Ayn Rand

Her philosophy as written and summarized by New York Times Co.

"Ayn Rand’s philosophy, Objectivism, begins by embracing the basic fact that existence exists. Reality is, and in the quest to live we must discover reality’s nature and learn to act successfully in it.

To exist is to be something, to possess a specific identity. This is the Law of Identity: A is A. Facts are facts, independent of any consciousness. No amount of passionate wishing, desperate longing or hopeful pleading can alter the facts. Nor will ignoring or evading the facts erase them: the facts remain, immutable.

In Rand’s philosophy, reality is not to be rewritten or escaped, but, solemnly and proudly, faced. One of her favorite sayings is Francis Bacon’s: “Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed.”

Reality — that which exists — has no alternatives, no competitors, nothing “transcending” it. To embrace existence is to reject all notions of the supernatural and the mystical, including God."

Now, I agree with her beliefs of supernatural, but as far as facts remain and reality - we differ slightly. Believe it or not people as a whole do not agree on facts. I'm sure someone else has said it better, but here goes. Someone is robbed of their wallet. The person does not have their wallet, they say someone took it, someone else does indeed have it - that's a fact. I add - what if there was nothing in the wallet - it was old and about to be thrown away? What if the person who took it thought it was theirs - they didn't realize till later it wasn't? What if the entire thing was staged by both parties for whatever reason? Then it is no longer robbery. And, yes, sometimes it is just theft. Her belief that nature must be obeyed - she might say it's in a man's nature to cheat and seek power (as evidenced by some of her writing) - I don't believe that. Then again, perhaps I've oversimplified things and I truly don't understand her.

Here is a quote my sister found that I like.

"I wished to know the meaning of things. I am the meaning. I wished to find a warrant for being. I need no warrant for being,..." (Anthem) I agree that we each create meaning or seek to find meaning. I don't agree that we don't need a reason for being - I feel that people that lack this often lean toward suicide. 

"For they have nothing to fight me with, save the brute forces of their numbers. I have my mind." (Anthem)