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T H E C R I T I C A L I M P O R T A N C E O F A Y N R A N D
compiled by ZOOGZ RIFT
*
As most of you are well aware, I am a firm supporter of the
writings of famed philosopher Ayn Rand. She devoted her life to intense
analysis of the working concepts of reality, and man's right to
personal freedom, individualism and self-interest. In her writings, she
explored, scientifically sorted out and proved the validity of
objective reality, setting forth the moral principles of Objectivism.
Many, many years ago, Rand changed the course and direction of the life
of Zoogz Rift forever, and out of respect to her, and even more so in
an attempt to better the world that I and those I care about have to
live in, I ask you to seriously think about the following quotations:
"Any system of ethics is based on and derived, implicitly or
explicitly, from a metaphysics. The ethic derived from the metaphysical
base of Objectivism holds that, since reason is man's basic tool of
survival, rationality is his highest virtue. To use his mind, to
perceive reality and act accordingly, is man's moral imperative. The
standard of value of the Objectivist ethics is: man's life--man's
survival qua man--or that which the nature of a rational being requires
for his proper survival. The Objectivist ethics, in essence, hold that
man exists for his own sake, that the pursuit of his own happiness is
his highest moral purpose, that he must not sacrifice himself to
others, or others to himself."
"It is the concept of original sin that negates morality. If man is
guilty by nature, he has no choice about it. If he has no choice, the
issue does not belong in the field of morality. Morality pertains only
to the sphere of man's free will--only to those actions which are open
to his choice. To consider man guilty by nature is a contradiction in
terms."
"Now what does it mean, to act on whim? It means that man acts like
a zombie, without any knowledge of what he deals with, what he wants
to accomplish, or what motivates him. It means that man acts in a
state of temporary insanity. Is this what you call juicy or colorful? I
think the only juice that can come out of such a situation is blood."
"I most emphatically advocate a black-and-white view of the world.
What (do I mean) by the expression 'black and white'? It means good and
evil. Before you can identify...(gray areas) you have to know what is
black and what is white, because gray is a mixture of the two. And when
you establish that one alternative is good and the other is evil, there
is no justification for the choice of a mixture. There is no
justification for choosing any part of what you know to be evil."
"[D]ogma is a set of beliefs accepted on faith; that is, without
rational justification or against rational evidence. A dogma is a
matter of blind faith....Objectivism tells you that you must not accept
any idea or conviction unless you can demonstrate its truth by means of
reason."
"Force, in a free society, may be used only in retaliation...against
those who initiate its use. This is the proper task of government: to
serve as a policeman who protects men from the use of force."
"I am an advocate of laissez-faire capitalism, of individual
rights...there are no others...of individual freedom. It is on this
ground that I oppose any doctrine which proposes tha sacrifice of the
individual to the collective."
"So long as men can speak and write freely, so long as there is no
censorship, they still have the chance to reform their society....When
censorship is imposed, *that* is the sign that men should go on strike
intellectually, by which I mean, should not cooperate with the social
system in any way whatever."
--above quotes from "Playboy's Interview with Ayn Rand"
*
"Is the power of society limited or unlimited? Individualism
answers: The power of society is limited by the inalienable, individual
rights of man. Society may make only such laws as do not violate these
rights. Collectivism answers: The power of society is unlimited....
Example: Under a system of individualism, a million men cannot pass a
law to kill one man for their own benefit. If they go ahead and kill
him, they are breaking the law...and they are punished....Under the
Soviet system, millions of peasants, or 'kulaks' were exterminated by
law, a law justified by the pretext that this was for the benefit of
the majority, which the Party contended was anti-kulak. Under the Nazi
system, millions of Jews were exterminated by law, a law justified that
this was for the benefit of the majority, which the Nazis contended was
anti-Semitic. The Soviet and Nazi laws were the unavoidable and
consistent result of the principle of collectivism. When applied in
practice, a principle which recognizes no morality and no individual
rights can result in nothing except brutality...Either the power of
society is limited or it is not. It can't be both."
"When we say that we hold individual rights to be *inalienable*, we
mean *just that*. *Inalienable* means that which we may not take away,
suspend, infringe, restrict, or violate--not ever, not at any time, not
for any purpose whatsoever."
"When you see a society that recognizes man's rights in some laws,
but not in others--do not hail it as a 'mixed' system and do not
conclude that a compromise between basic principles, opposed in theory,
can be made to work in practice. Such a society is not working--it is
merely disintegrating. Disintegration takes time. Nothing falls to
pieces immediately--neither a human body or a human society."
--above quotes from "Textbook of Americanism"
*
"The meaning ascribed in popular usage to the word "selfishness" is
not merely wrong, it represents a devastating intellectual
"package-deal" which is responsible, more than any other single factor,
for the arrested moral development of mankind. In popular usage, the
word "selfishness" is a synonym of evil; the image it conjures is of a
murderous brute who tramples over piles of corpses to achieve his own
ends, who cares for no living being and pursues nothing but the
gratification of the mindless whims of the moment. Yet the exact
meaning and dictionary definition of the word "selfishness" is: concern
with one's own interests....Altruism declares that any action taken for
the benefit of others is good, and any action taken for one's own
benefit is evil. Thus the *beneficiary* of an action is the only
criterion of moral value--so long as that benefit is for others,
anything goes. Hence the apalling immorality, the chronic injustice,
the grotesque double standards, the insoluable conflicts and
contradictions that have characterized human relationships and human
societies throughout history, under all the variants of the altruist
ethics."
"An irrational society is a society of moral cowards--of men
paralyzed by the loss of moral standards, principles and goals. But
since men have to act, so long as they live, such a society is ready to
be taken over by anyone willing to set its direction. The initiative
can come from only two types of men: either from the man who is willing
to assume the responsibility of asserting rational values--or from the
thug who is not troubled by questions of responsibility. No matter how
hard the struggle, there is only one choice that a rational man can
make in the face of such an alternative."
--above quotes from "The Virtue of Selfishness"
*
"If you are seriously interested in fighting for a better world,
begin by identifying the nature of the problem. The battle is
primarily intellectual [and philosophical], not political. Politics is
the last consequence, the practical implementation of the fundamental
ideas that dominate a given nations's culture....If you want to
influence a country's intellectual trend, the first step is to bring
order to your own ideas and integrate them into a consistent case, to
the best of your knowledge and your ability. This does not mean
memorizing and reciting slogans and principles, Objectivist or
otherwise: knowledge necessarily includes the ability to apply abstract
principles to concrete problems, to recognize the principles in
specific issues, to demonstrate them, and to advocate a consistent
course of action. This doesn't require omniscience or omnipotence; it
is the subconscious expectation many would-be crusaders. What is
required is HONESTY--intellectual honesty, which consists of knowing
what one does know, constantly expanding one's knowledge, and NEVER
evading or failing to correct a contradiction....Most particularly, DO
NOT KEEP SILENT shen your own ideas and values are being attacked...If
a dictatorship ever comes to this country, it will be by the default of
those who keep silent. We are still free enough to speak. Do we have
time? No one can tell. But time is on our side--because we have and
indestructable weapon and an invinceable ally...if we learn how to use
them...reason and reality."
--above quote from "Philosophy--Who Needs It?"
There are many books, pamphlets and publications written by, with,
and about Ayn Rand and her philosophical ideas. These quotes
admittedly just scrape the tip of the iceberg, and are intended to
entice you into reading the publications in full. Below is a list of
many of these publications, as well as the publishers and distributors.
I strongly urge you to go out and purchase these books, and read them
carefully--take your time--you've got a whole new life ahead of you.
Zoogz Rift 1988
*
BOOKS BY AYN RAND:
Fiction: THE EARLY AYN RAND
WE THE LIVING
ANTHEM
NIGHT OF JANUARY 16TH
THE FOUNTAINHEAD
ATLAS SHRUGGED
Philosophical (general):
FOR THE NEW INTELLECTUAL
PHILOSOPHY: WHO NEEDS IT
Philosophical (epistemology):
INTRODUCTION TO OBJECTIVIST EPISTEMOLOGY
Philosophical (ethics):
THE VIRTUE OF SELFISHNESS
Philosophical (aesthetics):
THE ROMANTIC MANIFESTO
Philosophical (social-political-economic):
CAPITALISM: THE UNKNOWN IDEAL
THE NEW LEFT: THE ANTI-INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
Philosophical (compendium of quotations on various subjects):
THE AYN RAND LEXICON (compiled by H. Binschwanger)
ABOUT AYN RAND:
THE PASSION OF AYN RAND (biography) by Barbara Branden
(Doubleday and Co., 1986)
MY THIRTY YEARS WITH AYN RAND: AN INTELLECTUAL MEMOIR
(pamphlet...biographical/expository) by Dr. Leonard Peikoff
(New Renaissance Books)
BY LEONARD PEIKOFF (AYN RAND'S ASSOCIATE):
THE OMINOUS PARALLELS
All books not specified as to publisher are available in paperback from
New American Library/Mentor Books.
PAMPHLETS BY AYN RAND:
TEXTBOOK OF AMERICANISM
THE FORGOTTEN MAN OF SOCIALIZED MEDICINE: THE DOCTOR
THE INTELLECTUAL BANKRUPTCY OF OUR AGE
THE FASCIST NEW FRONTIER
THE MORAL FACTOR
GLOBAL BALKANIZATION
CULTURAL UPDATE
FAITH AND FORCE: THE DESTROYERS OF THE MODERN WORLD
AMERICA'S PERSECUTED MINORITY: BIG BUSINESS
NOTES ON THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN FREE ENTERPRISE
PLAYBOY'S INTERVIEW WITH AYN RAND
PAMPHLETS BY LEONARD PEIKOFF:
ASSAULT FROM THE IVORY TOWER
THE AMERICAN SCHOOL: WHY JOHNNY CAN'T THINK
MEDICINE: THE DEATH OF A PROFESSION
MY THIRTY YEARS WITH AYN RAND
PUBLICATIONS PUBLISHED BY AYN RAND:
THE OBJECTIVIST
THE OBJECTIVIST NEWSLETTER
THE AYN RAND LETTER
All of the above are available through Second Renaissance Books, Box
4625, Oceanside, CA 92054. The aforementioned publications are
available, in their complete runs, in bound volumes. Also available
through Second Renaissance are taped lectures by Rand and Peikoff. All
are well worth checking out.