Atlas Society
Top 10 Articles
Shawn E. Klein
Moral Wisdom in Manhattan
Categories:
Commentary |
October 2002 -- In Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand laid out the essential values and virtues that a coherent, rational system of ethics requires. Her followers have, over the course of the last forty years, worked at justifying, exploring, and developing those values and virtues. And some virtues have even been added to Rand's list, most notably benevolence and tolerance. The next step is to learn how best to apply the Objectivist morality to our lives. That is the field of moral wisdom, and it is the professional concern of Randy Cohen.
Nietzsche's Metaphysics and Epistemology
Categories:
Commentary |
This commentary is part of The Atlas Society's 2000 online "CyberSeminar" entitled "Nietzsche and Objectivism."
It is no easy task trying to understand what Nietzsche’s views on metaphysics and epistemology are. Beyond getting past Nietzsche’s manner of writing and doing philosophy, the ideas themselves seem to be somewhat muddled and confused. He shifts from a cool and passionless account of an idea, to a fire and brimstone account of another idea.
Review of Richard Rorty's "Solidarity or Objectivity?" and "The Contingency of Language"
Categories:
Commentary |
This commentary is part of The Atlas Society's 1999 online "CyberSeminar" entitled "The Continental Origins of Postmodernism."
Response by Shawn Klein
Categories:
Commentary |
This commentary is part of The Atlas Society's 1999 online "CyberSeminar" entitled "The Continental Origins of Postmodernism."
Madness and More Madness
Will Thomas’s review essay captures much of the essence of this very difficult Derrida piece. I especially appreciated his comments on deconstructionism in general.
Amoral Mass Murders
Categories:
Objectivism |
Question: 1. The philosophy seems to promote man killing if he can reason it, but sometimes the reason is not really substantiated. What is to stop someone justifying themselves wiping out a species for a bad reason?
2. Some people do not have morals. What is to stop them creating a mass disease or such if they logically believe that they have to?
Self-Judgment Days
Categories:
Commentary |
September 2001 -- At sundown on September 26, millions of Jewish people begin their religious tradition of fasting on Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement. The fast continues on the 27th and culminates in a large break-the-fast after the sun has set. It is one of the holiest, and most celebrated, holidays of the year for modern Jews.
Reckless Legislating
Categories:
Commentary |
September 2001 -- On June 28, New York became the first state to pass a ban on using a handheld cell-phone while driving. Governor George Pataki, who had earlier issued an executive order banning state employees from using state-issued handheld cell phones while driving, quickly signed the bill into law. As of December 1, a motorist caught using a cell-phone while driving in New York State will be fined $100.
Restoring Our World
Categories:
Commentary |
October 2001 -- A commentary from the Navigator Special: The Assault on Civilization, posted September 18, 2001
As the full impact of the barbaric terrorists attacks at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon unfolded, TV anchors, commentators, and community leaders invoked God and prayer as a means of personally dealing with all the tragedy of this attack. Communities and congregations organized prayer vigils and religious services. President Bush declared Friday, September 14, 2001 a "National Day of Prayer and Remembrance."
Community and American Individualism
Categories:
Commentary |
November 2001 -- One of the most popular mantras, following the terrorist attacks of September 11, declares how great it is to see Americans coming together as a nation after this tragedy. And it is wonderful to see Americans stand together against an enemy that would destroy us.
Rationalism and Objectivism
Categories:
Objectivism |
Question: How does Objectivism differ from 18th century Rationalism?
