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Ayn Rand? Ayn Rand Ayn
Who Is Ayn Rand? Ayn Rand Few 20th century intellectuals have been as influential—and controversial— as the novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand. Her thinking still has a profound impact, particularly on those who come to it through her novels, Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead—with their core messages of individualism, self-worth, and the right to live without the impositions of others. Although ignored or scorned by some academics, traditionalists, pro- gressives, and public intellectuals, her thought remains a major influence on Ayn Rand many of the world’s leading legislators, policy advisers, economists, entre- preneurs, and investors. INTRODUCTION AN Why does Rand’s work remain so influential? Ayn Rand: An Introduction illuminates Rand’s importance, detailing her understanding of reality and human nature, and explores the ongoing fascination with and debates about her conclusions on knowledge, morality, politics, economics, government, AN INTRODUCTION public issues, aesthetics and literature. The book also places these in the context of her life and times, showing how revolutionary they were, and how they have influenced and continue to impact public policy debates. EAMONN BUTLER is director of the Adam Smith Institute, a leading think tank in the UK. He holds degrees in economics and psychology, a PhD in philosophy, and an honorary DLitt. A former winner of the Freedom Medal of Freedom’s Foundation at Valley Forge and the UK National Free Enterprise Award, Eamonn is currently secretary of the Mont Pelerin Society. Butler is the author of many books, including introductions on the pioneering economists Eamonn Butler Adam Smith, Milton Friedman, F. -
European Miracle” Warrior Aristocrats, Spirit of Liberty, and Competition As a Discovery Process
SUBSCRIBE NOW AND RECEIVE CRISIS AND LEVIATHAN* FREE! “The Independent Review does not accept “The Independent Review is pronouncements of government officials nor the excellent.” conventional wisdom at face value.” —GARY BECKER, Noble Laureate —JOHN R. MACARTHUR, Publisher, Harper’s in Economic Sciences Subscribe to The Independent Review and receive a free book of your choice* such as the 25th Anniversary Edition of Crisis and Leviathan: Critical Episodes in the Growth of American Government, by Founding Editor Robert Higgs. This quarterly journal, guided by co-editors Christopher J. Coyne, and Michael C. Munger, and Robert M. Whaples offers leading-edge insights on today’s most critical issues in economics, healthcare, education, law, history, political science, philosophy, and sociology. Thought-provoking and educational, The Independent Review is blazing the way toward informed debate! Student? Educator? Journalist? Business or civic leader? Engaged citizen? This journal is for YOU! *Order today for more FREE book options Perfect for students or anyone on the go! The Independent Review is available on mobile devices or tablets: iOS devices, Amazon Kindle Fire, or Android through Magzter. INDEPENDENT INSTITUTE, 100 SWAN WAY, OAKLAND, CA 94621 • 800-927-8733 • [email protected] PROMO CODE IRA1703 REVIEW ESSAY The “European Miracle” Warrior Aristocrats, Spirit of Liberty, and Competition as a Discovery Process F ANDREI ZNAMENSKI hile reading the news, I recently came across a small story with a photo, which produced more than forty thousand reposts and an avalanche of W comments in the Chinese blogosphere. On the way to an appointment, Gary Locke, the newly nominated American ambassador to China, was spotted at the Seattle–Tacoma International Airport by a Chinese American businessman who happened to know him and who snapped and posted on his blog a picture of the ambassador standing at a Starbucks’ counter, buying a cup of coffee and carrying a backpack. -
Mere Libertarianism: Blending Hayek and Rothbard
Mere Libertarianism: Blending Hayek and Rothbard Daniel B. Klein Santa Clara University The continued progress of a social movement may depend on the movement’s being recognized as a movement. Being able to provide a clear, versatile, and durable definition of the movement or philosophy, quite apart from its justifications, may help to get it space and sympathy in public discourse. 1 Some of the most basic furniture of modern libertarianism comes from the great figures Friedrich Hayek and Murray Rothbard. Like their mentor Ludwig von Mises, Hayek and Rothbard favored sweeping reductions in the size and intrusiveness of government; both favored legal rules based principally on private property, consent, and contract. In view of the huge range of opinions about desirable reform, Hayek and Rothbard must be regarded as ideological siblings. Yet Hayek and Rothbard each developed his own ideas about liberty and his own vision for a libertarian movement. In as much as there are incompatibilities between Hayek and Rothbard, those seeking resolution must choose between them, search for a viable blending, or look to other alternatives. A blending appears to be both viable and desirable. In fact, libertarian thought and policy analysis in the United States appears to be inclined toward a blending of Hayek and Rothbard. At the center of any libertarianism are ideas about liberty. Differences between libertarianisms usually come down to differences between definitions of liberty or between claims made for liberty. Here, in exploring these matters, I work closely with the writings of Hayek and Rothbard. I realize that many excellent libertarian philosophers have weighed in on these matters and already said many of the things I say here. -
De-Socialization in a United Germany
De-Socialization in a United Germany Hans-Hermann Hoppe* I s a result of the defeat of Hitler's Germany in Word War 11, there were 10 million refugees living on a significantly A reduced German territory; 40 percent of the population was bombed-out (the population of Cologne, for instance, had declined from 750,000 to 32,000) and 60 percent was undernourished.' In those territories occupied by the Western Allies, initially the economic system inherited from the Nazi regime-a command-war- economy-was retained. Almost all consumer goods were rationed, all-around price and wage controls remained in effect, and imports and exports were strictly regulared by the military administration. Black markets and barter trade were ubiquitous. Due to general price maxima and an expansionary supply of paper Reichs marks, no goods were to be found and money was largely u~eless.~alack-market prices experienced a highly inflationary development and substitute curren- cies like coffee, cigarettes, and butter emerged. German output in 1946 was less than one-third of what it had been in 1938. Chaos and desperation were the mark of the day. In respone to the beginning Cold War between the Allies, in particular the United States and the Soviet Union, the Western *Hans-Hermann Hoppe is associate professor of economics at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.. or details see Gustav Stolper, German Realities (New York:Reynal & Hitchcock, 1948); Frank Grube and Gerhard Richter, Die Schwarzmarktzeit: Deutschland zwischen 1945 und 1948 (Hamburg, 1979); Theodor Eschenburg, Jahre der Besatzung 1945-1949 (Stuttgart,1983); Charles Kindleberger, The German Economy, 1945-1947: Charles Kindleberger's Letters /?om the Field (Westport, Conn.: Meckler, 1989) with a historical introduction by Giinther Bischof. -
Machan Vs. Rand
DERIVING RIGHTS FROM EGOISM: MACHAN vs. RANID Eyal Mozes In his book Individuals and Their Rights, Tibor Machan presents an argument deriving individual rights fro~m an ethics of rational egoism (or, to use his term, classical egoism). Machan cites Ayn Rand throughout his book, and regards his own arguments as a more detai- led and systematic presentation of the argument sketched by Rand. However, I submit that Machan's argument is significantly different from Rand's. Rand's arguments are often misinterpreted in a form similar to Machan's. To a large extent, this is the result of the lack of a systematic presentation of Rand's philosophy, and of the brief, sketchy form in which she presented her views. However, a close reading of ,her statements on this subject, and a look at other, less easily avail- able sources (such as taped lectures by Leonard1 Peikoff, who has had the advantage of long personal discussions with Rand), reveal a line of argument very different from - and, :[ submit, much sounder than - Machan's. There are two aspects in which Machan's argument differs from Rand's: (1) Machan justifies his interpersonal ethics through a "substitution principle", the idea that rationality requires you to grant to other human beings the same: rights that your Reason Papers 17 (Fall 1992): 87-93 Copyright "' 1992 87 REASON PAPERS NO. 17 own nature requires. Rand, on the other hand, justifies her interpersonal ethics by demonstrating the effect that acting on the proper principles will have directly on your own life. (2) Machan uses the concept of rights in interpersonal eth- ics, i.e., in morally guiding an individual's actions towards others. -
Liberty, Property and Rationality
Liberty, Property and Rationality Concept of Freedom in Murray Rothbard’s Anarcho-capitalism Master’s Thesis Hannu Hästbacka 13.11.2018 University of Helsinki Faculty of Arts General History Tiedekunta/Osasto – Fakultet/Sektion – Faculty Laitos – Institution – Department Humanistinen tiedekunta Filosofian, historian, kulttuurin ja taiteiden tutkimuksen laitos Tekijä – Författare – Author Hannu Hästbacka Työn nimi – Arbetets titel – Title Liberty, Property and Rationality. Concept of Freedom in Murray Rothbard’s Anarcho-capitalism Oppiaine – Läroämne – Subject Yleinen historia Työn laji – Arbetets art – Level Aika – Datum – Month and Sivumäärä– Sidoantal – Number of pages Pro gradu -tutkielma year 100 13.11.2018 Tiivistelmä – Referat – Abstract Murray Rothbard (1926–1995) on yksi keskeisimmistä modernin libertarismin taustalla olevista ajattelijoista. Rothbard pitää yksilöllistä vapautta keskeisimpänä periaatteenaan, ja yhdistää filosofiassaan klassisen liberalismin perinnettä itävaltalaiseen taloustieteeseen, teleologiseen luonnonoikeusajatteluun sekä individualistiseen anarkismiin. Hänen tavoitteenaan on kehittää puhtaaseen järkeen pohjautuva oikeusoppi, jonka pohjalta voidaan perustaa vapaiden markkinoiden ihanneyhteiskunta. Valtiota ei täten Rothbardin ihanneyhteiskunnassa ole, vaan vastuu yksilöllisten luonnonoikeuksien toteutumisesta on kokonaan yksilöllä itsellään. Tutkin työssäni vapauden käsitettä Rothbardin anarko-kapitalistisessa filosofiassa. Selvitän ja analysoin Rothbardin ajattelun keskeisimpiä elementtejä niiden filosofisissa, -
Murray N. Rothbard: an Obituary
MurrayN. Rothbard , IN MEMORIAM PREFACE BY JoANN ROTHBARD EDITED BY LLEWELLYN H. ROCKWELL, JR. Ludwig von Mises Institute Auburn, Alabama 1995 Copyright © 1995 by the Ludwig von Mises Institute, Auburn, Alabama 36849-5301 All rights reserved. Written permission must be secured from the publisher to use or reproduce any part of this book, except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles. ISBN: 0-945466-19-6 CONTENTS PREFACE, BY JOANN ROTHBARD ................................................................ vii HANS F. SENNHOLZ ...................................................................................... 1 RALPH RAIco ................................................................................................ 2 RON PAUL ..................................................................................................... 5 RICHARD VEDDER .................•.........•............................................................. 7 ROCER W. GARRISON .................................................................................. 13 WALTER BLOCK ........................................................................................... 19 MARTIN ANDERSON •.•.....................................•........................................... 26 MARK THORNTON ..................................................................•.................... 27 JAMES GRANT .............................................................................................. 29 PETER G. KLEIN ......................................................................................... -
The Contested Legacy of Ayn Rand
THE CONTESTED LEGACY OF AYN RAND Truth and Toleration in Objectivism THE CONTESTED LEGACY OF AYN RAND THE CONTESTED LEGACY OF AYN RAND Truth and Toleration in Objectivism DAVID KELLEY The OBJECTIVIST CENTER Transaction Publishers Poughkeepsie, New York New Brunswick (U.S.) & London (U.K.) First Printing, February, 1990 Second Revised Edition, 2000 Copyright © 1990 by David Kelley Copyright © 2000 by David Kelley All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted in any form without written permission from the author. For information address Dr. David Kelley, The Objectivist Center, 11 Raymond Avenue, Suite 31, Poughkeepsie, New York 12603 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Kelley, David, 1949– The Contested Legacy of Ayn Rand: Truth and Toleration in Objectivism/ David Kelley Includes bibliographic references (p. 103–111) and index. ISBN 1-57724-010-3 Printed in the United States of America The Objectivist Center 11 Raymond Avenue, Suite 31 Poughkeepsie, New York 12603 TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE TO THE 2ND EDITION 9 INTRODUCTION 13 I. MORAL JUDGMENT 19 COGNITION AND EVALUATION 19 MORAL JUDGMENT 21 TYPES OF MORAL JUDGMENT 23 THE TEMPERAMENT OF A JUDGE 28 II. SANCTION 31 EXISTENTIAL AID AND MORAL SANCTION 31 THE CASE OF LIBERTARIANISM 36 III. ERROR AND EVIL 39 IDEAS AND ORIGINAL SIN 40 THE ROLE OF IDEAS IN HISTORY 43 THE SCOPE OF HONEST ERROR 50 INHERENTLY DISHONEST IDEAS 57 IV. TOLERATION 61 TOLERANCE, JUSTICE, AND BENEVOLENCE 61 TOLERANCE AND OBJECTIVITY 63 V. OBJECTIVISM 71 OPEN AND CLOSED SYSTEMS 73 OBJECTIVISM AS AN OPEN SYSTEM 75 WHAT IS OBJECTIVISM? 81 THE OBJECTIVIST MOVEMENT 85 POSTSCRIPT 95 NOTES 103 APPENDIX A: A QUESTION OF SANCTION 113 APPENDIX B: BETTER THINGS TO DO 119 INDEX 123 PREFACE TO THE 2ND EDITION 2000 Ayn Rand’s philosophical novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged made her the most controversial author of her age. -
Tara Smith's Ayn Rand's Normative Ethics
Review Essay: Tara Smith’s Ayn Rand’s Normative Ethics: The Virtuous Egoist Carrie-Ann Biondi Marymount Manhattan College There has been in academic philosophy a resurgence of naturalistic virtue ethics that renders it a viable competitor with deontology and utilitarianism, making the timing opportune for the appearance of Tara Smith’s Ayn Rand’s Normative Ethics: The Virtuous Egoist.1 Indeed, Smith in part situates her book within this trend, but also contrasts her explication of how Rand’s rational ethical egoism intersects with virtue theories that have at best “danced around the edges of egoism” (p. 1). Thus far, Smith’s book has been generally well received in the few reviews it has gotten,2 especially by scholars and advocates of Rand’s Objectivism. However, some attention from mainstream philosophers, even by those who are sympathetic readers,3 reveals that contemporary moral philosophers struggle to understand the nuanced value theory underlying Objectivism and are slow to embrace full-fledged egoism. This is hardly surprising, given that many (if not most) ethics 1 Tara Smith, Ayn Rand’s Normative Ethics: The Virtuous Egoist (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006). 2 See Stephen Hicks, “Review of Tara Smith’s Ayn Rand’s Normative Ethics: The Virtuous Egoist,” Philosophy in Review 27, no. 5 (October 2007), pp. 377-79; Helen Cullyer, “Review of Tara Smith’s Ayn Rand’s Normative Ethics: The Virtuous Egoist,” Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews (November 12, 2006), accessed online at: http://ndpr.nd.edu/review.cfm?id=8123; Robert Mayhew, “Review of Tara Smith’s Ayn Rand’s Normative Ethics: The Virtuous Egoist,” Philosophical Books 49, no. -
Beyond Reductionism: Reconsidering the Right to Privacy
BEYOND REDUCTIONISM: RECONSIDERING THE RIGHT TO PRIVACY Amy L. Peikoff∗ INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................2 I. A SKETCH OF RAND’S VALIDATION OF INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS...............................................................................................5 II. THE RIGHT TO PROPERTY AS FUNDAMENTAL................................14 III. SHOULD THERE BE A LEGAL RIGHT TO PRIVACY? ........................20 A. Any Law Protecting a Right to Privacy Would be Non-Objective, and Thus Unjust. ..........................................20 B. Laws Directed Specifically at Invasions of Privacy Tend, in Their Application and Proliferation, to Erode Fundamental Rights to Liberty and Property ....................................................................24 ∗ Assistant Professor of Philosophy, United States Air Force Academy, J.D., Univer- sity of California Los Angeles School of Law, Ph.D. in Philosophy, University of Southern California. Thank you to S.A. Lloyd, Tara Smith and participants in the Anthem Foundation Workshop at the University of Texas at Austin, Philosophy Department, Spring 2004, for comments on earlier drafts of this piece. 1 2 N.Y.U. Journal of Law & Liberty [Vol. 3:1 1. “Decisional” Privacy – Roe v. Wade and its progeny.......................................................................................... 26 2 “Informational” Privacy Cases: Eroding the Right to Property .......................................................................... 34 IV. RECOMMENDATION....................................................................... -
A Philosophical Approach to Business Education
The Canadian Journal of Higher Education, Vol. XXII-2, 1992 La revue canadienne d'enseignement supérieur, Vol. XXII-2, 1992 A Philosophical Approach to Business Education JAANA WOICESHYN * Abstract Business education has been blamed for deficiencies in the leadership, decision- making and ethical conduct of business managers. The quantitative and analyti- cal orientation in business school curricula and the consequent lack of humani- ties-based courses have been identified as reasons. The fundamental reason, however, lies in the philosophy of business research and education which shapes the curricula, teaching methods, and ultimately the graduates' ability to handle various managerial functions. The most commonly recognized philosophical basis of business research is empiricism. The argument presented here is that pragmatism, which shares ele- ments with empiricism, has also significantly shaped business education. This paper is an attempt to show why empiricism, together with pragmatism, are the root causes of the above deficiencies. Supplementing business school curricula with humanities courses, a strategy often recommended to correct for the defi- ciencies, is not sufficient. As an alternative solution, an objective philosophical approach is evaluated, along with its practical implications for business educa- tion. Résumé La formation en administration est souvent blâmée pour les lacunes rencon- trées chez les gentionnaires en regard des habiletés de chef de file et de prise de décision, et par-rapport à l'éthique professionelle. On attribue généralement ces lacunes à l'orientation strictement quantitative et analytique des pro- grammes d'études et à l'absence de contenus provenant des disciplines des let- tres et des sciences humaines. Cette communication, cependant, suggère que ces lacunes s'expliquent avant tout par la philosophie sous-jacente à la recherche en administration et en éducation sur laquelle reposent les pro- grammes d'etudes, les méthodes d'enseignement, et utimement, les habiletés des * University of Calgary. -
200306 IMPACT02.Qxd
Volume 9, Number 6, June 2003 Local Activism: Introducing Ayn Rand’s In the Media: Dr. Brook on PBS In May 2002 Dr. Yaron Brook was a panelist on Books Into Texas Schools The McCuistion Program; the topic was “The Israel-Palestine Conflict: Solutions for Peace.” That program re-aired last month, at various The Houston Objectivism Society (HOS), an At one school she suggested that her times, on PBS and cable channels throughout independent community group that promotes the department obtain copies of Anthem and Ayn the country. study of Ayn Rand’s philosophy, has long Rand’s play Night of January 16th. As a result, supported ARI’s projects. For several years a fellow teacher is using them in class, “because . and on Fox News Channel HOS has amplified the effect of our high school she saw them on the shelves, and she remem- On April 27 Dr. Brook was interviewed on the essay contest on Anthem and The Fountainhead bered me telling her how much my students Fox News Channel show At Large With by sponsoring prizes for contest winners in the enjoyed the books,” said Ms. Wich. Geraldo. He discussed the dangers of an Houston area. Since 1995 the members of HOS Iranian-backed attempt to install an Islamic have given more than $18,000 in scholarship Books Quickly Win Fans Among Students theocracy in post-war Iraq. money to local winners. The overwhelming response to Though the efforts of HOS Anthem and The Fountainhead, . and on C-SPAN have helped to encourage teachers she continued, “was extremely In April Dr.