DOCSLIB.ORG

2008.07.01 17:34:44 +02'00'

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
2008.07.01 17:34:44 +02'00' SELF-CONCEPT IS DESTINY WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT JUDGMENT YOU WILL EVER MAKE? THE JUDGMENT YOU PASS ON YOURSELF. SELF-ESTEEM IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS OR FAILURE. "Tell me how a person judges his or her self-esteem," says pioneering psychologist Nathaniel Branden, "and I will tell you how that person operates at work, in love, in sex, in parenting, in every important aspect of existence—and how high he or she is likely to rise. The reputation you have with yourself— your self-esteem—is the single most important factor for a fulfilling life." • How to grow in self-confidence and self-respect • How to nurture self-esteem in children • How to break free of guilt and fear of others' disapproval. • How to honor the self— the ethics of rational self-interest. NATHANIEL BRANDEN HONORING THE SELF US $6.99 / $8.99 CAN ISBN 0-553-26814-7 26814 76783 00699 THE REVEALING, BESTSELLING BANTAM BOOKS BY NATHANIEL BRANDEN: THE SIX PILLARS OF SELF-ESTEEM HOW TO RAISE YOUR SELF-ESTEEM THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SELF-ESTEEM THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ROMANTIC LOVE HONORING THE SELF THE ART OF SELF-DISCOVERY BANTAM BOOKS AN ESSENTIAL MESSAGE FOR OUR TIME . "Profound and practical," comments world-renowned family therapist VIRGINIA SATIR. "Nathaniel Branden has the courage to make us look at truths about self-esteem, ego, pride and heroism that we have tended to disown in recent decades. This provocative book has an important message for our time." GEORGE LEONARD, author of The Transformation and Education and Ecstasy. "A very important book with a very important message." KEN WILBER, author of Up from Eden. "Reading it was like sitting down to a banquetful of ideas—a feast of soul-satisfying thoughts that fed our lives on many levels, both personally and professionally." ADELE FABER and ELAINE MAZLISH, authors of Liberated Parents, Lib- erated Children. "Much wisdom and clinical insight." BOOKLIST "Many worthwhile lessons here." PUBLISHERS WEEKLY "Branden embodies the courage essential to self-esteem." MARILYN FERGUSON, author of The Aquarian Conspiracy. A highly innovative theorist in the field of self-esteem and personal transformation, Nathaniel Branden is Executive Di- rector of The Branden Institute for Self-Esteem, a counseling center in Los Angeles, California. His bestselling books, The Psychology of Self-Esteem and The Psychology of Romantic Love were trailblazers that have acquired the status of classics. Now he goes beyond them in his new, climactic work, HONORING THE SELF. Bantam Books by Nathaniel Branden Ask your bookseller for the books you have missed. THE ART OF SELF-DISCOVERY HONORING THE SELF HOW TO RAISE YOUR SELF-ESTEEM THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ROMANTIC LOVE THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SELF-ESTEEM THE SIX PILLARS OF SELF-ESTEEM HONORING THE SELF Self-Esteem and Personal Transformation NATHANIEL BRANDEN BANTAM BOOKS NEW YORK -TORONTO • LONDON • SYDNEY • AUCKLAND This edition contains the complete text of the original hardcover edition. NOT ONE WORD HAS BEEN OMITTED. HONORING THE SELF: SELF-ESTEEM AND PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION A Bantam Book / published by arrangement with ]. P. Tarcher, Inc. PUBLISHING HISTORY J. P. Tarcher edition published March 1983 Bantam edition / September 1985 All rights reserved. Copyright © 1983 by Nathaniel Branden. Cover artwork copyright © 1985 by Bantam Books. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information address: Jeremy P. Tarcher, Inc., 9110 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90069. If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as "unsold and destroyed" to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this "stripped book." ISBN 0-553-26814-7 Published simultaneously in the United States and Canada Bantam Books are published by Bantam Books, a division of Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc. Its trademark, consisting of the words ' 'Bantam Books" and the portrayal of a rooster, is Registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Marca Registrada. Bantam Books, 1540 Broadway, New York, New York 10036. PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA OPM 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 To Devers Branden Contents Introduction xi I The Dynamics of Self-Esteem 1 1. Self-Esteem in Human Life 3 2. The Need for Self-Esteem 12 3. Self-Esteem and Child-Parent Relationships 24 4. Generating Positive Self-Esteem 44 5. The Problem of Guilt 60 6. Motivation by Fear 71 7. Self-Esteem, Work, and Love 87 II The Struggle for Individuation 107 8. Evolving Toward Autonomy 109 9. The Problem of Self-Alienation 136 10. The Art of Being 158 11. Death Anxiety 187 III Egoism 199 12. Rational Selfishness 201 13. Self-Sacrifice 220 14. Individualism and the Free Society 227 15. Self-Esteem and Beyond 238 Bibliography 253 Index 259 Acknowledgments My thanks to my publisher, Jeremy Tarcher, for his enthusiasm for this project since its inception, as well as for our discussions concerning the per- sonal meaning, to him, of "honoring the self," which always sent me back to my desk inspired. My appreciation and deeply felt regard for the skill of my superb editor, Janice Gallagher, whose suggestions, feed- back, and ruthless willingness to drive me past exasperation, always in the best interests of the book, contributed so much to the ultimate outcome. My thanks to Ken Wilber for our illuminating discussions concerning the perspective of transpersonal psychology. And finally, my deepest gratitude to my wife, Devers, to whom this book is dedicated—because of her unfailing emo- tional support during the writing, because of the many valu- able psychological and literary suggestions she offered, and most of all because she embodies that attitude toward life I have loved, admired, and wanted to celebrate in my work, as long as I can remember. Introduction Of all the judgments that we pass in life, none is as important as the one we pass on ourselves, for that judgment touches the very center of our existence. We stand in the midst of an almost infinite network of relationships: to other people, to things, to the universe. And yet, at three o'clock in the morning, when we are alone with ourselves, we are aware that the most intimate and powerful of all relationships and the one we can never escape is the relationship to ourselves. No significant aspect of our think- ing, motivation, feelings, or behavior is unaffected by our self-evaluation. We are organisms who are not only conscious but self-conscious. That is our glory and, at times, our burden. We monitor, assess, and question ourselves in a way possi- ble to no other species. We ask, Who am I? What do I want? Where am I going? What is my purpose in life? Is my behavior appropriate to this purpose? Am I proud or ashamed of my choices and actions? Am I happy or unhappy to be who I am? We have the ability to ask such questions, and we have the ability to run from them. But the questions are always there, waiting for our response, even if we choose to pretend they xii Introduction do not exist or do not concern us. They are there when we come home after a day of frenetic activity at work, when we come home from a party, the arms of a lover, a political rally, a charitable function, a religious encounter. This book will be concerned, then, with the ultimate hu- man encounter: the relationship of the "I" to the "me," of the ego to the self. The issues entailed by this encounter reach into and affect virtually every significant human experience— from the level of our self-esteem, to the kind of person we are likely to fall in love with, to the ambitions and life goals we are likely to set ourselves, to our most intimately personal sense of what it means to be a human being. At each step of the way, we shall confront some form of the question, Shall I honor or shall I betray the self? Not that we necessarily identify the issue in these terms; in fact, we rarely do, often preferring not to know the nature of the choice we are making. But in the natural course of our development, we inevitably face a variety of questions that bear on the same ultimate alternatives: Do I belong to myself or to others? Is the primary purpose of my self the pursuit of my own happi- ness and the fulfillment of my own positive potentialities, or is it compliance with the wants and expectations of others? Do I live by my own vision of things or by the vision of others? Is my basic concern with my own approval or with the approval of others? Am I to rely chiefly on my own mind or on the minds of my parents or teachers, leaders or guru? Such questions are not only psychological, they are also philosophical and, more specifically, ethical. Psychology and ethics are intimately interrelated fields, although neither psychologists nor moralists have always been eager to ac- knowledge the connection. This book is written at the inter- face of the two disciplines. How we relate to our selves affects how we relate to others, to the world around us, to the visible and invisible universe that constitutes our ultimate context—just as how we relate to others and to the world affects how we relate to our selves.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 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.
    [Show full text]
  • Reason Papers No
    Editor: Tibor R. Machan Managbig Editor: Mark Turiano Executive Editor: Gregory R. Johnson Associate Editors: Walter Block/ Economics Douglas J. Den Uyl/ Philosophy Kelly Dean Jolley/ Philosophy Leonard Liggio/ History Eric Mack/ Philosophy John D. McCallie/ Economics H. Joachim Maitre/ Interrzational Relations Ralph Raico/ History Lynn Scarlett/ Political Science Advisory Board: D. T. Armentanol University ofHartford Yale Brazen/ University of Chicago Nicholas Capaldi/ Urziversity of Tulsa R.L. Cunningham/ University of Sun Francisco John Hospers/ Univmity of Southern Cdlifornia Isreal M. Kirzner/ Nm York University Kenneth G. Luce y/ SUNY College. Fredonia Fred D. Miller, Jr./ Bowling Green State University Herbert Morris/ University of California, Los Angeles Clifton Perry/ Auburn University Paul Craig Roberts/ Georgetown University Morton L. Schagrin/ SUNY College, Fredonia Thomas S. Szasz/ SUNYMedical Center, Syracuse Articles On the Fit between Egoism and Rights ......................Eric Mack 3 Resolving the Tension in Aristotle's Ethic: The Balance Between Naturalism and Responsibility ........ David E. W. Fenner 22 The Irrationality of the Extended Order: The Fatal Conceit of F. A . Hayek ....... Larry ]. Sechrest 38 Special Forum: Rand & Philosophy A Philosopher for the New Millennium? ........ Fred D. Miller. Jr. On Rand as Philosopher ............................... Dough J. Den Uyl Rand and Philosophy (and Capitalism) ..... Douglas B. Rasmussen Ayn Rand's Contribution to Philosophy ....... Neera K. Badhwar What is Living in the Philosophy of AynRand ... Lester H . Hunt Rand and Objectivity ............................................... David Kelly Rand Revisited ...................................... .. ................]. Roger Lee Ayn Rand's Philosophical Significance .................... John Hospers Ayn Rand as Moral & Political Philosopher ..........la n Narveson Discussion Notes Kamhi and Torres on Meaning in Ayn Rand's Esthetics ..............................................
    [Show full text]
  • 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.
    [Show full text]
  • Objectivist Calendar, P
    TABLE OF CONTENTS VOLUME 1-JANUARY TO DECEMBER, 1962 Books: NINETY-THREE by Victor Hugo, reviewed by Ayn Rand. THE GIRL HUNTERS by Mickey Spillane, reviewed by Ayn Rand. January LA.D. Does man possess instincts?-by Nathaniel Branden. War and Peace-by Ayn Rand. Choose Your Issues-by Ayn Rand. "Through Your Most Grievous Fault" -by Ayn Rand. Books: PLANNED CHAOS by Ludwig von Mises, reviewed by Barbara Branden. November Intellectual Ammunition Department: Reason and Emotion - by Nathaniel Branden. Social Metaphysics-by Nathaniel Branden. The Crisis Over Berlin-by Alan Greenspan. Books: EAST MINUS WEST = ZERO by Werner Keller, reviewed by Edith Efron. February The Esthetic Vacuum of Our Age-by Ayn Rand. Women and the Industrial Revolution-by Robert Hessen. Antitrust: The Rule of Unreason-by Ayn Rand. Books: ECONOMICS IN ONE LESSON by Henry Hazlitt, reviewed by December Robert Hessen. LA.D. Ethical hedonism-by Leonard Peikoff. The Monument Builders-by Ayn Rand. LA.D. Individual rights versus society-by Nathaniel Branden. Books: THE ROOSEVELT MYTH by John T. Flynn, reviewed by LA.D. Property rights-by Nathaniel Branden. Barbara Branden. LA.D. The obligations of parents and children-by Nathaniel March Branden. "Have Gun, Wi/J Nudge"-by Ayn Rand. Books: PROSPERITY THROUGH FREEDOM by Lawrence Fertig, re­ VOLUME 2 -JANUARY TO DECEMBER, 1963 viewed by Edith Efron. LA.D. Capitalism and religion-by Barbara Branden. LA.D. The psychological meaning of man's "need" of approval­ January by Nathaniel Branden. Collectivized Ethics-by Ayn Rand. April "The Stolen Concept" -by Nathaniel Branden. LA.D. Capital punishment-by Nathaniel Branden.
    [Show full text]
  • A VETERAN RECONNOITERS AYN RAND's PHILOSOPHY Robert L
    A VETERAN RECONNOITERS AYN RAND’S PHILOSOPHY Robert L. Campbell Ayn Rand Tibor R. Machan New York: Peter Lang, 1999 xii + 163 pp., index Tibor Machan’s new book is the latest sign of accelerated growth in the academic coverage of Ayn Rand’s philosophy. Feminist Interpretations of Ayn Rand, edited by Mimi Reisel Gladstein and Chris Matthew Sciabarra, has joined a series of volumes on Plato, Hegel, and Sartre, among others. Douglas Den Uyl’s monograph, The Fountainhead: An American Novel, in the Twayne’s Masterworks series, sits alongside critical essays on Daisy Miller and War and Peace. Now Machan’s volume takes position number 5 in a series titled “Masterworks in the Western Tradition.” It is intended as an overview and introduction to Rand’s philosophical system. Machan was eminently prepared to write this book. He has been actively promoting Randian ideas since the late 1960’s. Because he was excommunicated during the days of the Nathaniel Branden Institute for asking the wrong questions, he never got close to Rand’s inner circle and has never had to shoulder the weight of Objectivist orthodoxy. Along with Robert Poole and Manuel Klausner, he took over a new, obscure magazine called Reason in 1969 and nurtured it into a cultural force. He has published in every outlet from the academic philosophy journals to the dittoed page allotments of Libertarian Connection to the editorial columns of the daily newspapers; his output of books has grown especially prodigious over the past decade. Readers who know a little of Machan’s previous work will recognize this presentation of Rand as his most recent contribution to a continuing conversation.
    [Show full text]
  • My Years with Ayn Rand Nathaniel Branden
    To purchase this product, please visit https://www.wiley.com/en-vg/9780787945138 My Years with Ayn Rand Nathaniel Branden Paperback 978-0-787-94513-8 March 1999 Print-on- $36.95 demand DESCRIPTION Previous Praise for Nathaniel Branden "Relentlessly revealing. the myth of Ayn Rand gives way to a full-sized portrait in contrasting colors, appealing and appalling, potent and paradoxical. it takes a special kind of nerve to write such a book." -- Norman Cousins, author of Head First and The Healing Heart Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged is one of the most influential books of the twentieth century-its popular impact ranked second only to the Bible in a major poll. Millions know Rand as one of this century's great thinkers, writers, and philosophers, yet much about the private Ayn Rand remains shrouded in mystery. Who was Ayn Rand? My Years with Ayn Rand charts the course of the clandestine, tempestuous relationship between the enigmatic author of Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead and Nathaniel Branden-her young disciple and future pioneer of the self-esteem movement. In this book, discover the real Ayn Rand through the eyes of the man who became her soul mate and shared her passions and philosophical ideals. Their tragic and tumultuous love story began with a letter written by Branden as an admiring teenage fan and Anded, more than twenty years later, with accusations of betrayal and bitter recriminations. My Years with Ayn Rand paints an unforgettable portrait of Ayn Rand-whose ideas, even today, can generate a maelstrom of controversy. ABOUT THE AUTHOR NATHANIEL BRANDEN With a Ph.D.
    [Show full text]
  • Contra Copyright, Again
    LIBERTARIAN PAPERS VOL. 3, ART. NO. 12 (2011) CONTRA COPYRIGHT, AGAIN WENDY MCELROY* Retrospective ERNEST HEMINGWAY ONCE WROTE, “If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.” Los Angeles in the early ’80s was like that for libertarians. It brimmed over with supper clubs, student groups, small magazines, debates and conferences. Given the concentration of high-quality scholars and activists in the area, the explosion of activity was inevitable. Although the new-born Libertarian Party was extremely active, the circles in which I ran were generally anti-political or apathetic about electoral politics. They included the cadre gathered around Robert LeFevre, a sprinkling of Objectivists (mostly admirers of Nathaniel Branden), a few Galambosians, and as many Rothbardians as I could meet. And, then, Carl Watner, George H. Smith and I established our own unique circle by creating The Voluntaryist newsletter and re-introducing the term Voluntaryist back into the libertarian mainstream. A libertarian used book store named Lysander’s Books that I co-owned became the center of Voluntaryism. One intellectual circle in particular exerted a profound influence on the development of my thinking on intellectual property: the anarcho-capitalists who banded around Samuel Konkin III (or, as he preferred, SEK3), many of whom lived in the same apartment complex as SEK3; the complex became *Wendy McElroy ([email protected]) is author of several books and maintains two active websites: wendymcelroy.com and ifeminists.com.
    [Show full text]
  • The Art of Self Discovery, by Nathaniel Branden
    BY THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF HONORING THE SELF AND HOW TO RAISE YOUR SELF-ESTEEM NATHANIEL BRANDEN THE ART OF SELF- DISCOVERY A POWERFUL TECHNIQUE FOR BUILDING SELF-ESTEEM Previously titled TO SEE WHAT I SEE AND KNOW WHAT I KNOW THE ART OF SELF-DISCOVERY A Bantam Book PUBLISHING HISTORY Published as a trade paperback by Bantam Books in January 1986 under the title To See What I See And To Know What I Know Bantam paperback edition/October 1993 Copyright © 1985 by Nathaniel Branden. Revised edition copyright © 1993 by Nathaniel Branden. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 85-47792. ISBN 0-553-29753-8 Published simultaneously in the United States and Canada [NOTE FOR THIS DIGITAL VERSION: Because this book unfortunately has been relegated to the realm of out-of-print books by its publisher (readers might find used versions online, e.g., on Amazon.com), this digital format was created in 2012 so that these psychological memes can continue to spread far and wide. Many thanks to Nathaniel Branden for all his helpful work and for making this book a reality.] ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many thanks to my Bantam editor, Linda Cunningham, whose helpful suggestions and criticisms are a deeply appreciated contribution. Thanks to my agent, Gerard McCauley, whose counsel and friendship through many, many years have made our relationship unfailingly rewarding. And finally, once again, my love and thanks to my wife, Devers, who remains my best friend and toughest critic. Contents Introduction 1 ~ The Power of Sentence Completion 2 ~ Guidelines for Sentence Completion
    [Show full text]
  • “Radicals for Capitalism
    ““RRAADDIICCAALLSS FFOORR CCAAPPIITTAALLIISSMM”” Ayn Rand and Youth During the 1960s ANDRINA TRAN DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY There is a fundamental conviction which some people never acquire, some hold only in their youth, and a few hold to the end of their days – the conviction that ideas matter. In one’s youth that conviction is experienced as a self-evident absolute, and one is unable fully to believe that there are people who do not share it. That ideas matter means that knowledge matters, that truth matters, that one’s mind matters. And the radiance of that certainty, in the process of growing up, is the best aspect of youth. –Ayn Rand CONTENTS Acknowledgements 2 INTRODUCTION 2 I THE QUIETEST REVOLUTION IN HISTORY 11 II MARKETING OBJECTIVISM 24 III THE THRILL OF TREASON 32 IV LIFE, LIBERTY, PROPERTY: Persuasion and the Draft 38 V LIBERTARIANS RISING 46 EPILOGUE: MEMORY & HISTORY 52 Bibliography 55 Appendix 61 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Even a paper pertaining to egoism could not have come into existence without the generous support of so many others. I would like to thank the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program, the Center for the Study of Representation at the Institute of Governmental Studies, and the Center for the Comparative Study of Right-Wing Movements for funding the various stages of my research. I am also especially grateful to Jeff Britting for guiding my exploration through the Ayn Rand Archives. Finally, I am forever indebted to Paula Fass for igniting my interest in youth history; David Hollinger, for his critical eye and boundless knowledge; and Jennifer Burns, for her intellectual inspiration and emotional encouragement.
    [Show full text]
  • Libertarianism Vs Objectivism; a Response to Peter Schwartz 1
    Reason Papers Vol. 26 Libertarianism vs Objectivism; A Response to Peter Schwartz 1 Walter Block Loyola University New Orleans For many years, Rand and the Randians would not mention libertarianism in print. To do so would be to give sanction to what they regarded as a mischievous and misbegotten political philosophy. Happily, this profoundly and intellectually source ended with the publication of Schwartz (1986). This was a no holds barred attack on several libertarian thinkers, including myself. It is a pleasure defending the philosophy of libertarianism in the present reply. Schwartz’s article is a vicious attack on libertarianism. When I first read it I cringed, not because of the ideas, which are not really that challenging, but because it is so nasty as to be almost unprecedented in what passes for scholarly writing. Rand (1964, 1967) criticized authors such as David Hume and Immanuel Kant as “whim-worshippers,” “muscle-mystics,” “Huns,” and “Attillas,” and Schwartz is an apt student of hers in this regard. Such verbiage is hardly welcome in rational discourse. According to Schwartz libertarianism amounts to nihilism. The chief nihilist, as it happens, is Block (1991). It is important that there be a systematic to reply to this document 2. There have been many criticisms of libertarianism over the years, from the left. As a result, advocates of this philosophy are accustomed to dealing with charges that the free enterprise system is heartless and pro poverty. Attacks from the right are a new challenge 3. Second, a reply gives us an opportunity to further reflect on the essence of libertarianism.
    [Show full text]
  • Xerox University Microfilms
    INFORMATION TO USERS This material was produced from a microfilm copy of the original document. While the most advanced technological means to photograph and reproduce this document have been used, the quality is heavily dependent upon the quality of the original submitted. The following explanation of techniques is provided to help you understand markings or patterns which may appear on this reproduction. 1. The sign or "target" for pages apparently lacking from the document photographed is "Missing Page(s)". If it was possible to obtain the missing page(s) or section, they are spliced into the film along with adjacent pages. This may have necessitated cutting thru an image and duplicating adjacent pages to insure you complete continuity. 2. When an image on the film is obliterated with a large round black mark, it is an indication that the photographer suspected that the copy may have moved during exposure and thus cause a blurred image. You will find a good image of the page in the adjacent frame. 3. When a map, drawing or chart, etc., was part of the material being photographed the photographer followed a definite method in "sectioning" the material. It is customary to begin photoing at the upper left hand corner of a large sheet and to continue photoing from left to right in equal sections with a small overlap. If necessary, sectioning is continued again — beginning below the first row and continuing on until complete. 4. The majority of users indicate that the textual content is of greatest value, however, a somewhat higher quality reproduction could be made from "photographs" if essential to the understanding of the dissertation.
    [Show full text]
  • Ayn Rand – the VIRTUE of SELFISHNESS
    Ayn Rand – THE VIRTUE OF SELFISHNESS THE VIRTUE OF SELFISHNESS “Ethics is not a mystic fantasy—nor a social convention—nor a dispensable, subjective luxury. ... Ethics is an objective necessity of man’s survival—not by the grace of the supernatural nor of your neighbors nor of your whims, but by the grace of reality and the nature of life.” “The Objectivist ethics proudly advocates and upholds rational selfishness—which means: the values required for man’s survival qua man— which means: the values required for human survival—not the values produced by the desires, the feelings, the whims or the needs of irrational brutes, who have never outgrown the primordial practice of human sacrifices.” Ever since their first publication, Ayn Rand’s works have had a major impact on the intellectual scene. Her new morality—the ethics of rational self-interest—challenges the altruist-collectivist fashions of our day. Known as Objectivism, her unique philosophy is the underlying theme of her famous novels. 1 Ayn Rand – THE VIRTUE OF SELFISHNESS THE VIRTUE OF SELFISHNESS A New Concept of Egoism by Ayn Rand With Additional Articles by Nathaniel Branden A SIGNET BOOK 2 Ayn Rand – THE VIRTUE OF SELFISHNESS SIGNET Published by the Penguin Group Penguin Books USA Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, U.S.A. Penguin Books Ltd, 27 Wrights Lane, London W8 5TZ, England Penguin Books Australia Ltd, Ringwood, Victoria, Australia Penguin Books Canada Ltd, 10 Alcorn Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4V 3B2 Penguin Books (N.Z.) Ltd, 182-190 Wairau Road, Auckland 10, New Zealand Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England Published by Signet, an imprint of Dutton Signet, a division of Penguin Books USA Inc.
    [Show full text]