The details addressed all major ethical issues and Branden goes through logical reasoning to prove the major principles and lays the foundations for the most practical philosophy known to mankind. If he gives his values away for no gain whatsoever (neither material nor spiritual), he is thereby being immoral; he is relinquishing values on which his life and happiness depend. Art is not the emotional spewing of irrational impulses, but the selective recreation of reality. But one cannot achieve happiness by wish or whim. Facts are facts, independent of any consciousness. If an individual chooses not to face facts, not to think, not to produce, and so on—and thus develops a bad character—that is his fault. The name “Objectivism” derives from the idea that human knowledge and values are objective: they exist and are determined by the nature of reality, t… 3. Like everything in the world, art is something specific; thus, it is both knowable and definable. 5 out of 5 stars. The first element of Objectivism is the metaphysics (the branch of philosophy that deals with the first principles of things, including abstract concepts such as being, knowing, identity, time, and space). Perhaps the best-known and most-controversial aspect of objectivism is its account of the moral virtues, in particular its unconventional claim that selfishness is a virtue and altruism a vice. Reality is not to be rewritten or escaped, but, solemnly and proudly, faced." It maintains that if it is done properly, and practiced by everyone, the entire world could be a better place. This fact gives rise to the principle of individual rights, which is the principle of egoism applied to politics. For access, Not so says egoism. In this way, art provides spiritual guidance and fuel for living and achieving one’s goals. In the entire history of philosophy, the number of rational answers to this question is exactly zero. Rand’s radio recitation of her inaugural column is also the core of an ARI Campus lesson, “Introducing Objectivism,” which offers visual supplements in the form of outlines, diagrams, historical photographs and manuscript pages. Egoism upholds the principle of non-sacrifice—the idea that one should never surrender a greater value for the sake of a lesser value. Altruism cannot be practiced consistently. So says altruism. They need moral principles that are conducive to the goal of living fully and happily. "Applied" Objectivism Contradicts Theoretical Objectivism. If accepted and practiced inconsistently, it retards one’s life and leads to guilt. A collaboration between David Kelley and William R Thomas, The Logical Structure of Objectivism traces out the logical connections among the various principles of Objectivism. 2. Rational egoism, the centerpiece of Objectivism, holds that each individual should act in his own best interest and is the proper beneficiary of his own moral action. The first element of Objectivism is the metaphysics (the branch of philosophy that deals with the first principles of things, including abstract concepts such as being, knowing, identity, time, and space). The distinction between applied and theoretical objectivism is not Ayn Rand's. Capitalism and altruism are incompatible; they cannot coexist in the same man or in the same society. But one cannot achieve happiness by wish or whim. What is philosophy — and how is it relevant to my life? Neither individual beliefs nor widespread agreement nor a “supernatural” being’s will has any effect on the nature of the world. Morally, Objectivism advocates the virtues of rational self-interest—virtues such as independent thinking, productiveness, justice, honesty, and self-responsibility. To exist is to be something, to possess a specific identity. This is what Jesus did. Existence just exists—and everything in it is something specific; everything is what it is and can act only in accordance with its identity. This principle is not a matter of personal opinion or social convention or “divine revelation”; it is a matter of the factual requirements of human life in a social context. It requires rational respect for the facts of reality, including the facts about our human nature and needs. Whether a sculpture of a ballerina depicting the skill and grace possible to man—or a novel about great industrialists showing the productive achievement possible to man—or a landscape of a countryside portraying the world as open to man’s investigation and enjoyment—or a painting of a dismal, psychedelic pool hall portraying the world as unstable and inhospitable to man—art brings highly abstract convictions to the perceptual level. For instance, because the essence of man’s nature is that he possesses free will, the best art—romantic art—reflects this fact; it depicts man as in control of his life, as capable of reshaping his world according to his values, as the self-made soul that he is. Rand originally expressed her philosophical ideas in her novels, most notably, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. Egoism is good for one’s life. Thus, in order to live peacefully together in a society—in order to live together as civilized beings, rather than as barbarians—people must refrain from using physical force against one another. And so forth. Man gains knowledge by perceiving reality with his five senses, forming concepts and principles on the basis of what he perceives, checking his ideas for consistency with reality, and correcting any contradictions he discovers in his thinking. It is a system where men deal with one another, not as victims and executioners, nor as masters and slaves, but as traders, by free, voluntary exchange to mutual benefit. What we call applied objectivism was, for Ayn Rand, simply the objective application of objectivist ethical and political principles. Her first weekly column, published June 17, 1962, introduces readers to Objectivism’s positions on the nature of reality, the efficacy of human reason, the nature of man, and the ideal political system. What reason is there to do so? Reality just is. Neither paint randomly splattered on a canvas, nor a bicycle wheel “cleverly” fastened to a stool, nor a word salad neatly printed on a page is art. An altruist might not die from his morality—so long as he cheats on it—but neither will he live fully. My philosophy, Objectivism, holds that: 1. Ontology is the study of what it means to exist. The absolutist believes that there are non-over rideable moral principles that one out to never violate. Objectivism also rejects the idea that predation—the sacrificing of others for one’s own alleged benefit—can promote one’s life and happiness. Objectivism. It … Basic Principles of Objectivism by Nathaniel Branden Lecture 10: Reason and Virtue Predation (the sacrificing of others for one’s own alleged benefit) is no more in one’s best interest than is altruism. What is man’s means of knowledge? Objectivism (General) Ayn Rand Institute: The Center for the Advancement of Objectivism ARI offers a variety of educational experiences to promote a greater understanding of Ayn Rand’s philosophy and, through the writing and speaking of our experts, advocates her principles of reason, rational self-interest, and laissez-faire capitalism. Likewise, a parent who values his child’s education more than he values a new sports car, and who forgoes the car in order to pay for the education, is being moral; a parent who values the education more than the car, but forgoes paying for the education in order to purchase the car, is being immoral. Man survives by observing reality, identifying the nature of things, discovering causal relationships, and making the logical connections necessary to produce the things he needs in order to live. A person who accepts the morality of altruism has to cheat on it just to stay alive; for instance, he must selfishly earn a paycheck so that he can buy food. Ayn Rand held that, far from being a useless diversion, philosophy was critically important in human life: Every human action presupposes certain philosophical beliefs. Human life requires egoism. My philosophy, Objectivism, holds that: 1. If you want to support an educational organization that advances Ayn Rand’s philosophy, you have a powerful new alternative: Objective Standard Institute (OSI)—which is related to but distinct from TOS. In the realm of politics, Objectivism recognizes that in order to take life-promoting action, a person must be free to do so; he must be free to act on the judgment of his mind, his basic means of living. subscribe or Man clearly can acquire knowledge, has done so, and continues to do so; this is evident in the fact that he has accomplished all that he has. “From her start, America was torn by the clash of her political system with the altruist morality. On October 2, 1962, The Ayn Rand Program debuted on Columbia University’s campus radio station, WKCR, in New York City. It requires living by objective principles, including moral integrity and respect for the rights of others. In a laissez-faire society, if people want to deal with one another, they may do so only on voluntary terms, by uncoerced agreement. The political expression of altruism is collectivism or statism, which holds that man’s life and work belong to the state — to society, to the group, the gang, the race, the nation — and that the state may dispose of him in any way it pleases for the sake of whatever it deems to be its own tribal, collective good. Liberty cannot even be defined, let alone defended, apart from answers to questions such as: What is the nature of reality? Insofar as a person acts against the requirements of his life and happiness, he will not make the most of his life; he will not achieve the kind of happiness possible to man. For instance, the government is forbidden to seize the property of innocent people (e.g., eminent domain), to forcibly redistribute wealth (e.g., welfare), to dictate the terms of private contracts (e.g., minimum wage and antitrust laws), to restrict freedom of speech (e.g., campaign finance “reform”), to mandate motherhood (e.g., antiabortion laws), to block scientific advancement (e.g., embryonic stem-cell research), to force citizens to fund religious organizations (e.g., faith-based initiatives), and to mandate “community” or “national” service (e.g., mandatory “volunteerism”). Ayn Rand® is a registered trademark and is used by permission. Moreover, such claims flatly contradict the demonstrable fact that rational thought, productive achievement, genuine (earned) self-esteem, and certainty of one’s moral worth are requirements of happiness. Objectivism and Education: A Response to David Elkind’s ‘The Problem with Constructivism’ by Jamin Carson Abstract This paper responds to David Elkind’s article “The Problem with Constructivism,” published in the Summer 2004 issue of The Educa-tional Forum . Objectivism holds that the purpose of morality is to provide people with principled guidance for living and achieving happiness on earth. A principle is “a fundamental, primary, or general truth, on which other truths depend.” Thus a principle is an abstraction which subsumes a great number of concretes. I’m director of education at OSI, and I’m writing to ask for your support in … Further knowledge—and happiness and morality—require rational thoug… If an individual chooses to face facts, to think rationally, to be productive, and so on—and thereby develops a good character—that is his achievement. 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