| | I am not a professional philosopher, and have never studied the subject formally. My interest in philosophy came as result of reading Ayn Rand four years ago. Since that time, I have developed some familiarity with philosophy and Objectivism in particular, but I still have much to learn.
At the moment, I don't feel that I fully grasp metaphysics. I understand that Objectivist metaphsysics states that reality exists independent of human conciousness, and that human reason is capable of understanding and interpreting this reality.
This idea - that "existence exists" - seems so obvious to me that I have a hard time even comprehending a contrarian viewpoint. However, through reading Rand and others influenced by her, I understand that there are conflicting viewpoints on this subject in academic/imtellectual circles, and that apparently some otherwise smart people say that reality is "created" in the eye of the beholder.
At the very least, I have to conclude that some influential people in the intellectual domain (post-Kant) have put forth reasoned arguments defending observer-created reality. Can somebody please either explain what these arguments entail, or guide me to any resources that will help me better understand the debate over the basic questions over metaphysics. (If the latter, something geared toward a philosophy student of a beginner to immediate level would be preferred).
Thanks in advance!
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