Morality
and
Reason
and
Reason
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"My philosophy, in essence, is 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." -- Ayn Rand
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." -- Ayn Rand
Morality and reason. You'll hear a lot about the first, but
precious little about the latter. Of course, one cannot exist
without the other. As a police officer, you're going to
become a little confused right from the beginning of your
training as you become a casualty of the culture wars.
You'll be bombarded with a variety of moral viewpoints.
You'll be expected to accept all these different views of
morality on the basis that reasoning is not absolute, but
dependant and relative to the moral viewpoint with which
you're interacting. Be polite, and pay attention, and then
tuck it away under miscellaneous nonsense.
You can respect a wide range of views on morality, different
from your own, without sacrificing sound reasoning. As
long as your morality is firmly based in the knowledge of
what is right and wrong, your ability to reason, soundly and
decisively, will not be that difficult. If you let a lot of
politically correct junk get in your way, you're going to have
problems.
precious little about the latter. Of course, one cannot exist
without the other. As a police officer, you're going to
become a little confused right from the beginning of your
training as you become a casualty of the culture wars.
You'll be bombarded with a variety of moral viewpoints.
You'll be expected to accept all these different views of
morality on the basis that reasoning is not absolute, but
dependant and relative to the moral viewpoint with which
you're interacting. Be polite, and pay attention, and then
tuck it away under miscellaneous nonsense.
You can respect a wide range of views on morality, different
from your own, without sacrificing sound reasoning. As
long as your morality is firmly based in the knowledge of
what is right and wrong, your ability to reason, soundly and
decisively, will not be that difficult. If you let a lot of
politically correct junk get in your way, you're going to have
problems.
With this acclaimed work and its immortal
query, "Who is John Galt?", Ayn Rand found
the perfect artistic form to express her vision
of existence. Atlas Shrugged made Rand not
only one of the most popular novelists of the
century, but one of its most influential
thinkers.
Atlas Shrugged is the astounding story of a
man who said that he would stop the motor
query, "Who is John Galt?", Ayn Rand found
the perfect artistic form to express her vision
of existence. Atlas Shrugged made Rand not
only one of the most popular novelists of the
century, but one of its most influential
thinkers.
Atlas Shrugged is the astounding story of a
man who said that he would stop the motor
of the world--and did. Tremendous in scope, breathtaking in its
suspense, Atlas Shrugged stretches the boundaries further
than any book you have ever read. It is a mystery, not about
the murder of a man's body, but about the murder--and
rebirth--of man's spirit. * Atlas Shrugged is the "second most
influential book for Americans today" after the Bible, according
to a joint survey conducted by the Library of Congress and the
Book of the Month Club
suspense, Atlas Shrugged stretches the boundaries further
than any book you have ever read. It is a mystery, not about
the murder of a man's body, but about the murder--and
rebirth--of man's spirit. * Atlas Shrugged is the "second most
influential book for Americans today" after the Bible, according
to a joint survey conducted by the Library of Congress and the
Book of the Month Club
In her novels The
Fountainhead and Atlas
Shrugged, and in nonfiction
Unknown Ideal, Ayn Rand
forged a systematic
philosophy of reason and
freedom.
Rand was a passionate
individualist. She wrote in
praise of "the men of
unborrowed vision," who live
by the judgment of their own
minds, willing to stand alone
against tradition and popular
opinion.
Her philosophy of Objectivism
rejects the ethics of
self-sacrifice and
renunciation. She urged men
to hold themselves and their
lives as their highest values,
and to live by the code of the
free individual: self-reliance,
integrity, rationality,
productive effort.
Objectivism celebrates the
power of man's mind,
defending reason and science
against every form of
irrationalism. It provides an
intellectual foundation for
objective standards of truth
and value.
Upholding the use of reason
to transform nature and
create wealth, Objectivism
honors the businessman and
the banker, no less than the
philosopher and artist, as
creators and as benefactors
of mankind.
Ayn Rand was a champion of
individual rights, which protect
the sovereignty of the
individual as an end in
himself; and of capitalism,
which is the only social system
that allows people to live
together peaceably, by
voluntary trade, as
independent equals.
Millions of readers have been
inspired by the vision of life in
Ayn Rand's novels. Scholars
are exploring the trails she
blazed in philosophy and
other fields. Her principled
defense of capitalism has
drawn new adherents to the
cause of economic and
political liberty.
Fountainhead and Atlas
Shrugged, and in nonfiction
Unknown Ideal, Ayn Rand
forged a systematic
philosophy of reason and
freedom.
Rand was a passionate
individualist. She wrote in
praise of "the men of
unborrowed vision," who live
by the judgment of their own
minds, willing to stand alone
against tradition and popular
opinion.
Her philosophy of Objectivism
rejects the ethics of
self-sacrifice and
renunciation. She urged men
to hold themselves and their
lives as their highest values,
and to live by the code of the
free individual: self-reliance,
integrity, rationality,
productive effort.
Objectivism celebrates the
power of man's mind,
defending reason and science
against every form of
irrationalism. It provides an
intellectual foundation for
objective standards of truth
and value.
Upholding the use of reason
to transform nature and
create wealth, Objectivism
honors the businessman and
the banker, no less than the
philosopher and artist, as
creators and as benefactors
of mankind.
Ayn Rand was a champion of
individual rights, which protect
the sovereignty of the
individual as an end in
himself; and of capitalism,
which is the only social system
that allows people to live
together peaceably, by
voluntary trade, as
independent equals.
Millions of readers have been
inspired by the vision of life in
Ayn Rand's novels. Scholars
are exploring the trails she
blazed in philosophy and
other fields. Her principled
defense of capitalism has
drawn new adherents to the
cause of economic and
political liberty.
| Ayn Rand |
Copyright, The Objectivist
Center. For more information,
please visit
www.ObjectivistCenter.org.
Center. For more information,
please visit
www.ObjectivistCenter.org.
Report from the Front: 9-11:
The Ultimate Philosophy Lesson
by Edward Hudgins
September 10, 2003 -- So much has been written about
the 9-11 terrorist attacks that it is difficult to add much that
is new or enlightening. Perhaps it is sufficient to reflect that
most of the observations and lessons make one point in
common: A rational philosophy is literally a matter of life
and death.
Real philosophy is not constituted in dry, dusty books, nor
in senseless and soul-killing rules to be followed by rote.
The Objectivist philosophy instructs us on the nature of
reality (existence exists); about how we can discover truth
(through the use our rational faculty); on what code of
values will allow us to live happy, fulfilling and flourishing
lives (rational individualism); and on what social and
governmental arrangement is most appropriate for human
beings (capitalism).
Choosing reality and reason allowed architects to meet the
technical challenges of building the World Trade Center.
The land on which the skyscrapers were built was too wet;
dig a hole three feet deep and it fills up with water. The
solution: build a giant concrete basin, a reverse bathtub,
seven stories deep to keep the water out. The architects
had to design the towers as innovative tube-like structures,
with each building's weight not borne principally by internal
pillars but by load-bearing outer walls.
Each individual working on those shining towers, to the
extent they were successful, had to call on the best within
themselves, to use their minds to determine the nature of
the facts and reality that they faced, to discover the
appropriate actions needed to complete their tasks, and to
have the strength and fortitude to see those tasks through.
Each individual who helped create the World Trade Center
created for themselves the pride of accomplishment and
gave each of us an inspiring vision of achievement as well
as the world's then-tallest buildings, dedicated to
commerce and the creation and exchange of wealth by
free people. The World Trade Center was a manifestation
of a rational philosophy of life.
By contrast, the terrorists who destroyed it were religious
fanatics who chose their beliefs without reason or critical
thought. They held to a narrow, rigid dogma without
reference to facts that might have contradicted or
mitigated their views, without any concern for the
consequences. Of course, to the extent that these
self-made savages chose the irrational, they were
incapable of creating anything like the World Trade Center
or the planes that they used to destroy them. The only
thing they could do was destroy.
The Ultimate Philosophy Lesson
by Edward Hudgins
September 10, 2003 -- So much has been written about
the 9-11 terrorist attacks that it is difficult to add much that
is new or enlightening. Perhaps it is sufficient to reflect that
most of the observations and lessons make one point in
common: A rational philosophy is literally a matter of life
and death.
Real philosophy is not constituted in dry, dusty books, nor
in senseless and soul-killing rules to be followed by rote.
The Objectivist philosophy instructs us on the nature of
reality (existence exists); about how we can discover truth
(through the use our rational faculty); on what code of
values will allow us to live happy, fulfilling and flourishing
lives (rational individualism); and on what social and
governmental arrangement is most appropriate for human
beings (capitalism).
Choosing reality and reason allowed architects to meet the
technical challenges of building the World Trade Center.
The land on which the skyscrapers were built was too wet;
dig a hole three feet deep and it fills up with water. The
solution: build a giant concrete basin, a reverse bathtub,
seven stories deep to keep the water out. The architects
had to design the towers as innovative tube-like structures,
with each building's weight not borne principally by internal
pillars but by load-bearing outer walls.
Each individual working on those shining towers, to the
extent they were successful, had to call on the best within
themselves, to use their minds to determine the nature of
the facts and reality that they faced, to discover the
appropriate actions needed to complete their tasks, and to
have the strength and fortitude to see those tasks through.
Each individual who helped create the World Trade Center
created for themselves the pride of accomplishment and
gave each of us an inspiring vision of achievement as well
as the world's then-tallest buildings, dedicated to
commerce and the creation and exchange of wealth by
free people. The World Trade Center was a manifestation
of a rational philosophy of life.
By contrast, the terrorists who destroyed it were religious
fanatics who chose their beliefs without reason or critical
thought. They held to a narrow, rigid dogma without
reference to facts that might have contradicted or
mitigated their views, without any concern for the
consequences. Of course, to the extent that these
self-made savages chose the irrational, they were
incapable of creating anything like the World Trade Center
or the planes that they used to destroy them. The only
thing they could do was destroy.
Spiritually, the terrorist could not be filled with the true pride of achievement, which requires an
honest and open mind. Their souls could only be filled with rage and hate. Those emotions and
truly evil wills were required for them to drown out all thoughts of justice or humanity, to allow them
to look into the eyes of an innocent child or other passengers on their hijacked planes and to
murder them with many other children, mothers, fathers, son and daughters. The ultimate,
consistent consequence of irrationality is death.
But most Americans accept an ethic of life and happiness. The terrorist attacks gave us all a better
appreciation of the blessings of a free country. Let us also reflect that to remain free and happy
and alive we need to maintain a constant commitment to a rational morality.
honest and open mind. Their souls could only be filled with rage and hate. Those emotions and
truly evil wills were required for them to drown out all thoughts of justice or humanity, to allow them
to look into the eyes of an innocent child or other passengers on their hijacked planes and to
murder them with many other children, mothers, fathers, son and daughters. The ultimate,
consistent consequence of irrationality is death.
But most Americans accept an ethic of life and happiness. The terrorist attacks gave us all a better
appreciation of the blessings of a free country. Let us also reflect that to remain free and happy
and alive we need to maintain a constant commitment to a rational morality.
Copyright, The Objectivist Center. For more information, please visit www.ObjectivistCenter.org.
Edward Hudgins is executive director of the Atlas Society and its Objectivist Center, which celebrates
human achievement.
human achievement.
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