Objectivism Wiki - User contributions [en]

Template:BQ

2010-10-22T23:43:25Z

Sir Andrew:

<center>
{| style="margin-right:100px;margin-left:100px;width=75%;"
| style="vertical-align:top;font-size:48px;" | “
| {{{1}}}
| style="vertical-align:bottom;font-size:48px;" | ”
|}
</center>
<noinclude>[[Category:Templates]]</noinclude>

Ethics

2010-10-22T23:39:21Z

Sir Andrew: /* "Emergency situations" */

{{wikify}}

"To live, man must hold three things as the supreme and ruling [[value|values]] of his life: [[Reason]], [[Purpose]], [[Self-esteem]]."

Morality is the recognition of the fact that as mortal beings with a rational, volitional consciousness, we need to adopt and practice certain [[principle|principles]] in order to live.

Living beings clearly act to achieve particular values by particular means. Their actions are aimed at specific ends " namely, their survival and reproduction. But the question of purpose does not arise for them either because their actions are automatic, determined by instinct. They cannot choose, as men do, to live by one means or another, to be carnivores or herbivores, to live or die. Unlike non-living entities, they have various values, such as food, reproduction, and shelter, but they have no means to choose which values to achieve or which course of action to take to achieve them beyond their immediate environment.

Like all living organisms, [[Man's Nature|man]] can be distinguished from non-living matter by the fact that in order to remain alive, he must act to attain the values needed for his survival (such as food, water, shelter, clothes.) For animals, which operate entirely on the perceptual level, this guidance comes automatically through their facility of instinct. Man does not have any automatic means of attaining the values needed for his life. He may have urges (hunger, thirst, etc) but he has no automatic means of fulfilling them. Unlike animals, human beings lack any kind of innate ideas or instinct - we learn our values and ideas from your experience of reality. We are the creators of our own mental nature - but we have no power over our metaphysical nature - we can refuse to recognize that we need food to live - but that does not change the fact that we are mortal beings who need food to live.

As a conceptual being, his survival depends on correctly using [[reason]] to identify and attain the values necessary for his life. As a [[volition|volitional]] being, his thinking is neither automatic nor infallible, but is an active process that requires a constant focus on correctly identifying the facts of reality and applying them to achieve the values needed for his well-being. Unlike the automatic function of animal instinct, man must choose to think, " and his thoughts will determine his actions, his values, his emotions, and his character. The primary choice of every individual " to think or not" corresponds to his primary alternative " to live or not. His own life is the primary moral value of each individual" whether he chooses to accept it or not.

Rational self-interest, or [[egoism]] is therefore the proper morality each man must adopt if he wishes to live " the application of his reason to achieve the values needed for his survival. A man may choose not to think or to reject his life, but to the extent he does so, he chooses to act towards his death. Egoism is not a virtue by itself - simply knowing that one should act [[egoism|selfishly]] provides no guide to action. One must use [[reason]] to derive [[virtues]], which are specific principles for practicing rationality in all areas of one's life.

== Imported from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Objectivist_ethics Wikipedia] ==

==Meta-ethics==

The Objectivist ethic begins with a meta-ethical question: why do human beings need a code of values? The Objectivist answer is that humans need such a code in order to survive as human beings.

Objectivism maintains that, alone among all the species of which we know, human beings do not automatically act to further their own survival. A plant seems to have no awareness of any kind and simply grows automatically; an organism that possesses a faculty of sensation relies on its pleasure-pain mechanism; an animal that operates at the level of perception can use its perceptions to muddle its way through its essentially cyclic life; but a human being, who at least potentially operates at the conceptual level, lives a life that consists of an integrated whole.

Objectivism recognizes, of course, that biologically a human being can survive in a physical sense without operating at the conceptual level at all. Indeed, Objectivism regards the conceptual level as a volitional achievement that not everyone in fact attains. In speaking of "survival" here, however, Objectivism is speaking of survival as a "human being" — that is, as a being that has realized its cognitive potential and attained the conceptual level. It is at this level, Objectivism says, that a life is the sort of continuous whole proper to a human being.

Ayn Rand also recognized that in humans, who are conscious organisms, the motivation to pursue life is experienced as the pursuit of a conscious state - the pursuit of happiness. Indeed, in her one-sentence summary of Objectivism, Ayn Rand condensed her ethics into the statement that man properly lives "with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life." According to Objectivist epistemology, however, states of mind, such as happiness, are not primary; they are the consequence of specific facts of existence. Therefore man needs an objective, principled standard, grounded in the facts of reality, to guide him in the pursuit of this purpose. Rand regarded happiness as a biological faculty evolved from the pleasure-pain mechanism of pre-human animals. This faculty functions as an instrument providing a continuous measurement of how successful one is at meeting the challenge of life. As she wrote in The Virtue of Selfishness (23, pb 27)

Just as the pleasure-pain mechanism of man's body is an automatic indicator of his body's welfare or injury, a barometer of its basic alternative, life or death - so the emotional mechanism of man's consciousness is geared to perform the same function, as a barometer that registers the same alternative by means of two basic emotions: joy or suffering.

That is, the faculty of happiness continuously provides one's consciousness with a current measurement of one's success on the continuum between full life and actual death (by analogy with the barometer, which continuously provides the current measurement of atmospheric pressure.) The measurement provided by the faculty of happiness is experienced as emotion on the continuum between joy and suffering. To achieve happiness (the purpose,) one must recognize, choose, and pursue that which preserves and enhances one's life (the standard.)

==Values==

Since operating at the conceptual level remains volitional for the duration of one's life, Objectivism holds, human beings require a code of values — an ethic — in order to guide them in making the choices and taking the actions that will not only keep them biologically alive but preserve their status as fully human beings. For Objectivism, a "human being" who is not operating at the conceptual level is not, in the proper sense of the word, conscious, and indeed is not even properly human: by lapsing from the conceptual level, a human being "can turn himself into a subhuman creature."

The purpose of Objectivist ethics, then, is to guide human beings in becoming and remaining "fully human" — or, in Rand's language, in promoting their survival as "man qua man". In so doing, it adopts life — the specifically human form of life — as its standard.

However, the purpose of Objectivist ethics as applied by any particular human being is the preservation of that person's own life (again, as man qua man). In this context, Objectivism seeks to differentiate between the "standard" and the "purpose" of ethics, adopting "life" as its standard and "one's own life" as its purpose.

"Value", again, is understood as anything which a living organism seeks to gain or keep. Objectivism contends that values make no sense without a single "ultimate value" — and argues that this ultimate value is, for each person, that person's own life.

Objectivism contends that "value" makes no sense apart from the context of "life". Here the Objectivist trichotomy reappears: Objectivism rejects both "intrinsicism" and "subjectivism" with regard to values just as with regard to universals. On the Objectivist account, value (or the "good") is not "intrinsic" to external reality, but neither is it "subjective" (again meaning "arbitrary"); the term "good" denotes an objective evaluation of some aspect of reality with respect to a goal, namely, the life of the human being with respect to whom the evaluation is made. In making this argument, Rand claimed to have solved David Hume's famous is-ought problem of bridging the gap between empirical facts and moral requirements.

Objectivism regards the concept of "duty" as one that divorces value from its context in life (and therefore as an "anti-concept"). On its Objectivist definition, a "duty" is a moral obligation rooted in nothing more than obedience to an external authority and independent of one's goals and desires. Such a supposed moral obligation Objectivism sees as particularly destructive; according to Objectivism, one has no obligations other than those one has voluntarily assumed. Even obligations rooted directly in the needs of one's own life count as "voluntary" in this sense, for Objectivism regards the "choice to live" as the fundamental choice from which all other ethical requirements flow.

==Virtue==

A "[[virtue]]" is any act by which one gains or keeps a value. It is in this sense of the word that Objectivism speaks of the "virtue of selfishness": the Objectivist view is that adopting one's own life as one's ultimate ethical purpose, and then making the specific choices and taking the specific actions that implement that fundamental choice to live, is an achievement worthy of moral respect. It is in this sense that Rand wrote, "Man is a being of self-made soul."

In fact, Objectivism does not list "selfishness" among its official virtues. The "values" officially recognized by Objectivism are "reason," "purpose," and "self-esteem," and the "virtues" by which these are achieved are said to be "rationality", "productiveness," and "pride." Objectivism maintains that productiveness — work productive of objective value — is the central purpose of a rational human being's life, reason its precondition, pride its outcome.

==Rejection of altruism==

Objectivism rejects as immoral any action taken for some other ultimate purpose. In particular it rejects as immoral any variant of what it calls "altruism" — by which it means, essentially, any ethical doctrine according to which a human being must justify his or her existence by service to others. According to Objectivism, every ethical or moral action has the agent as its primary beneficiary.

Objectivism especially opposes any ethical demand for sacrifice. Objectivism uses this term in a special sense: a "sacrifice", according to its Objectivist definition, is the giving up of a greater value for a lesser one. (In other worlds of discourse, for example baseball and chess, the term is used to mean the giving up of a lesser or shorter-term value for the sake of a greater or longer-term one. Objectivism does not regard such an exchange as a genuine "sacrifice.")

Not all superficially self-interested actions count as moral, however. Objectivism espouses an ethic of genuine self-interest — that is, of choices and actions that genuinely do promote one's life qua human being, not merely those that we think or hope may do so. The Objectivist ethic can be called one of "rational self-interest" (rational egoism) on the grounds that human beings must discover, through reason, what genuinely is of value to them.

=="Conflicts" of interest==

Objectivism rejects the possibility of a conflict of interest between two rational individuals under normal circumstances (though it may happen in emergencies). Ordinarily, if human beings behave rationally, do not claim what they have not earned, and recognize that rational, productive human beings are of tremendous value to one another as trading partners, no irresolvable conflicts will arise.

=="Emergency situations"==

In The Virtue of Selfishness, Ayn Rand argues that emergencies should not form the basis, or be a test of one’s moral system, since the purpose of morality is to be a practical guide to life, not deal with improbable scenarios. Actions taken under threat of physical force are considered immune from moral judgment, as they occur in a special type of "emergency situation". A man's actions under initiation of force — for instance, if one man points a gun at another man and instructs that man to kill a third man — are neither moral or immoral, as he is not free to choose his actions. In the words of Ayn Rand,

{{BQ|No rights are applicable in such a case. Don't you see that that is one of the reasons why the use, the initiation of force among men, is morally improper and indefensible? Once the element of force is introduced, the element of morality is out. There is no question of right in such a case.}}
This particular emergency situation can only be interpreted literally — as Rand also said,

{{BQ|For instance, you couldn't claim that the men who served in the Gestapo, or the Russian secret police, [...] that they were merely carrying out orders, and that therefore the horrors they committed are not their fault, but are the fault of the chief Nazis. They were not literally under threat of death. They chose that job. Nobody holds a gun on a secret policeman and orders him to function all the time. You could not have enough secret policemen.}}

[[Category:Ethics]]

Template:BQC

2010-10-22T23:37:38Z

Sir Andrew: Created page with "<center> {| style="margin-right:100px;margin-left:100px;width=75%;" | style="vertical-align:top;font-size:48px;" | “ | style="padding-bottom:24px;" | {{{1}}} | style="..."

<center>
{| style="margin-right:100px;margin-left:100px;width=75%;"
| style="vertical-align:top;font-size:48px;" | “
| style="padding-bottom:24px;" | {{{1}}}
| style="vertical-align:bottom;font-size:48px;" | ”
|-
|
| {{{if defined:author|— '''{{{author}}}''', ''{{{source}}}''}}}
|
|}
</center>
<noinclude>[[Category:Templates]]</noinclude>

Template:BQ

2010-10-22T23:36:47Z

Sir Andrew:

<center>
{| style="margin-right:100px;margin-left:100px;width=75%;"
| style="vertical-align:top;font-size:48px;" | “
| style="padding-bottom:24px;" | {{{1}}}
| style="vertical-align:bottom;font-size:48px;" | ”
|}
</center>
<noinclude>[[Category:Templates]]</noinclude>

Template:BQ

2010-10-22T23:35:27Z

Sir Andrew:

Template:BQ

2010-10-22T23:34:04Z

Sir Andrew: Added conditional parameter

<center>
{| style="margin-right:100px;margin-left:100px;width=75%;"
| style="vertical-align:top;font-size:48px;" | “
| style="padding-bottom:24px;" | {{{1}}}
| style="vertical-align:bottom;font-size:48px;" | ”
|-
|
| {{{if defined:2|— '''{{{2}}}''', ''{{{3}}}''}}}
|
|}
</center>
<noinclude>[[Category:Templates]]</noinclude>

Template:BQ

2010-10-22T23:31:47Z

Sir Andrew: Converted to wiki markup

<center>
{| style="margin-right:100px;margin-left:100px;width=75%;"
| style="vertical-align:top;font-size:48px;" | “
| style="padding-bottom:24px;" | {{{1}}}
| style="vertical-align:bottom;font-size:48px;" | ”
|-
|
| — '''{{{2}}}''', ''{{{3}}}''
|
|}
</center>
<noinclude>[[Category:Templates]]</noinclude>

Template:BQ

2010-10-22T23:29:46Z

Sir Andrew: Created for stylistic updates

Axioms

2010-10-22T21:37:29Z

Sir Andrew: Re-organized for better flow

An '''axiom''' is an irreducible truth expressed in the form of a proposition. A truth you cannot prove nor do without. Axioms are self-evident concepts that form the basis for all higher-level knowledge. Ayn Rand identified three axioms that meet these criteria:

* [[Primacy of Existence]]
* [[A is A]] ([[Aristotle]]'s law of Identity).
* [[Axiom of Consciousness|Consciousness is Conscious]] [of something].
== Axioms and Axiomatic Concepts ==
In her [[Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology]], she describes the nature of axioms, and shows that the most basic units of man's knowledge are not propositions, but Axiomatic Concepts ("Existence", "Identity", "Consciousness"), which she described as follows:

<blockquote>An axiomatic concept is the identification of a primary fact of reality, which cannot be analyzed, i.e., reduced to other facts or broken into component parts. It is implicit in all facts and in all knowledge. It is the fundamentally given and directly perceived or experienced, which requires no proof or explanation, but on which all proofs and explanations rest.</blockquote>

<cite>Ayn Rand, [[Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology]], Meridian, New York City, 1990, p. 55.</cite>

A more lengthy discussion of axioms and their role can be found in [[OPAR]] [[Leonard Peikoff's|Leonard Peikoff]] Objectivism: The Philosophy of [[Ayn Rand]].

Axioms are perceptually [[self-evident]], [[primary]], [[fundamental]], and irrefutable. For example, the axiom of identity states that existence is identity, or that to be, is to be something. This axiom is [[perception|perceptually]] self-evident because identity is affirmed in everything we experience. Every perception is of something -- having certain properties and not others. Identity is primary because it cannot be broken down into any lower concepts or proven using any lower-level facts. One can only prove that it is an axiom, not the axiom itself, because the concept of proof depends on the validity of identity.
It is fundamental because all our higher-level [[knowledge]] rests on the fact that existence is identity. If we weren't sure of the axiom, we couldn't know whether contradictory ideas could be true, or whether facts true today would hold true tomorrow. It is irrefutable because any attempt to reject identity must rely on identity being true. For example, if one argues that “[[facts]] can be both true and false at the same time”, one assumes that the idea of facts being both true and false is itself true and not false.

== Further Reading ==
*[http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/axioms.html Axioms at the Ayn Rand Lexicon]
{{M_Nav}}

[[Category: Metaphysics]]
[[Category:Axiom]]

Main Page

2010-10-22T21:24:18Z

Sir Andrew: Changed protection level for "Main Page": High traffic page ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

{|style="width:100%;margin-top:+.7em;background-color:#fcfcfc;border:1px solid #ccc;text-align:center;"
|style="width:56%;color:#000"|
<h1>Welcome to the Objectivism Wiki!</h1>

The purpose of this site is to create a hierarchical, user-contributed reference on the philosophy of Objectivism. You can contribute by visiting our [[Help:Guide to style|Guide to Style]] and clicking "Edit" on the left of any of the [[Special:Statistics|{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}]] articles or begin a new page by clicking green links.
|}

<center><div style="width:50%;"><span style="font-size:28px;">'''[[What is Objectivism|What is Objectivism?]]'''</span>
<br />''"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]]'''</div></center>

<center><h2>Branches of Objectivism</h2></center>
{| id="AutoNumber1" style="border: none; text-align:center; " width="100%"
| style="border: 1px #c6c9ff solid; background-color: #f0f0ff;" rowspan="2" colspan="2" width="43%" height="31" |
<big>[[Metaphysics]]</big><br />''The study of the universe and its nature''<br />'''[[Axioms]]''': [[Existence]], [[Consciousness]], [[Identity]]<br />'''[[Corollary]]''': [[Causality]], [[Primacy of Existence]]<br />'''[[Reality]]''': [[Primacy of Existence]], [[Existents]], <br />the [[Metaphysically Given versus the Man Made]]
| style="border: none" width="9%" |  
| style="border: none" width="9%" |
| style="border: 1px #c6c9ff solid; background-color: #f0f0ff" rowspan="2" colspan="2" width="42%" height="30" |
<center><big>[[Epistemology]]</big><br />''The study of knowledge''<br />'''[[Senses]]''' <nowiki>|</nowiki> '''[[Consciousness]]''' <nowiki>|</nowiki> '''[[Volition]]'''<br>'''[[Concepts]]''': [[Unit]], [[Concept-Formation]]<br>'''[[Knowledge]]''': [[Context]], [[Hierarchy]]<br>'''[[Reason]]''': [[Certainty]], [[Truth]], the [[Arbitrary]]<br>'''[[Objectivity]]''' <nowiki>|</nowiki> '''[[Emotions]]'''</center>
|-
| style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid; border-right: 1px solid" width="9%" height="50%" |
| style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid" width="9%" height="50%" |
|-
| width="34%" height="19" |
| style="border-right: 1px solid" colspan="2" width="17%" height="19" |
| colspan="2" width="17%" height="19" |
| width="34%" height="19" |
|-
| style="border: 1px #c6c9ff solid; background-color: #f0f0ff; padding:5px;vertical-align:top;" width="34%" |
<center><big>[[Ethics]]</big><br /><small>''The study of virtue''</small><br />'''[[Man|Man's Nature]]''': [[Life]], [[value|Values]],<br>[[Reason]] as the primary means of survival<br>'''[[Egoism]]''': Selfishness as requiring [[principle|principles]]<br>'''[[Rationality]]''' as the basic virtue<br>'''[[Virtues]]''': [[Independence]], [[Integrity]], [[Honesty]],<br>[[Justice]], [[Productiveness]], [[Pride]]<br>'''[[Happiness]]''': [[Self-esteem]], Virtue as [[practical]], [[Sex]] </center>
| style="border: 1px #c6c9ff solid; background-color: #f0f0ff; vertical-align:top;padding-top:5px;" colspan="4" width="35%" |
<center><big>[[Politics]]</big><br /><small>''The study of social systems and nature of government''</small><br />'''[[Rights]]''': [[Government]], [[Initiation of Force]]<br>'''[[Capitalism]]''': Contrast to [[Collectivism]], [[Statism]]<br>[[Anarchism]], [[Environmentalism]]</center>
| style="border: 1px #c6c9ff solid; background-color: #f0f0ff;vertical-align:top;padding:5px;" width="34%" |
<center><big>[[Aesthetics]]</big><br /><small>''The study of art''</small></center>[[Objectivist Recommendations]]
|}

<center><h2>Other Topics</h2></center>
{|

|style="border-bottom:1px solid #c6c9ff;padding-bottom:10px;width:25%;vertical-align:top;" | {{MainPage/AboutAR}} || style="border-bottom:1px solid #c6c9ff;padding-bottom:10px;width:25%;vertical-align:top;" | {{MainPage/OtherTopics}} || style="border-bottom:1px solid #c6c9ff;padding-bottom:10px;width:25%;vertical-align:top;" | {{MainPage/ConceptTs}} || style="border-bottom:1px solid #c6c9ff;padding-bottom:10px;width:25%;vertical-align:top;" | {{MainPage/Appendix}}
|-
|
|}

{|-
|width="15%" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" style="border:1px solid #000000;padding:1em;padding-top:0.5em;"|

<h3 id="lang">Notes:</h3>
* The topics are based on the [http://www.peikoff.com/opar/contents.htm outline of OPAR]. Additional topics or page content suggestions are added after the colon.

* There is now an edited version of the United States Constitution being reworked to conform to objectivism, the main page for the subproject is [[New constitution|here]] [[User:Crazynas|Crazynas]] 15:10, 4 Jul 2005 (CDT)

* Please see [http://meta.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki_i18n documentation on customizing the interface] and the [http://meta.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki_User%27s_Guide User's Guide] for usage and configuration help.

* My [http://quotes.rationalmind.net/ quote database] may be a useful source. --[[User:GreedyCapitalist|GreedyCapitalist]] 19:09, 22 June 2006 (CDT)

*Other projects on this wiki include: [[Book Recommendations]], [[Movie Recommendations]], [[Introduction to Objectivist Dictionary]], [[Forum rules]], and [[ObjectivismOnline| About ObjectivismOnline.Net]]

|}

__NOTOC__

Is-Ought Dichotomy

2010-09-18T21:15:35Z

Sir Andrew: Corrected definition

{{stub}}

'''The Is-Ought Dichotomy''' is a term used to describe the classic "fact-value gap" that has plagued many philosophers in the past. The dichotomy itself says that the metaphysical facts of reality (what something "is") are in a separate realm than the values of ethics (what one "ought" to do about it).

Objectivism considers this a false dichotomy for one main reason: Because man's life is the standard of values, a fact of reality is evaluated on that standard and a value-judgment is formed as to the degree in which it furthers or acts against man's life.

==Further Reading==
*[http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/is-ought_dichotomy.html "Is-Ought Dichotomy" at the Ayn Rand Lexicon]

Common Misconceptions about Objectivism

2010-09-18T04:07:23Z

Sir Andrew: Added link to Peikoff's essay "Fact and Value", which address the 'open system' claim

;[[Objectivism is a religion]] : False, Objectivism is a [[philosophy]] based on [[reason]], not a religion (which is based on faith or [[mysticism]]).
;[[Objectivism is a cult]] : Many critics of Objectivism claim that students of the philosophy blindly follow Ayn Rand and treat her word as some kind of "divine revelation," but this is simply not the case. This view is diametrically opposed to the core tenants of Objectivist [[epistemology]] which hold that man must (and can only) gain knowledge through the use of his ''own'' rational faculty.
;It's possible to be religious and be an Objectivist at the same time : Objectivism rejects all forms of religion at its metaphysical base, the [[Primacy of Existence]], and is thus an atheistic philosophy.
;Objectivism is an "open system" to revision and changes : Objectivism is the name Ayn Rand used for her philosophical achievement. As such, the term "Objectivism" may only be applied to the ideas by Rand or by those she explicitly endorsed. This is not to say that there are not other philosophical truths that ''rational'' thought can illuminate, but that passing these ideas as the work of Ayn Rand is misleading. Leonard Peikoff's essay [http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=objectivism_fv "Fact and Value"], directly addresses this issue.
;The Laissez-Faire [[Capitalism]] advocated by Objectivism is a form of [[Anarchism]] or [[Anarchocapitalism]] : Not true, Objectivism does in fact support government with a monopoly on the use of force. This government, however, is only to use force against those who initiate its use to violate others' [[rights]]. The three tasks of government in this function are (as stated by Ayn Rand): "...the police, to protect men from criminals—the armed services, to protect men from foreign invaders—the law courts, to settle disputes among men according to objective laws."

Template:Def

2010-09-10T16:41:21Z

Sir Andrew: Created to allow definitions to be integrated into article text

<span title="{{{1}}}" {{#ifeq:{{{dotted|yes}}}|no||style="border-bottom:1px dotted"}} class="help">{{{2}}}</span><noinclude>

==Usage==
<code><nowiki>{{def|hover-title text|display text}}</nowiki></code>

Adds a title to the selected text, which can be viewed in most browsers by holding the mouse cursor over the underlined text.

==Source==
This template is taken from MediaWiki under a Creative Commons License. The source may be found [http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Template:H:title here]

</noinclude>

[[Category:Formatting templates]]

Main Page

2010-09-10T15:15:36Z

Sir Andrew: Re-launch: Branches are shown in hierarchical format

User:Sir Andrew/MainPageTest

2010-09-10T15:13:27Z

Sir Andrew: Almost finished!

User:Sir Andrew/MainPageTest

2010-09-10T14:53:45Z

Sir Andrew:

{|style="width:100%;margin-top:+.7em;background-color:#fcfcfc;border:1px solid #ccc;text-align:center;"
|style="width:56%;color:#000"|
<h1>Welcome to the Objectivism Wiki!</h1>

The purpose of this site is to create a hierarchical, user-contributed reference on the philosophy of Objectivism. You can contribute by visiting our [[Help:Guide to style|Guide to Style]] and clicking "Edit" on the left of any of the [[Special:Statistics|{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}]] articles or begin a new page by clicking green links.
|}

<center><div style="width:50%;"><span style="font-size:28px;">'''[[What is Objectivism|What is Objectivism?]]'''</span>
<br />''"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]]'''</div></center>

<center><h2>Branches of Objectivism</h2></center>
{| id="AutoNumber1" style="border: none;" width="100%"
| style="border: 1px #c6c9ff solid; background-color: #f0f0ff" rowspan="2" colspan="2" width="43%" height="31" |
<center><big>[[Metaphysics]]</big><br />''The study of the universe and its nature''<br />'''[[Axioms]]''': [[Existence]], [[Consciousness]], [[Identity]]<br />'''[[Corollary]]''': [[Causality]], [[Primacy of Existence]]<br />'''[[Reality]]''': [[Primacy of Existence]], [[Existents]], <br />the [[Metaphysically Given versus the Man Made]]</center>
| style="border: none" width="9%" |  
| style="border: none" width="9%" |
| style="border: 1px #c6c9ff solid; background-color: #f0f0ff" rowspan="2" colspan="2" width="42%" height="30" |
<center><big>[[Epistemology]]</big><br />''The study of knowledge''<br />'''[[Senses]]''' <nowiki>|</nowiki> '''[[Consciousness]]''' <nowiki>|</nowiki> '''[[Volition]]'''<br>'''[[Concepts]]''': [[Unit]], [[Concept-Formation]]<br>'''[[Knowledge]]''': [[Context]], [[Hierarchy]]<br>'''[[Reason]]''': [[Certainty]], [[Truth]], the [[Arbitrary]]<br>'''[[Objectivity]]''' <nowiki>|</nowiki> '''[[Emotions]]'''</center>
|-
| style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid; border-right: 1px solid" width="9%" height="50%" |
| style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid" width="9%" height="50%" |
|-
| width="34%" height="19" |
| style="border-right: 1px solid" colspan="2" width="17%" height="19" |
| colspan="2" width="17%" height="19" |
| width="34%" height="19" |
|-
| style="border: 1px #c6c9ff solid; background-color: #f0f0ff; padding:5px;" width="34%" height="21" |
<center><big>[[Ethics]]</big><br />''The study of virtue''<br />'''[[Man|Man's Nature]]''': [[Life]], [[value|Values]],<br>[[Reason]] as the primary means of survival<br>'''[[Egoism]]''': Selfishness as requiring [[principle|principles]]<br>'''[[Rationality]]''' as the basic virtue<br>'''[[Virtues]]''': [[Independence]], [[Integrity]], [[Honesty]],<br>[[Justice]], [[Productiveness]], [[Pride]]<br>'''[[Happiness]]''': [[Self-esteem]], Virtue as [[practical]], [[Sex]] </center>
| style="border: 1px #c6c9ff solid; background-color: #f0f0ff;" colspan="4" width="35%" height="21" |
<center><big>[[Politics]]</big><br /><small>''The study of social systems and nature of government''</small><br />'''[[Rights]]''': [[Government]], [[Initiation of Force]]<br>'''[[Capitalism]]''': Contrast to [[Collectivism]], [[Statism]]<br>[[Anarchism]], [[Environmentalism]]</center>
| style="border: 1px #c6c9ff solid; background-color: #f0f0ff;" width="34%" height="21" |
<center><big>[[Aesthetics]]</big><br />''The study of art''</center>
|}

<center><h2>Other Topics</h2></center>
{|

|style="border-bottom:1px solid #c6c9ff;padding-bottom:10px;" | {{MainPage/AboutAR}} || style="border-bottom:1px solid #c6c9ff;padding-bottom:10px;" | {{MainPage/OtherTopics}} || style="border-bottom:1px solid #c6c9ff;padding-bottom:10px;" | {{MainPage/ConceptTs}}
|-
|{{MainPage/Appendix}}
|}

{|-
|width="15%" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" style="border:1px solid #000000;padding:1em;padding-top:0.5em;"|

<h3 id="lang">Notes:</h3>
* The topics are based on the [http://www.peikoff.com/opar/contents.htm outline of OPAR]. Additional topics or page content suggestions are added after the colon.

* There is now an edited version of the United States Constitution being reworked to conform to objectivism, the main page for the subproject is [[New constitution|here]] [[User:Crazynas|Crazynas]] 15:10, 4 Jul 2005 (CDT)

* Please see [http://meta.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki_i18n documentation on customizing the interface] and the [http://meta.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki_User%27s_Guide User's Guide] for usage and configuration help.

* My [http://quotes.rationalmind.net/ quote database] may be a useful source. --[[User:GreedyCapitalist|GreedyCapitalist]] 19:09, 22 June 2006 (CDT)

*Other projects on this wiki include: [[Book Recommendations]], [[Movie Recommendations]], [[Introduction to Objectivist Dictionary]], [[Forum rules]], and [[ObjectivismOnline| About ObjectivismOnline.Net]]

|}

__NOTOC__

User talk:Dujyt

2010-09-07T01:57:59Z

Sir Andrew: Created page with 'Welcome Dujyt! --~~~~'

Welcome Dujyt! --[[User:Sir Andrew|Sir Andrew]] 01:57, 7 September 2010 (UTC)

User:Sir Andrew/MainPageTest

2010-09-04T21:00:35Z

Sir Andrew:

Help:Guide to style

2010-09-04T20:39:58Z

Sir Andrew:

In order to make this wiki organized, concise and generally easy to understand, there are several guidelines one should follow when making edits:

==General Rules for Editing==
* Write for both total strangers to philosophy and experienced philosophers alike.
* ''Always'', '''Always''', '''''Always''''' define your terms and provide clear concrete examples or demonstrations of the point you're making. (Again, articles should be readable by anyone)
* Provide links to other pages to help the traffic flow to an article. A visitor should never have to hit the "Back" button to move on
* When using quotes, use the quote template to standardize the format by inserting your quote into markup- <nowiki>{{Q|[Quote text here]|[Author, Source]}}</nowiki>
==When creating a new article==
*Be sure to add a Stub tag to the top (just type <nowiki>{{stub}}</nowiki> at the top of the article)
*Add it to one of our [[Special:Categories|Categories]] by simply creating a link like this: <nowiki>[[Category:(''name of category here'')]]</nowiki>

User:Sir Andrew/MainPageTest

2010-09-04T20:35:26Z

Sir Andrew:

User:Sir Andrew/MainPageTest

2010-09-04T20:28:31Z

Sir Andrew:

Main Page

2010-09-04T20:20:40Z

Sir Andrew: Added link to Style Guide

{|style="width:100%;margin-top:+.7em;background-color:#fcfcfc;border:1px solid #ccc;text-align:center;"
|style="width:56%;color:#000"|
<h1>Welcome to the Objectivism Wiki!</h1>

The purpose of this site is to create a hierarchical, user-contributed reference on the philosophy of Objectivism. You can contribute by reading our [[Help:Guide to style|Guide to Style]] and clicking "Edit" on the left of any of the [[Special:Statistics|{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}]] articles or begin a new page by clicking green links.
|}

{| style="width:100%;text-align:center;border: 1px solid #c6c9ff; color: #000; background-color: #f0f0ff;padding-bottom:10px;"
| colspan="2" | <big>'''[[What is Objectivism|What is Objectivism?]]'''</big>
|-
| colspan="2" | ''"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]]'''
|-
|colspan="2" | <h2>Branches of Objectivism</h2>
|-
|style="border-right:1px solid #c6c9ff;" | <big>[[Metaphysics]] || <big>[[Epistemology]]
|-
|style="border-right:1px solid #c6c9ff;" | ''The study of the universe and its nature'' || ''The study of knowledge''
|-
|style="border-right:1px solid #c6c9ff;border-bottom:1px solid #c6c9ff;" | '''[[Axioms]]''': [[Existence]], [[Consciousness]], [[Identity]]<br>'''[[Corollary]]''': [[Causality]], [[Primacy of Existence]]<br>'''[[Reality]]''': [[Primacy of Existence]], [[Existents]], <br>the [[Metaphysically Given versus the Man Made]] || style="border-bottom:1px solid #c6c9ff;" |
'''[[Senses]]''' <nowiki>|</nowiki> '''[[Consciousness]]''' <nowiki>|</nowiki> '''[[Volition]]'''<br>'''[[Concepts]]''': [[Unit]], [[Concept-Formation]]<br>'''[[Knowledge]]''': [[Context]], [[Hierarchy]]<br>'''[[Reason]]''': [[Certainty]], [[Truth]], the [[Arbitrary]]<br>'''[[Objectivity]]''' <nowiki>|</nowiki> '''[[Emotions]]'''
|-
|style="border-right:1px solid #c6c9ff;" | <big>[[Ethics]] || <big>[[Political Philosophy|Politics]]
|-
|style="border-right:1px solid #c6c9ff;" | ''The study of virtue'' || ''The study of social systems and nature of government''
|-
|style="border-right:1px solid #c6c9ff;" | '''[[Man|Man's Nature]]''': [[Life]], [[value|Values]],<br>[[Reason]] as the primary means of survival<br>'''[[Egoism]]''': Selfishness as requiring [[principle|principles]]<br>'''[[Rationality]]''' as the basic virtue<br>'''[[Virtues]]''': [[Independence]], [[Integrity]], [[Honesty]],<br>[[Justice]], [[Productiveness]], [[Pride]]<br>'''[[Happiness]]''': [[Self-esteem]], Virtue as [[practical]], [[Sex]] || '''[[Rights]]''': [[Government]], [[Initiation of Force]]<br>'''[[Capitalism]]''': Contrast to [[Collectivism]], [[Statism]]<br>[[Anarchism]], [[Environmentalism]]
|-
|colspan="2" style="border-top:1px solid #c6c9ff;"| <big>[[Aesthetics]]
|-
|colspan="2" | ''The study of art''
|-
|colspan="2" | [[Objectivist Recommendations]]
|}
{|style="width:100%;text-align:left;border: 1px solid #c6c9ff; color: #000; background-color: #f0f0ff;padding-left10px;"
|colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| <h2>Other Topics</h2>
|-

|style="border-bottom:1px solid #c6c9ff;width:33%;padding-bottom:10px;" | {{MainPage/AboutAR}} || style="border-bottom:1px solid #c6c9ff;width:33%;padding-bottom:10px;" | {{MainPage/OtherTopics}} || style="border-bottom:1px solid #c6c9ff;width:33%;padding-bottom:10px;" | {{MainPage/ConceptTs}}
|-
|style="padding-top:10px;" | {{MainPage/Appendix}}
|}

{|-
|width="15%" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" style="border:1px solid #000000;padding:1em;padding-top:0.5em;"|

<h3 id="lang">Notes:</h3>
* The topics are based on the [http://www.peikoff.com/opar/contents.htm outline of OPAR]. Additional topics or page content suggestions are added after the colon.

* There is now an edited version of the United States Constitution being reworked to conform to objectivism, the main page for the subproject is [[New constitution|here]] [[User:Crazynas|Crazynas]] 15:10, 4 Jul 2005 (CDT)

* Please see [http://meta.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki_i18n documentation on customizing the interface] and the [http://meta.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki_User%27s_Guide User's Guide] for usage and configuration help.

* My [http://quotes.rationalmind.net/ quote database] may be a useful source. --[[User:GreedyCapitalist|GreedyCapitalist]] 19:09, 22 June 2006 (CDT)

*Other projects on this wiki include: [[Book Recommendations]], [[Movie Recommendations]], [[Introduction to Objectivist Dictionary]], [[Forum rules]], and [[ObjectivismOnline| About ObjectivismOnline.Net]]

|}

__NOTOC__

Help:Guide to style

2010-09-04T20:18:54Z

Sir Andrew: Created framework, will expand later

In order to make this wiki organized, concise and generally easy to understand, there are several guidelines one should follow when making edits:

==General Rules for Editing==
* Write for both total strangers to philosophy and experienced philosophers alike.
* ''Always'', '''Always''', '''''Always''''' define your terms and provide clear concrete examples or demonstrations of the point you're making. (Again, articles should be readable by anyone)
* Provide links to other pages to help the traffic flow to an article. A visitor should never have to hit the "Back" button to move on
* When creating a new article, be sure to add a Stub tag to the top (just type <nowiki>{{stub}}</nowiki> at the top of the article) and add it to one of our [[Special:Categories|Categories]] by simply creating a link like this: <nowiki>[[Category:(''name of category here'')]]</nowiki>

Virtues

2010-09-04T19:23:11Z

Sir Andrew: Converted quote

{{Q|The three cardinal values of the Objectivist ethics ... are: [[Reason]], [[Purpose]], [[Self-esteem]], with their three corresponding virtues: [[Rationality]], [[Productivity|Productiveness]], [[Pride]].|Ayn Rand}}

The virtues on which the primary values depend are rationality, productivity, and independence. The man who is successful in living is able to derive the values necessary for his life and to translate them into the virtues necessary to gain and keep them. Some skeptics might say that this is a "cold, unemotional, and rationalistic" way to go about life, but nothing can be further from the truth. The man who confidently acts to achieve the values necessary for his life knows that it is his life he is acting to further, and that it is his values that he is achieving. The emotional state of knowing that one is an effectual, capable, productive individual, who is master of his own destiny, is self-esteem. Self-esteem is the confidence one has in his own worth as a human being and his ability to achieve his values. When a man makes the achievement of his values a way of life, happiness is the state of consciousness that results. Thus, the rational, productive, and self-confident man knows the values of their life and takes pride in their achievements.

== List of Objectivist Virtues ==

*[[Rationality]] - this is the cardinal virtue, which leads to all other virtues. Rationality means using reason (and rejecting emotions) to identify reality.

*[[Honesty]] is the refusal to fake reality.

*[[Integrity]] is consistency in the application of reason.

*[[Productivity]] means working to create one's values.

*[[Independence]] means being first-handed, or refusing to leave one's thinking to others.

*[[Pride]] is the pursuit of moral perfection. Pride is related to [[self-esteem]] - the belief that one is capable of gaining and keeping one's values--and that one deserves them.

*[[Justice]] is the principle of applying reason to the actions of other men, or giving other people what they deserve.

[[Category:Ethics]]
[[Category:Virtues]]

Common Misconceptions about Objectivism

2010-09-04T18:28:11Z

Sir Andrew: Added open system question

;[[Objectivism is a religion]] : False, Objectivism is a [[philosophy]] based on [[reason]], not a religion (which is based on faith or [[mysticism]]).
;[[Objectivism is a cult]] : Many critics of Objectivism claim that students of the philosophy blindly follow Ayn Rand and treat her word as some kind of "divine revelation," but this is simply not the case. This view is diametrically opposed to the core tenants of Objectivist [[epistemology]] which hold that man must (and can only) gain knowledge through the use of his ''own'' rational faculty.
;It's possible to be religious and be an Objectivist at the same time : Objectivism rejects all forms of religion at its metaphysical base, the [[Primacy of Existence]], and is thus an atheistic philosophy.
;Objectivism is an "open system" to revision and changes : Objectivism is the name Ayn Rand used for her philosophical achievement. As such, the term "Objectivism" may only be applied to the ideas by Rand or by those she explicitly endorsed. This is not to say that there are not other philosophical truths that ''rational'' thought can illuminate, but that passing these ideas as the work of Ayn Rand is misleading.
;The Laissez-Faire [[Capitalism]] advocated by Objectivism is a form of [[Anarchism]] or [[Anarchocapitalism]] : Not true, Objectivism does in fact support government with a monopoly on the use of force. This government, however, is only to use force against those who initiate its use to violate others' [[rights]]. The three tasks of government in this function are (as stated by Ayn Rand): "...the police, to protect men from criminals—the armed services, to protect men from foreign invaders—the law courts, to settle disputes among men according to objective laws."

Atlas Shrugged

2010-09-04T05:53:47Z

Sir Andrew: added Amazon link

'''''Atlas Shrugged''''' (ISBN 0451191145) is a [[novel]] by [[Ayn Rand]], first published in [[1957]] in the [[United States|USA]].

==Philosophy and writing==

The theme of ''Atlas Shrugged'' is the role of the mind in life and society. Rand argues that independent thinking, creativity and inventiveness that comes from this, is the motor that runs the world. In ''Atlas Shrugged'' she shows what she thinks would happen to the world if the "men of the mind" went on [[Strike action|strike]]: the motor of the world would shut down and civilization would fall apart. The book has its roots entirely in [[Objectivist philosophy|Objectivism]], the systematic philosophy pioneered by Rand.

Rand suggests that a society will stagnate to the extent that independence and individual achievement are discouraged or demonized. Inversely, a society will become more prosperous as it allows, encourages, and rewards independence and individual achievement. Rand believed that independence flourishes to the extent that people are free, and that achievement is most fairly rewarded when [[private property]] is strictly observed. She advocated [[laissez-faire capitalism]] as the [[political system]] she believed to be the most consistent with these beliefs. These considerations make ''Atlas Shrugged'' a highly political book, especially in its portrayal of [[socialism]] and [[communism]] as fundamentally flawed.

Rand also argues that traits like independence and individual achievement, which currently drive the world, are actually virtues, and in her worldview are central to a "rational" [[moral code]]. She strongly disputes the notion that self-sacrifice is a virtue, and is similarly dismissive of human faith in a god, higher being and indeed any form of mysticism. The book itself addresses — and refutes — [[Christianity]] specifically. This is often done openly by the novel's characters. These ethical considerations are prominent in ''Atlas Shrugged''.

According to a joint survey conducted in [[1991]] by the [[Library of Congress]] and the [[Book of the Month Club]], ''Atlas Shrugged'' is recognized by numerous authors as the "second most influential book for [[United States|American]]s today", after the [[Bible]] [http://www.loc.gov/loc/cfbook/booklists.html]. In addition, the [[Boston Public Library]] has named ''Atlas Shrugged'' as one of the most influential books of the twentieth century. [http://www.bpl.org/research/AdultBooklists/influential.htm]

== Setting ==

Exactly when ''Atlas Shrugged'' is meant to take place is kept deliberately vague. In [[Wikibooks:Structure of Atlas Shrugged|section]] 152, the population of [[Places in Atlas_Shrugged|New York]] is given as 7 [[million]]. The historical [[Places in Atlas_Shrugged|New York City]] reached 7 million people in the [[1930s]], placing the novel sometime after that. There are numerous early [[20th century]] technologies available, but the political situation is clearly different from actual history. It is as if history had changed around [[1900]], and the world went unimpeded down a gradual path towards socialism for perhaps 40 years, with no [[World War]] or [[Great Depression]]. Another interpretation is that the novel takes place a hundred (or perhaps ''hundreds'') of years in the future, implying that since the world lapsed into its socialistic morass, a global-wide stagnation has occurred in technological growth, population growth, and indeed growth of ''any'' kind; the wars, economic depressions, and other events of the 20th century would be a distant memory to all but [[scholar]]s and [[academician]]s. This latter interpretation falls in line with Rand's own ideas and commentary on other novels depicting utopian and dystopian societies. Indeed, she criticized the combination of societal regimentation, collectivist values, and advanced technology in other authors' works as unrealistic in light of her philosophic connection between freedom, individualism, and progress. The concept of societal stagnation in the wake of collectivist systems is central to the plot of another of Rand's works, ''Anthem''.

All countries outside the US have become, or become during the novel, "People's States." There are many examples of early 20th century [[Technology in Atlas_Shrugged|technology]] in ''Atlas Shrugged'', but no post-war technologies such as [[jet plane]]s, [[nuclear weapon]]s, [[helicopter]]s, or [[computer]]s; [[television]] is a novelty that has yet to assume any cultural significance, while [[radio]] broadcasts are prominent. Despite this, many of the same concepts discussed concerning the World Wars and weapons of war are addressed, as [[weapons of mass destruction]] in different forms exist in the book.

Most of the action in ''Atlas Shrugged'' takes place in the [[Places in Atlas_Shrugged|United States]]. There are, however, events occurring in countries around the world that affect the plot, such as those in the People's States of [[Mexico]], [[Chile]], and [[Argentina]] or those involving [[piracy]] on the world's oceans.

==Plot==

*'''[[Structure of Atlas Shrugged]]'''
*[[Atlas Shrugged part one|Part one]]
*[[Atlas Shrugged part two|Part two]]
*[[Atlas Shrugged part three|Part three]]

==Publications==

* ''Atlas Shrugged'', Ayn Rand; Signet; (September 1996) ISBN 0451191145
* ''Atlas Shrugged (Cliffs Notes)'', Andrew Bernstein; [[Cliffs Notes]]; (June 5, 2000) ISBN 0764585568
* ''The World of Atlas Shrugged'', Robert Bidinotto/The Objectivist Center; HighBridge Company; (April 19, 2001) ISBN 156511471X
* ''Atlas Shrugged: Manifesto of the Mind (Twayne's Masterwork Studies, No. 174)'' Mimi Reisel Gladstein; Twayne Pub; (June 2000) ISBN 0805716386
* ''The Moral Revolution in Atlas Shrugged'', [[Nathaniel Branden]]; The Objectivist Center; (July 1999) ISBN 1577240332
* ''Odysseus, Jesus, and Dagny'', Susan McCloskey; The Objectivist Center; (August 1, 1998) ISBN 1577240251

== Foreign translations ==

* Norwegian translation: "De som beveger verden" (2000). Publisher: Kagge Forlag. ISBN 8248900835 (hardcover), ISBN 8248901696 (paperback). Translator: John Erik BÃ¸e Lindgren.
* Swedish translation: "Och vÃ¤rlden skÃ¤lvde" (2005). Publisher: [http://www.timbro.se/rand/ Timbro FÃ¶rlag]. ISBN 9175665565. Translator: Maud Freccero.
* German translation: "Wer Ist John Galt?". Publisher: GEWIS Verlag, Hamburg, Germany. ISBN 3932564030.
* Turkish translation: "Atlas VazgeÃ§ti" (2003). Publisher: Plato Yayınları. ISBN 9759677261. Translator: Belkıs Ã‡orapÃ§ı.
* Spanish translation: "La Rebelion de Atlas". Publisher: Editorial Grito Sagrado. ISBN 9872095108 (hardcover), ISBN 9872095116 (paperback)
* Polish Translation "Atlas Zbuntowany" (2004) Publisher: Zysk i S-ka. ISBN 83-7150-969-3 (Twarda) Translator: Iwona Michalowska.

==External links==
*[http://astore.amazon.com/objectivism-20/detail/0452011876 ''Atlas Shrugged'' on Amazon.com]
*[http://www.aynrand.org Excerpt from ''Atlas Shrugged''] at the [[Ayn Rand Institute|ARI]]
*[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0480239/ ''Atlas Shrugged'' - the movie]
*[http://www.cordair.com/gaetano/ ''Atlas Shrugged'''s cover illustrator Nick Gaetano] at [[Quent Cordair Fine Art]]

[[Category:Atlas Shrugged]] [[Category:Fiction Books]]

Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology

2010-09-04T05:48:13Z

Sir Andrew: /* More Info */

'''Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology''' (1990) is the expanded, 2nd edition edited by [[Harry Binswanger]] and [[Leonard Peikoff]] which was published after [[Ayn Rand]]'s death.

The first edition (1979), edited by Ayn Rand, was a collection of her articles and one essay by Leonard Peikoff in which he argues against [[Immanuel Kant]]'s theory of analytic propositions and synthetic propositions. The first edition was edited by Ayn Rand. Both editions contain Leonard Peikoff's essay.

Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology is the most technical of Ayn Rand's books.

The articles, published in 1967, were [[Ayn Rand]]'s summary of the theory of [[concept]]s, and her solution to the [[problem of universals]]. The book deals with the mental processes of abstraction, the nature of valid definitions, distinguishing concepts from "anticoncepts," the hierarchical nature of [[knowledge]], and what constitutes valid axiomatic knowledge.

This 2nd edition is expanded, and has in the appendix a transcription made from over 20 hours of Epistemology Workshops given by Ayn Rand from 1969 to 1971. About a dozen of the participants were professionals in the field of philosphy along with a few professionals from physics and mathematics. It is in the form of question-answer.

'''
== Quotes ==
'''
''The issue of concepts (known as "the problem of universals") is philosophy's central issue. Since man's knowledge is gained and held in conceptual form, the validity of man's knowledge depends upon the validity of concepts. But concepts are abstractions or universals, and everything that man perceives is particular, concrete. What is the relationship between abstractions and concretes? To what precisely do concepts refer in reality? Do they refer to something real, something that exist - or are they merely inventions of man's mind, arbitrary constructs or loose approximations that cannoto claim to represent knowledge?''

That quote is from Ayn Rand's introduction to the first edition, which is also contained in the second edition.

'''
== Table of Contents ==
'''
:Forward to the First Edition
:1. Cognition and Measurement
:2. Concept-Formation
:3. Abstraction from Abstractions
:4. Concepts of Consciousness
:5. Definitions
:6. Axiomatic Concepts
:7. The Cognitive Role of Concepts
:8. Consciousness and Identity
:Summary
:The Analytic-Synthetic Dichotomy by Leonard Peikoff

'''Appendix'''

:Foreward to the Second Edition by Leonard Peikoff
:Preface by Harry Binswanger
:'''Appendix Table of Contents'''
::Opening Remarks by Ayn Rand (opening remarks for the Epistemological Workshops)
::Abstraction as Measurement-Omission
::Concepts as Mental Existents
::Implicit Concepts
::The Role of Words
::Measurement, Unit and Mathematics
::Abstraction from Abstractions
::Concepts of Consciousness
::Definitions
::Axiomatic Concepts
::Entities and Their Makeup
::Philosophy of Science
::Concluding Historical Postscript
:Index
---------------
314 page.

==See also==
* [[Epistemology]]
* [[Ayn Rand]]
* [[Leonard Peikoff]]
* [[Harry Binswanger]]

[[Category:Epistemology]] [[Category:Non-Fiction Books]]

==External Links==
*[http://astore.amazon.com/objectivism-20/detail/0452010306 Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology on Amazon.com]
*[http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=objectivism_nonfiction_introduction_to_objectivist_epistemology Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology at the Ayn Rand Institute]

Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology

2010-09-04T05:39:25Z

Sir Andrew: /* See also */

'''Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology''' (1990) is the expanded, 2nd edition edited by [[Harry Binswanger]] and [[Leonard Peikoff]] which was published after [[Ayn Rand]]'s death.

The first edition (1979), edited by Ayn Rand, was a collection of her articles and one essay by Leonard Peikoff in which he argues against [[Immanuel Kant]]'s theory of analytic propositions and synthetic propositions. The first edition was edited by Ayn Rand. Both editions contain Leonard Peikoff's essay.

Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology is the most technical of Ayn Rand's books.

The articles, published in 1967, were [[Ayn Rand]]'s summary of the theory of [[concept]]s, and her solution to the [[problem of universals]]. The book deals with the mental processes of abstraction, the nature of valid definitions, distinguishing concepts from "anticoncepts," the hierarchical nature of [[knowledge]], and what constitutes valid axiomatic knowledge.

This 2nd edition is expanded, and has in the appendix a transcription made from over 20 hours of Epistemology Workshops given by Ayn Rand from 1969 to 1971. About a dozen of the participants were professionals in the field of philosphy along with a few professionals from physics and mathematics. It is in the form of question-answer.

'''
== Quotes ==
'''
''The issue of concepts (known as "the problem of universals") is philosophy's central issue. Since man's knowledge is gained and held in conceptual form, the validity of man's knowledge depends upon the validity of concepts. But concepts are abstractions or universals, and everything that man perceives is particular, concrete. What is the relationship between abstractions and concretes? To what precisely do concepts refer in reality? Do they refer to something real, something that exist - or are they merely inventions of man's mind, arbitrary constructs or loose approximations that cannoto claim to represent knowledge?''

That quote is from Ayn Rand's introduction to the first edition, which is also contained in the second edition.

'''
== Table of Contents ==
'''
:Forward to the First Edition
:1. Cognition and Measurement
:2. Concept-Formation
:3. Abstraction from Abstractions
:4. Concepts of Consciousness
:5. Definitions
:6. Axiomatic Concepts
:7. The Cognitive Role of Concepts
:8. Consciousness and Identity
:Summary
:The Analytic-Synthetic Dichotomy by Leonard Peikoff

'''Appendix'''

:Foreward to the Second Edition by Leonard Peikoff
:Preface by Harry Binswanger
:'''Appendix Table of Contents'''
::Opening Remarks by Ayn Rand (opening remarks for the Epistemological Workshops)
::Abstraction as Measurement-Omission
::Concepts as Mental Existents
::Implicit Concepts
::The Role of Words
::Measurement, Unit and Mathematics
::Abstraction from Abstractions
::Concepts of Consciousness
::Definitions
::Axiomatic Concepts
::Entities and Their Makeup
::Philosophy of Science
::Concluding Historical Postscript
:Index
---------------
314 page.

==See also==
* [[Epistemology]]
* [[Ayn Rand]]
* [[Leonard Peikoff]]
* [[Harry Binswanger]]

[[Category:Epistemology]] [[Category:Non-Fiction Books]]

==More Info==
http://rous.redbarn.org/objectivism/Writing/RaymieStata/epist/epist.html
http://originresearch.com/documents/rand1.cfm
http://originresearch.com/documents/rand6.cfm
http://www.noblesoul.com/orc/books/rand/itoe.html

IToE

2010-09-04T05:38:24Z

Sir Andrew: Redirected page to Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology

#REDIRECT [[Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology]]

Epistemology

2010-09-04T05:37:09Z

Sir Andrew:

{{Q|Epistemology is a science devoted to the discovery of the proper methods of acquiring and validating knowledge.|Ayn Rand, [[IToE]]}}
== Epistemology ==

Epistemology is the branch of [[philosophy]] that deals with the validity and requirements of human [[knowledge]]. Epistemology includes those facts about how one thinks and how one ''should'' think which one must understand to minimize errors when learning about other subjects.

In essence, Objectivist epistemology holds that all of man's knowledge comes from the senses, and is developed in the following order- '''[[Percepts]]''', which come from the automatic integration of certain sensations that lead to awareness of a specific existent, and '''[[Concepts]]''', the mind's organization of percepts [as well as other concepts] into groups based on their essential characteristics that differentiate them from other entities. Furthermore, Objectivist epistemology rejects all forms of faith or mysticism as means of knowledge.

The foundational writing for Objectivist epistemology is Ayn Rand's ''Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology'' (ITOE); Leonard Peikoff's ''Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand'' (OPAR) further develops a number of the basic ideas of ITOE.

== From sensations to concepts ==
Sensations are the basic information provided to the mind by the sensory organs, such as the light from the computer screen you're reading now. The perception of these sensations is considered [[axiom|axiomatically]] "valid" on the grounds that it is [[contradiction|self-contradictory]] to deny the efficacy of the [[sensation|senses]] as sources of genuine [[knowledge]], because such an assertion implicitly relies upon the validity of the senses, as they are the only possible source of the alleged knowledge of their invalidity.

Sensation, or awareness of raw sensory data, counts as knowledge in a limited way. However, sensations as such are not retained by the mind and so cannot provide guidance beyond the present moment. (To refer to the previous example, if the computer screen you're reading turns off, the sensation ends.) Perception extends the awareness of the objects of sensation over time, a "percept" being a group of sensations that is automatically retained and integrated by the mind. Some animals other than human beings operate at the level of sensory perception and thus possess a measure of knowledge.

Human beings are unique in possessing another, higher level of cognition: the conceptual level. According to Objectivism, the human mind apprehends reality through a process of reasoning based upon sensory observation, in which perceptual information is built up into concepts and propositions.

However, humans are not guaranteed to achieve this level of consciousness, instead possessing a "volitional consciousness", reaching the "conceptual level" only by an act of volition to which no one can be led or forced from the outside. All humans by definition have the potential to achieve the conceptual level, but some may fail to actualize this potential — and some may lapse from the conceptual level by practising evasion, by which is meant evasion of reason, a deliberate abandonment of the rational consciousness.

Any mind, human or nonhuman, can explicitly hold only so many perceptual units at a time. But the human mind is able to extend its knowledge over a wide range of space, time, and scope by organizing its perceptual information into classifications.

'''''For more information on the formation of concepts, see [[Concept formation]]'''
==Topics In Epistemology==
=== The analytic-synthetic dichotomy ===
Objectivism explicitly rejects the [[analytic-synthetic dichotomy]]. This dichotomy — which stems from the views of [[David Hume]] and [[Immanuel Kant]] — is the view that there is a fundamental distinction between statements that are true in virtue of meaning, alone, and statements whose truth depends upon something more (usually, upon the way the world is). Rand rejected the view that there is any such fundamental distinction, because she accepted that the meaning of a word is its referent, including that referent's every attribute. Consequently, any true proposition is in a way true in virtue of meaning, while its truth simultaneously depends upon the way the world is. In specific, Rand holds that the meaning of a non-singular term is the concept associated with that term, while this concept somehow includes or subsumes all the particulars of a given class, including all the attributes had by these particulars. Which particulars a concept subsumes, according to Rand, depends upon what the concept-coiner was discriminating from what when he or she formed the concept (this appears to be how Rand accommodates Gottlob Frege's insight that there are different "modes of presentation" of the same content). This view is a version of content externalism, similar in certain ways to the views of [[Hilary Putnam]] and Tyler Burge.

The analytic-synthetic dichotomy is intimately related to the distinction between a priori and a posteriori knowledge, as some philosophers believe that analytic truths are known a priori (i.e., they are justified independent of any experience), while synthetic truths are known a posteriori (i.e., they are justified in virtue of experience). Rand rejects the view that there is any a priori knowledge. All knowledge, she holds, including mathematical knowledge, is about the world (though possibly at some very high level of abstraction or quantization). Justification always terminates in the evidence of the senses.

The analytic-synthetic dichotomy is also related to the alleged distinction between necessary and contingent truths, i.e., the claims of a distinction between truths that could not have been otherwise and truths that could have been otherwise. Many contemporary philosophers believe that mathematical truths such as "2 + 2 = 4" are necessary (could not have been otherwise) while statements such as "There are nine planets in our solar system" are contingent (could have been otherwise). These notions of contingency and necessity have led many contemporary philosophers to elaborate metaphysical systems-building. In constrast, Objectivism holds that there is no distinction between necessary vs. contingent facts in the natural world (that is, all natural facts are necessary) and that the concept of "contingent" applies exclusively to the results of human choice (that is, there is a fundamental distinction between the metaphysical and the man-made). All facts hold in virtue of the natures or identities of the entities involved. Man-made facts hold in virtue of actions that were initiated by volitional beings ("I went to the grocery today" is a man-made fact, because I could have done otherwise). Metaphysical facts, by contrast, hold without reference to any action of a volitional consciousness.

Objectivism holds that, in a sense, all facts are "necessary": all knowledge is knowledge of identity, i.e., a statement that an entity (or aspect, potentiality, condition etc. of an entity) is what in fact it is. Many contemporary philosophers claim that, while the proposition "1 + 1 = 2" is "necessary" because true in all possible realities, the proposition "the atomic mass of hydrogen is 1" is "contingent" because it is not constant across possible worlds. Objectivism would reply that the second proposition is just as "necessary" as the first: if the atomic mass differed, the substance in question would not be hydrogen. Objectivism recognizes no legitimate meaning of "necessity" other than this one.

Additionally, Objectivism also accepts so-called "nomological" possibility and necessity. Statements of nomological possibility say that certain states-of-affairs are in accordance with natural reality in the sense that they reflect the potential of an entity to act in a certain way. For example, consider the propositions, "This glass could break" and "It could rain this weekend." These report truths, because they say that, it is in the nature of glasses that they can break (given the right circumstances) and similarly it is in the nature of the weather that it has the potential to produce rain. Objectivism analyzes counterfactuals, e.g., "If I had dropped this glass, it would break," in similar terms. Objectivism does not insist, as many contemporary philosophers do, that there must be some fact in another possible world for this proposition to correspond with, in order for it to be true. Objectivism also rejects the now-popular view that these nomological facts should be analyzed using a "possible worlds" framework that builds on a distinction between the necessary and the contingent.

=== The problem of universals ===
Objectivism offers the foregoing account as the solution of the problem of universals. This problem has throughout the history of philosophy been regarded as a problem of metaphysics, but Objectivism asserts that its proper resolution lies in epistemology. Traditional solutions to the problem divide generally into realism and nominalism. Objectivism regards the first as "intrinsicism" (the view that universals are "intrinsic" to reality) and the second as "subjectivism" (the view that universals are arbitrary creations of the human mind). The proper resolution, Objectivism says, is that universals are concepts, created to meet the unique cognitive needs of the human mind, but objective so long as they are validly formed.

=== Objectivism, classical rationalism, classical empiricism ===
There are many notable differences between Objectivist epistemology and classical [[rationalism]]. While a classical rationalist would defend a "thick" conception of reason that includes ''a priori'' knowledge and the grasp of relations of necessity, Objectivism defends a "thin" conception that denies the possibility of ''a priori'' knowledge, tends to treat the grasp of necessity as something akin to mystical insight, and relegates reason to the role of classifying and organizing the information provided by sensory perception.

==See Also==
*[[Concept formation]]
*[[Measurement ommision]]
* The [[objectivity]] of knowledge.
* The Validity of the [[senses]].
* [[Sensations]], [[Percepts]], [[Concepts]].
* [[Concept formation]] by [[Measurement Omission]].
* The difference between, and validity of, both [[Deduction]] and [[Induction]].
* [[Axioms]] of human knowledge, [[Axiomatic concepts]].
* [[Existence]], [[Identity]] ([[A is A]]), [[Consciousness]].
* [[Volition]] as a necessary part of an objective Epistemology.
* [[Psycho-Epistemology]] and its relation to Epistemology.

{{E_Nav}}

Epistemology

2010-09-04T05:28:05Z

Sir Andrew: Re-worked Intro, added definition to top, moved See Also to bottom

{{Q|Epistemology is a science devoted to the discovery of the proper methods of acquiring and validating knowledge.|Ayn Rand, [[IToE]]}}
== Epistemology ==

Epistemology is the branch of [[philosophy]] that deals with the validity and requirements of human [[knowledge]]. Epistemology includes those facts about how one thinks and how one ''should'' think which one must understand to minimize errors when learning about other subjects.

In essence, Objectivist epistemology holds that all of man's knowledge comes from the senses, and is developed in the following order- '''[[Percepts]]''', which come from the automatic integration of certain sensations that lead to awareness of a specific existent, and '''[[Concepts]]''', the mind's organization of percepts [as well as other concepts] into groups based on their essential characteristics that differentiate them from other entities. Furthermore, Objectivist epistemology rejects all forms of faith or mysticism as means of knowledge.

The foundational writing for Objectivist epistemology is Ayn Rand's ''Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology'' (ITOE); Leonard Peikoff's ''Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand'' (OPAR) further develops a number of the basic ideas of ITOE.

== From sensations to concepts ==
Sensations are the basic information provided to the mind by the sensory organs, such as the light from the computer screen you're reading now. The perception of these sensations is considered [[axiom|axiomatically]] "valid" on the grounds that it is [[contradiction|self-contradictory]] to deny the efficacy of the [[sensation|senses]] as sources of genuine [[knowledge]], because such an assertion implicitly relies upon the validity of the senses, as they are the only possible source of the alleged knowledge of their invalidity.

Sensation, or awareness of raw sensory data, counts as knowledge in a limited way. However, sensations as such are not retained by the mind and so cannot provide guidance beyond the present moment. (To refer to the previous example, if the computer screen you're reading turns off, the sensation ends.) Perception extends the awareness of the objects of sensation over time, a "percept" being a group of sensations that is automatically retained and integrated by the mind. Some animals other than human beings operate at the level of sensory perception and thus possess a measure of knowledge.

Human beings are unique in possessing another, higher level of cognition: the conceptual level. According to Objectivism, the human mind apprehends reality through a process of reasoning based upon sensory observation, in which perceptual information is built up into concepts and propositions.

However, humans are not guaranteed to achieve this level of consciousness, instead possessing a "volitional consciousness", reaching the "conceptual level" only by an act of volition to which no one can be led or forced from the outside. All humans by definition have the potential to achieve the conceptual level, but some may fail to actualize this potential — and some may lapse from the conceptual level by practising evasion, by which is meant evasion of reason, a deliberate abandonment of the rational consciousness.

Any mind, human or nonhuman, can explicitly hold only so many perceptual units at a time. But the human mind is able to extend its knowledge over a wide range of space, time, and scope by organizing its perceptual information into classifications.

== Concept formation ==
See [[Concept formation]]

== The analytic-synthetic dichotomy ==
Objectivism explicitly rejects the [[analytic-synthetic dichotomy]]. This dichotomy — which stems from the views of [[David Hume]] and [[Immanuel Kant]] — is the view that there is a fundamental distinction between statements that are true in virtue of meaning, alone, and statements whose truth depends upon something more (usually, upon the way the world is). Rand rejected the view that there is any such fundamental distinction, because she accepted that the meaning of a word is its referent, including that referent's every attribute. Consequently, any true proposition is in a way true in virtue of meaning, while its truth simultaneously depends upon the way the world is. In specific, Rand holds that the meaning of a non-singular term is the concept associated with that term, while this concept somehow includes or subsumes all the particulars of a given class, including all the attributes had by these particulars. Which particulars a concept subsumes, according to Rand, depends upon what the concept-coiner was discriminating from what when he or she formed the concept (this appears to be how Rand accommodates Gottlob Frege's insight that there are different "modes of presentation" of the same content). This view is a version of content externalism, similar in certain ways to the views of [[Hilary Putnam]] and Tyler Burge.

The analytic-synthetic dichotomy is intimately related to the distinction between a priori and a posteriori knowledge, as some philosophers believe that analytic truths are known a priori (i.e., they are justified independent of any experience), while synthetic truths are known a posteriori (i.e., they are justified in virtue of experience). Rand rejects the view that there is any a priori knowledge. All knowledge, she holds, including mathematical knowledge, is about the world (though possibly at some very high level of abstraction or quantization). Justification always terminates in the evidence of the senses.

The analytic-synthetic dichotomy is also related to the alleged distinction between necessary and contingent truths, i.e., the claims of a distinction between truths that could not have been otherwise and truths that could have been otherwise. Many contemporary philosophers believe that mathematical truths such as "2 + 2 = 4" are necessary (could not have been otherwise) while statements such as "There are nine planets in our solar system" are contingent (could have been otherwise). These notions of contingency and necessity have led many contemporary philosophers to elaborate metaphysical systems-building. In constrast, Objectivism holds that there is no distinction between necessary vs. contingent facts in the natural world (that is, all natural facts are necessary) and that the concept of "contingent" applies exclusively to the results of human choice (that is, there is a fundamental distinction between the metaphysical and the man-made). All facts hold in virtue of the natures or identities of the entities involved. Man-made facts hold in virtue of actions that were initiated by volitional beings ("I went to the grocery today" is a man-made fact, because I could have done otherwise). Metaphysical facts, by contrast, hold without reference to any action of a volitional consciousness.

Objectivism holds that, in a sense, all facts are "necessary": all knowledge is knowledge of identity, i.e., a statement that an entity (or aspect, potentiality, condition etc. of an entity) is what in fact it is. Many contemporary philosophers claim that, while the proposition "1 + 1 = 2" is "necessary" because true in all possible realities, the proposition "the atomic mass of hydrogen is 1" is "contingent" because it is not constant across possible worlds. Objectivism would reply that the second proposition is just as "necessary" as the first: if the atomic mass differed, the substance in question would not be hydrogen. Objectivism recognizes no legitimate meaning of "necessity" other than this one.

Additionally, Objectivism also accepts so-called "nomological" possibility and necessity. Statements of nomological possibility say that certain states-of-affairs are in accordance with natural reality in the sense that they reflect the potential of an entity to act in a certain way. For example, consider the propositions, "This glass could break" and "It could rain this weekend." These report truths, because they say that, it is in the nature of glasses that they can break (given the right circumstances) and similarly it is in the nature of the weather that it has the potential to produce rain. Objectivism analyzes counterfactuals, e.g., "If I had dropped this glass, it would break," in similar terms. Objectivism does not insist, as many contemporary philosophers do, that there must be some fact in another possible world for this proposition to correspond with, in order for it to be true. Objectivism also rejects the now-popular view that these nomological facts should be analyzed using a "possible worlds" framework that builds on a distinction between the necessary and the contingent.

== The problem of universals ==
Objectivism offers the foregoing account as the solution of the problem of universals. This problem has throughout the history of philosophy been regarded as a problem of metaphysics, but Objectivism asserts that its proper resolution lies in epistemology. Traditional solutions to the problem divide generally into realism and nominalism. Objectivism regards the first as "intrinsicism" (the view that universals are "intrinsic" to reality) and the second as "subjectivism" (the view that universals are arbitrary creations of the human mind). The proper resolution, Objectivism says, is that universals are concepts, created to meet the unique cognitive needs of the human mind, but objective so long as they are validly formed.

== Objectivism, classical rationalism, classical empiricism ==
There are many notable differences between Objectivist epistemology and classical [[rationalism]]. While a classical rationalist would defend a "thick" conception of reason that includes ''a priori'' knowledge and the grasp of relations of necessity, Objectivism defends a "thin" conception that denies the possibility of ''a priori'' knowledge, tends to treat the grasp of necessity as something akin to mystical insight, and relegates reason to the role of classifying and organizing the information provided by sensory perception.

==See Also==
*[[Concept formation]]
*[[Measurement ommision]]
* The [[objectivity]] of knowledge.
* The Validity of the [[senses]].
* [[Sensations]], [[Percepts]], [[Concepts]].
* [[Concept formation]] by [[Measurement Omission]].
* The difference between, and validity of, both [[Deduction]] and [[Induction]].
* [[Axioms]] of human knowledge, [[Axiomatic concepts]].
* [[Existence]], [[Identity]] ([[A is A]]), [[Consciousness]].
* [[Volition]] as a necessary part of an objective Epistemology.
* [[Psycho-Epistemology]] and its relation to Epistemology.

{{E_Nav}}

Fallacies

2010-09-04T00:16:50Z

Sir Andrew: Let's use the definition format so they get a summary, and can click for a more detailed explanation.

==Conceptual fallacies==

Following are examples of conceptual fallacies identified in the Objectivist theory of [[concept formation]].

;[[Floating Abstraction]] : Ayn Rand's term for concepts detached from existents, concepts that a person takes over from other men without knowing what specific units the concepts denote
;[[Frozen Abstraction]] : Substituting some one particular concrete for the wider abstract class to which it belongs
;[[Invalid Concept]]
;[[Package-Deal]] : Assuming that things often grouped together by tradition or culture must always be grouped that way
;[[Reification of Zero]] : Regarding "nothing" as a thing, as a special, different kind of existent
;[[Rewriting Reality]] : Attempting to alter the metaphysically given
;[[Stolen Concept]] : Attempting to undermine the concept itself by attacking the hierarchial root(s) upon which it depend

==Logical fallacies==
Following are examples of common logical fallacies used in arguments.

*[[ad hominem]]
*[[non sequitur]]
*[[Straw Man]]

==External links==
*[http://www.dianahsieh.com/philofiles/fallacies.html Definitions of Fallacies] by Diana Hsieh

User talk:Sir Andrew

2010-08-30T02:41:54Z

Sir Andrew: /* Page capitalization */

==Page capitalization==
I notice a mix of pages with varying capitalization. Can we agree to use the same capitalization used on Wikipedia? I'm an admin on there with several years of experience with wikicode and their site and policies. Are you now an admin here, and are there any other admins besides you? --[[User:Brian0918|Brian0918]] 03:37, 29 August 2010 (UTC)
*Ahh, I see now there are a couple others. If you want to make me an admin, feel free, although we don't really have much of a vandalism problem here. :) --[[User:Brian0918|Brian0918]] 03:42, 29 August 2010 (UTC)
*Is there a central location that summarizes Wikipedia's practices? I'm sure it would be useful to adopt a few of these that make our wiki easier to use and browse. As far as making you an Admin though, I was just recently promoted myself, but you're more than welcome to talk to the Wiki's Owner ([[User:GreedyCapitalist|GreedyCapitalist]]) about it. --[[User:Sir Andrew|Sir Andrew]] 02:41, 30 August 2010 (UTC)

User:Sir Andrew

2010-08-29T02:27:59Z

Sir Andrew: Created page with 'Hello there, feel free to check out my [http://forum.objectivismonline.net/index.php?showuser=5986 forum profile].'

Hello there, feel free to check out my [http://forum.objectivismonline.net/index.php?showuser=5986 forum profile].

Template:M Nav

2010-08-29T02:22:16Z

Sir Andrew: formatting

<center>
{| style="text-align:center;border:1px solid gray;"
! style="background:rgb(215,231,250);" | [[Metaphysics]] Topics
|-
|'''[[Axioms]]''': [[Existence]], [[Consciousness]], [[Identity]] • '''[[Corollary]]''': [[Causality]], [[Primacy of Existence]]
|-
|'''[[Reality]]''': [[Primacy of Existence]], [[Existents]], the [[Metaphysically Given versus the Man Made]]
|}
</center>

User talk:Belzyus

2010-08-29T01:56:18Z

Sir Andrew: Created page with 'Welcome Belzyus! --~~~'

Welcome Belzyus! --[[User:Sir Andrew|Sir Andrew]]

Metaphysics

2010-08-28T18:05:41Z

Sir Andrew:

{{Q|Metaphysics is that branch of philosophy that studies the nature of the universe as a whole."|Leonard Peikoff, [[OPAR]], p.3}}

==Introduction==
Because Objectivism is an integrated philosophy with a hierarchical structure, all other branches of Objectivism rest on Objectivist metaphysics.
Metaphysics includes those basic facts about reality which one must understand before one can learn [[Epistemology]], because one cannot attempt to study knowledge until one has established that there is a reality to know.

Objectivist metaphysics relies on three primary [[axiom|axioms]] which are (in order of primacy): Existence, Identity (and its corollary Causality), and Consciousness. These axioms can be summarized as follows:
;Existence : ''Something exists'', including the things I perceive.
;Identity (and Causality): Everything is ''something'' specific and acts ''according to its nature''.
;Consciousness : I am ''conscious'' of the things I perceive and my perceptions reflect reality.

The three axioms are also implicitly stated and affirmed by any statement made, which boil down to: "There is [Existence] something [Identity] that I am aware of [Consciousness]."

==The Axioms==
=== The Primacy of Existence ===
The Primacy of Existence premise says that reality is objective: the universe exists independently of the particular psychological states (beliefs, desires, etc.) of individual cognizers. This view was also held by [[Aristotle]]. Objectivism distinguishes The Primacy of Existence from the Primacy of Consciousness. The Primacy of Consciousness holds that consciousness is prior to existence. It is the view that one could, in principle, be conscious exclusively and entirely of one's self. Objectivism rejects this view: it holds that objects present themselves to consciousness in such a way that they must be genuinely "other," that is, non-identical to one's own consciousness. This axiom is the basis of the Objectivist refutation of both [[theism]] and [[idealism]]. Though Objectivism grants that some particular existents are mental (e.g., minds, thoughts, desires, intentions), it holds that, if what fundamentally exists is independent of any consciousness, then the universe as a whole is neither the creation of a divine consciousness nor itself mental. (This argument is laid out in Chapter 1 of [[Leonard Peikoff]]'s ''[[Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand]]'').

=== The Law of Identity ===
The Law of Identity states that everything that exists has an ''identity.'' In saying this, Objectivism is asserting more than the tautology of self-identity (i.e., "everything is identical to itself"). It is asserting that everything that exists has a specific nature, consisting of various properties or characteristics (as Rand wrote, "to be is to be something in particular"). Moreover, Objectivism holds that the properties and characteristics in question must exist each in a specific measure or degree; in this respect "identity" also means ''finitude''. According to Objectivism, then, everything that exists has a specific finite nature. To have a specific, finite nature, is incompatible with having a self-contradictory nature. Therefore, the whole of reality is ''noncontradictory''; though contradictions might exist in thought, there are no contradictions in the real world.
====The Law of Causality====
Each thing's specific nature ''determines how it acts.'' This principle is Objectivism's formulation of the Law of [[Causality]]; it is held to be a corollary of the Law of Identity (see above). Contemporary philosophers define the Law of Causality differently, e.g., as "Every event has a cause." Objectivism rejects this contemporary definition because it leads to paradoxes concerning free will and cosmology. A further implication of the Objectivist account of causality concerns explanation: since genuine explanation is causal, nature can only be explained in terms of nature (i.e., without reference to the [[supernatural]]).
=== The Axiom of Consciousness ===
This axiom states that consciousness is an irreducible primary. It cannot be analyzed in terms of other concepts and it is at the foundation of all knowledge. While we can study the faculty of consciousness, we cannot study what it means to be conscious as such. She writes that "consciousness is conscious," affirming both that the thinker is conscious and that he is conscious of something external to himself. She writes, "If nothing exists, there can be no consciousness: a consciousness with nothing to be conscious of is a contradiction in terms" (''[[Atlas Shrugged]]'', p. 1015). One cannot be self-conscious without first being aware of something other than one's awareness. Rand's axioms of consciousness is different from Descartes' Cogito principle in that Descartes' Cogito is an a priori principle, while Rand's axiom of consciousness is a self-evidency only available in perception.

==Mind and body ==
Objectivism rejects the mind-body dichotomy, viewing man as a single integrated being, with both the mental and physical realms having particular causal properties. See [[mind-body dichotomy]].

==Possible references:==
*[[ITOE]]: Chapter 6
*[[FNI]]: 124-125, 154-155
*[[PWNI]]: [[Metaphysically Given versus the Man Made]]
*[[OPAR]]: Chapter 1

{{M_Nav}}

[[Category: Metaphysics]]

Metaphysics

2010-08-28T18:02:35Z

Sir Andrew: Removed wikipedia import, wrote introduction

{{Q|Metaphysics is that branch of philosophy that studies the nature of the universe as a whole."|Leonard Peikoff, [[OPAR]], p.3}}

==Introduction==
Because Objectivism is an integrated philosophy with a hierarchical structure, all other branches of Objectivism rest on Objectivist metaphysics.
Metaphysics includes those basic facts about reality which one must understand before one can learn [[Epistemology]], because one cannot attempt to study knowledge until one has established that there is a reality to know.

Objectivist metaphysics relies on three primary [[axiom|axioms]] which are (in order of primacy): Existence, Identity (and its corollary Causality), and Consciousness. These axioms can be summarized as follows:
;Existence : ''Something exists'', including the things I perceive.
;Identity (and Causality): Everything is ''something'' specific and acts ''according to its nature''.
;Consciousness : I am ''conscious'' of the things I perceive and my perceptions reflect reality.

The three axioms are also implicitly stated and affirmed by any statement made, which boil down to: "There is [Existence] something [Identity] that I am aware of [Consciousness]."

=== The Primacy of Existence ===
The Primacy of Existence premise says that reality is objective: the universe exists independently of the particular psychological states (beliefs, desires, etc.) of individual cognizers. This view was also held by [[Aristotle]]. Objectivism distinguishes The Primacy of Existence from the Primacy of Consciousness. The Primacy of Consciousness holds that consciousness is prior to existence. It is the view that one could, in principle, be conscious exclusively and entirely of one's self. Objectivism rejects this view: it holds that objects present themselves to consciousness in such a way that they must be genuinely "other," that is, non-identical to one's own consciousness. This axiom is the basis of the Objectivist refutation of both [[theism]] and [[idealism]]. Though Objectivism grants that some particular existents are mental (e.g., minds, thoughts, desires, intentions), it holds that, if what fundamentally exists is independent of any consciousness, then the universe as a whole is neither the creation of a divine consciousness nor itself mental. (This argument is laid out in Chapter 1 of [[Leonard Peikoff]]'s ''[[Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand]]'').

=== The Law of Identity ===
The Law of Identity states that everything that exists has an ''identity.'' In saying this, Objectivism is asserting more than the tautology of self-identity (i.e., "everything is identical to itself"). It is asserting that everything that exists has a specific nature, consisting of various properties or characteristics (as Rand wrote, "to be is to be something in particular"). Moreover, Objectivism holds that the properties and characteristics in question must exist each in a specific measure or degree; in this respect "identity" also means ''finitude''. According to Objectivism, then, everything that exists has a specific finite nature. To have a specific, finite nature, is incompatible with having a self-contradictory nature. Therefore, the whole of reality is ''noncontradictory''; though contradictions might exist in thought, there are no contradictions in the real world.

=== The Axiom of Consciousness ===
This axiom states that consciousness is an irreducible primary. It cannot be analyzed in terms of other concepts and it is at the foundation of all knowledge. While we can study the faculty of consciousness, we cannot study what it means to be conscious as such. She writes that "consciousness is conscious," affirming both that the thinker is conscious and that he is conscious of something external to himself. She writes, "If nothing exists, there can be no consciousness: a consciousness with nothing to be conscious of is a contradiction in terms" (''[[Atlas Shrugged]]'', p. 1015). One cannot be self-conscious without first being aware of something other than one's awareness. Rand's axioms of consciousness is different from Descartes' Cogito principle in that Descartes' Cogito is an a priori principle, while Rand's axiom of consciousness is a self-evidency only available in perception.

=== The Law of Causality ===
Each thing's specific nature ''determines how it acts.'' This principle is Objectivism's formulation of the Law of [[Causality]]; it is held to be a corollary of the Law of Identity (see above). Contemporary philosophers define the Law of Causality differently, e.g., as "Every event has a cause." Objectivism rejects this contemporary definition because it leads to paradoxes concerning free will and cosmology. A further implication of the Objectivist account of causality concerns explanation: since genuine explanation is causal, nature can only be explained in terms of nature (i.e., without reference to the [[supernatural]]).

==== Mind and body ====
Objectivism rejects the mind-body dichotomy, viewing man as a single integrated being, with both the mental and physical realms having particular causal properties. See [[mind-body dichotomy]].

==Possible references:==
*[[ITOE]]: Chapter 6
*[[FNI]]: 124-125, 154-155
*[[PWNI]]: [[Metaphysically Given versus the Man Made]]
*[[OPAR]]: Chapter 1

{{M_Nav}}

[[Category: Metaphysics]]

Sex

2010-08-28T17:45:21Z

Sir Andrew: converted quote, ARL link

{{Q|The fact that a man's sex life is shaped by his conclusions and value-judgments is evident in every aspect. It is evident in the setting he prefers, the state of dress, the caresses, positions, and practices, and the kind of partner. This last is particularly eloquent.|Leonard Peikoff, [[OPAR]]}}

===Ayn Rand's Theory of Sex===

In rejecting the traditional Christian altruistic [[morality|moral code]], Rand also rejects the sexual code that, in her view, is a logical implication of [[altruism]].

Rand introduces a theory of sex in ''[[Atlas Shrugged]]'' which is purportedly implied by her broader ethical and psychological theories. Far from being a debasing animal instinct, sex is the highest celebration of our greatest values. Sex is a physical response to intellectual and spiritual values—a mechanism for giving concrete expression to values that could otherwise only be experienced in the abstract.

One is sexually attracted to those who embody one's values. Those who have base values will be attracted to baseness, to those who also have ignoble values. Those who lack any clear purpose will find sex devoid of meaning. People of high values will respond sexually to those who embody high values.

Though radical for the time Atlas Shrugged was published, the general idea of sexual desire as a response to the embodiment of our values originally appeared in Socrates's Speech in [[Symposium (Plato)|Plato's Symposium]].

This sexual theory is illustrated in the contrasting relationships of [[Characters in Atlas Shrugged|Hank Rearden]] with [[Characters in Atlas Shrugged|Lillian Rearden]] and [[Characters in Atlas Shrugged|Dagny Taggart]], and later with Dagny Taggart and [[Characters in Atlas Shrugged|John Galt]].

<blockquote>
"Do you remember what I said about money and about the men who seek to reverse the law of cause and effect? The men who try to replace the mind by seizing the products of the mind? Well, the man who despises himself tries to gain self-esteem from sexual adventures - which can't be done, because sex is not the cause, but an effect and an expression of a man's sense of his own value."
<br />"You'd better explain that."
<br />"Did it ever occur to you that it's the same issue? The men who think that wealth comes from material resources and has no intellectual root or meaning, are the men who think - for he same reason - that sex is a physical capacity which functions independently of one's mind, choice or code of values. They think that your body creates a desire and makes a choice for you just about in some such way as if iron ore transformed itself into railroad rails of its own volition. [snip] But, in fact, a man's sexual choice is the result and the sum of his fundamental convictions. Tell me what a man finds sexually attractive and I will tell you his entire philosophy of life. Show me the woman he sleeps with and I will tell you his valuation of himself.
<br />[...] The man who is proudly certain of his own value, will want the highest type of woman he can find, the woman he admires, the strongest, the hardest to conquer - because only the posession of a heroine will give him the sense of achievement, not the possession of a brainless slut."
</blockquote> (Sanction of the Victim - Atlas Shrugged - pg. 453)

Other important illustrations of this theory are found in:
*[[Structure of Atlas Shrugged|Section]] 152 - recounts Dagny's relationship with [[Characters in Atlas Shrugged|Francisco d'Anconia]].
*[[Structure of Atlas Shrugged|Section]] 161 - recounts Hank and Lillian Rearden's courtship, and Lillian's attitude towards sex.
==Further Reading==
*[http://www.peikoff.com/opar/sex.htm Sex as metaphysical] A brief excerpt on from Leonard Peikoff's Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand
*[http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/sex.html "Sex" in the Ayn Rand Lexicon]

Common Misconceptions about Objectivism

2010-08-28T17:40:16Z

Sir Andrew:

;[[Objectivism is a religion]] : False, Objectivism is a [[philosophy]] based on [[reason]], not a religion (which is based on faith or [[mysticism]]).
;[[Objectivism is a cult]] : Many critics of Objectivism claim that students of the philosophy blindly follow Ayn Rand and treat her word as some kind of "divine revelation," but this is simply not the case. This view is diametrically opposed to the core tenants of Objectivist [[epistemology]] which hold that man must (and can only) gain knowledge through the use of his ''own'' rational faculty.
;It's possible to be religious and be an Objectivist at the same time : Objectivism rejects all forms of religion at its metaphysical base, the [[Primacy of Existence]], and is thus an atheistic philosophy.
;The Laissez-Faire [[Capitalism]] advocated by Objectivism is a form of [[Anarchism]] or [[Anarchocapitalism]] : Not true, Objectivism does in fact support government with a monopoly on the use of force. This government, however, is only to use force against those who initiate its use to violate others' [[rights]]. The three tasks of government in this function are (as stated by Ayn Rand): "...the police, to protect men from criminals—the armed services, to protect men from foreign invaders—the law courts, to settle disputes among men according to objective laws."

Common Misconceptions about Objectivism

2010-08-28T17:39:34Z

Sir Andrew: Expanded "Oism is a cult"

Common Misconceptions about Objectivism

2010-08-28T15:55:00Z

Sir Andrew: Added two

;[[Objectivism is a cult]]
;[[Objectivism is a religion]] : False, Objectivism is a [[philosophy]] based on [[reason]], not a religion (which is based on [[faith]] or [[mysticism]]).
;It's possible to be religious and be an Objectivist at the same time : Objectivism rejects all forms of religion at its metaphysical base, the [[Primacy of Existence]].
;The Laissez-Faire [[Capitalism]] advocated by Objectivism is a form of [[Anarchism]] or [[Anarchocapitalism]] : Not true, Objectivism does in fact support government with a monopoly on the use of force. This government, however, is only to use force against those who initiate its use to violate others' [[rights]]. The three tasks of government in this function are (as stated by Ayn Rand): "...the police, to protect men from criminals—the armed services, to protect men from foreign invaders—the law courts, to settle disputes among men according to objective laws."

Metaphysics

2010-08-28T05:35:32Z

Sir Andrew: Added affirmation of axioms line

{{Q|Metaphysics is that branch of philosophy that studies the nature of the universe as a whole."|Leonard Peikoff, [[OPAR]], p.3}}

All of Objectivism rests on Objectivist metaphysics. The key tenets of the Objectivist metaphysics are (1) the [[Primacy of Existence]], (2) the [[Law of Identity]] ([[Aristotle|Aristotle's]] "[[A is A]]"), and (3) the [[Axiom of Consciousness]]. In addition, (4) the [[Law of Causality]] is a corollary of the Law of Identity. The Primacy of Existence states that reality (the universe, that which is) exists independently of human consciousness. The Law of Identity states that anything that exists is qualitatively determinate, that is, has a fixed, finite nature. The Axiom of Self-Consciousness is the proposition that one is conscious. The Law of Causality states that things act in accordance with their natures. These propositions are all held in Objectivism to be axiomatic. According to Objectivism, the proof of a proposition's being axiomatic is that it is both (a) self-evident and (b) cannot coherently be denied, because any argument against the proposition would have to suppose its truth.

Metaphysics includes those basic facts about reality which one must understand before one can learn Epistemology:

''Something exists, including the things I perceive. (Primacy of Existence)''

''Everything is something specific and acts according to its nature. (Identity)''

''I am conscious of the things I perceive and my perceptions reflect reality. (Consciousness)''

The three axioms are also implicitly stated and affirmed by any statement made, which boil down to: "There is [Existence] something [Identity] that I am aware of [Consciousness]."

== Imported from Wikipedia ==

All of [[Objectivist philosophy|Objectivism]] rests on '''Objectivist metaphysics''' and [[Objectivist epistemology]]: the study of what is and how we know it. The key tenets of the Objectivist [[metaphysics]] are (1) the Primacy of Existence, (2) the Law of Identity ("A is A"), and (3) the Axiom of Consciousness. In addition, (4) the Law of Causality is a corollary of the Law of Identity. The Primacy of Existence states that reality (the universe, that which is) exists independently of human consciousness. The Law of Identity states that anything that exists is qualitatively determinate, that is, has a fixed, finite nature. The Axiom of Consciousness is the proposition that consciousness is irreducible. The Law of Causality states that things act in accordance with their natures. These propositions are all held in Objectivism to be [[axiom]]atic. According to Objectivism, the proof of a proposition's being axiomatic is that it is both (a) [[self-evident]] and (b) cannot coherently be denied, because any argument against the proposition would have to suppose its truth.

=== The Primacy of Existence ===
The Primacy of Existence premise says that reality is objective: the universe exists independently of the particular psychological states (beliefs, desires, etc.) of individual cognizers. This view was also held by [[Aristotle]]. Objectivism distinguishes The Primacy of Existence from the Primacy of Consciousness. The Primacy of Consciousness holds that consciousness is prior to existence. It is the view that one could, in principle, be conscious exclusively and entirely of one's self. Objectivism rejects this view: it holds that objects present themselves to consciousness in such a way that they must be genuinely "other," that is, non-identical to one's own consciousness. This axiom is the basis of the Objectivist refutation of both [[theism]] and [[idealism]]. Though Objectivism grants that some particular existents are mental (e.g., minds, thoughts, desires, intentions), it holds that, if what fundamentally exists is independent of any consciousness, then the universe as a whole is neither the creation of a divine consciousness nor itself mental. (This argument is laid out in Chapter 1 of [[Leonard Peikoff]]'s ''[[Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand]]'').

=== The Law of Identity ===
The Law of Identity states that everything that exists has an ''identity.'' In saying this, Objectivism is asserting more than the tautology of self-identity (i.e., "everything is identical to itself"). It is asserting that everything that exists has a specific nature, consisting of various properties or characteristics (as Rand wrote, "to be is to be something in particular"). Moreover, Objectivism holds that the properties and characteristics in question must exist each in a specific measure or degree; in this respect "identity" also means ''finitude''. According to Objectivism, then, everything that exists has a specific finite nature. To have a specific, finite nature, is incompatible with having a self-contradictory nature. Therefore, the whole of reality is ''noncontradictory''; though contradictions might exist in thought, there are no contradictions in the real world.

=== The Axiom of Consciousness ===
This axiom states that consciousness is an irreducible primary. It cannot be analyzed in terms of other concepts and it is at the foundation of all knowledge. While we can study the faculty of consciousness, we cannot study what it means to be conscious as such. She writes that "consciousness is conscious," affirming both that the thinker is conscious and that he is conscious of something external to himself. She writes, "If nothing exists, there can be no consciousness: a consciousness with nothing to be conscious of is a contradiction in terms" (''[[Atlas Shrugged]]'', p. 1015). One cannot be self-conscious without first being aware of something other than one's awareness. Rand's axioms of consciousness is different from Descartes' Cogito principle in that Descartes' Cogito is an a priori principle, while Rand's axiom of consciousness is a self-evidency only available in perception.

=== The Law of Causality ===
Each thing's specific nature ''determines how it acts.'' This principle is Objectivism's formulation of the Law of [[Causality]]; it is held to be a corollary of the Law of Identity (see above). Contemporary philosophers define the Law of Causality differently, e.g., as "Every event has a cause." Objectivism rejects this contemporary definition because it leads to paradoxes concerning free will and cosmology. A further implication of the Objectivist account of causality concerns explanation: since genuine explanation is causal, nature can only be explained in terms of nature (i.e., without reference to the [[supernatural]]).

==== Mind and body ====
Objectivism rejects the mind-body dichotomy, viewing man as a single integrated being, with both the mental and physical realms having particular causal properties. See [[mind-body dichotomy]].

==Possible references:==
*[[ITOE]]: Chapter 6
*[[FNI]]: 124-125, 154-155
*[[PWNI]]: [[Metaphysically Given versus the Man Made]]
*[[OPAR]]: Chapter 1

{{M_Nav}}

[[Category: Metaphysics]]

Main Page

2010-08-28T05:31:23Z

Sir Andrew: Corrected definition for Politics

{|style="width:100%;margin-top:+.7em;background-color:#fcfcfc;border:1px solid #ccc;text-align:center;"
|style="width:56%;color:#000"|
<h1>Welcome to the Objectivism Wiki!</h1>

The purpose of this site is to create a hierarchical, user-contributed reference on the philosophy of Objectivism. You can contribute by clicking "Edit" on the left of any of the [[Special:Statistics|{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}]] articles or begin a new page by clicking green links.
|}

{| style="width:100%;text-align:center;border: 1px solid #c6c9ff; color: #000; background-color: #f0f0ff;padding-bottom:10px;"
| colspan="2" | <big>'''[[What is Objectivism|What is Objectivism?]]'''</big>
|-
| colspan="2" | ''"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]]'''
|-
|colspan="2" | <h2>Branches of Objectivism</h2>
|-
|style="border-right:1px solid #c6c9ff;" | <big>[[Metaphysics]] || <big>[[Epistemology]]
|-
|style="border-right:1px solid #c6c9ff;" | ''The study of the universe and its nature'' || ''The study of knowledge''
|-
|style="border-right:1px solid #c6c9ff;border-bottom:1px solid #c6c9ff;" | '''[[Axioms]]''': [[Existence]], [[Consciousness]], [[Identity]]<br>'''[[Corollary]]''': [[Causality]], [[Primacy of Existence]]<br>'''[[Reality]]''': [[Primacy of Existence]], [[Existents]], <br>the [[Metaphysically Given versus the Man Made]] || style="border-bottom:1px solid #c6c9ff;" |
'''[[Senses]]''' <nowiki>|</nowiki> '''[[Consciousness]]''' <nowiki>|</nowiki> '''[[Volition]]'''<br>'''[[Concepts]]''': [[Unit]], [[Concept-Formation]]<br>'''[[Knowledge]]''': [[Context]], [[Hierarchy]]<br>'''[[Reason]]''': [[Certainty]], [[Truth]], the [[Arbitrary]]<br>'''[[Objectivity]]''' <nowiki>|</nowiki> '''[[Emotions]]'''
|-
|style="border-right:1px solid #c6c9ff;" | <big>[[Ethics]] || <big>[[Political Philosophy|Politics]]
|-
|style="border-right:1px solid #c6c9ff;" | ''The study of virtue'' || ''The study of social systems and nature of government''
|-
|style="border-right:1px solid #c6c9ff;" | '''[[Man|Man's Nature]]''': [[Life]], [[value|Values]],<br>[[Reason]] as the primary means of survival<br>'''[[Egoism]]''': Selfishness as requiring [[principle|principles]]<br>'''[[Rationality]]''' as the basic virtue<br>'''[[Virtues]]''': [[Independence]], [[Integrity]], [[Honesty]],<br>[[Justice]], [[Productiveness]], [[Pride]]<br>'''[[Happiness]]''': [[Self-esteem]], Virtue as [[practical]], [[Sex]] || '''[[Rights]]''': [[Government]], [[Initiation of Force]]<br>'''[[Capitalism]]''': Contrast to [[Collectivism]], [[Statism]]<br>[[Anarchism]], [[Environmentalism]]
|-
|colspan="2" style="border-top:1px solid #c6c9ff;"| <big>[[Aesthetics]]
|-
|colspan="2" | ''The study of art''
|-
|colspan="2" | [[Objectivist Recommendations]]
|}
{|style="width:100%;text-align:left;border: 1px solid #c6c9ff; color: #000; background-color: #f0f0ff;padding-left10px;"
|colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| <h2>Other Topics</h2>
|-

|style="border-bottom:1px solid #c6c9ff;width:33%;padding-bottom:10px;" | {{MainPage/AboutAR}} || style="border-bottom:1px solid #c6c9ff;width:33%;padding-bottom:10px;" | {{MainPage/OtherTopics}} || style="border-bottom:1px solid #c6c9ff;width:33%;padding-bottom:10px;" | {{MainPage/ConceptTs}}
|-
|style="padding-top:10px;" | {{MainPage/Appendix}}
|}

{|-
|width="15%" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" style="border:1px solid #000000;padding:1em;padding-top:0.5em;"|

<h3 id="lang">Notes:</h3>
* The topics are based on the [http://www.peikoff.com/opar/contents.htm outline of OPAR]. Additional topics or page content suggestions are added after the colon.

* There is now an edited version of the United States Constitution being reworked to conform to objectivism, the main page for the subproject is [[New constitution|here]] [[User:Crazynas|Crazynas]] 15:10, 4 Jul 2005 (CDT)

* Please see [http://meta.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki_i18n documentation on customizing the interface] and the [http://meta.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki_User%27s_Guide User's Guide] for usage and configuration help.

* My [http://quotes.rationalmind.net/ quote database] may be a useful source. --[[User:GreedyCapitalist|GreedyCapitalist]] 19:09, 22 June 2006 (CDT)

*Other projects on this wiki include: [[Book Recommendations]], [[Movie Recommendations]], [[Introduction to Objectivist Dictionary]], [[Logical Terms]], [[Logical Fallacies]], [[Common Misconceptions about Objectivism]], [[Forum rules]], and [[ObjectivismOnline| About ObjectivismOnline.Net]]

|}

__NOTOC__

Common Misconceptions about Objectivism

2010-08-28T05:30:18Z

Sir Andrew: Converted to definition entries

;[[Objectivism is a cult]]
;[[Objectivism is a religion]] : False, Objectivism is a [[philosophy]] based on [[reason]], not a religion (which is based on [[faith]] or [[mysticism]]).

Causality

2010-08-28T04:49:55Z

Sir Andrew: Formatting

The Law of Causality is a corollary of the Law of [[Identity]].

Causality is a direct corollary of the three inarguable axioms of Objectivism; there is simply no grounds to argue against it, as any alternative to causality is fundamentally impossible.

== Validating Causality ==

===All things that exist have a single, finite identity.===

That is, all things that exist have a finite set of characteristics that describe them. This is not to say that humans will ever know this exhaustive list, but it is a fundamental necessity -- an inarguable fact -- that every single existent possesses a single, finite identity, composed of everything that it is, and lacking everything that it is not. If an existent had no identity, then it wouldn't exist -- there wouldn't be a single thing that it is. If an existent had an infinite identity, then it would possess the characteristic 'visibly impaled through my right hand at this very moment,' which nothing possesses. Multiple identities ascribed to an existent would either combine to form one identity, or would contradict each other. A contradiction is impossible, because all contradictions can be reduced to claiming that something both exists and does not exist at the same time, which is likewise impossible. To see how this reduction works, take the example "this ball is all red and all green." Implicit to the concept 'red' is 'not green,' and so this example can be rephrased as "this ball is all not green and all green;" the characteristic 'green' is both existing and not existing. Assuming you can get your opponent to agree that something cannot both exist and not exist at the same time, this proves that contradictions are impossible (and that multiple identities are either impossible, or become one identity). So, an entity cannot possess no identity, infinite identity or multiple identities: All entities possess a single, finite identity.

===Actions are actions of entities.===

Actions don't exist separate from the entities that act. There is no 'walking' separate from the entity that walks. All actions are performed by entities.

===Entities must act in accordance with their identities.===

This follows from the above point. If actions are actions of entities, then the action must adhere to the single, finite identity of the entity acting. The only alternative is for an entity to act in contradiction to its identity, which is impossible -- contradictions cannot exist. The only possibility is that entities act in accordance with their identity.

===Causality===

This leads to causality. Given any set of circumstances, there is only one course of action available to an existent (well, aside from the choices made by a volitional consciousness, but that's a unique instance of causality and should be tackled separately): The course of action that is in accordance with its identity. If a billiard ball is smacked by another billiard ball, the identities of all of the circumstances involved (forces, motion, the balls themselves) permit only a single course of action for each existent -- the action that is in accordance with its single, finite identity.

At the heart of cause-and-effect is the assertion that any given cause can only have a single given effect -- and that's exactly what is being said above. Multiple possible effects would absolutely necessitate multiple identities, or contradicting identities, which simply cannot be. The opposite, that effects cannot happen without causes, is implicit as well -- a billiard ball with no forces acting on it is has only one action available to it, as with any other cause: Its only possible action is to remain still, which is in accordance with its identity and the identities of everything around it.

==Scientific versus Philosophic Proofs==

Now, the problem you're experiencing is that these people are linking our scientific understanding of physical causality (mechanical cause-and-effect) to the fundamental absolute of philosophical causality (action applied to identity). The former is based on induction and is a matter of science (and a matter of the philosophical defense of induction); causality is absolutely necessitated, but our understanding of the nature of this causality is limited by the context of our knowledge. The latter, philosophical causality, is rooted in fundamental axioms and is utterly inarguable. Your opponents are not supporting an argument against causality (no one can). They are claiming to do so, while actually formulating an argument against the validity of scientific induction -- and you should treat their argument in that way.

==Further Reading==
*See this [http://forum.objectivismonline.net/index.php?showtopic=3060&view=findpost&p=75152 forum thread on ObjectivismOnline.net]
*[http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/causality.html "Causality" on the Ayn Rand Lexicon]

{{M_Nav}}

[[Category:Axiom]] [[Category:Metaphysics]]

Main Page

2010-08-28T04:22:37Z

Sir Andrew: Main page re-vamp Part Deux

{|style="width:100%;margin-top:+.7em;background-color:#fcfcfc;border:1px solid #ccc;text-align:center;"
|style="width:56%;color:#000"|
<h1>Welcome to the Objectivism Wiki!</h1>

The purpose of this site is to create a hierarchical, user-contributed reference on the philosophy of Objectivism. You can contribute by clicking "Edit" on the left of any of the [[Special:Statistics|{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}]] articles or begin a new page by clicking green links.
|}

{| style="width:100%;text-align:center;border: 1px solid #c6c9ff; color: #000; background-color: #f0f0ff;padding-bottom:10px;"
| colspan="2" | <big>'''[[What is Objectivism|What is Objectivism?]]'''</big>
|-
| colspan="2" | ''"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]]'''
|-
|colspan="2" | <h2>Branches of Objectivism</h2>
|-
|style="border-right:1px solid #c6c9ff;" | <big>[[Metaphysics]] || <big>[[Epistemology]]
|-
|style="border-right:1px solid #c6c9ff;" | ''The study of the universe and its nature'' || ''The study of knowledge''
|-
|style="border-right:1px solid #c6c9ff;border-bottom:1px solid #c6c9ff;" | '''[[Axioms]]''': [[Existence]], [[Consciousness]], [[Identity]]<br>'''[[Corollary]]''': [[Causality]], [[Primacy of Existence]]<br>'''[[Reality]]''': [[Primacy of Existence]], [[Existents]], <br>the [[Metaphysically Given versus the Man Made]] || style="border-bottom:1px solid #c6c9ff;" |
'''[[Senses]]''' <nowiki>|</nowiki> '''[[Consciousness]]''' <nowiki>|</nowiki> '''[[Volition]]'''<br>'''[[Concepts]]''': [[Unit]], [[Concept-Formation]]<br>'''[[Knowledge]]''': [[Context]], [[Hierarchy]]<br>'''[[Reason]]''': [[Certainty]], [[Truth]], the [[Arbitrary]]<br>'''[[Objectivity]]''' <nowiki>|</nowiki> '''[[Emotions]]'''
|-
|style="border-right:1px solid #c6c9ff;" | <big>[[Ethics]] || <big>[[Political Philosophy|Politics]]
|-
|style="border-right:1px solid #c6c9ff;" | ''The study of virtue'' || ''The application of ethics in a social context''
|-
|style="border-right:1px solid #c6c9ff;" | '''[[Man|Man's Nature]]''': [[Life]], [[value|Values]],<br>[[Reason]] as the primary means of survival<br>'''[[Egoism]]''': Selfishness as requiring [[principle|principles]]<br>'''[[Rationality]]''' as the basic virtue<br>'''[[Virtues]]''': [[Independence]], [[Integrity]], [[Honesty]],<br>[[Justice]], [[Productiveness]], [[Pride]]<br>'''[[Happiness]]''': [[Self-esteem]], Virtue as [[practical]], [[Sex]] || '''[[Rights]]''': [[Government]], [[Initiation of Force]]<br>'''[[Capitalism]]''': Contrast to [[Collectivism]], [[Statism]]<br>[[Anarchism]], [[Environmentalism]]
|-
|colspan="2" style="border-top:1px solid #c6c9ff;"| <big>[[Aesthetics]]
|-
|colspan="2" | ''The study of art''
|-
|colspan="2" | [[Objectivist Recommendations]]
|}
{|style="width:100%;text-align:left;border: 1px solid #c6c9ff; color: #000; background-color: #f0f0ff;padding-left10px;"
|colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| <h2>Other Topics</h2>
|-

|style="border-bottom:1px solid #c6c9ff;width:33%;padding-bottom:10px;" | {{MainPage/AboutAR}} || style="border-bottom:1px solid #c6c9ff;width:33%;padding-bottom:10px;" | {{MainPage/OtherTopics}} || style="border-bottom:1px solid #c6c9ff;width:33%;padding-bottom:10px;" | {{MainPage/ConceptTs}}
|-
|style="padding-top:10px;" | {{MainPage/Appendix}}
|}

{|-
|width="15%" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" style="border:1px solid #000000;padding:1em;padding-top:0.5em;"|

<h3 id="lang">Notes:</h3>
* The topics are based on the [http://www.peikoff.com/opar/contents.htm outline of OPAR]. Additional topics or page content suggestions are added after the colon.

* There is now an edited version of the United States Constitution being reworked to conform to objectivism, the main page for the subproject is [[New constitution|here]] [[User:Crazynas|Crazynas]] 15:10, 4 Jul 2005 (CDT)

* Please see [http://meta.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki_i18n documentation on customizing the interface] and the [http://meta.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki_User%27s_Guide User's Guide] for usage and configuration help.

* My [http://quotes.rationalmind.net/ quote database] may be a useful source. --[[User:GreedyCapitalist|GreedyCapitalist]] 19:09, 22 June 2006 (CDT)

*Other projects on this wiki include: [[Book Recommendations]], [[Movie Recommendations]], [[Introduction to Objectivist Dictionary]], [[Logical Terms]], [[Logical Fallacies]], [[Common Misconceptions about Objectivism]], [[Forum rules]], and [[ObjectivismOnline| About ObjectivismOnline.Net]]

|}

__NOTOC__

Template:MainPage/OtherTopics

2010-08-28T04:20:45Z

Sir Andrew:

'''<big>Other Notable Topics</big>'''<br>[[Common Misconceptions about Objectivism]]<br>[[Logical Fallacies]]<br>[[Logical Terms]]<br>[[Introduction to Objectivist Dictionary]]

Template:MainPage/Appendix

2010-08-28T04:16:39Z

Sir Andrew: Created page with ''''<big>Appendix: Dichotomies:</big>'''<br>Theory-Practice Dichotomy<br>Mind-Body Dichotomy<br>Analytic-Synthetic Dichotomy<br>Moral-Practical Dichotomy<br>[[Is-O…'

'''<big>Appendix: Dichotomies:</big>'''<br>[[Theory-Practice Dichotomy]]<br>[[Mind-Body Dichotomy]]<br>[[Analytic-Synthetic Dichotomy]]<br>[[Moral-Practical Dichotomy]]<br>[[Is-Ought Dichotomy]]<br>[[Totalitarianism]], [[Anarchism]]

Template:MainPage/ConceptTs

2010-08-28T04:13:01Z

Sir Andrew: Created page with ''''<big>Other Conceptual Theories:</big>'''<br>Realism, Nominalism<br>Intrinsicism, Subjectivism<br>Rationalism, Empiricism<br>Mysticism and [[Skeptic…'

'''<big>Other Conceptual Theories:</big>'''<br>[[Realism]], [[Nominalism]]<br>[[Intrinsicism]], [[Subjectivism]]<br>[[Rationalism]], [[Empiricism]]<br>[[Mysticism]] and [[Skepticism]]