Steve Hathway, (who posted) I have studied the writing of Ayn Rand for 25 yrs.
Steve Hathway, (who posted) I have studied the writing of Ayn Rand for 25 yrs.
I have studied Objectivism for 25 yrs, reading Ayn Rand’s fiction and non-fiction.
I’ve further read and listened to lectures by some of those who carry on her
tradition (some of which you can find here for free: ARI Campus). There are
two main reasons I continue to study her ideas. First, every-time I’ve investigated
a claim she has made, it turned out to be correct. Second, philosophy is the
science that teaches man how live his life and make choices. No other philosophy
does this.
Point 1: Every Claim Proved True
I recall reading her claim that the Founding Fathers explicitly rejected only one
form of government - Democracy! Democracy!? Really?, I thought. There is no way
that could be true. But reading the Federalist Papers, there it was. In a
different essay, she described the pattern socialist and communist governments
tend to follow. So, I researched that claim by reading about Italian, Russian
and German history leading up to WWII. Damn if she wasn't right. I watch with
fascination as Venezuela follows the exact same pattern. This and other examples
convinced me that her ideas applied directly to larger societal issues.
Point 2: A Philosophy for Living
Ayn Rand taught me that philosophy is a science for living on this earth. Yea,
like most, that sentence sounded crazy at the time - Philosophy, who needs it,
right? What I came to understand is that most philosophies or ethical ideas we
encounter today are impossible to follow with rigor. Everyone understands that
and as such we all harbor a cynicism towards philosophy. Most ethical values
boil down to others. Your moral standing is to be judged based on what you
contribute to others, what you do for others. Do you volunteer at a soup kitchen?
If you answer yes then you get a gold star. But you can always do more, can’t you?
Tutor a child at the local school. Give money to a charity. With each contribution
you gain moral points. But at some point you must provide for yourself. You have
to earn a living, get an education, provide for your family. There is a limit to
what you can sacrifice for this type of morality. The harder you practice it the
worse off your own life becomes. This is the root of the cynicism you feel when
you utter “philosophy, who needs it?” Rand started her ideas from a very different
perspective. The base of her philosophy is a question - WHY does man need philosophy?
Not “which” philosophy, but ANY philosophy. Is it really necessary? The answer to
“why” comes from our nature. Man is required to make decisions in order to survive.
We cannot make proper decisions without guidance. We could rely on society to
provide guidance or just follow conventional wisdom, but that is the cheap way
out. It makes you a slave to the opinions others. And that is not true to human
nature. Man has a mind which is his only means of survival. Rand teaches that
you must use it to make your own decisions, not to mimic the thoughts and
actions of others. This is the answer to the second question, yes it is necessary.
Too many are introduced to Objectivism through its application to politics.
Political conclusions reached by applying Objectivism are counter to the popular
notions of how government should work and society should be structured . Without
an understanding of the foundation and underpinnings, it is difficult to understand
how Objectivist ideals apply. But Objectivism is mostly a philosophy for improving
yourself. The great thing is that it is practical. The more you apply it to your
life and the more consistently you practice it, the better your life becomes. And
it is also very difficult to practice consisently. That is why I continue to study
and learn.
- Jewess Any Rand
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Wade says, "Well, here it all is, guys and girls. David Kennison (see earlier posts
in the thread) could have posted something as "eloquent(?)" as this had he not
been more preoccupied with the money and the women. So, I leave it to you, my
fellow compatriots....responses anyone?