Objectivism in life and thought

William R Thomas

The Morality of Money

The Morality of Money

By William R Thomas
June 2002 -- In reacting to the Enron scandal, many cultural commentators have been quick to recur to a favorite theme: the corrupting power of commerce.
 
Here is a typical example, from the "Letters Column" of the New York Times: "Enron's collapse was a product of the culture of greed, dishonesty, ethical blindness and wishful thinking that has characterized much of corporate America since the advent of the Reagan administration" (John S. Koppel, January 22, 2002).

Charms and Enchantments of Fantasy

Charms and Enchantments of Fantasy

By William R Thomas
July/August 2003 -- (Also see: a review of Four Top Fantasy Series) Fantasy literature—that modern amalgam of chivalric quest, fairy tale, coming-of-age story, and eschatological adventure—is more deeply entrenched in our cultural life than it ever has been. J.K.

Freedom, Achievement, Individualism, Reason: Objectivism

Freedom, Achievement, Individualism, Reason: Objectivism

By William R Thomas

December 2004 --  "My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute." —Ayn Rand, Appendix to Atlas Shrugged.

A Romantic Manifesto

A Romantic Manifesto

By William R Thomas

 May 2004 -- BOOK REVIEW: Alexandra York, Crosspoints: A Novel of Choice (New York: Promethena Press, 2004). 446 pp., $24.95, paperback.

Charles Murray's Human Accomplishment

Charles Murray's Human Accomplishment

By William R Thomas

BOOK REVIEW: Charles Murray, Human Accomplishment: The Pursuit of Excellence in the Arts and Sciences, 800 B.C. to 1950 (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2003). 720 pp., $29.95.

Does Being Your Brother's Keeper Cause You Strife?

Does Being Your Brother's Keeper Cause You Strife?

By William R Thomas

Question:  I'm having trouble finding examples of the Objectivist assertion that throughout history wars and bloodshed have been caused because of the ideal of being your brother's keeper.

Poverty, Capitalism, and Class

Poverty, Capitalism, and Class

By William R Thomas

Question: My brother is very socialist, and I am not. We frequently argue. His whole ideology is based on the premises that the poor were born poor and the rich were born rich; that the rich didn't earn anything they were simply had everything handed to them; and that the social structures created by capitalism empower the rich to dominate the poor and keep them that way. What would your response be?

What is the Objectivist View of Free Will?

What is the Objectivist View of Free Will?

By William R Thomas

Question: What Is the Objectivist view of free will?

How Can One Create a Harmony of Interests Among People?

How Can One Create a Harmony of Interests Among People?

By William R Thomas


Question: The Objectivist ethics holds the human good does not require human sacrifices and cannot be achieved by the sacrifices of anyone to anyone. It holds that the rational interests of men do not clash—that there is no conflict of interests among men who do not desire the unearned, who do not make sacrifices nor accept them, who deal with one another as traders, giving value for value.”  (Ayn Rand, “The Objectivist Ethics” in The Virtue of Selfishness 31 paperback)

Libertarianism and Objectivism: Compatible?

Libertarianism and Objectivism: Compatible?

By William R Thomas

Question: What are Objectivist views on Libertarianism, and what are the similarities and differences between the two?