligned and despised. Misrepresented as the epitome of immorality, he has been tortured, burnt at the stake, censored and regulated. For the crime of thinking and acting on his own, he has been thrown to the mercy of the very masses whose existence he made possible. He was judged by those who were envious of his mind and of his talent. He was judged by God, by the state, by the people. But although the names of his jurors changed, their verdict never altered. Guilty. Guilty of the sin of facing the universe alone. Guilty of possessing a confidence in his own judgment as absolute as his love of truth and beauty. (Read more...)
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 Odyssey
by Bill Grazier
I have been a libertarian for years. Ever since the betrayal of the "Republican revolution", I have stepped away from my once-conservative roots and embraced true freedom and liberty. In the time since, I feel that I've learned a lot about the ideology of freedom and would consider myself a good libertarian. (Read more...)
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 Lindsay Perigo Interviews Barbara Branden
by Barbara Branden
Lindsay interviews Barbara (Read more...)
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 Dogma and Development - Thoughts on the evolution of Objectivism
by Barry Kayton
Four decades after the publication of Atlas Shrugged, the groundswell of people familiar with Ayn Rand and Objectivism continues to grow. Year after year, Ayn Rand's fiction attracts bright, eager, young people, many seeking a golden highway to Galt's Gulch. But beyond Ayn Rand's fiction lies a disappointingly narrow land of interesting articles, abstract philosophy and, for many, authoritative dogma. (Read more...)
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 Reason and Passion
by Joseph Rowlands
Due to the lack of understanding of the roles of reason and passion, people have chosen a side at the expense of the other. The men of reason have opted for cold, dry logic in an attempt to show their objectivity and seriousness. The defenders of reason have surrendered passion to the irrational. It's time to reclaim it. (Read more...)
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