The ideas of Ayn Rand

Reader comment on: Atlas Shrugged Movie

Submitted by Harry Binswanger (United States), Apr 16, 2011 01:42

Rather than engage in ad hominems, let the opponents engage with the actual ideas.

In briefest essence, the Objectivist philosophy holds that:

--reality exists as an independent absolute

--sensory perception is the base of all knowledge

--concepts are formed from perception by an objective process

--reason--the use of logic to process perceptual data conceptually--is man's only means of gaining knowledge beyond the animal level (perception),

--reason is man's only proper guide to action

--the use of reason is volitional, man's "free will" being his choice between rationality and irrationality

--man's life as a rational being is the standard of morality,

--rational selfishness is the essence of each individual's moral responsibility, since his life depends on his rationality

--physical force is anti-mind and therefore anti-life and therefore evil

--the only proper function of government is to use retaliatory force against those who initiate its use

--that the social system based on all the foregoing is capitalism--laissez-faire capitalism, not the welfare-state of today.

Now, which of those do you disagree with?


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Title By Date
⇒ The ideas of Ayn Rand [169 words]Harry BinswangerApr 16, 2011 01:42
Critics [36 words]RickApr 11, 2011 20:52
ROFL [80 words]GQBMar 6, 2011 20:17
Ira Stoll ... You get it !O - maybe there is hope for the outside world. Just in case... [244 words]Galt's Gulch RecruiterMar 5, 2011 14:05
Portrayal of the press
[w/response] [44 words]
Jerry SkurnikMar 4, 2011 17:13
The good thing about Ayn Rand and Objectivism [13 words]PuerileMar 4, 2011 10:11
The bad thing about haters of Objectivism [28 words]GeorgeMar 4, 2011 13:01
This succinctly sums up Randian thought [101 words]PuerileMar 4, 2011 15:20
Thanks [31 words]QuinnMar 4, 2011 23:02
Complicated criticism? [38 words]Dale NethertonMar 5, 2011 15:27
Snobby retorts [73 words]Dale NethertonMar 5, 2011 15:37

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