 Spinoza on Freedom, Ethics, and Politics
by Edward W. Younkins
If one mentions the name Spinoza, he is likely to get a response something like “Oh, wasn’t he the pantheist philosopher who lived around the time of Hobbes and Locke?” Of course, he was but he was also much more than that. Baruch (Benedict de) Spinoza (1632-1677) promulgated a deductive, rational and monist philosophy... (Read more...)
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 Melissa's Confession
by T. A. Sylvester
How do you start? How do you say it? She did not even think she could begin it. She wasn't pregnant. She wasn't on drugs. She didn't drink, and she never intended to start smoking. It would, she thought, be easier to do this if it was any of those things. What had happened to her was this: As Mrs. Lutz at Antwerp Junior High began her presentation on ancient mythology, she had explained exactly what a myth was. Then, she had spoken these words: Maybe we are believing in myths. (Read more...)
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 Wealth is Produced
by G. Stolyarov II
Special interest groups often attempt to expropriate others, justifying their actions by claiming “their share of the economic pie.” They are able to get away with violating genuinely productive individuals’ property rights by exploiting a widespread fallacy. This fallacy is the zero-sum view of wealth, perpetrated since at least the days of regulated Mercantilist economies. Its advocates view the amount of wealth in the world as static: what one man gains, another must lose. The “economic pie” was always there, and it was always the same size. Mr. Stolyarov refutes this view and argues that wealth can and must be created; its creation requires private property and free markets. (Read more...)
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 A Philosophical Review of Chicago the Musical
by Michael F Dickey
This weekend I saw a performance of the musical Chicago at the university my friend is attending. I had not yet seen this story on stage or in film, and was not overly familiar with it beyond having to do with some dancers and murder. The performance I saw was very enjoyable as far as productions by college students g... (Read more...)
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 How to Think about God
by Ed Thompson
In his book: How to Think about the Great Ideas (2000), Mortimer Adler devotes a chapter entitled: "How to Think about God." His first subsection (after a short introduction) is entitled: "The Four Key Questions about God." Let me state at the outset that, though I agree with his method (of outlining pivotal questions, before engaging in any substantive discussion on the matter) -- my conclusions differ from his. (Read more...)
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The Target: Objectivity
by Tibor R. Machan
No one in his right mind thinks that objectivity is easy. It’s especially hard when it comes to self-assessment. (Read more...)
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Open vs. Closed
by Andre Zantonavitch
Is the philosophy of Objectivism an "open system" or a "closed system" of thought? A new view. (Read more...)
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Aristotle and Epicurus
by Justin P. Wendling
The philosophies of Aristotle and Epicurus include some similarities, but at the same time, they are completely different in many ways. In a few ways, the two great philosophers have ideas that are almost exact duplicates; however, Epicurus seems to take a different direction when it comes down to certain ideas. For ex... (Read more...)
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How to Fight Terrorism Peacefully
by Tibor R. Machan
It isn’t often that I will relinquish my chance of sounding off on a vital topic to someone else but this time I find it just the thing to do.
My friend Alex Alexiev, who is now vice president at the Center for Security Policy in Washington, D. C., has been promoting an idea related to the effort to repel terrorism that simply hasn’t received the attention that it deserves. (Read more...)
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A Vacation to the Magical Kingdom of Capitalism, Part 1
by Ethan A. Dawe
I confess that I approached my visit to Disney World with a lot of trepidation. I’d never been to Disney, and would be going with my wife and five year old daughter, so I had more to worry about than myself. With our tickets purchased in advance we set out for Disney which was about twenty minutes from where we were staying. For those of you who haven’t been, there are five major Disney theme parks, and the target for our first day was The Magic Kingdom, which is home to many of the rides and attractions aimed at children my daughter’s age. With lunch, snacks, and plenty of water packed, we set out on our journey.
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Milton Friedman's Pragmatic and Incremental Libertarianism
by Edward W. Younkins
Milton Friedman (1912 - ) is a consequentialist libertarian and one of the most influential economists of the 20th century. He has been able to create both academic and popular support of the idea of increasing individual freedom and reducing government controls. Friedman fervently believes in the power of a sort of se... (Read more...)
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Teaching versus Preaching
by Tibor R. Machan
After having taught college for nearly forty years, I can report that a great many teachers use their class rooms to preach, not to teach. (The same is reportedly the case in secondary schooling but I am not qualified to speak to that.)
... (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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I Wish He'd Beat Me
by JJ Tuan
Relationships are beneficial to our lives. It's great to have someone who resonates with you to share your joys and sorrows with, to have interesting conversations with at all times of day, to go to dinner and movies with, to take care of you when you are feeling sick, or just to lift heavy things and reach tall place... (Read more...)
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Ashes to Flames
by A. Robert Malcom
A continuing iconoclastic history of Art... (Read more...)
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The Unkindest Cut of All
by Marty Lewinter
The scary thing about religion is that true believers will do just about anything if it is the will of their deity (jihad comes to mind). (Read more...)
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Roberts Court Statist to Core
by Tibor R. Machan
Of course, when someone in a house doesn't want others to come in, including cops without a warrant, this must be honored. As William Pitt The Elder, Lord Chatham (1708-1778) stated the principle, "The poorest man may in his cottage bid defiance to all the forces of the Crown. It may be frail—its roof may shake—the win... (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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Freedom and Ethics-Again
by Tibor R. Machan
This is a point that just cannot be stressed too often: Human beings both need to be free to choose and also ought to do the right thing. But to do the right thing is exactly why they need to be free to choose. If they are slaves or oppressed, they cannot choose to do the right thing. They lack sovereignty, self-rule, ... (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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Book Review: The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology
by Ryan Brubaker
A review of the book The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology by Ray Kurzweil. (Read more...)
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Western Free Speech and Rewarding Murder
by Andre Zantonavitch
Islam is currently waging war on Western free speech. These open and brazen calls to murder Danish cartoonists are simply unacceptable. It's high time the West fought back. (Read more...)
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Hype Versus Truth
by Tibor R. Machan
Let’s admit it, most of us indulge in hype. If you’ve ever said, walking in from a cold outdoors, "My hands are freezing," you’ve done hype. Hype is just exaggeration—hyperbole. It has its point, namely, to call attention to something you regard important, like your cold hands and to plea for sympathy, perhaps. (Read more...)
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On American Inventor, from an Inventor
by Michael F Dickey
Being an inventor I feel I must comment on the show on ABC yesterday “American Inventor” This ‘reality’ show follows nearly the exact same formula as American Idol does, and was produced by the same team. I have mixed feelings on this show, I knew once I heard about it they would focus on the many stupid inventions al... (Read more...)
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One Downside of non-Western Fundamentalism: Evidence from Earthquake Data
by Ed Thompson
This short summary is meant to compare the death tolls from similar (or less)-magnitude earth quakes – and to take note of the differential lives lost in various regions holding different world-views. (Read more...)
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