If you love freedom, free-enterprise and reason you will find a home in the ideas of Ayn Rand. Rand was born in Russia in 1905 and moved to America in 1926 to pursue a career in the movie business. Once here she discovered that most Americans were unable defend capitalism and freedom using rational, fundamental and consistent principles. As she dug deeper into the philosophy of conservatives and libertarians she found it flawed all the way to the bottom.
Realizing that freedom could not endure if defended with flawed arguments she wiped the slate clean and sought to discover a rational philosophy for man to live his life on earth. When she finished this journey she called the philosophy Objectivism. Below are the key elements.
• The only proper function of government is to stop the initiation of force and arbitrate disputes.
• Government should only have a military, police and justice system.
• Government should not interfere in the economy nor take from one and give it to another.
• "Good" and "Bad" can only be scored at the individual level not the level of "society" since
"society" is simply a group of individuals. What may be good for one may be bad for another.
• Each person is an end in themself and should not be used as a means to some other end.
• Each individual should live for their own long-term happiness.
• Use mutual voluntary trade to gain values not force of arms or force of law.
• Our senses, although affected by the environment, still objectively report the facts of reality.
• When our senses are combined with reason and logic we can know truths about the world.
• This is validated by the fact that planes consistently fly, buildings consistently stand, diseases
are consistently cured, and people are generally able to obtain the values the need to live.
• "Faith" is not a means of gaining knowledge.
• Existence exists
• Existence is identity: To exist is to exist a certain way that doesn't contradict itself
• Consciousness exists
• Trying to disprove these axioms will validate them.
• As axioms their truth can only be observed not proven since they are the base of knowledge.
The Ayn Rand Institute
The Objectivist Center & The Atlas Society
Importance of Philosophy
Philosophy of Liberty Video: Not Objectivist but real close and inspiring to watch.
There are too many other websites to list
Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal
The Virtue of Selfishness
Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand
The Ideas of Ayn Rand by Merrill
We The Living
There are many other fiction and non-fiction books.
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