A GUIDE TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF OBJECTIVISM David King 58 Spring Valley Drive Milford WY 82520 It is my intention to present an introduction, from the perspective of a scientist, to the ideas of this philosophy, a guide to other sources of these ideas, and some applications of the ideas to important problems. In order to promote the maximum dissemination of these ideas, I have decided to place all my writings into the Public Domain. I grant permission to anyone to use my writings, or any parts of them, in any way that may help to further the spread of reason in our society. All my essays can be obtained from me on computer disk. Send me a 3 1/2 inch floppy, IBM/MS-DOS format, and I will load it up for you. The files are all in straight ASCII text. Please copy this floppy. This guide consists of these five files, and several essays which are titled CHAPTRnn. Throughout these works I use *'s in a careful way so that computer searches can easily be run. INTRODUCTION AN OBJECTIVIST DICTIONARY A HANDBOOK OF LOGICAL FALLACIES BOOKLIST A KEYWORD INDEX OF: The Objectivst Newsletter Basic Principles of Objectivism The Objectivist Principles of Efficient Thinking The Ayn Rand Letter The Psychology of Romantic Love The Objectivist Forum Atlas Shrugged The Virtue of Selfishness The Fountainhead Chapter 1 AYN RAND AND OBJECTIVISM - PHILOSOPHY AND SCIENCE Starting with a critique of Rand, I move into a presentation of Objectivism, then to a consideration of the connection between Science and Philosophy, with some additional comments in which I try to make the scientific mentality a little less mysterious to people who have not been explicitly schooled in a scientific field. * Randism vs Objectivism * Rand's incorrect definition of selfish * Rand's personal statist views * Rand's failure to distinguish between politics and economics * What is Objectivism? * The Relationship Between Philosophy and Science * How Scientists Can Build Bombs * The Scientific Attitude of Mind * Some History of Science * Miscellaneous Comments on the Nature of Science * Examples of the Scientific Attitude applied * Some Critiques of Science Chapter 2 THINKING * Tools of Thought * Language * Strength And Leverage * IQ As A Potential * The Major High-IQ Societies * Useful Thinking Techniques * Procedures for Carrying on a Discussion * Criticism * The Scientific Method * The Military Staff Study * Notes on the Significance of Intellectual Context * Faulty Thought Processes * Piagetian Operational Stages * The Use Of Emotions As Tools Of Cognition * Orwell - Newspeak - Brainwashing - Prolefeed Chapter 3 THE IMPORTANCE OF CORRECT DEFINITIONS * On the Importance of Correct Definitions * How to Make a Definition Some approaches to defining a few interesting concepts * Definition * Certainty * Probability * Expense * To Be * References * Envy * Instinct * Luck * Standard vs Purpose * Anarchy * Nonsense Chapter 4 ECONOMICS FROM AN OBJECTIVIST VIEWPOINT Part One: History - Property - Capitalism - Money * Objective vs Subjective Economic Value * History * The Corporate Enterprise * Political Power vs Economic Power * John Locke on Property * Some Questions about Property * Information as Property * Capitalism * Wealth * The Need For Money * The Evolution of Money and the Nature of inflation * The Effects of Inflation Chapter 5 ECONOMICS FROM AN OBJECTIVIST VIEWPOINT Part Two: Several miscellaneous issues * Foundations * Bootstrap Economics * Economic Calculations * The Tragedy of the Commons * The Public Goods Problem * Fascism-Communism * Marx * The Luddite Phenomenon * Liability * Productivity * Trade vs Theft Chapter 6 RIGHTS AND FREEDOM * Natural Rights * There is no such Thing as Freedom Chapter 7 THE ETHICS UNDERLYING SOCIAL STRUCTURE * Some Ethical Concepts Defined * Philosophy Underlies Society * Foundation of Law * Voting * Majority Rule * Stateolatry * Miscellaneous Ethical Topics * Abortion * Honesty vs Dishonesty * Link Between the Individual and the Group * What is a slave? * Profound Ethical Concerns * Coerced Compassion * Effect of Social Complexity on Statism * Dual Ideologies * Hallmark of a Conservative * Compromise * Libertarian Foreign Policy Chapter 8 GOVERNMENT * Government defined * Descriptions of Government * Corruption in Government * The Real Function of Government * What Government Responds to * Political Intentions are Irrelevant * Failures and Contradictions of Government * The War On Drugs * Self-Defense Chapter 9 BEYOND GOVERNMENT * Limited Government * Jury * Government is a Mistake * Arguments Against Anarchism * A Covenant for a Union of Sovereign Americans Chapter 10 RELIGION * Christianity vs Objectivism * Christianity vs the Lightning Rod * Christianity vs Women and Sex * Interview with God * Robert Ingersoll on Religion * Religious Roots of Evil * Attila and the Witch Doctor * Basic Principles of Objectivism - Nathaniel Branden - from Lecture #4 * The Case of God vs the Case of Reality * God as Big Daddy * Religion and Insanity Chapter 11 SPIRITUALITY, ART, AND BEAUTY * The Spirituality of a Scientist * The Credo of a Rational Man * Oath * Love * Marriage * Table Blessing * Art * Beauty * The Need for and Function of Art and Beauty * The Nature of Fiction * Music * Dancing * Some Writing Techniques * The Destruction of Art under Statism * Miscellaneous Comments on Art Chapter 12 THE DISASTROUS STATE OF AMERICAN EDUCATION * SAT score decline * High School dropout rate * Quality of Education * Quality of the Teachers * Futility of Reform * Principles underlying government schooling * Tragic consequences Chapter 13 THOUGHTS ON THE FUTURE OF CIVILIZATION * Alienation * Principles have Consequences * Freedom/Slavery schizophrenia * Financial Manipulation * Standard of Living * Dependency * Dictatorship American Style * Inheritance Chapter 14 LIBERTARIAN GUERILLA WARFARE * Rebellion against Government * The Peaceful Means Argument * Injustice is Everyone's Fight * The Problem of the Innocents * Questions to Determine Philosophical Orientation * Prerequisites of a revolution * Thoughts on Terrorism and Guerrilla Warfare * Strategy * Tactics * Morale Chapter 15 TO SHRUG - AN ALTERNATIVE LIFESTYLE FOR AN INDIVIDUALIST * Underlying Philosophy * Historical Precedent * Implementation of Shrugging * A Different World-View * Escape from the moneylenders * A suitable dwelling * Lifetime supplies * Income reduction * Occupation * Security * The Moral is the Practical * Recommendations * Bibliography