When a Russian Woman Sliced and Diced
Let us return to those thrilling days of yesteryear when Ayn Rand answered questions in person to doubters and mockers. She was asked at a Random House sales meeting by one of the book salesmen if she could present the essence of her philosophy while standing on one foot She did as follows:
"1.Metaphysics: Objective reality
2. Epistimology:Reason
3. Ethics:Self Interist
4. Politics: Capitalism."
Translated into simple language it reads: ""Nature to be commanded must be obeyed or Wishing won't make it so."
2. You can't have your cake and eat it too."
3." Man is an end in himself." "4. Give me liberty or give me death."
She went on::
"1.Reality existsas an objective absolute -- facts are facts , independent of man's feelings, wishes,hopes, or fears.
2. Reason ( the faculty which identifies and integrates the material provided by man's senses)is man's only means of perceiving reality,his only source of knowledge, his only guide to action, and his basic means of survival.
3. Every man is -- an end in himself, not the means to the end of others, He must exist for his own sake neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to him. The pursuit of his own rational self-interest and of his own happiness is the highest moral purpose of his life.
4. The ideal political economic system is laissez-faire capitalism.It is a system where men deal with one another not as victims and executioners nor as masters and slaves but as traders , by free, voluntary exchange to mutual benefit"
"1.Metaphysics: Objective reality
2. Epistimology:Reason
3. Ethics:Self Interist
4. Politics: Capitalism."
Translated into simple language it reads: ""Nature to be commanded must be obeyed or Wishing won't make it so."
2. You can't have your cake and eat it too."
3." Man is an end in himself." "4. Give me liberty or give me death."
She went on::
"1.Reality existsas an objective absolute -- facts are facts , independent of man's feelings, wishes,hopes, or fears.
2. Reason ( the faculty which identifies and integrates the material provided by man's senses)is man's only means of perceiving reality,his only source of knowledge, his only guide to action, and his basic means of survival.
3. Every man is -- an end in himself, not the means to the end of others, He must exist for his own sake neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to him. The pursuit of his own rational self-interest and of his own happiness is the highest moral purpose of his life.
4. The ideal political economic system is laissez-faire capitalism.It is a system where men deal with one another not as victims and executioners nor as masters and slaves but as traders , by free, voluntary exchange to mutual benefit"
