This is John Galt Speaking Part #10

As we continue with "This is John Galt Speaking" Rational Nation USA realizes many of the premises and values presented are at first difficult to accept, and perhaps even impossible for the those who willingly and without question accept the doctrines of organizes religion or statism.

However, it is for those who retain an open mind and perhaps have not thought deeply about these concepts and their value that the series is presented. When understood in their depth and fullness these value concepts provide a life altering experience and gives one happiness beyond comparison.

When properly understood and practiced they result in each individual recognizing and respecting the rights of all to their opinions, values, and happiness; without the intrusions of any other individual or government.

And now "This is John Galt Speaking" Part #10



Comments

  1. the problem here is that the word "sacrifice" is in reality a relative term rather than an absolute term as he suggests by his examples.

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  2. Griper - Your observation is a good one. However,

    In a non contradictory world sacrifice would be an absolute.

    As the world (human life) is a contradiction in terms having been created by humans themselves the best possibility is that more humans began to realize that contradictory premises mean that there can not be truth in both.

    Food for thought. It has taken me many years to realize the truth inherent in objectivist philosophy and as long as continue to live I will continue to learn and utilize objectivist principals. I pass along these principals for those who consider them to use, or discard of their as they see fit.

    I can speak only for myself, and through observation, that accepting objectivist principals lead to a happier and more productive life. Objectively speaking this statement means that if everybody were to accept and live by the principals and values of objective philosophy he world would be a safer, happier, and more productive place.

    But there in lies the rub. Because humans are humans this is where relativity plays it's part
    and why humankind will never agree on a unified and completely objective and rational existence.Feeling and emotion as you so often point out finds its way into the equation. And we are all guilty of letting this happen.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Happy New year to you RN USA! Thanks for stopping by the other day, your thoughts are always welcome sir.

    On this topic, I LOVED "Atlas Shrugged" and have incorporated much of Rand's freedom-based philosophy into my thinking. I'm a conservative-libertarian for lack of a better term, and I believe that our American way of life CANNOT exist without our Judeo-Christian ethical roots.

    ReplyDelete
  4. in a non-contradictory world, RN, there would be no need of sacrifice. and it could only be absolute in that sense. and he is looking at it strictly from self interest without considering that others can benefit from our actions as well as we can. and that benefit will differ from the benefit we get. and if that benefit is seen as having a greater value then we have sacrificed something.
    example:
    a man dies in war for the sake of freedom. as he says that is no sacrifice for he has kept his freedom. but because of his death, others will live in freedom. is death of greater value than life? by his way of thinking it would be because he has chosen death over life in freedom.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Griper - Sacrifice is when a man gives up something of value for something of lesser value. This is a question of identifying objectively values and principals as well as self interest. To understand the point fully one must understand the full and comprehensive basis of Objectivism. Something that really requires one to develop an active interest in a philosophy that the Altruist, socialist, communist, and lovers of Emmanuel Kant despise.

    Perhaps your example of a man giving his life for freedom says it well.

    A man gives his life in war because his self interest is to live free. He views living in a society under a tyrannical and oppressive government as evil and therefor he if he dies attempting to preserve a higher value (freedom) it is not a sacrifice.

    So as you see from this example if all men acted in their self interest with respect to freedom (which conceptually in regard to man) is universal there would be no need for wars.

    Another example: if a man gives his food so his child may live (even though he may die)this is not a sacrifice. If the man gives his food to a neighbors child may live and allows his own child to die this by definition is a sacrifice.

    The Philosophy of Objectivism is one of non contradictory terms, non contradictory relationships, a non contradictory way of leading ones life.

    Perhaps Rand defined it best when she said;

    "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 his only absolute."

    As in any philosophy all facets must be understood for individual facets to truly make sense. I offer "This is John Galt Speaking" to peak interest in a philosophy that has taken me years to understand and practice and took Rand a lifetime to develop and publish. Unfortunately most of the world remains altruistic and therefore in a constant state of sacrifice.

    But there is always hope. There has been throughout the millenniums and there will probably be hope forever. As this is how the altruists would have it.

    Altruism and socialism go hand in hand down the merry path to self immolation.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Jingoist - Thank you and a Very Happy and Prosperous New Year to you as well.

    You are always welcome at RN USA as well.

    Rand's philosophy,known as Objectivism, as I noted above requires a good deal of reading and study. She wrote so much beyond her fictional works that it takes time to get through it all.

    Thank you for your visit and read.

    ReplyDelete
  7. that's the point my friend. in order to see your own actions as the one of greater value one must presume that the opposite with lesser value will be the inevitable outcome. and that isn't always the case.
    patrick henry said "give me liberty or give me death"
    that declares one or the other not both as Galt presumed.
    mr henry was hung. by Galt's way of thinking he died and in doing so kept his liberty.

    but the war was won and had not patrick henry been hung he'd have had both, life and liberty.

    so i'll ask the question again which you never answered, was life less valued than death in our culture in this case?

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  8. Griper - Life is of higher value than death. Life without Liberty has no value. As Patrick Henry so rationally understood.

    Henry was willing to die for the cause of liberty; 1) first if the liberty movement of his day was successful, and he lived, he would have liberty, 2) if he should die in the pursuit of liberty and the liberty movement was successful he would have died for the cause of liberty that posterity would enjoy, 3) had the liberty movement of his day been unsuccessful he would have found liberation in death because he would not be living under an oppressive and tyrannical regime and thus without liberty.

    These are my friend abstract philosophical principals, and can be debated for hours. This precisely why few take the time to delve deeply into philosophy and it's difficult discussions and many differences.

    It is why, as Ayn Rand pointed out in her book, "Philosophy: Who Needs It", it is important that every thinking individual needs philosophy.

    ReplyDelete

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