I've written about several subjects which are not directly in the realm of philosophy, from specific sciences like economics and psychology, to political and artistic commentary. Because of that, the page gathered many followers who do not really know or care about Objectivism per se - they just like the topics I write about, the conclusions I reach, and the way I explain things.
Well, if you like the result of my thinking, you might like to understand its basis, and the principles that guide it. With that in mind, I decided to explain the core ideas of Objectivism. If you're already familiar with Rand's ideas, fear not - I'll keep this interesting by presenting unusual applications of those ideas, and contrasting them with alternatives by other philosophers.
Well... So what on Earth is Objectivism, and why should anyone invest time and effort in understanding it?
Objectivism is a system of philosophy developed by Ayn Rand, a Russian novelist and philosopher who emigrated to the US in 1926. Here, she realized that the same process of philosophical and, consequently, cultural, political and economic decay that led to the horrors of the USSR was also happening in America, and Western society as a whole.
She proceeded to identify, in essential terms, what made the US exceptionally good in the first place, and the reasons for its decay - to identify the principles and values adopted by its people, its flaws and merits, and their practical consequences. She did so indirectly through her art, portraying Man as he could and should be in her novels - and later, directly and explicitly through her non-fiction works.
In a nutshell, she developed an integrated view on the 5 fundamental branches of Philosophy. In metaphysics, the study the fundamental aspects of existence, she held that things are what they are, independent of any form of consciousness - be it divine, individual, or collective. In epistemology, the study of knowledge, she argued against the religious idea of "revelation", as well as the "truth is a matter of opinion/perspective" approach of most modern philosophers.
In ethics, the study of morality, she maintained that the individual himself is the ultimate beneficiary of a proper moral code, that Reason is his primary virtue, and that his own life should be his standard of value. Her rational egoism opposes any and every form of sacrifice, be it for a god, a social group, or "others" in general. Applying the same principles to the realm of politics, she arrived at a secular, rational identification of Man's right to his own life - opposing both the religious view of the Founding Fathers, and the collectivism of Progressives.
In Esthetics, the study of art, she investigates the nature of Man's mind, why we need art in the first place, and how it works. She identifies that, being perceptual as well as conceptual beings, we need to bring our most abstract views down to the to concrete level. She then explains what art should be - what it should represent, and how.
To put it bluntly, Objectivism allows one to transcend the duality of religious conservatism and subjectivist socialism that permeates current political, intellectual and artistic debate. If any of this interests you, stick around. Tomorrow, we'll start at the beginning, as I will talk about axioms.
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