Objectivism in Ayn Rand’s Anthem Ayn Rand established her philosophy of objectivism in order to eliminate the traditions she experienced while she was growing up under collective governments, and to emphasize the importance of the individual over the collective group. It can be defined as a philosophy for living stating that man himself is the greatest power, and man must decide what is best for himself based on reason. The four basic tenets of objectivism are reality exists as an objective absolute, reason is man’s only method of interpreting his surroundings, man must exist as an individual in order to pursue his own interests, with the ultimate goal being happiness, and the economy of an objectivist society should be laissez-faire capitalism,
But if we are responsible for our actions, we must also be responsible for ourselves. Hence, Strawson explains that to be responsible for ourselves, we would have to have chosen to be the way we are, which we are unable to do. He ends this interpretation of the argument by stating, "[s]o
But if every process in the organic world – this including the manifestations of our instinctual life – is a subduing and a becoming master, this means that genealogy is an interpretation of an interpretation – or, a becoming master of a becoming master. In other words, genealogy is the process through which one can subdue a certain set of values by investigating its Herkunft and Enstehung, thereby giving an interpretation of it on the ground of its pre-moral origins. Furthermore, if all becoming master is an expression of our instinctual life, and this has to be explained in terms of will to power, then genealogy itself is an expression of a certain will to
Behind the development towards absolute knowledge lies a dialectical development in consequence of affirmation, contradiction, and further denial into a larger synthesis. A crucial movement occurs when the self turns outwards from consciousness to self-consciousness; a part of the dialectic of unhappy desire. According to Hegel, self-consciousness exists only through recognition by others, Hegelian intersubjectivity, and this recognition is mutual; self-consciousness faces ‘another’ self-consciousness.
Ralph Waldo Emerson, a renowned transcendentalist, shared many universal truths during the period of Transcendentalism, which further advocated the ideals of the period. This maxim in particular expresses that your own identity and perspective of the world is what is most important in the end. Emerson states that nothing is as important as you, regarding the path you choose and the ideals you create for yourself. In other words, Emerson encourages people to not succumb to society's expectations of who a person should be, but instead live a lifestyle you desire to live.
Is it possible to have a law that everyone ever could follow? In Immanuel Kant’s attempt to create a theory that deals with morality, he creates a categorical imperative and within it he creates the first formulation of the Categorical Imperative: Universal law. The idea of having every decision a person makes be based off of, what if everyone else did this, seems like a great idea, but there are flaws to this law that make me disagree with this theory. Immanuel Kant’s basic idea of the universal law is, that when a person is about to make a decision, they must consider if everyone made this decision when they were put in a similar situation how would the world be, if it’s not a world they would live in then the person should not do it. There
Thoreau, in his chapter on “Higher Laws” from Walden, uses rhetorical devices to emphasis his purpose that in order to find out who you really are, you have to seclude yourself from the presence of others and live a simple life and focus on your individuality in order to control the necessities and priorities of one’s life. The use of these rhetorical devices are evident in the relationship he establishes with his audience through rhetorical appeals and devices. The use of rhetorical appeals in “Higher Laws” helps to establish Thoreau’s credibility, the logic behind his claim, and connect on a personal level with the reader. The use of the natural prairie hunter and the fisherman in paragraph one establishes Thoreau’s logic behind his claim by
Identity and moral responsibility are portrayed in this story, as well as Martin Luther King Jr’s iconic speech. In his speech he talks about who they are and who they should be. It is important to maintain your identity while still fighting for your freedom. “We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline” ( King 2). This quotes explains that, while fighting, we must stay true to ourselves and not get out of control.
This conveys to the reader that material possessions enslave us by means of understanding that life should revolve around inner fulfillment and that this experiment involved Thoreau testing out this idea rather than assuming that his expectations would be correct. He also simply desired to choose his path of life independently and
The classical model, then, depends upon stable assumptions about knowledge and the world that are, in Halloran's words, "no longer tenable. " The classical orator could rely upon a common cultural heritage, and upon an ethos that measured his ability to embody the ideal of such a common culture. Halloran's thesis about the difference between classical and modern rhetoric rests upon the relationship between self and world. He writes, "To inhabit a world is to possess images of how things are beyond the reach of one's immediate experience, images that have implications for how one experiences the immediate, and that generate values which make claims on the conduct of one's life. In the absence of a world given by a stable and coherent cultural
Summary: Charles Taylor addresses the connection between identity and recognition within “The Politics of Recognition”. The need for individuals to understand who they are as an individual is key, society constructs a structure for individuals to abide by in order to create a like-minded society, but within each individual is an individuality that clashes with that oppressive structure. Taylor argues that one cannot be expected to live their life in a manner in which another specific individual would like them to, and therefore the only proper way for an individual to live their life is in a manner consistent with their own individuality Taylor argues for the necessity of language as well as human exchanges.
It’s all about connecting with yourself within and knowing who you are. You have to be honest with yourself and know exactly who you are before you can live a good life. Meyers points out that its important to know who you truly are just based on personal reasons and for important cases like “moral and political autonomy”. What I took away from this quote was don’t get caught up in someone else’s group and remain silent but to tap into your true being and flourish. 2.
Unit PO8-777Z logged his first memory in a dark factory filled with the sounds of mechanical whirring and the chirp of computers. There was a window in the corner, where the only source of light beamed radiantly into the tenebrous cavern below. The sharp smell of vinegar and other cleaning agents permeated the air. The air smelled of oil, along with burning metal and rubber. Unit PO8-777Z did not experience any of this; he did, however, understand that he was missing a great many things.
In the First Meditation, René Descartes called upon all knowledge to be doubtful. It was a significant reflection on how reality and dreams are vague. By eliminating previous knowledge and theories, Descartes wiped out every conceivable mistake in finding new establishments of information. An indisputable outcome of questioning the senses induced the chance that God is in actuality a malevolent liar, a powerful being capable of manipulating the senses. In the Second Meditation while he contemplates the previous day, he discovered trouble in solving his questions and deemed his senses and memory conniving and faulty.
Walden Henry David Thoreau was a transcendentalist who attempted to acquire the truth and meaning in simplicity and live in harmony with nature and his conscience. In order to accomplish that, he lived two years in Walden’s Pond in Concord, Massachusetts; being away from the daily concerns, issues, and society. Clearly, Thoreau wasn’t considered a hermit since he received visitors, but nonetheless, he managed to live away from society. To reply to people’s speculations, Thoreau wrote Walden when he lived in Walden’s Pond. Thoreau pursued the true meaning of life and reality in a complex world by living in simplicity.