OBJECTIVISM

By Craig R. Hutchinson, 27 June 2006

In order to live, man must act;
in order to act, he must make choices;
in order to make choices,
he must define a code of values;
in order to define a code of values
he must know what he is and where he is - i.e.,
he must know his own nature
(including the means of knowledge)
and the nature of the universe in which he acts i.e.,
he needs metaphysics (what you know),
epistemology (how you know),
ethics (what you do),
politics (how you do it (behavior)),
and aesthetics (how you feel (emotions)),
which means philosophy.
He cannot escape from this need;
his only alternative
is whether the philosophy guiding him
is to be chosen by his mind or by chance.


PHILOSOPHY
The concept of man as a heroic being,
with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life,
with productive achievement as his noblest activity,
and reason as his only absolute.


PRINCIPLES
Epistemology: Emotions are not tools of cognition.
(Rejection of the Witch Doctor)

Ethics: No human being has the right to
initiate the use of physical force against another.
(Rejection of the Tribal Chief (Attila))

Politics: The individual's right to
life;
liberty;
pursue happiness (maintenance of life);
earn, use, dispose property;
free trade.


VALUE STANDARD
Life
(A moral sanction to live
for one's own rational self-interest,
to pursue one's own selfish, personal goals,
to use one's mind in the service of one's own life,
with happiness as the noblest, the highest, and the most moral of human activities).

VALUES
Reason
Purpose
Self-Esteem
Freedom
Morality
Creativeness
Joy

VIRTUES
Rationality (not faking reality)
Independence
Honesty
Integrity
Justice
Ingenuity
Productiveness
Benevolence
Pride (sum of virtues)

IDEALS
-METAPHYSICS -EPISTEMOLOGY -ETHICS -POLITICS -AESTHETICS

AN ALTERNATIVE AXIS OF

-REALITY -REASON -INDIVIDUALISM -CAPITALISM -ROMANTICISM

FOR THE

-HAUNTED -MYSTICISM -ALTRUISM -COLLECTIVISM -REALISM

AXES OF

-BODY -FORCE -SOCIALISM -STATISM -HISTORIC

-SOUL -FAITH -ALTRUISM -THEOCRACY -TRAGIC

-MIND -EMOTIONS -SUBJECTIVISM -ANARCHISM -NATURALISM

OR

-Consciousness -Reason -Freedom -Progress -Life
vs
-Unconsciousness -Mysticism -Slavery -Stagnated Brutality -Death
i.e.
The mysticism of Kant
The collectivism of Marx
The altruism of Street-Corner-Evangelists
i.e.
Modern Philosophy with its
Cult of Uncertainty (Agnosticism)
Collective Subjectivism
Context-Dropping Expediency (Pragmatism)
Avowed (Epistemological) Irrationalism
Ethical Subjectivism

OR

-Reason -Truth -Virtue
vs
-Irrationality -Falsehood -Vice
i.e.
Kantian-Hegelian Collectivist establishment, where
Kant substituted the collective for the objective, and
Hegel rationalization for subjectivism


ROMANTIC LOVE
Romantic Love is a passionate
spiritual - intellectual - emotional - sexual attachment
between a man and woman, that reflects, through
mutual psychological visibility, admiration and respect
for each others values, virtues, ideals, goals, skills, knowledge.

OUR RELATIONSHIP
My purpose in life is not to
please you and your purpose in life is not to please me
If in our relationship we can:
invite each other without demanding (Pride);
join each other without invading (Integrity);
know each other without clutching (Independence);
appreciate each other without censuring (Justice);
criticize each other without blaming (Rationality);
improve each other without cheating (Ingenuity);
share each other without hiding (Benevolence);
help each other without insulting (Productiveness);
leave each other without guilt (Honesty);
then we will enrich each other and continue to grow.
Otherwise let us terminate our relationship now and
seek happiness (mutual psychological visibility) elsewhere.

OATH
I swear by my life and my love of it
that I will never live for the sake (end, objective, purpose)
of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.
I recognize no obligations toward men except one:
to respect their freedom and to take no part in a slave society.




Introduction to Objectivism by Ayn Rand

Bibliography

The Ayn Rand Institute

Ayn Rand Book Store