I am launching my bloggin avatar at blogspot with something that’s been troubling me for a while now.
On a recent trip to NC, I stumbled literally (tripped on it) and figuratively (driving me crazy) on a book, "For the New Intellectual" by Ayn Rand.
The book elaborates, exemplifies and acts as an addendum to Rand’s earlier work. Kind of unprecedented, but so are here theories.
Russian immigrant to US, Ayn did have a lot of controversial opinions that could shake relatively conservative American ways of thinking. In her view US government had become increasingly socialist and in process violated individual rights and human reason while trying to protect public good. She proposed objectivism and promoted self-interest above community welfare, leaving no space for social conscience. Here are some quotes from the book.
“One must perceive and understand reality to survive. One's highest value should be one's ability to reason.”
"Nothing is given to man on earth. Everything he needs has to be produced. And here man faces his basic alternative: he can survive in only one of two ways-- by the independent work of his own mind or as a parasite fed by minds of others. The creator originates. The parasite borrows. The creator faces nature alone. The parasite faces nature through an intermediary.”
"The creator's concern is the conquest of nature. The parasite's concern is the conquest of men."
"The creator lives for his work. He needs no other men. His primary goal is within himself. The parasite lives second-hand. He needs others. Others become his prime motive.”"
"The basic need of the creator is independence. The reasoning mind cannot work under any form of compulsion. It cannot be curbed, sacrificed or subordinated to any consideration whatsoever. It demands total independence in function and in motive. To a creator, all relations with men are secondary.”
"The basic need of the second-hander is to secure his ties with men in order to be fed. He places relations first. He declares that man exists in order to serve others. He preaches altruism.”
"Altruism is the doctrine which demands that man live for others and place others above self.”
I wondered how this book never appeared on my reading radar. I like to read things that challenge my theories and do not facilitate innate tendencies to be complacent and ignorant about my approach, thinking and beliefs.
Place where I come from, selflessness is the biggest virtue. All I have been taught so far is to stay away from everything that is even remotely self indulging. Honestly, it doesn't feel very good, when your deeply rooted beliefs and views suffer massive blows in such a short time frame. Persuasive and influential, the theories presented in this book are hard to agree or disagree with.
I am sure, it wont’ change the ways of my daily life, but has definitely left some confused and loose ends in there. In there, where random thoughts are processes and get translated into ideas, opinions and theories. It sounds cliché’ but this book has definitely increased my consciousness about myself.
On a recent trip to NC, I stumbled literally (tripped on it) and figuratively (driving me crazy) on a book, "For the New Intellectual" by Ayn Rand.
The book elaborates, exemplifies and acts as an addendum to Rand’s earlier work. Kind of unprecedented, but so are here theories.
Russian immigrant to US, Ayn did have a lot of controversial opinions that could shake relatively conservative American ways of thinking. In her view US government had become increasingly socialist and in process violated individual rights and human reason while trying to protect public good. She proposed objectivism and promoted self-interest above community welfare, leaving no space for social conscience. Here are some quotes from the book.
“One must perceive and understand reality to survive. One's highest value should be one's ability to reason.”
"Nothing is given to man on earth. Everything he needs has to be produced. And here man faces his basic alternative: he can survive in only one of two ways-- by the independent work of his own mind or as a parasite fed by minds of others. The creator originates. The parasite borrows. The creator faces nature alone. The parasite faces nature through an intermediary.”
"The creator's concern is the conquest of nature. The parasite's concern is the conquest of men."
"The creator lives for his work. He needs no other men. His primary goal is within himself. The parasite lives second-hand. He needs others. Others become his prime motive.”"
"The basic need of the creator is independence. The reasoning mind cannot work under any form of compulsion. It cannot be curbed, sacrificed or subordinated to any consideration whatsoever. It demands total independence in function and in motive. To a creator, all relations with men are secondary.”
"The basic need of the second-hander is to secure his ties with men in order to be fed. He places relations first. He declares that man exists in order to serve others. He preaches altruism.”
"Altruism is the doctrine which demands that man live for others and place others above self.”
I wondered how this book never appeared on my reading radar. I like to read things that challenge my theories and do not facilitate innate tendencies to be complacent and ignorant about my approach, thinking and beliefs.
Place where I come from, selflessness is the biggest virtue. All I have been taught so far is to stay away from everything that is even remotely self indulging. Honestly, it doesn't feel very good, when your deeply rooted beliefs and views suffer massive blows in such a short time frame. Persuasive and influential, the theories presented in this book are hard to agree or disagree with.
I am sure, it wont’ change the ways of my daily life, but has definitely left some confused and loose ends in there. In there, where random thoughts are processes and get translated into ideas, opinions and theories. It sounds cliché’ but this book has definitely increased my consciousness about myself.
posted by da_az at 11:16 AM
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