Malini Kochhar

Question: I often find people who associate anarchism with Objectivism. In what ways does Objectivism support an organized form of government? If you are going to protect the rights of all individuals without discretion, doesn't that imply some form of tax system to be compensated for the service? Since there is no way taxes can be rationalized under Objectivism, it appears to be a contradiction.

Questions: What is the Objectivist view of emotions? Isn't the philosophy rather cold and calculating? How can one get excited about the idea that a commercial transaction is the model and ideal for all human contact?

Question: Your center's position on animal rights is negative. Your position is based upon the belief that because rights are obtained from reasoning, and animals cannot reason, they cannot have rights.

Yet you do not provide references from a qualified animal behaviorist that support your claim that no animal can reason. According to acclaimed animal rights advocate and animal behaviorist Jane Goodall, a chimpanzee can demonstrate analytical reasoning. Some impaired adult humans cannot. Many children cannot.

Question: I disagree very strongly with the response D. Moskovitz gave in relation to the animal rights question, and I would like a chance to respond to him. He claims that animals do not have rights because they cannot reason like humans can. If this is the case, then anything or anyone that cannot reason should have no rights. This would include unborn babies, children who do not have enough knowledge yet to be reasonable, the mentally handicapped, and elderly people with mentally debilitating diseases.