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Articles: Objectivism


Wednesday
August 31, 2005
ObjectivismThe Free Radical
All or Nothing: Philosophy with Degrees (Part 1) - A Survey of Errors
by Joseph Rowlands
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I’m going to talk about a widespread pattern of philosophical errors, which I refer to as the “all or nothing” mentality. The basic problem is an inability to see things in terms of degrees. Instead, everything is viewed as all or nothing. It’s either 100 percent, or 0 percent, with nothing in between. (Read more...)
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Sunday
August 28, 2005
Objectivism
The Ontology of Space
by Adam Reed
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Does the concept of space correspond to a real existent? The naïve answer would be "no:" to the non-scientist, space denotes emptiness, the absence of existents. And of course absence is not an existent. Fortunately, this naïve view of the ontology of space is wrong. (Read more...)
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Monday
August 15, 2005
Objectivism
The Three Central Tenets of an Objective Philosophy of Science
by Ed Thompson
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There are three things that philosophy must do in order to generate, or sustain, the special sciences. These are: to provide statements of contextually-absolute factual relations (definitions), to constrain unbounded possibility (arbitrariness), and to outline "the rules by which you can claim knowledge." (Read more...)
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Tuesday
August 9, 2005
Objectivism
Axioms: The Eightfold Way
by Ron Merrill
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The axiomatic method of reasoning is more than a technique of argument useful for refuting philosophical skeptics. It provides us with a method of grounding fundamental truths about reality. (Read more...)
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Friday
August 5, 2005
Objectivism
Implied Axioms
by Fred Seddon
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Part of my celebration of Rand’s hundredth birthday has been to reflect on some of her writings that are either central to Objectivism, or which have meant the most to me. I was thinking about Rand's two "corollary axioms" and came to realize that Rand could have added more axioms to this list. (Read more...)
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Saturday
July 30, 2005
Objectivism
Dystopia and Utopia: The Story of The Two Johns and Other Such Randian Jewels
by Manfred F. Schieder
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Ayn Rand's life and works contain many surprises, symbols and moving oddities. A few examples show how masterfully she spun connections and injected symbolism into her work. (Read more...)
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Monday
July 25, 2005
Objectivism
The Ontology of Emergence
by Adam Reed
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An emergent property is a non-reductive property—that is, a property that cannot be "reduced to" (computed or deduced from) the measurements of the attributes of the separate components that compose the system. Emergent properties require emergent attributes, that is, system attributes whose measurements cannot be reduced to the measurements of the attributes of the system's components. Do such attributes exist? (Read more...)
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Thursday
July 21, 2005
Objectivism
Holding Court - July 21, 2005
by Barbara Branden
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Ayn Rand Interviews: Part One (Read more...)
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Sunday
July 17, 2005
Objectivism
The "Problem" of Initial Acquisition
by Peter Cresswell
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Philosopher and academic Gerald Cohen has a problem with how values come into the world, with how they came to exist. He calls this "the problem of initial acquisition." I call it trivial idiocy, but he and his supporters set great store by it.
(Read more...)

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Friday
July 15, 2005
Objectivism
Objectivism and Determinism
by Roger E. Bissell
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What is implied by basic Objectivist metaphysical premises is “self-determinism,” the view that one’s actions (including the act of focusing one’s awareness) are determined by one's values/desires/ideas. For short, I call it “value-determinism.” And although it does not qualify as “free will” in the sense of “could have done otherwise,” that is not valid, anyway. But it does qualify as “free will” in the sense of one’s being the originator of that action, absent environmental duress and physical or medical impairment. (Read more...)
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Monday
July 11, 2005
Objectivism
The Ontology of Information, and Hard Atheism
by Adam Reed
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In view of the new knowledge acquired since the time when Ayn Rand wrote on the subject, "soft atheism" is obsolete. We humans now know, in the same sense in which we know anything at all, that an entity with the attributes traditionally ascribed to a God cannot exist in reality. (Read more...)
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Sunday
July 10, 2005
Objectivism
Existence, Relation, and Measurability
by Luke J. Morris
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As I was re-reading Ayn Rand's Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology a little while back, I came across an intriguing argument that hadn't struck me before, put forth in a single paragraph: If everything exists in relation to something else, then everything must be (in principle) measurable; there can be no immeasurable entities. (Read more...)
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Saturday
June 25, 2005
Objectivism
Totalism in the Philosophy of Ayn Rand
by Neil Parille
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Even Ayn Rand’s critics concede that she is an exciting writer.  Philosophy, often seen as one of the driest subjects, comes alive for her readers.  I would suggest that one of the reasons for this is what has been called her “totalism.”  (Read more...)
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Thursday
June 23, 2005
Objectivism
Holding Court - June 23, 2005
by Barbara Branden
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Stop the Linz-bashing! (Read more...)
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Tuesday
June 21, 2005
Objectivism
Checking Your Premises: Non-Contradiction as a Way of Life
by Luke J. Morris
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If a man claims that he values human life, while at the same time destroying the lives of those who make living possible, is his first claim true?  On the other side, if a man loves the product of his mind’s effort, and takes pride in his achievement – then abandons his creation to the rule of fools who never could have created it – does he really love his work?  These are a few of the questions that Ayn Rand answers in Atlas Shrugged(Read more...)
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Friday
June 17, 2005
Objectivism
Compromising With Reality?
by Heidi C. Lange
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A simple analysis of the conflict between John Galt and Mr. Thomspon; the conflict between acceptance and denial of reality; the conflict between individual rights and "collective" rights. (Read more...)
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Wednesday
June 15, 2005
Objectivism
The Hank Rearden Story: The Path to Mind-Body Integration
by Edward W. Younkins
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 In reality there is no split between the mental and the physical. Man is an inextricable fusion of mind and body.  The values of one’s mind are not disconnected from the actions of one’s body.  It follows that the generally accepted mind/body and love/sex dichotomies are destructive to human flourishing.  Dualism is incompatible with true human existence.  Man is an indivisible entity that can only be divided for purposes of discussion. (Read more...)
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Sunday
June 12, 2005
Objectivism
Limits to the Effectiveness of Moral Judgment
by Luke Setzer
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Much consternation in the Objectivist movement has arisen over exactly the best way to practice the virtue of justice -- to pronounce moral judgment and to give that pronouncement the teeth needed to make it effective.  Various schisms, excommunications and ostracisms have taken place at one end of the spectrum of practice, while excessively tolerant "somnambulist ecumenism" has marked the other end.  This wide difference of applications of justice demands a re-examination of its function in order to discover how optimally to practice this challenging virtue. (Read more...)
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Saturday
June 11, 2005
Objectivism
Objectivists and Collective Guilt
by Nathan Hawking
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Where do you really stand on the principles of individualism? Could you, unknowingly, share some of the collectivist attitudes of a Stalin or Mao? The issue of collective guilt goes to the heart of whether we defend individualism for others as we defend it for ourselves. (Read more...)
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Thursday
June 9, 2005
Objectivism
What's Wrong with a Little Injustice?
by Joseph Rowlands
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In my recent article, "Those Tough Choices," I gave an example of lending money to a friend.  I suggested that if the money is lent without formal agreement, it can be abused by the borrower, who may delay repayment, even when he has enough to pay back.  It may seem like a lot of hassle.  Isn't it reasonable to ask why someone should go through such hurdles? (Read more...)
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Friday
June 3, 2005
Objectivism
Objectivism: Not Just a Better Set of Rules
by Joseph Rowlands
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Perhaps they think that Objectivist morality is just another set of rules, just like other obedience-based moralities.  They may even believe that it's a better set of rules.  They can argue that since the rules are designed to enhance your life, the rules work better in practice.  (Read more...)
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Tuesday
May 31, 2005
Objectivism
"Holding Court"
by Barbara Branden
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At the suggestion of James Kilbourne and the request of Lindsay Perigo, I am beginning a weekly column here on SOLOHQ of responses to the questions you would like to ask me. Because Lindsay refers to me, for reasons best known to him, as "Majesty," it was agreed that the column will be named "Holding Court." (Read more...)
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Friday
May 27, 2005
Objectivism
Those Tough Choices
by Joseph Rowlands
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A man has a dilemma.  He's cheated on his wife, and now he has to decide what he's going to do.  Now he has to choose between telling her or keeping it a secret. Even if she decides not to leave him, she may never trust him again.  If he decides not to tell her, he's got a different set of problems. What should he do?  How does Objectivism help him decide on a course of action? (Read more...)
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Tuesday
May 24, 2005
Objectivism
The Passion of the Critics of Ayn Rand's Critics
by Scott Schiff
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Alright, has anyone else started The Passion of Ayn Rand's Critics?

I was angry about this book, but now that I'm reading it, I'm finding it more pathetic, exposing many flaws with the Peikovian approach to Objectivism. For that reason, it deserves to be discussed. (Read more...)

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Friday
May 13, 2005
Objectivism
Virtue Dichotomies
by Joseph Rowlands
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Virtues must be a synthesis of productivity and rationality, or they fall into the camp of the mind-body dichotomy.  They would discuss the morality of how you think, but in a way that's severed from how you act.  (Read more...)
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