tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7961696562117712382023-11-15T07:26:55.139-08:00Making ProgressA weblog of perplexing questions and debatable answers at the intersection of history and philosophy -- in an Objectivist context.Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-796169656211771238.post-61349084814799482222014-08-29T22:35:00.000-07:002014-08-29T22:47:05.999-07:00To all who admired Burgess Laughlin, I'm sorry to say he has passed away. Please find his obituary message on his main website:<br />
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<a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/</a></div>
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If you would like to say something about Burgess, feel free to use the comment section here.<br />
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Burgess, you will be missed.</div>
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Brad Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09839532299808900672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-796169656211771238.post-9393418054670325462014-03-12T16:02:00.000-07:002014-03-12T16:02:01.235-07:00If I were a wealthy donor…<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">In <i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i>, I briefly discussed "the rule of inverse interest."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><i>As the work of Celsus [a pagan philosophizer, c. 130-200 CE] illustrates, a reason/faith debater need not write a whole book on faith, a book on reason, or a book on the conflict between them. Instead, a debater might insert comments about faith and reason amongst a great number of other comments about religion, philosophy, or their applications to daily life. The principle here is the rule of inverse interest: Generally, the more fundamental the concept, the less sustained discussion it receives. This is due not to the perversity of the authors but to the nature of ideas such as reason and faith: They are fundamental. Once presented, these ideas serve as the base for other ideas and need no further discussion unless rejected by another debater. </i>(p. 23)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">In cultural history, it is a fact that the most fundamental ideas have received little discussion compared to issues of application. In two cases in our culture, fundamental ideas should receive more attention by philosophical activists:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">1. Philosophical naturalism vs. supernaturalism.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">2. Reason vs. mysticism.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The first dichotomy is a question in the most fundamental branch of philosophy, metaphysics. What is real? Is there one natural world in which every entity has a definite nature, or are there two worlds, the natural and the supernatural?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The second dichotomy is a question of the next-most fundamental branch of philosophy, epistemology. What can we know and how? Other branches—ethics and politics, in particular—logically stand on and therefore depend on metaphysics and epistemology. Thus, philosophically, <i>naturalism vs. supernaturalism</i> and <i>reason vs. mysticism</i> are crucial.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Attention to the two issues is most important for an intellectual movement that wants to change a whole culture. Supernaturalism and mysticism are old and well established; a small, new philosophical movement opposing it must establish its own foundation assertively. That does not mean every activist needs to devote full time to the project. However, <i>someone</i> needs to do so. Some individual or small organization needs to say what naturalism and reason <i>are</i>, how they <i>differ</i> from supernaturalism and mysticism, and what the <i>effects</i> of applying these ideas have been and could be in our culture.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">If I were a wealthy donor, I would fund one activist individual to support naturalism. he would be someone who understands the issues, their effects on the other branches of philosophy, and their effects on daily life. This activist, over a matter of years, might create a website, write essays, present lectures, enter formal debates, write books, and perhaps start a small institution. He would be a voice devoted to the issue. If I were a wealthy donor, I would do the same for supporting reason.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Then all the work done now by today's pro-naturalism, pro-reason intellectual activists in the fields of ethics, politics, and political policy-setting would know that the deepest fundamentals were being injected into the culture to prepare the way for radical change.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Burgess Laughliin</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Author, <i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and the Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i>, described <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">here</a>.</span></div>
Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-796169656211771238.post-59181473188827643442013-08-29T06:45:00.000-07:002013-08-29T06:54:50.730-07:00BkRev: Humphry's Final Exit<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>Derek Humphry,<i> Final Exit: The practicalities of self-deliverance and assisted suicide for the dying</i>, New York, Delta (Random House), 2002, 220 pages</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The title of
this book is accurate. The book is about killing yourself if faced with a
terminal, painful disease. The book is a guide to the many details that need
attention, from making sure your death does not inadvertently involve loved
ones in a criminal investigation, to wearing a baseball cap so that the bill of
the cap will keep the plastic bag, which is over your head, from being drawn into your mouth
with each inhalation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">The author makes
sure the reader is suitable for suicide. Someone who is merely depressed,
for example, should seek counseling not suicide. Once the reader determines
that he is qualified for suicide, he can then follow the detailed guidelines
for one of the options available. For instance, if one's own physician will not
help by prescribing drugs, then the terminally ill person can purchase
sedatives, a plastic bag, and other equipment. The author provides a checklist.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">The main point
of the book is that one must be prepared for a suicide that is both effective
and least unpleasant as possible under the circumstances.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">The author
assumes the reader has no knowledge of chemistry and no experience with any of
the ethical and legal issues involved. However, readers can skim parts of the
short book. Not all parts apply to all readers, but they are all worth at least
a quick reading. At each subject change, the author usually provides a guide to the reader, explaining
each section's appropriateness for some readers but not for other readers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">For several
decades, Derek Humphry, the author, worked as a journalist in England and in
the USA. He helped found and manage euthanasia organizations. At 83, he now
lives in Oregon, the first state in the USA to legalize suicide for terminally
ill individuals. His books, which initially mainstream publishers would not accept,
have been commercial successes. He has assisted three suicides, in the cautious
manner he describes and recommends. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">The chapters are
many and short. The titles are largely self-explanatory and arc from making the
decision to end one's life if medically doomed, to rejecting methods that are
too risky, and then to the "final act." A few chapter titles are:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ch. 1: The Most
Difficult Decision<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ch. 2: Shopping
for the Right Doctor<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ch. 3: Beware of
the Law<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ch. 4: The Hospice
Option<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ch. 11: Who
Shall Know?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ch. 16: Letters
to Be Written<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ch. 20: Storing
Drugs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ch. 22:
Self-Deliverance Using a Plastic Bag<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ch. 23: A
Speedier Way: Inert Gases<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ch. 24: The
Checklist<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ch. 25: The
Final Act<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Throughout these
and other chapters, the author writes clearly and succinctly, with only enough
repetition to make sure readers do not miss key points.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">I recommend a casual reading of this book now, and
then a second, close reading if and when the appropriate time comes to apply
it. I hope that need never comes for you or for me. I hope to fully pursue my highest
values in life for as long as I can, and then die naturally.</span><!--EndFragment-->Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-796169656211771238.post-89343123067296407702013-08-01T11:59:00.000-07:002013-08-01T12:23:06.000-07:00Best approach to disputes in the Objectivist movement?<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I have been a student of Objectivism, and a member of the Objectivist movement, for 50 years. I have seen conflicts arise and fade. I am learning that there is a proper procedure for outside individuals—those who are not directly involved—to approach these conflicts. Part of that procedure consists of asking and answering these questions: </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(1) Exactly <b>what is the type of conflict</b>? Is it philosophical, personal, something else, or a combination?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(2) Exactly <b>what is the issue in dispute</b>? If there are several issues, in what order should I resolve them?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(3) <b>Is all the evidence available</b> that I need in order to make a decision about which side, if either, to support?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(4) If any, <b>what is my stake in this conflict</b>? How does it affect my pursuit of my lifetime philosophical and personal values?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(5) <b>Do I <em style="line-height: 16px;">need</em> to make a decision</b> now or at any time? If so, why?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(6) If I do decide to investigate a dispute and if I uncover enough information to form a judgment, <b>should I take a stand</b> (which entails time and effort to formulate, present and defend), either in private or in public?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The main lesson I have learned is to wait until I can answer such questions with confidence. A secondary lesson is that Objectivism (which is a fixed set of ideas) remains unchanged no matter what happens in the Objectivist movement. (For my understanding of "movement," see <a href="http://aristotleadventure.blogspot.com/2008/07/what-is-movement.html">aristotleadventure.blogspot.com/2008/07/what-is-movement.html</a> )</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br style="line-height: 16px;" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What other approach would you suggest?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br style="line-height: 16px;" /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Burgess Laughlin</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Author of <i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i>, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">here</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">P. S. — </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thank you to Pooja Gupta for suggesting Question 6. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thank you to Rohin Gupta for reminding me to make this available on the internet and not merely on Facebook (published as a note three years ago).</span></div>
Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-796169656211771238.post-27220099990509378542013-06-04T17:13:00.000-07:002013-11-25T07:45:14.087-08:00Is reading the news helpful or harmful?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Is reading the news helpful or harmful? This issue is important to me for several reasons. First, I am
monitoring my heart rate because I have tachycardia/arrhythmia, racing and
irregular heart beat. I take two medications to keep my heart rate low. Reading
the news makes my heart beat faster, much faster. Reading the news cancels the
effect of the two medications. For me, that illustrates the
mind-body power of reading the news.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When I was
younger, I was emotionally repressed, but now, at 68, my emotions—which are
responses to seeing my values threatened or supported—flow freely. When I read
news of a U. S. diplomat being murdered in another country, I do not merely
note that fact. I see the victim suffering. I see the murderers gloating. I
feel anger at the murderers and at those who allowed the murder to happen. I feel
fear for the future, for me, and for my friends. Those powerful feelings have physical effects.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Second, reading
the news is intellectually disruptive. It fractures my thinking about my
current project. After reading the news, I must take the time to calm down
emotionally, and I must reset my focus on my current project. This effort to
reset is akin to the struggle fiction writers have after an interruption in
their work, when they need to get back "into the story."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Third, reading
the news even affects my dreams and therefore the quality of sleep. When I read
the news, my dreams are stressful, anxious, and threatening. About a week ago,
I stopped reading the news. My dreams have become more peaceful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Understanding
the effects of "reading the news" requires a clear grasp of what is
usually meant by that term. First, what is "news"?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>NEWS</b>.
"News" is a certain kind of information; it is information about past
or current events; it is information that someone else, a reporter of the news,
thinks (1) I have not heard before, and thinks (2) I will find it to be intriguing
enough to set aside what I am doing and follow. News is information that a reporter—a
fellow employee, an announcer at a sports event, or a newspaper journalist—shapes
for a particular purpose and audience of <i>his</i> choosing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>WHAT
"READING THE NEWS" DOES NOT MEAN</b>. "Reading the
news" does not mean simply reading (or listening) to acquire information.
Reading a 500-page scholarly text on the decline of the Roman Empire is not
"reading the news," even though the information in the book may be
new to me. When I select and read such a book, I take the initiative to define
my specific purpose, buy the book, develop a reading schedule, think about what
I am reading, and take notes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>WHAT "READING
THE NEWS" MEANS</b>. "Reading the news" typically refers
to an individual immersing himself in a <i>stream of reports</i>. An
hourly, five-minute news segment on radio is an example. For five minutes I
will hear a stream of reports about events that the reporter thinks are
important for his audience. The reports are about dissimilar events (a bombing
in Baghdad, a lottery prize going unclaimed, and the closing of a bridge for
repairs). The reports usually are about events that are out of the control of
the reader, either because they have already happened or because he lacks the
power to change them. The reports are typically sketchy and provisional,
subject to revision. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>INTEGRATION
IS KEY</b>. The most fundamental factor distinguishing "reading the
news" (in the meaning used here) and <i>investigation</i> is
integration. In an investigation the investigator has a particular purpose that
integrates his actions, the information he gains, and the information he
already has. Jumping into a stream of news is an act of non-integration.
"Being informed" is not a specific purpose. One can "be
informed" about a topic, such as the state of one's culture, by
investigating the subject once or occasionally—and then thinking in principles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Examining a news
stream <i>does</i> make sense for some individuals. An editorial
cartoonist might frequently scan a news stream for subjects for his daily
cartoon. A professional weblog writer might daily peruse a news stream looking
for items suitable for principled commentary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These individuals have a delimited purpose. They are
investigating rather than drifting with the stream.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>CONCLUSION</b>.
For me, the state of mind that results from "reading the news" is unpleasant
emotionally, destructive cognitively, and damaging physically. That is why I
have stopped "reading the news" in any form—print, internet, radio,
or TV. I no longer look at my Facebook newsfeed, the quintessential example of
a news stream. Instead, for particular reasons at particular times, I do visit
individual Friend pages.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So far, refusing
to "read the news" has brought a greater sense of peace, greater power
of concentration, and greater awareness of my immediate surroundings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Burgess Laughlin</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Author of <i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i>, described at <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">reasonversusmysticism.com/</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">P.S. — I began my current experiment in shunning news streams after reading Rolf Dobelli, "News is bad for you—and giving up reading it will make you happier," <i>The Guardian</i>, April 12, 2013, linked at the end. The article has flaws. It is an edited translation of a German newspaper column. Accordingly it lacks citations; and more examples would have made some points clearer. His main theme is accurate: purposeful investigation seeking specific information is necessary for success in life, but plunging, without a specific purpose, into a news stream created by someone else can be destructive.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/apr/12/news-is-bad-rolf-dobelli">guardian.co.uk/media/2013/apr/12/news-is-bad-rolf-dobelli</a></span></div>
Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-796169656211771238.post-46917796826399813192013-01-22T10:13:00.000-08:002013-06-12T14:00:50.603-07:00Attracting an audience by implying their rationality or irrationalityThrough various means, and over the long-term, a writer attracts a particular audience for his writings. Content is one means of drawing readers in. A writer who writes about chess will, all other factors being equal, build an audience of individuals interested in chess. Style is another factor. A writer who writes clearly and integrates his points thoroughly will tend to acquire an audience of clear thinkers.<br />
<br />
Another element of style is the writer's treatment of each link in the chain of fact, value, emotion, and action. Rational readers can learn a fact in the text they are reading. When they connect that <i>fact</i> to a <i>value</i> they hold, they will automatically experience an <i>emotion</i>. If the value is a high one, and the circumstances are
appropriate, readers will take <i>action</i>. For example, if a writer says,
"Smith Company has published my new book, Preventing Dental
Problems," then those readers who respect the writer's knowledge and are
concerned about their dental health will feel hopeful about their future dental
health and either investigate the book further or take direct action to
purchase it. The writer has stated a fact, perhaps including expected
benefits of knowing that fact; readers connect that fact to their own values, experience
an emotion, and take action.<br />
<br />
<b>EXAMPLES</b>. Consider two cases, one at each end of a style spectrum. The
first is an announcement published in the "Objectivist Calendar"
column of <i>The Objectivist Newsletter</i>, Vol. 1, No. 1
(January, 1962), p. 4. It says:<br />
<br />
<i>The next New York series of "Basic Principles
of Objectivism" will be given at the Hotel Roosevelt, 45 St. & Madison
Ave., at 7:30 P.M., on twenty consecutive Tuesday evenings, beginning February
13. Registration is now open.</i><br />
<br />
This first case presents facts, and it relies on rational readers to recognize the value. (In a longer announcement, and in a different, more general publication, a rational writer might have identified the benefits of attending, but would still let readers make the evaluation and the decision to act.)<br />
<br />
The second case is a composite of insulting announcements I
have seen recently:<br />
<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<i>Gladys Grumbly, the most awesome speaker of the day, will be talking about introspection at the Wilshire Community Center on February 12 at 8 pm. You will love her presentation! You owe it to yourself to go! Sign up now! Don't delay and don't miss this absolutely fantastic opportunity!!! Click on the name below and be certain to Like this page now!!!</i></div>
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<br /></div>
This second case insults rational readers. It presents a clichéd and "floating"
evaluation ("Awesome"? In what way does it create a sense of awe? In
whom? So what?). Further, the second announcement tells rational readers what emotional
response, "love," they will feel and further
insults rational readers by saying that they "owe" it to themselves to attend,
not allowing readers to connect the announcement to their own individual hierarchy of
values. Lastly, the announcement degrades its readers by <i>commanding</i> action (using the imperative mood), not merely
giving instructions for implementation.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<i><br /></i></div>
<b>RESULTS</b>. The writer in the first case is writing objectively, that
is, writing about facts and allowing rational readers, his only intended
audience, to evaluate those facts and take action. The writer in the second case is
assuming his robotic readers must be pushed into evaluating, feeling, and
taking action.<br />
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<br /></div>
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The writer of the second case will eventually lose rational
readers—those who want to evaluate, feel, and take action at their own
initiative and in the context of their own personal values. The readers who accept
such abuse and remain the writer's followers will tend to be automatons.
The writer may then wonder why he has such a seemingly passive and unintelligent
audience.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Over the long-term, the writer creates his audience through a process similar to natural selection: Assume readers are irrational, write accordingly, and the rational ones will go away; or assume readers are rational, write accordingly, and they will continue to pay attention to one's writings as the years go by.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Burgess Laughlin</div>
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">Author of <i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading
Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i>, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">here</a></span><!--EndFragment-->
Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-796169656211771238.post-18301837287339176452013-01-20T12:18:00.000-08:002013-01-23T19:16:11.154-08:00A Personal Index for Understanding Objectivism<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Leonard Peikoff,
<i>Understanding Objectivism: A Guide to Learning Ayn Rand's Philosophy</i>,
editor Michael S. Berliner, New York, New American Library, 2012, 383 pages.</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">In 1983,
philosopher Leonard Peikoff, the foremost student of Ayn Rand's philosophy,
Objectivism, presented eleven lectures on "distinguishing the right and
the wrong methods for trying to understand philosophy in general and for
understanding and validating Objectivism in particular." (Back cover)
Michael Berliner, "cochairman of the Board of Directors of the Ayn Rand
Institute and senior advisor to the Ayn Rand Archives," has undertaken the
enormous labor of editing and publishing the lectures. Berliner has produced a
book that flows smoothly while clearly conveying its difficult subject matter.
The book is a treasure chest of Dr. Peikoff's insights not only into the
philosophy of Ayn Rand but also into methods of thinking philosophically.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">The book's table
of contents identifies the broad subject of each chapter, for example, Chapter
Six, "Objectivism Versus the Intrinsic and Subjective." Unfortunately, this first printing of <i>Understanding
Objectivism</i> has no index to lead readers back to particular topics.
For my own purposes, I have compiled an abbreviated and informal list of the topics that
intrigued me. This narrow personal index is not a substitute for a full formal
index compiled for a broad set of readers. It reflects mainly my interests. I
have listed some phrases as natural whole phrases—for example: "rational
self-interest" not "self-interest, rational." The reader should
be cautious, also, because I have not yet double-checked the page references
for accuracy. Further, listings of page numbers are not exhaustive. Often, I
made note of a topic only after seeing it mentioned once or twice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Despite these
defects in this personal index, some readers may find it helpful. If nothing
else, it shows prospective buyers of the book the great range of subjects
covered—to the benefit of long-term, serious students of Objectivism.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>analytic-synthetic
dichotomy</b>, 255. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>artistic choices</b>,
339. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">axiom, as a
precondition, 165.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Binswanger</b>,
disagreements with as example of rational people differing,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>149, 165. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>blurting out</b>, as one step in thinking process, 194. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>Brown</b>, Fredric,
as Peikoff's favorite science-fiction writer, 339.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>career</b>,
choosing, 329-331. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>cause and effect</b>,
153. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>chewing</b>, 24, 304-305; purpose of philosophical, 268. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>circularity</b>,
good and bad types of, 280. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>cognitive
necessity</b>, as a guide, 102. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>commonsense</b>, 221
and 222. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>compartmentalization</b>,
229 and 274. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>consciousness</b>,
270. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>context</b>, 146,
282; defined, 186.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>corollary</b>,
151-152. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>crow
epistemology</b>, 198 and 328.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>deduction</b>, 63. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>definitions</b>,
50-58; not the same as the entity defined, 52; depend on one's purpose, 199;
purpose of, 215. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>Descartes</b>, 151. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>desert island
ethics</b>, 189. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>determinism, vs.
indeterminism</b>, 255-256; in rationalism, 220. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>Devil's advocate</b>,
81. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>dishonesty vs.
dependence</b>, 363-364. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>dogmatism</b>, 187.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>eclecticism</b>,
264. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>egalitarianism</b>,
354. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>emotion</b>, being
aware of to avoid distorting thinking, 200. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>emotionalism</b>,
righteous, 179. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>empiricism</b>, 147,
308, 310, 311; symptoms of, 134. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>ethics</b>, scope
of, 135. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>explicit vs.
implicit</b>, 362-363.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>fatigue</b>, effects
on consciousness, 200. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>floating
abstractions</b>, 211. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>friends</b>,
choosing, 335.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>genius</b>, 302; as
a requirement for formulating philosophical fundamentals, 205. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>gun control</b>,
137.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>happiness</b>, 104. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>hierarchical
structure</b>, principle of, 138, 145, 157, 222. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>honesty</b>, 247 and
277; evaluating a movement's followers' vs. leaders', 366. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>Hume</b>, as a
concrete-bound philosopher, 240.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>idealism</b>,
philosophical, 151 and 213. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>induction</b>, 63,
286; and deduction, 141; no particular order for performing, 235; </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">problem of , 276. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>intrinsicism</b>, 245;
and self-evidence, 183-184, 190; as Rand's coined term, 175. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>intrinsicist
"Objectivism,"</b> 186, 187. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>irrationalism</b>,
264-265.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>James</b>, William,
249. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>judging others</b>,
344-357.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Kant</b>, as a
mixture of bad philosophies, 234, and 308-310.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>law of identity</b>,
146 and 196. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>liberty</b>, 140. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>lying</b>, 71.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>mathematics</b>,
218-219. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>metaphysics</b>, of
epistemology, 201-202. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>mind</b>, 270. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>mind/body
dichotomy</b>, as root of many philosophcal errors, 25. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>mirroring
reality</b>, fallacy of, 235, 236, 237, and 310. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>monism</b>, 224. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>moralizers</b>,
341-342. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>motherhood</b>, 382. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>mysticism</b>, 154,
155, 308; defined and related by intrinsicism, 180-181; moving from rationalism
to, 232.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Objectivist</b>, serious,
32. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>objectivity</b>,
validating the concept of, 20; essence of, 193 and 194. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>Occam's Razor</b>,
143. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>options</b>, 313; in
life, 187-188. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>oscillating
between definitions and entities</b>, method of, 54 and 66. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>outline</b> for
writing, not dictated by reality, 235.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>partner in life</b>,
benefits of having, 381. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>Peikoff's own
experiences</b> with rationalism and other issues, 263, 326, 327, 340, 375 (the
movie <i>E.T.</i>), 377, 379, and 381. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>philosophy</b>, attacks
on, 2; meaning of, 17; method for making real, 23, 100, and 101; as an ally in
keeping us sane, 382; structured as an X, 161; as a system, 101 and 167. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>Plato</b>, 185, 310;
as an intrinsicist, 189. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>pluralism</b>, 257. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>polemics</b>,
defined, as a symptom of rationalism, 238, and 242-244. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>polylogism</b>,
259-260. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>pragmatism</b>,
249-250, 311. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>principle</b>,
living on, 92-93. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>proof</b>, 63; as
pointing, 64. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>psycho-epistemology</b>,
359. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>psychologizing</b>,
361.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Rand</b>, interested
in others' reactions to her, 320. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>rationalism</b>, 54,
59, 147, 308-310; testing oneself to detect, 229; and repression, 59, 322, and
323. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>rational
self-interest</b>, 314. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>Rawls</b>, John,
354. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>reason</b>, 154-155. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>recreation</b>, 336. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>reduction</b>, 58
and 306. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>religion as intrinsicism</b>,
189. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>rights</b>, 138 and
203. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Roark</b> as a
fictional character combining philosophical and concrete optional
characteristics, 320. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>Russell</b>, Bertrand,
as an ex. empiricist, 240.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>sanction</b>,
375-376. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>self-criticism</b>,
improper, 191-192. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>self-evidence</b>, 145,
183, 213 and 283; only at perceptual level, 190-191; improper claims of, 64; as
axioms, 81. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>selfishness</b>,
argument for, 164. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>skyscrapers</b>,
loving as optional, 334; analogy for cognitive hierarchy, 158 and 222. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>Sophists</b>, 247. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>soul</b>, 270. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>soulmate</b>,
requirement for, 335. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>spiral theory</b> of
gaining knowledge, 31, 101, 136, 198, and 281; exercise for, 167. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>stupidity</b>, as
self-made, 360; Peikoff's definition, 192. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>symbolic logic</b>,
241. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>synthesis</b>, as
integration, 101. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>system building</b>,
254.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Tertullian</b>, 265. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>test of a
teacher</b> as cognitive empathy, 357. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>test of honesty</b>,
357. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>thinking</b>,
structured, 136. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>tout</b>, living one's life as a, 337. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>tragic sense of
life</b>, 343. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>trichotomy</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">, 175
and 308; of objectivity, subjectivity, and intrinsicism, 202. </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>understanding</b>,
15 and 64; method for, 41; summary of method for, 62; requirements for, 63;
elements of, 65.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>workaholic</b>, 336. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>writing and
emotions</b>, 237.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Burgess Laughlin<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Author, <i>The
Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of
Reason vs. Faith</i>, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">here</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-796169656211771238.post-23699019687832666862013-01-15T08:48:00.000-08:002013-01-17T06:39:28.845-08:00BkRev: The Permanent Portfolio<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Craig
Rowland and J. M. Lawson, <i>The Permanent Portfolio: Harry Browne's
Long-Term Investment Strategy</i>, Hoboken (New Jersey), John Wiley &
Sons, 2012, 330 pages.</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">In an October 2,
2011 post, "<a href="http://www.aristotleadventure.blogspot.com/2011/10/most-important-books-in-my-life.html">The Most Important Books in My Life</a>," for the "Money"
category, I saluted Harry Browne's <i>Why the Best-Laid Investment Plans
Usually Go Wrong: How You Can Find Safety and Profit in an Uncertain
World</i>, written in 1987.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">I can now
suggest another book, published in 2012, as superior: Rowland and Larson's
<i>The Permanent Portfolio: Harry Browne's Long-Term Investment
Strategy</i>, available on Amazon <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Permanent-Portfolio-Long-Term-Investment-Strategy/dp/1118288254">here</a>.
Rowland and Larson work from Browne's time-tested principles, explain them
clearly, and show investors (at various levels from beginner to advanced, from
small to large) how to implement those principles by buying particular
investments from a variety of sources. My Amazon review is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/R3I0LY6GLU50VM">here</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">The essence of
the "permanent portfolio" idea is that our economic and political
world is uncertain and volatile, and the best way to protect and modestly grow
the assets earned through one's career is to invest in a way that takes
advantage of that very unpredictability and volatility. There are four asset
classes—stocks in productive companies, gold, bonds, and cash. Each initially takes up 25% of the portfolio. Usually some of the four classes are rising as others are falling. If one of the four 25% sectors rises beyond its band (35% of the whole), then, in the annual review, the investor sells the high performer and places the captured profits into the lowest sectors of the portfolio. (Meanwhile the portfolio continues to grow from reinvested dividends, capital gains distributions, and interest payments.) Over the long-term, the average rate of return has been about 8-9%, that is, about 5-6% above the inflation rate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">After the
initial learning period, maintaining the portfolio requires little time and
effort—perhaps an hour per year. I know from experience that this approach
works. The portfolio grows (I seek 5% above the inflation rate), but with
safety and with giving me a sense of peace no matter what the headlines of the
day are screaming. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sentence by
sentence, the book is easy to understand. That does not mean the book is a
quick read. I read one chapter—or less—each day. The authors present their
material in an organized way and always give readers "road signs" for
efficient reading. For example, "Level 1" readers (who are beginning
investors, or do not want to be bothered with a lot of complexity, or have
small initial portfolios) can concentrate on the Level 1 discussions and skim
(or skip) the higher level discussions of each investment type. I would say I
thoroughly read about half the book (taking a lot of notes), skimmed a fourth,
and skipped a fourth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here is my
salute to this book: Even though I have been following Browne's basic principles
for about 40 years, after reading this book I have made some adjustments to my
portfolio—adjustments which will probably improve my portfolio's performance a
little and make it even more stable over the long-term.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">To readers who want to protect the wealth they have earned from their careers, who seek modest growth, and who desire peace of mind in a volatile economy, I suggest
reading the book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Burgess Laughlin<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Author,
<i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight
Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i>, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">here</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-796169656211771238.post-52290147012244460172012-12-31T06:42:00.001-08:002012-12-31T08:32:34.700-08:00Specialized vs. general activism—which is better?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>BACKGROUND:
THE NATURE OF ACTIVISM</b>. In my view, <b>activism</b> is
the idea of working to change the circumstances—philosophical, cultural,
social, or political—in which individuals live their lives. Activists for a
more objective society work to improve the circumstances in which peaceful,
productive, and honest individuals live by promoting reason and breaking down barriers to liberty. An architect designs buildings, and
his clients pay him for doing so. The architect becomes an activist when he
campaigns to abolish his city government's rights-violating regulations of architecture
and construction. He is working to improve the legal circumstances in which
architects design buildings.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Serious
activism</b> is long-term; the activist for a more objective society knows
that influencing other rational individuals can be a slow process. Sometimes
change—depending on the starting point and the depth of the problem —may happen
only after years, decades, or generations of activism. The movement to end
Prohibition of alcohol in the USA worked for thirteen years to abolish a single
law.[1] The movement working to abolish slavery in the USA struggled for two centuries
to destroy a set of pro-slavery laws and the slave society that had been built on them.[2] Some
struggles, such as the war between reason and mysticism, have raged for
thousands of years and will never end.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>A LASER
OR A CHANDELIER OF LEDS?</b> Individuals who choose to be activists face
an array of secondary choices. One choice is between general activism and
specialized activism. <b>General activism</b> is broad in the scope
of issues it covers. On Monday, a general activist might donate to a campaign
to abolish a local sales tax; on Tuesday, he might speak to a local club in
favor of abolishing narcotics laws for adults; on Wednesday, he might write a
letter to a central African country to encourage it to release its political
prisoners; and so forth. What makes a general activist <i>general</i>
is the range of issues he can intelligently discuss. The generalist may be a
full-time activist or one who dedicates a half hour per day, every day, for the
remainder of his life. The generalist may operate close to home (carrying a
sign while "demonstrating"; writing letters to a local newspaper;
organizing neighborhood discussion groups; and so forth). </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Michael Neibel,
a retired gentleman, is an example of a generalist. In his </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://mikeseyes.blogspot.com/">weblog</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> and
elsewhere, he comments on a range of issues.[3] </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Or a general activist may work
at an international level (speaking to an economics club in London, appearing
on national television programs in the USA, writing books, or conducting weekly
radio programs reviewing and analyzing news events. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Free-Market-Revolution-Rands-Government/dp/0230341691">Yaron
Brook</a>, president of The Ayn Rand Institute is an example.[4]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">For some
activists, one benefit of general activism is the opportunity to think about
and research a variety of subjects. Such an activist, however, needs to be a
quick study if he expects to keep up with the flood of news items that are
common conversation among his friends or on radio talk shows. He needs to have
the mental skills for rapidly identifying a problem (for example, identifying the issue underlying the debate
over "gun control"), becoming familiar
with the philosophical theory (the right of self-defense grounded in nature),
and researching the facts (What kind of weapon is required for self-defense in
various situations, while not endangering others?). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Without adequate thinking
and research, the general activist merely sounds ignorant when questioned by
friends in discussions or challenged by opponents in debate. Therein lies one
of the drawbacks of general activism: having knowledge that is wide but shallow
and therefore not persuasive when confronting an opponent who has specialized
in studying and debating the subject.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Specialized
activism</b> is narrow in scope. A specialized activist chooses one
subject, a subject that he expects to <i>master</i>, that is, know
so well that he can teach the subject: its fundamental principles, its key
issues, and the problems of application. An example would be an activist
specializing in a move to abolish federal anti-trust laws in the USA. He needs
to know: (1) what those laws and accompanying regulations actually are, by reading
and understanding them; (2) who among legislators (and their cronies) sponsored
the original legislation and continue to expand it today; and (3) what would be
the best plan for abolishing them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Preparing for
specialized activism may take years. During that time, the specialized activist
need not be silent. He can: (1) conduct study groups on the issue, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(2) write a weblog that reports his
findings as he conducts research, and (3) ask questions in specialized forums,
for the purpose of collecting the type of responses he will encounter from the
supporters of anti-trust laws.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">For some
individuals, a drawback of specialization is isolation. Few if any others will
share his interest. The specialist may be off-stage for long periods of time
while he is preparing. Likewise, years may pass before he acquires a reputation
strong enough to attract supporters, financial contributors (if needed), and
inquiries from journalists. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Specialization
is a matter of degree. One form is specializing in a single, but broad
abstraction. An example would be specializing in the promotion of the
metaphysical principle of naturalism: We live in one world, the natural world,
a world in which all entities have a particular identity and act
accordingly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This specialization
is narrow in one way, because it is only one tenet of a philosophy of reason,
but it is broad in its potential applications—for example, in the debate about
a theory of evolution or in advocating the scientific method—but the activist's
continuing focus would be on spreading the <i>principle</i> of
naturalism, as a way of laying a foundation for a philosophical revolution.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Another form of
specialization deals with particulars. For instance, an activist in the USA might
focus on abolishing Social Security. He would need to know its history, its
laws, and possible plans for phasing it out. He would accumulate a vast amount
of information that he can use to establish his authority on the subject and to
illustrate his broader points about ethics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">An example
of specialization is maintaining a website—<a href="http://www.facesoflawsuitabuse.org/stories/">http://www.facesoflawsuitabuse.org</a>—that
collects examples of frivolous or absurd lawsuits, as an effort to make the
legal system focus more seriously on the issue of rights.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>MAKING
A CHOICE</b>. Which approach is better—specialized activism or general
activism? A direct response to that question must be another question: Better
for whom—the individual activist or the individuals he hopes to influence or
both?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">First, which approach
to activism is more effective in changing a culture? Based on my reading of
history, observation of the culture today, and personal experience, I would say
both approaches are required for a movement to succeed. In a particular field, such
as nuclear power, a <i>specialist</i> is needed to persuade
decision-makers (in the industry and in Congress) and decision-influencers. In
a division of labor society, a <i>generalist</i> can spread the
word about particular issues or the principles that underlie them to the man in
the street, the honest but ill-informed man who might vote for a political
candidate proposing change toward a more objective society.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Second, which is
best for the activist? This is the most important question. I would say that the
approach best for the activist himself is the approach that is most likely to
sustain his activism for the remainder of his life, given his abilities, his interests,
his personality, and his ability to acquire the necessary skills. The activist
knows himself. He can discover which approach will give him the fuel to walk
the long road ahead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">For me,
specializing is the best way to work because it allows me plenty of opportunity
to study, which I enjoy, and to create a range of <a href="http://reasonversusmysticism.blogspot.com/2012/12/bkrev-goldbergs-kingdom-coming.html">intermediate</a> and
<a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">long-term</a>
products that might have some influence on a few individuals who might, in
turn, influence a few others. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">The choice is
yours. Which do you choose?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Burgess Laughlin<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Author of
<i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight
Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i>, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">here</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>[1]</b> For a brief
sketch of Prohibition and the movement to end it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition_in_the_United_States. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>[2]</b> For a sketch
of the history of the movement to abolish slavery:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abolitionism. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>[3]</b> For Michael
Neibel's weblog: http://mikeseyes.blogspot.com/. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>[4]</b> For Yaron
Brook, see (a) http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=staff_arc_board,
and (b) http://www.amazon.com/Free-Market-Revolution-Rands-Government/dp/0230341691.</span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-796169656211771238.post-32830457427175327752012-09-26T06:22:00.000-07:002013-01-17T07:34:49.975-08:00Predicting the USA's future: 2013-2017<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This post contains notes for a four-year exercise in
studying history and in predicting the future. I am collecting predictions of
specific, measurable events that will result from the election of either Romney
or Obama.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">The predictions come only from activists fighting for a more
objective world, that is, a world guided by reason alone. If you are submitting
a prediction (in the comments thread or in an email to me), please briefly state your form of activism.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><b>EXAMPLES</b>. An example measurably specific prediction is:
"Under Romney's presidency, for the four years, the cost of goods,
measured by the current CPI, will rise on average at least 23% per year.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">An example prediction not measurably specific is:
"Under Obama, the nation faces disaster." This prediction would be
acceptable if "disaster" were defined and if specific examples were
offered, such as 138 million people dying of starvation or six cities attacked
by nuclear bombs set off by Muslims.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><b>DISASTER</b>. My definition of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><b>disaster</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"> (and its synonyms, "catastrophe" and "calamity") is: <i>A situation -- economic, political, or military -- in which the victims are so injured by adverse events that they are incapable within a single generation of returning to their previous, more prosperous state without help from the outside</i>. For the USA, the War Between the States (the U. S. Civil War) was not a disaster, as defined here; but for Japan, World war II was a disaster -- though aid and guidance from the USA did help Japan become a civilized and prosperous nation. Individuals named below might not agree with this definition.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><i>The following predictions are generally stated in my words (usually working from the predictors' original comments), not the exact words of the courageous predictors.</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><b>PREDICTIONS</b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1. "If <b>Obama</b> wins there will only be one
party--the Communist Party." </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(Facebook, Sept. 26, 2012, <b>Charlotte Cushman</b>,
a published political writer and a Tea Party activist.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">2. Exponentially rising USA federal debt -- if either <b>Romney or Obama</b> is elected. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(Facebook, Sept. 30, 2012, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Keith Weiner</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, PhD, Economics, an advocate for capitalism; his discussion of gold backwardation is </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://keithweiner.posterous.com/when-gold-backwardation-becomes-permanent">here</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">3. Calamity in the following forms, with two side effects listed last -- if <b>Obama</b> wins the election. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">- </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">Violent riots in major US cities.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- Federal debt increasing over $1T/year.</span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 14px;">- Downgrades of federal USA credit.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 14px;">- Open discussion about quashing the First Amendment.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- Massive US equities correction, probably globally.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- Nuclear Iran creating a regional nucle<span id=".reactRoot[23].[1][2][1]{comment10151065676031994_23310769}..[1]..[1]..[0].[2]..[3]"><span id=".reactRoot[23].[1][2][1]{comment10151065676031994_23310769}..[1]..[1]..[0].[2]..[3]."><span id=".reactRoot[23].[1][2][1]{comment10151065676031994_23310769}..[1]..[1]..[0].[2]..[3]..[0]">ar arms race among Muslim countries</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span id=".reactRoot[23].[1][2][1]{comment10151065676031994_23310769}..[1]..[1]..[0].[2]..[3]"><span id=".reactRoot[23].[1][2][1]{comment10151065676031994_23310769}..[1]..[1]..[0].[2]..[3]."><span id=".reactRoot[23].[1][2][1]{comment10151065676031994_23310769}..[1]..[1]..[0].[2]..[3]..[2]" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- Regional Mid-East war</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span id=".reactRoot[23].[1][2][1]{comment10151065676031994_23310769}..[1]..[1]..[0].[2]..[3]..[6]" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- China becoming more powerful in Asia</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 14px;">- Gold over $3000 per ounce.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- Impeachment hearings against Obama.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">(Facebook, Sept. 30, 2012, <b>Chip Joyce</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">, Sept. 30, 2012, a donor to ARI and a general activist.)</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">4. Implementation of the following three points of the <a href="http://www.theobjectivestandard.com/issues/2010-fall/neoconservatism-thompson-brook.asp">neoconservative</a> platform, if <b>Romney</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"> wins, even though he himself is not a neoconservative: </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">- (a) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">His continuation of the War of Sacrifice against "terrorists," resulting in the death of at least 2,000 more Americans -- soldiers or civilians -- during the next four years. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">- (</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">b) His complicity in the expansion of the national welfare state, in terms of dollars; </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- (c) His calls for support of God and country, but not the country of the Founders. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">(<b>Burgess Laughlin</b>, October 17, 2012, an</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">author</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">whose activist purpose is to expose the state of the</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><a href="http://reasonversusmysticism.blogspot.com/">war between reason and mysticism</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">in our time in the USA.)</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">5. Over the next ten years, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>after President Obama's re-election</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> in 2012:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">- T</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">he USA equity market will have Fed dollars booms that go bust at least once and achieve no lasting real increases in protected asset value.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment136964296463742_250054}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[4]" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- The Fed will try to keep interest rates low. But as they are now [January, 2013] about as low as they can be, long-term Treasury bonds will see no new capital gains. If interest rates do move up, you will see loss ranging from significant to catastrophic.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment136964296463742_250054}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[6]">- The CPI will continue to show losses in purchasing power of at least 2% a year, so at minimum, the cash element of a Permanent Portfolio </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment136964296463742_250054}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[10]">[described in <a href="http://www.aristotleadventure.blogspot.com/2013/01/bkrev-permanent-portfolio.html">the book</a>, <i>The Permanent Portfolio</i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">] </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">will see a loss of over 20%.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment136964296463742_250054}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[8]">- Gold will show fits and starts, but will trend toward requiring more and more paper dollars to buy it. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment136964296463742_250054}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[10]">Thus three of the four sectors of a Permanent Portfolio</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"> have no future in today's context. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment136964296463742_250054}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[13]">- Both the Permanent Portfolio approach</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment136964296463742_250054}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[15]"> [developed by Harry Browne, Craig Rowland, and others] and the value-investment approach [used by Warren Buffet and Bruce Berkowitz]</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment136964296463742_250054}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[17]"> were written for periods in which the economy was less controlled and manipulated. Neither assumed eight or more years of trillion dollar deficits, multi-trillion dollar "stimulus" packages, Dodd-Franks, the coming tidal wave of regulations, or ObamaCare. The context has changed. Ignoring that will be disastrous for investors. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">(<b>Bob Gifford</b>, retired investment advisor, author of the weblog <i>Krazy Economy</i>, <a href="http://krazyeconomy.blogspot.com/">here</a>.)</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">6. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">At the <b>end of Obama's second term</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">: </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span id=".reactRoot[23].[1][2][1]{comment136964296463742_250129}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]"><span id=".reactRoot[23].[1][2][1]{comment136964296463742_250129}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0].[5]">- Gold will be within +/- 20% of</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span id=".reactRoot[23].[1][2][1]{comment136964296463742_250129}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3]"><span id=".reactRoot[23].[1][2][1]{comment136964296463742_250129}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0"><span id=".reactRoot[23].[1][2][1]{comment136964296463742_250129}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0.[0]"> January 2013 levels.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 14px;">- The SP500 will be 50% higher than January 2013 levels.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 14px;">- The Fed's printing of money will have slowed. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">- "E</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">xperts" on TV will have declared the recession over.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 14px;">- Obama will take full credit for navigating us through the recession.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">- These stocks will have doubled: AIG, BAC, JCP, and ACAS</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">(<b>Hoyt Chang</b>, a mechanical engineer and part-time investor with no formal instruction in economics or politics. He follows the value-investing strategy of Warren Buffet and others, as outlined here: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Little-Still-Market-Books-Profits/dp/0470624159">The Little Book That Still Beats the Market</a>.)</span></span>Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-796169656211771238.post-10946469136054550562012-04-08T06:04:00.002-07:002012-09-26T10:12:45.659-07:00Benefits of Conflicts in Movements?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <br />
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Like all movements, the Objectivist movement has suffered conflicts. The drawbacks of conflicts are easy to identify, but are there benefits that rational individuals can gain from them?</div>
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Wherever two or more individuals associate, conflicts can occur. A <a href="http://aristotleadventure.blogspot.com/2008/07/what-is-movement.html">movement</a> is a group of individuals, a group defined only by a common goal of changing the world in some way. If all the members of a movement were to act as isolated individuals, conflicts would not arise. However, most members of movements do associate: They communicate; they trade; and they form networks, <i>ad hoc</i> organizations, and institutions. They differ in their senses of life, strategies, tactics, communication styles, personalities, level of knowledge, social skills, level of morality, and degree of mental health. Conflicts arise.</div>
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Within a movement, a <b>conflict</b> is a <i>disagreement between two or more individuals that leads at least one of them to devote resources to making a change that ends the disagreement -- one way or the other</i>.</div>
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Conflict is not merely the presence of different viewpoints, such as differing opinions about the style of clothing one should wear to a formal dinner for local members of the movement. A conflict, as I am using the term, is a disagreement that lasts long enough and is painful enough, at least to one side, that the aggrieved side takes action to change the situation. The other side reacts. Tension flares.</div>
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Example changes one side might seek are: persuading other members of the movement to donate or stop donating to certain projects; convincing members of the movement to adopt a particular strategy or tactic for achieving the movement's goals; and ostracizing a destructive individual from the movement.</div>
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<b>DRAWBACKS</b>. The potential drawbacks of conflicts within a movement are clear. Conflicts take attention and resources away from directly supporting the common, defining goals of the movement -- as when time and effort spent gathering evidence about a member's behavior might have been spent advocating the movement's principles to the society outside the movement. Second, conflicts can lead to schisms (refusals to associate), which might reduce the effectiveness of the movement. Third, conflicts can destroy friendships. Fourth, for those individuals who choose to become involved in them, conflicts are emotionally draining and can lead to abandoning the movement.</div>
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<b>BENEFITS?</b> Are there any ways in which rational individuals might <i>gain</i> from conflicts? I am basing my answer here only on personal (not systematic, scientific) observation of the Objectivist movement for fifty years, plus observations of other movements for much shorter periods. (I was briefly a participant in the movements against the Vietnam War, against the military draft, and against restrictions on abortion; and for several years, I was a member of the conflict-ridden libertarian movement.)</div>
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When disagreements cannot be resolved amicably, I see several potential benefits of conflicts within a movement. First, if the conflict is mainly about ideas, conflict can lead to more individuals within the movement becoming aware of the ideas at issue. Conflicts involving debate over fundamental principles of the movement can help educate members of the movement and thereby make the movement more effective in the long term.</div>
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Next, and closely related, is the benefit that comes from considering, discussing, and debating background issues. An example background issue is standards. In a conflict over a particular individual's behavior, what is the proper standard of judgment?[1] Another example background issue is method. If one member of the movement makes an accusation against another individual within the movement, what method should he use to present his accusation? How much evidence does he need to provide? How detailed should his argument -- the chain of inferences connecting the evidence to the accusation -- be for his particular audience?</div>
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A third benefit for many members of the movement is learning more about the individuals involved in the conflict. Individuals acting under the stress of a conflict may reveal aspects of their psychology or level of skills that were unknown before. Is a particular individual thoughtful? Does he do the research required to reach an informed judgment? Does he listen to those who might know more than he does? Does he present his evidence, proof, and conclusion for an objective audience or does he appeal to emotionalists? Negative answers to those questions may disqualify some individuals from being leaders, organizers, or consultants -- but positive answers may qualify them for a greater role in future projects.</div>
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A fourth potential benefit is greater long-term effectiveness. <a href="http://aristotleadventure.blogspot.com/2008/07/quality-control-in-movements.html">Quality control</a> matters. A movement that regularly sheds individuals who do not in fact share the defining principles of the movement is a movement that stays focused. With those individuals out of the movement's network, the movement may be able to concentrate more on the key issues that define the movement and less on internal friction.</div>
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<b>WHAT ABOUT AN HONEST MISUNDERSTANDING?</b> In all conflicts that I have seen, there are individuals on <i>both</i> sides who act irrationally: emotionalists, moralizers, bomb-throwers, and the arsonists who pour gasoline on the flames of ideational conflicts that degenerate into personal conflicts. Their presence, in itself, is not automatically an indictment of the side they choose to support.</div>
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Other individuals, honest ones, sometimes make errors in judgment because of inadequate information or because of flawed methods of judging. Will a movement die as a result of honest errors that lead to a split? It should not. If individuals on both sides genuinely support the defining principles of the movement, then those individuals will continue working toward the original common goals even after an unfortunate and unnecessary split. While there might then be two smaller streams, with little socializing between them, they might be even more effective in changing the society around them. The reason is that after a split there would be two sets of voices calling for essentially the same changes in society. An increase in the number of voices advocating a certain idea will, other factors being equal, improve chances of success.[2]</div>
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<b>EFFECT OF SPLITS</b>. From the sidelines, I have witnessed several "splits" in the Objectivist movement. The seemingly most destructive was the split in the late 1960s following Ayn Rand's disavowal of <a href="http://www.checkingpremises.org/Brandens">Nathaniel Branden</a>. The Nathaniel Branden Institute at that time was the only institutional voice for Objectivism. It closed at the very time that the communist and other irrationalist movements were marching victoriously around the world. Objectivist social networks fractured, friendships ended, and heated conflict erupted. Yet, through all of that turmoil, dedicated students of Objectivism -- led by the example of Ayn Rand and Leonard Peikoff -- continued working to articulate the philosophy of Objectivism and to change the culture around them. Their successes have accumulated through the decades.</div>
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<b>CONCLUSION</b>. Internal conflict itself does not cause a movement to fail. The most rational and skilled individuals in the movement can even gain from conflict when it does emerge but cannot be amicably resolved.</div>
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Burgess Laughlin</div>
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Author, <i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i>, at <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">www.reasonversusmysticism.com</span></a></div>
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<b>[1]</b> A comment from Betsy Speicher reminded me of the importance of always asking: "By what standard?" <b>[2]</b> Yaron Brook and Onkar Ghate, of the Ayn Rand Institute, make the point about multiple voices, not splits, in their excellent 4.5-hour series of lectures, "Cultural Movements: Creating Change," at <a href="http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=participate_arc_activism">aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=participate_arc_activism</a>.</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-796169656211771238.post-32929687293019035712012-01-26T05:16:00.000-08:002012-01-26T07:10:39.240-08:00Should a movement have watchmen?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">A <a href="http://aristotleadventure.blogspot.com/2008/07/what-is-movement.html">movement</a> has no gatekeepers. That means there is no way to stop destructive individuals from <i>entering</i> the movement. Yet, there must be <a href="http://aristotleadventure.blogspot.com/2008/07/quality-control-in-movements.html">quality control</a> at some level to prevent damage to efforts to reach the goals of the movement. To detect dangers, a movement needs watchmen as lookouts.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>JOB REQUIREMENTS</b>. The individuals who choose to be watchmen and exercise quality control, in some manner and at some level, are necessarily "self-appointed." Such a function is open to anyone who sees a danger worthy of action and has the skills to take appropriate steps -- which means mainly the ability to present an objective argument proving his charges against other individuals in the movement.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Objectivity means drawing all ideas logically from facts of reality. To be objective, an indictment of one individual by another must present facts as well as an argument leading from those facts to the indictment. The <i>facts</i> must be presented with specificity; pointing in the general direction ("Look at his writings!") is not specific. The <i>argument</i> must cover the steps required to move from evidence to conclusion. The <i>indictment</i> must be clear.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Debates among various watchmen are inevitable and desirable. The accusers are akin to prosecuting attorneys. There are defendants, rightly or wrongly accused. There are also the ladies and gentlemen of the jury: anyone who studies the issues, makes a judgment, and acts accordingly. However, there is no judge to set rules of procedure. Nor is there a bailiff, a policeman, or a jailer.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>EXAMPLE APPROACHES</b>. There are many optional approaches available to watchmen who are ready to make charges. Here are two examples to consider for their particular methods:</p><p class="MsoNormal">(1) <a href="http://www.dianahsieh.com/ff/"> http://www.dianahsieh.com/ff </a></p> <p class="MsoNormal">(2) <a href="http://www.checkingpremises.org/">http://www.checkingpremises.org/</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">They are widely separated in time. In some ways, they are different in their purposes and methods. The first consists mainly of an annotated list of links to the author's own discussions on particular topics of false friends of Objectivism. The second, in most (but not all) of its tabbed pages (as of the day I viewed it), also consists mainly of links to other writings critiquing individuals the accusers think are pseudo-Objectivists. (The second site is new and the content is evolving.)</p><p class="MsoNormal">A third effort to consider is an <i>apologia</i>, a coherent essay which offers a defense against charges:</p><p class="MsoNormal">(3) <a href="http://blog.dianahsieh.com/2012/01/on-some-recent-controversies.html"> http://blog.dianahsieh.com/2012/01/on-some-recent-controversies.html</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">I have identified the particular writings above because of their virtues, whatever faults they might also have (which must be judged within the context of each project's purposes). Generally, in the links cited both sources are serious and dignified. They deal with issues, which here means individuals and their ideas. They eschew foul language, "hot headed" outbursts, hyperbole, street talk, and other symptoms of <a href="http://www.aristotleadventure.blogspot.com/2011/05/what-is-profane-culture.html">profane culture</a>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>CONCLUSION</b>. Does a movement need watchmen? Yes, to protect the movement's efforts to reach its goals. The responsibility of being watchmen is heavy. It requires diligence in research, thought, and argumentation. It also requires the strength to withstand scrutiny.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>PERSONAL NOTE: A BRIGHT FUTURE</b>. I judge a movement by the actions of its best individuals, which includes, in part, their efforts to (1) set an example for rational behavior and (2) discourage violations of etiquette. (By "etiquette" I mean principles and rules of behavior that facilitate trade among individuals in a society.)</p><p class="MsoNormal">I have been a student of Objectivism for fifty years. In looking at the best behavior of particular individuals in recent controversies, on both sides, I see some signs of increasing personal maturity and interpersonal civility -- both of which are prerequisites for the trade of ideas, a trade that strengthens a movement. I also keep in mind a generalization: In controversies, the best individuals in a movement are often quiet until they are ready to make a thoughtful statement, if one is even worth formulating.</p><p class="MsoNormal">In preparing to write <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/powerandglory.html"><i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i></a>, I read about conflicts in several movements (such as the movement to overthrow the Enlightenment). Compared to those movements, the Objectivist movement is healthy and growing stronger. For this and other reasons, I am objectively hopeful for the future of the Objectivist movement.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Burgess Laughlin</p><p class="MsoNormal">Author,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/"><i>The Power and the Glory:The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">P. S. -- I "know" some of the individuals involved in the controversy above, but only through the internet. For personal reasons, I dislike a few and I have ceased communicating with them. The issues in the sites above, however, are not personal issues, but issues of individuals accused of misrepresenting or otherwise damaging the Objectivist movement.</p> <!--EndFragment-->Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-796169656211771238.post-39650927424573267092012-01-18T07:34:00.000-08:002013-10-19T15:17:31.501-07:00Ayn Rand on Selecting a Presidential Candidate?In Vol. 3, No. 3 (March, 1964) of <i>The Objectivist Newsletter</i>, Ayn Rand published "Check Your Premises," an essay that offers "a few basic considerations, as guidelines in deciding what one can properly expect of a political candidate, particularly of a presidential candidate" (p. 9, col. 1). What were those guidelines?<br />
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<i>(Caution: My notes below are not comprehensive. The following quotations are passages that I have selected because I think they make points applicable to all times, including our own. Occasionally I have summarized intermediate steps in her presentation. Reader, beware. Read the article for yourself; you can purchase the <i>TON</i> collection at the Ayn Rand estore or, printed, on Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Objectivist-Newsletter-1962-1965-Ayn-Rand/dp/1561141496">http://www.amazon.com/Objectivist-Newsletter-1962-1965-Ayn-Rand/dp/1561141496</a>/.)</i><br />
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<b>A FOCUS ON POLITICAL PRINCIPLES</b>. "One cannot expect, nor is it necessary, to agree with a candidate's <i>total</i> philosophy -- only with his <i>political</i> philosophy (and only in terms of essentials). It is not a Philosopher-King that we are electing, but an executive for a specific, delimited job. It is only a <i>political</i> consistency that we can demand of him; if he advocates the right political principles for the wrong metaphysical reasons, the contradiction is <i>his</i> problem, not ours" (<i>TON</i>, March, 1964, p. 9, col. 1).<br />
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<i>(Does the statement above mean that Ayn Rand was advocating either (1) not investigating or (2) ignoring the results of an investigation of a candidate's more fundamental principles, that is, his metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics? I think she was advocating neither. Why?<br /><br />1. Six months earlier, in "A Suggestion," October, 1963, <i>TON</i>, p. 40, col. 2, Ayn Rand -- who always emphasized (a) the causal nature of fundamental ideas and (b) the necessity of non-contradictory integration -- said, "If [the candidate] ... should ... tie his candidacy to some doctrine of a mystical nature -- we will, of course, be free not to vote for him." That means, I think, one cannot evaluate what a candidate says about his principles in isolation from his ethical, epistemological, and metaphysical roots.<br /><br />2. Two years earlier, in the first question in the Intellectual Ammunition Department of the March, 1962, <i>TON</i>, Barbara Branden, then writing under the editorship and approval of Ayn Rand, said: "A rational advocate of capitalism should repudiate any individual or group that links capitalism to the supernatural. He commits treason to his own cause if and when he cooperates with the mystical 'conservatives', if and when he sanctions them as creditable spokesmen for the cause of freedom." The immediate context was different, but I think the guideline applies to voting as well as to campaigning for a candidate.<br /><br />These two earlier quotations show, I think, that Ayn Rand was not advocating an evaluation of a candidate's statements of political principle in isolation from the remainder of his philosophy.)</i><br />
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<b>PRINCIPLES VS. PARTICULAR POSITIONS</b>. "If [the candidate] has mixed premises," Ayn Rand writes, "we have to judge him ... by his dominant trend. ... A vote for a candidate does not constitute an endorsement of his entire position, not even of his entire political position, only of his basic political principles." (<i>TON</i>, March, 1964, p. 9, col. 1).<br />
<br />
A particular position -- such as advocating withdrawal from the United Nations -- is not a principle. It is, Ayn Rand says, a "concrete." A candidate's "view on whether a nation should or should not protect its sovereignty <i>is</i> a principle, which covers many issues besides the U. N." (<i>TON</i>, March, 1964, p. 9, col. 1).<br />
<br />
"If a candidate evades, equivocates and hides his stand under a junk-heap of random concretes, we must add up those concretes and judge him accordingly. If his stand is mixed, we must evaluate it by asking: Will he protect freedom or destroy the last of it? Will he accelerate, delay or stop the march toward statism?" (<i>TON</i>, March, 1964, p. 9, col. 2)<br />
<br />
<b>A VOTER'S RANGE OF CHOICES</b>. "[O]ften, particularly in recent times, a voter chooses merely the lesser of two evils" (<i>TON</i>, March, 1964, p.10, col. 2).<br />
<br />
"There are many forms of protest open to us, if [an unacceptable candidate is actually nominated]: we can vote for a write-in candidate of our own choice -- or vote a straight Republican ticket, leaving the presidential and vice-presidential spaces blank -- or vote a mixed ticket -- or vote for any Democrat who is not fully committed to statism -- or not vote at all. But we cannot vote for the proposition [held by some self-styled Republican "mainstream" candidates] that we, as advocates of capitalism, are lunatics -- or for the candidate who so regards us" (<i>TON</i>, March, 1964, p. 12, col. 1).<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>A CHOICE OF INCOMMENSURATE EVILS?</b> Sometimes both major candidates are philosophically unqualified, but one represents a short-term, grave danger, a danger so great that even subsequent free elections are threatened by his becoming president. Ayn Rand wrote about one such situation, the electoral conflict between Richard Nixon and George McGovern:<br />
<br />
"I am not an admirer of President Nixon ... but I urge every able-minded voter ... to vote for Nixon -- as a matter of national emergency. This is no longer an issue of choosing the lesser of two commensurate evils. The choice is between a flawed candidate representing Western Civilization -- and the perfect candidate of its primordial enemies. If there were some campaign organization called 'Anti-Nixonites for Nixon', it would name my position. The worst thing said about Nixon is that he cannot be trusted, which is true; he cannot be trusted to save this country. But one thing is certain: McGovern can be trusted to destroy it." (Quoted to me by Robert LeChevalier, as coming from "Preview," an article which appeared through three issues, Nos. 22, 23, and 24, of Vol. 1 of <i>The Ayn Rand Letter</i>; the quoted passage, RL says, comes from No. 22. I no longer own a copy of <i>TARL</i>.)<br />
<b><br /></b>
The problem here is deciding whether a particular election involves a choice of two incommensurate evils -- that is, inconsistent destruction caused by one candidate's <i>pragmatic</i> <i>folly</i> versus consistent destruction caused by the other candidate's principled, <i>ideological</i> <i>design</i>.<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></b>
<b>GENERAL PERSPECTIVE ON ELECTIONS</b>. "An election campaign is not the cause, but the effect and the product of a culture's intellectual trends. It is, perhaps, too early to fight for capitalism on the level of practical politics, in a culture devoid of any intellectual base for capitalism" (<i>TON</i>, March, 1964, p. 12, col. 1).<br />
<br />
The full article contains many other insights applicable to today. It also provides detailed examples that illustrate the guidelines Ayn Rand offers.<br />
<br />
<b>SUMMARY</b>. As an answer to the <i>historical</i> question -- What were Ayn Rand's guidelines for voting? -- I say she generally recommended focusing on the <i>fundamental</i> <i>political</i> <i>principles</i> of each candidate, while being alert to the candidate's deeper philosophy if the candidate himself tied his politics to mysticism.<br />
<br />
<b>MY ELABORATION</b>. If, as I think, a John Locke sort of candidate were to say, "I have faith in God; he created man; he gave man the faculty of reason for living in this world; and reason leads us to the need for a free society," then such a candidate would be acceptable because his supernaturalism and mysticism are detachable, so to speak, in public political discussions. We have common ground with the idea that man is a rational animal.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, if a candidate says, "I have faith that God created man; man is corrupt; and his faculty of understanding is too limited to justify having power over others -- except that we must ban sinful behavior, at least at the local level, and wage a perpetual war of sacrifice against our foreign religious enemies," then the candidate is not acceptable.<br />
<br />
Today another main type of candidate is the Pragmatist. (In the 1964 article, Ayn Rand discusses political pragmatism in detail.) By definition, we cannot discover his essential principles because he has no principles and therefore his job performance is unpredictable. In my view, the Pragmatist is dangerous because he can be attacked for imputed principles that he does not actually hold. Today a Republican pragmatist becomes "Mr. Capitalism" to his Democratic collectivist opponents.<br />
<br />
With Ayn Rand's guidelines, making a choice is easier.<br />
<br />
Burgess Laughlin<br />
Author, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/"><i>The Power and the Glory:The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i></a>Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-796169656211771238.post-48706407032929011372012-01-16T06:29:00.001-08:002012-03-24T04:47:43.254-07:00An Activist's Choices<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><b>This post is a set of notes, not a treatise. I am basing it on my experience, my reading of history (especially for<i> <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">The Power and the Glory</a></i>), and my observation of activists during my fifty years as a student of Objectivism.</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>WHAT IS ACTIVISM?</b> If you design and build skyscrapers, you are an architect; if you campaign to eliminate your city's controls on construction, you are an activist. If you make steel rails, you are a manufacturer; if you speak against tariffs on imported steel, you are an activist. If you are hired to explain elementary math to children, you are a teacher; if you work with others to abolish governmental schools, you are an activist.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">If you are in business, then offering a product on the market directly benefits both you and your customers. You and they are traders. In contrast, <b><a href="http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=participate_arc_activism">activism</a></b> for objective people means taking some form of action in society to improve the social <i>circumstances</i> in which individuals trade material and spiritual values. The benefits of activism are indirect.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">An activist is free to choose his subject matter, scope of operation, form of action, and other factors. The choices are personal; they are shaped by one's intelligence, ability to learn new skills, and, most of all, one's deepest personal values.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">In the battle for a more objective society, the battleground is wide. On one side are ranks of the enemy, standing shoulder to shoulder from one end of the battleground to the other end. They control or threaten every aspect of life. On the other side, the side of advocates for a more <i>objective</i> society, there are many empty spaces waiting to be filled by revolutionaries.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>THE CHOICES TO MAKE</b>. Following are some of the factors that an activist can consider in planning his activism. Planning is important because successful activism requires a long effort -- to accumulate skills, acquire specialized knowledge of subject matter, select allies, and make contacts in the appropriate media (decision influencers) and centers of power (the decision makers).</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>Which Issue?</b> The essential factor in activism -- the factor that shapes many of the other factors -- is the issue you choose to work on. Beyond that, the order of the factors to consider is generally optional.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Example issues are: Regulations enforced by your local government's "Planning Bureau"; the international slave trade; the national prohibition against narcotics; the lack of civility in debate and discussion; ignorance or antipathy toward the scientific method; racism; legislative threats to your profession; altruism vs. egoism in personal life and politics; the latest in a long series of attempted tax increases proposed by your state legislature; or the whole deluge of philosophical, social, and political problems in general.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://individualrightsgovernmentwrongs.com/category/about/">Brian Phillips</a>, author of <a href="http://individualrightsgovernmentwrongs.com/"><i>Individual Rights and Government Wrongs: A Defense of Capitalism As the Only Social System That is Both Moral and Practical</i></a>, has chosen to write broadly about government and individual rights. He has spoken out for years in his own weblog, in a local activist network, and in national publications.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>Specialist or generalist?</b> Rather than choose a special, long-term interest, an activist can be a generalist. That means keeping up with the ever-changing parade of issues that are "hot topics" for the mass media and their audiences. Being a successful generalist requires an ability to quickly study an issue, uncover the deeper principles involved, learn the particulars of a few examples, and develop a rational alternative to the present problem.</p><p class="MsoNormal">The danger of general activism is shallowness; and generalists speaking in public forums cannot speak authoritatively. They are therefore less persuasive than specialists who have long studied the issue and practiced presenting their side to a variety of audiences. On the other hand, specialized activists must be prepared to be out of the spotlight of mass media attention most of the time -- and then be in the center of the spotlight for a brief but intense time. Socialized vs. free market medical care is an example of an issue that comes and goes in public attention; the specialists quietly continue their work regardless of the immediate attention they receive.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">An example of a specialist is <a href="http://fawstin.blogspot.com/">Bosch Fawstin</a>, a highly accomplished illustrator and graphic-novelist who focuses on fighting Islamic aggression. He also <a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2011/12/02/non-muslim-muslims-and-the-jihad-against-the-west/">writes</a> and <a href="http://www.davidhorowitztv.com/restorationweekend/2011/371-muslims">speaks</a> out in radio interviews and at conferences.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Geographic scope?</b> An activist can work on an issue in a geographic area small enough that he can easily and repeatedly meet, face to face, all the individuals involved. For example, a local activist could meet the city council members who are considering privatizing city-owned utilities, as well as the other activists who want privatization or who oppose it. Or an activist can work on a larger scale: county, state, region, nation, or world. An example of the last are the activists who work in organizations such as <a href="http://www.amnestyusa.org/">Amnesty International</a>, which pressures governments to release "prisoners of conscience," individuals imprisoned for their beliefs, not for crimes of aggression or fraud. (I am using AI as an example, not endorsing all of its actions; I did volunteer work for AI about 35 years ago, but I have had little contact with AI since then.)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>Pro, con, or mixed?</b> In your activism do you want to <i>mainly</i> express support for an objective alternative -- such as explaining the nature and benefits of science -- or do you want to <i>mainly</i> oppose a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>threat -- such as a particular organization (like the Council on American-Islamic Relations), particular news agency (<i>The New York Times</i>), or even a particular fallacy (like the Broken Window)? If you mix the positive and negative approaches, the proportions are of course optional.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Alex Epstein is the founder and director of the <a href="http://centerforindustrialprogress.com/">Center for Industrial Progress</a>. A model activist -- indeed an activist "entrepreneur" -- he calls his positive approach <a href="http://centerforindustrialprogress.com/2012/01/13/the-power-of-aspirational-advocacy/">"aspirational advocacy"</a>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>In-line or off-line? </b> Do you want to make your activism an application of your <a href="http://aristotleadventure.blogspot.com/2008/05/what-is-central-purpose-in-life.html">central purpose in life</a> (CPL)? That approach is <a href="http://aristotleadventure.blogspot.com/2008/08/what-is-in-line-activism.html">in-line activism</a>, which means your activism is in line with, an extension of, or application of your productive purpose in life. An example would be a nuclear engineer who, in the evenings and on the weekends, fights political restrictions on building nuclear power plants.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Or do you want to move <a href="http://aristotleadventure.blogspot.com/2008/08/in-line-vs-off-line-activism.html">away from your CPL</a> to pick an area of activism that has a deep personal value but no direct connection to your CPL -- as when an accountant decides to fight drug laws because he sees the destruction such laws cause.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">One example of an "in-line" activist is Paul Hsieh, MD. He is the founder of the weblog <a href="http://blog.westandfirm.org/2012/01/hsieh-dp-lte-on-acos.html"><i>Freedom and Individual Rights in Medicine</i></a>. He writes letters to editors, "op-eds," and other essays, criticizing proposed and current statist medical programs or advocating separation of Medicine and State. His portfolio has grown steadily through years of effort.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>Social relationships?</b> Do you want to work alone (for example, writing letters to editors). Or would you like to network with other activists focused on the same issue? Or do you want to associate with like-minded individuals on a series of intense but occasional, ad hoc projects (such as a temporary committee opposing a proposed state tax increase). Or would you prefer to be the founder or employee of an institution such as the <a href="http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_arc">Ayn Rand Center for Individual </a><a href="http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_arc">Rights</a>? Examples are <a href="http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=staff_arc_employees">employees</a> of <a href="http://www.aynrand.org/">The Ayn Rand Institute</a>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Jared Rhoads, founder of <a href="http://lucidicus.org/">The Lucidicus Project</a>, works directly with medical students who are looking for a philosophical foundation for freedom in medicine.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Cognitive level?</b> To be most effective, all activism for a more objective society must be an integration of the deepest philosophical principles and the most particular facts. Which do you mainly want to focus on -- for example, propagating principles (such as rational egoism vs. altruism) or working with legislators to change the details of certain existing or proposed laws?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">In other words, in the stream of <a href="http://aristotleadventure.blogspot.com/2008/04/philosophical-ripples.html">philosophical ripples</a> from the philosopher to the man in the street, do you want to be mainly a philosophical activist, an intellectual activist (who applies philosophical principles to current issues and offers alternative solutions), a principled political activist (stressing the guiding principles of proper government), or a political tactician who takes care of the detailed "mechanics" of political campaigns, such as scheduling a candidate's speaking engagements and so forth?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>Apply a particular skill set you already have?</b> Are you now a researcher, writer, accountant, filmmaker, office manager, speaker, salesman, trainer, legal adviser, clerk, or website designer? Would you like to do the work you love, but for an activist organization whose goals you support? The <a href="http://www.ij.org/">Institute for Justice</a> may be an example of such an organization.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>What medium?</b> Through what medium do you expect to propagate ideas -- writing (speeches, weblog posts, magazine articles, books), speaking (in online or face-to-face interviews on radio or TV, or to "live" audiences); or focused personal communication in which you are a salesman?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>Investment of time and money?</b> Do you want to eventually work full-time as an activist, or do you want to devote part of your time each week? How much of your own money are you willing to invest in your activism; or would you like to find or create a job as an activist? Mike Neibel, author of the weblog <i>Mike's Eyes</i>, engages in a part-time, low-expense <a href="http://mikeseyes.blogspot.com/2012/02/more-part-time-objectivist-activism.html">form of activism</a>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>A small-scale example</b>. My own activism is the one I know best. In influence, it is very small scale -- but I love doing it. The issue that fascinates me is broad: the war between reason and mysticism in our time. I am "specializing" in that war, but in certain <a href="http://reasonversusmysticism.blogspot.com/2009/08/theme-questions.html">defined ways</a>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Since I am retired (I am 67), I can devote full time to it. However, my activism is a by-product of my continuing central purpose in life, which is to tell success stories from history. Two earlier products of that central purpose in life are <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/"><i>The Aristotle Adventure</i> and <i>The Power and the Glory</i></a>. Indirectly both support my activism. They help spread ideas I support.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The next major product I plan to create is also a book (in eight or ten years). Between now and then, intermediate products will be mainly the posts I write for my weblog, <a href="http://reasonversusmysticism.blogspot.com/"><i>The Main Event</i></a>, but occasionally other, related articles such as book reviews for <i><a href="http://www.theobjectivestandard.com/objectivist-magazine.asp">The Objective Standard</a>, </i><a href="http://www.theobjectivestandard.com/issues/2010-fall/neoconservatism-thompson-brook.asp">here</a> and <a href="http://www.theobjectivestandard.com/issues/2011-summer/anti-intellectualism.asp">here</a>. Those short-term writings are, in effect, entries in my work journal; they should become a base for the book.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">As I learned initially from philosopher Ayn Rand, fighting for a better world is in fact living in a better world, a world in which I meet individuals who share my values, and we take action toward those values.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">If you do choose to become an activist, welcome to a better world.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Burgess Laughlin</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Author,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/"><i>The Power and the Glory:The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i></a></p> <!--EndFragment-->Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-796169656211771238.post-27891629629049121172011-10-02T06:33:00.000-07:002011-10-06T14:20:22.538-07:00The Most Important Books in My Life<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">At 67, I am beginning the last phase of my life. I am looking back, and one pattern I see is the role of books in my development. They awakened in me the possibility of a life worth living; they helped me solve personal problems that threatened my progress; and they provided the particular information I needed to achieve my four highest personal values: my work, my free-range lifestyle, my friendships, and my favorite leisure activity, reading fiction for happy endings.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">The list that follows is a salute to the authors of the books that have enriched my life. The list may also remind those who labor to write books that your writings do have influence, even though you may never see the results.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">The following list is organized by category, but the categories are roughly chronological in terms of their first appearance in my life. Not included are the earliest books and comics; none stand out to me now, though I remember reading them avidly for the action and for the exotic situations, as in the long series of Tarzan comics.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">1. FICTION. At the age of 12. around 1956, I read Carey Rockwell's <i><b>Stand by for Mars!</b></i> (1952). This Tom Corbett Space Cadet Adventure, written for a juvenile audience, is a story of ambition, extraordinary circumstances, and success. It was one of many science fiction stories -- particularly of "future history" -- that I consumed in the following 20 years. (In junior high school, I was intrigued by history but could not make sense of it as a system.)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">At about age 15, I began reading Conan Doyle's many <b>Sherlock Holmes</b> short stories. They introduced me to a logical mind, one that explicitly begins with sense-perceptible facts and proceeds to a conclusion that solves a problem -- all in exotic conditions uncovered in everyday life. What I yearned for at this time was a methodical way of dealing with life. I went through a period of near-suicidal depression.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">Over the years, I learned that one question matters most in selecting fiction: Would I want to be alive in the world this storyteller has created? I can now answer "Yes!" for casual fiction writers such as Louis L'Amour (<i>Utah Blaine</i>), Rex Stout (Nero Wolfe series), Agatha Christie (Miss Marple series), Robert B. Parker (Spencer series and Randall series), Tolkien (<i>Lord of the Rings</i> trilogy only) and Keith Laumer. They are the writers whose stories I have collected, kept, and will read again and again until the end.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">2. PHILOSOPHY. At the age of 17, in March of 1961, I watched a morning television show, an interview of Ayn Rand about her recently published book, <i><b>For the New Intellectual: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand</b></i>. Her book offered the elements of a framework for viewing my world and my life as a whole. The book, especially the title essay, introduced me not only to her philosophy, Objectivism, but also to the subject that would become the core of my life: the history of the lives of the philosophers. I soon read Ayn Rand's novels and -- by writing to the address printed at the end of <i>Atlas Shrugged</i> -- began obtaining the few, short, nonfiction works that were slowly emerging. I now had the framework I needed, but understanding it and applying it would require a long time. Fifty-one years after seeing that interview, I am still learning and applying.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">3. HISTORY. In a Medieval History class at Tulane University, around 1964, I read sections of R. R. Bolgar's <i><b>The Classical Heritage and Its Beneficiaries</b></i>. It gave me details that showed that ideas cause history, as Ayn Rand had held. Since then I have purchased hundreds of books on history. A few admirable examples are: John Marenbon, <i>Early Medieval Philosophy</i> and <i>Later Medieval Philosophy</i>; Frederic C. Lane, <i>Venice, a Maritime Republic</i>; and Frederick C. Beiser, <i>The Fate of Reason: German Philosophy from Kant to Fichte</i>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">4. MONEY. When I began working my first professional job, as a writer in a marketing department of an electronics company, I followed the advice of a woman I met there; she was a refugee from the failed 1956 Hungarian Revolution: "Live on one paycheck, and invest the next one." I paid my debts from school and began to look for ways to invest for the future. I wanted to retire early. (The men in my family died young; so, I was told, I should expect the same.) That was around 1969. I read a variety of books on "Austrian" economics and a few on personal investment. The one book that best represents that stream of books is Harry Browne's much later <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><i><b>Why the Best-Laid Investment Plans Usually Go Wrong: How You Can Find Safety and Profit in an Uncertain World</b></i>. I retired at age 45. I have followed Browne's "permanent portfolio" idea for 35 years. (I generally ignored the other half of the book, on a "variable portfolio.")</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">5. HEALTH. I faced heart disease at the age of 30. A wise doctor gave me a choice: take drugs for the remainder of my life or change my lifestyle. I chose the latter. Among other books, I read <i><b>Live Longer Now: The First 100 Years of Your Life</b></i> (1974) by Nathan Pritikin and others. (I have not studied the current version of the Pritikin Program.) Within 15 months, by following its guidelines, I lost 75 pounds and banished my heart disease.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">Fifteen years later, my long, cascading series of other <a href="http://anti-itisdiet.blogspot.com/2007/10/history-of-inflammation.html">medical problems</a> accelerated. Two books, which I read around 2002, led me to solutions to many of the problems. The first, which I still use, is for posture correction: Pete Egoscue's <i><b>Pain Free: A Revolutionary Method for Stopping Chronic Pain</b></i>. The second did not solve my many inflammation problems directly, but it did lead me to a diagnostic tool (an elimination diet) and then to a dietary solution: <i><b>The McDougall Program: 12 Days to Dynamic Health</b></i>, by John A. McDougall, MD. Thanks to Egoscue and McDougall, years of physical misery were coming to an end.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">Books have provided information and fuel, and thus they have helped me shape my life to be what I wanted it to be. Thank you, to all the writers who labored so long and hard.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">Burgess Laughlin</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">Author,<span> </span><a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/"><i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i></a></span></p>Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-796169656211771238.post-58817367884085491252011-05-08T04:06:00.000-07:002011-09-26T05:30:58.259-07:00What is profane culture?<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">This is the last in a series of three posts sketching my preliminary understanding of </span><a href="http://aristotleadventure.blogspot.com/2011/04/what-is-democratic-culture.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">democratic</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, </span><a href="http://aristotleadventure.blogspot.com/2011/04/what-does-sacred-mean.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">sacred</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, and profane culture.</span></b><br /><br />In an online column, Dennis Prager, a tireless advocate of Judaism, discusses a song, "Fuck You," nominated in 2010 to be the Grammy Awards' Record of the Year. Prager says:<br /><br /><i>[T]he music industry, from producers to artists, is largely populated by people who regard social and cultural norms as stifling. Their professional lives are dedicated to lowering that which is elevated, to destroying that which uplifts, and to profaning that which is held sacred</i>.[1]<br /><br />A "song" such as "Fuck You" is considered profane by Prager because he holds that all individuals, as the creatures of a perfect God, deserve respect. (The term "fuck" also demeans sexuality.) In a religious context, a profane act is one that violates, demeans, or affronts the sacred, where "sacred" refers to God or something closely related to God.[2]<br /><br /><b>SECULAR EXAMPLES</b>. I think the concept "profane" is valid in an objective, secular context as well. The <b>profane</b> is that which violates, demeans, or affronts the sacred in man. (See the previous post, "What does 'sacred' mean?")<br /><br />The weapons in the profane assault on the sacred in man include the following.<br /><br />1. <i>Speech</i>, in many forms. The issue here is not a curse or other expression that pops from my subconscious after I accidentally drop a brick on my foot. Instead the issue is the conscious choice of a word that assaults one's sense of the sacred. Examples include: (a) "Trash talk," which is "disparaging, taunting, or boastful comments especially between opponents trying to intimidate each other" (The Merriam-Webster online dictionary). Trash talk is communication used between individuals who are in conflict with each other, not trading with each other. Trash talk thus abandons <b>etiquette</b> -- the set of rules and principles designed to facilitate trade between individuals for mutually selfish benefit in society.[3] (b) Sexual terms used as a verbal assault and expressed in demeaning slang ("screw you"). (c) Terms that reduce a value-charged situation to a foul concrete ("makes me vomit"). (d) Slang terms for human organs or bodily functions -- when they do not even need to be named in a particular context -- often with a psychologically revealing special focus on excretion ("sack of shit," "pissed off"). (e) Unearned, undignified, and unwelcome familiarity ("Hey, bro!" or individuals as "folks"). (f) Gangster ("gangsta") talk, including terms of violence and denigration of others. (g) Foul language in general, including fig-leaf acronyms ("WTF").<br /><br />2. <i>Ways of dress</i>, such as shoes with intentionally untied laces, sagging pants, and torn clothing (as a sign of "poverty chic") -- all for "effect."<br /><br />3. <i>Personal mannerisms</i> such as slouching or moving in a deliberately jerky or otherwise undignified manner.<br /><br />4. <i>"Art"</i> that demeans the sacred, directly or indirectly -- such as "gangsta rap" or a painting of a beautiful woman whose skin is marred by disease.<br /><br />5. <i>Styles of confrontation</i> with other individuals, such as an "in your face" style of speaking that is loud, harsh, insulting, condescending, or physically an invasion of the victim's personal space.<br /><br />6. <i>Graffiti and other forms of vandalism</i>, as assaults on property rights and other values.<br /><br />7. <i>Ridicule of an objective valuer</i>, for example, laughing at the holder of objective values by belittling his accent or weight -- allegedly as "humor."<br /><br />8. <i>Attacking someone while avoiding responsibility</i>, for example, by hiding behind the verbal shield of "jus' saying'" or "just kidding." This approach also denies the target the dignity of being faced openly and honestly, as well as respect for his ability to defend himself as a rational being.<br /><br /><b>ORIGINS OF PROFANE CULTURE?</b>. I see two possible causes of widespread, sustained profane culture -- psychological and philosophical. The common psychological cause -- easily observed and traced to its roots -- is envy, which is hatred of superiority (real or imagined), or, as philosopher Ayn Rand stated it, "hatred of the good for being the good."[4]<br /><br />The philosophically motivated democratic movement strives to make everyone equal, often at the price of lowering the high. Is it the cause of profane culture, which tears down the sacred? I seldom see serious, long-term advocates of democratic culture explicitly encourage profanation. What I do see is advocates of democratic culture sanctioning profanation by remaining silent about it. In my experience in speaking with advocates of democratic culture, their usual justification for silence and sanction is their claim that profane culture is merely another manifestation of the culture of "the people" and therefore deserves toleration.<br /><br /><b>APPLICATION. </b>The kind of world I want to live in is one that rejects the profane and reveres the objectively sacred. Profane culture appears in the lives of upholders of the sacred only if there are no gatekeepers for the sacred or if the gatekeepers are lax. "Open" online discussion groups -- in which any anonymous person can say anything -- are an example.<br /><br /><i>Making Progress</i> is not an "open" discussion group. Your respectful comments -- additions, deletion, or corrections -- about my notes above are welcome.<br /><br />Burgess Laughlin, author, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/"><i>The Power and the Glory:The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i></a>, at http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com<br /><br /><b>[1]</b> Dennis Prager, "'F_ _ _ You' from the Music Industry," in "Dennis's Columns," at <a href="http://www.dennisprager.com/columns.aspx?g=e952f04d-ae6b-4187-accb-fc26591ed637&url=f---_you_from_the_music_industry">dennisprager.com/columns.aspx?g=e952f04d-ae6b-4187-accb-fc26591ed637&url=f---_you_from_the_music_industry</a>. For more on my philosophically negative but personally mixed views of Dennis Prager, see: <a href="http://reasonversusmysticism.blogspot.com/2010/03/prager-on-reason-and-mysticism.html">reasonversusmysticism.blogspot.com/2010/03/prager-on-reason-and-mysticism.html</a> and <a href="http://reasonversusmysticism.blogspot.com/2010/08/dennis-prager-mystic-activist.html">http://reasonversusmysticism.blogspot.com/2010/08/dennis-prager-mystic-activist.html</a>. <b>[2]</b> For a Christian's discussion of sacred and profane in a religious context, with Biblical quotations: <a href="http://jackhammer.wordpress.com/2008/02/21/sacred-common-and-profane-culture/">jackhammer.wordpress.com/2008/02/21/sacred-common-and-profane-culture/</a>. <b>[3]</b> For discussion of insults: <a href="http://aristotleadventure.blogspot.com/2008/07/cause-of-history-ideas-or-insults.html">aristotleadventure.blogspot.com/2008/07/cause-of-history-ideas-or-insults.html</a>. <b>[4]</b> For the concept of <a href="http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/envy-hatred_of_the_good_for_being_the_good.html">envy</a> in Ayn Rand's philosophy, Objectivism: Ayn Rand, "Envy," <i>The Ayn Rand Lexicon</i>.Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-796169656211771238.post-42086027395572100522011-04-30T06:52:00.000-07:002011-05-06T07:26:21.362-07:00What does "sacred" mean?<b><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal; font-family:arial, serif;font-size:small;">This is the second in a series of three posts sketching my preliminary understanding of democratic, sacred, and profane culture.</span></div><div><br /></div>RELIGIOUS MEANING</b>. Normally I see the term/concept "sacred" used by religious individuals, for example, Biblical writers writing about the prescribed construction of the sacred Ark of the Covenant, at Exodus 25, and the penalty of death for touching the sacred ark, at 1 Chronicles 13:9-10.[1] Religionists typically apply the term/idea of "sacred" to elements of their own religion, which is a <a href="http://aristotleadventure.blogspot.com/2007/10/worldview-philosophy-ideology.html">worldview</a> based on <a href="http://reasonversusmysticism.blogspot.com/2009/08/what-is-mysticism.html">mysticism</a>. Sometimes advocates of <b>conservatism</b> -- the ideology defined by the four essential values of God, Tradition, Nation, and Family -- use the term "sacred" to describe personal characteristics such as honor. Even then, the religionists often tie this use of the term back to their religion through such supernaturalist notions as "God-given rights."<br /><br /><b>OBJECTIVE MEANING</b>. Does "sacred" have meaning outside a religious context? Philosopher Ayn Rand (1905-1982) explains the historical background for such a concept:<br /><br /><i>But you must remember that religion is an early form of philosophy, that the first attempts to explain the universe, to give a coherent frame of reference to man's life and a code of moral values, were made by religion, before man graduated or developed enough to have a philosophy.</i>[2]<br /><br />Within that frame of reference, Ayn Rand points at<br /><br /><i>a special category of abstractions, the most exalted one, which, for centuries, as been the near monopoly of religion:</i> ethics <i>... with the emotional connotations of height, uplift, nobility, reverence, grandeur, which pertain to the realm of man's values, but which religion has arrogated to itself . . . .</i>[3]<br /><br />In a religious and therefore supernaturalist context, she explains, such concepts as "sacred" have no earthly referent. In a secular context, however, such concepts do have objective meaning. Ayn Rand continues:<br /><br /><i>What, then, is their source or referent in reality? It is the entire emotional realm of man's dedication to a moral ideal. ... It is this highest level of man's emotion that has to be redeemed from the murk of mysticism and redirected at its proper object: man.</i>[4] ...<br /><br /><i>[Consider] the look on a child's face when he grasps the answer to some problem he has been striving to understand. It is a radiant look of joy, of liberation, almost of triumph .... If you have seen this look, or experienced it, you know that if there is such a concept as 'sacred' -- meaning: the best, the highest possible to man-- this look is the <b>sacred</b>, the not-to-be-betrayed, the not-to-be-sacrificed for anything or anyone.</i>[5] (Bold added)<br /><br /><b>A PERSONAL DEFINITION</b>. What is the sacred in man? I use the term <b>sacred</b> to refer to those personal attributes -- and their artifacts -- that an individual requires to survive and flourish. Examples are his pride (moral ambition), his dignity, his capacity for exaltation, his central purpose in life, his faculty of reason, and his self-esteem.[6]<br /><br />I think that an objective man psychologically has a "sense of the sacred." It is an expression of his awareness -- at all times, even if only in the background of his mind -- that his life is his fundamental value and that maintaining that value requires -- as inviolable -- certain other supporting values to be sacred.<br /><br />A man who has a sense of the sacred does not laugh at himself; nor does he sanction diminution by others. A man who has a sense of the sacred is dignified and he is respectful to others -- as were the moral characters of Ayn Rand's novels and as was the novelist herself.[7] A man who has a sense of the sacred is a man who strives to be the best he can be in all ways -- from the quality of his work, at whatever level it may be, to his manner of dress and style of speaking. In contrast, a profane man not only accepts low standards, he flaunts them.<br /><br /><i>Next post: What is profane culture?</i><br /><br />Burgess Laughlin, author, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/"><i>The Power and the Glory:The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i></a>, at http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com<br /><br /><b>[1]</b> For a Christian's discussion of sacred and profane in a religious context, with Biblical quotations: Kent Brandenburg, "The Culture War: Sacred, Common, and Profane Culture," Feb. 21, 2008, on the weblog <i>Jack Hammer</i>, at: <a href="http://jackhammer.wordpress.com/2008/02/21/sacred-common-and-profane-culture/">http://jackhammer.wordpress.com/2008/02/21/sacred-common-and-profane-culture/</a>. Brandenburg rejects multiculturalism, egalitarianism, skepticism, and other modern ideas that undermine the idea of the sacred in Christianity. He is a clear and entertaining writer -- and a worthy opponent in the war between reason and mysticism. <b>[2]</b> For the quoted passage: Ayn Rand, "Playboy's Interview with Ayn Rand," pamphlet, p. 10, cited in <i>The Ayn Rand Lexicon</i>, under "Religion," p. 411. <b>[3]</b> For the quoted passage: Ayn Rand, "Playboy's Interview with Ayn Rand," pamphlet, p. 10, cited in <i>The Ayn Rand Lexicon</i>, under "Religion," p. 414. <b>[4]</b> For the quoted passage: Ayn Rand, "Introduction to <i>The Fountainhead</i>", 25th Anniversary Edition, reproduced in <i>The Ayn Rand Lexicon</i>, p. 415, excerpted from <i>The Objectivist</i>, March 1968, p. 4. <b>[5]</b> For the quoted passage: Ayn Rand, "Sacred," in <i>The Ayn Rand Lexicon</i>, quoting from "Requiem for Man," <i>Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal</i>, p. 303. <b>[6]</b> For the meaning of "exaltation," see Andy Clarkson's inspiring and informative collection of comments, at his weblog, <i>Exalted Moments</i>, <a href="http://exaltedmoments.blogspot.com/">http://exaltedmoments.blogspot.com</a>. The antidote for encountering elements of profane culture is the experience of one's own exalted moments or even merely the observation of others' exalted moments. <b>[7]</b> In Ayn Rand's novels, examples of moral characters, at various levels of achievement, having a "sense of the sacred" are Howard Roark (<i>The Fountainhead</i>), Austin Heller (<i>The Fountainhead</i>), John Galt (<i>Atlas Shrugged</i>), and Dagny Taggart (<i>Atlas Shrugged</i>). (For the latter, I am thinking in particular of the scene in which Dagny Taggart kills the guard outside the torture chamber.) For glimpses of Ayn Rand's own sense of the sacred, study Scott Connell, <i>100 Voices: An Oral History of Ayn Rand</i>, available at the <a href="http://www.aynrandbookstore2.com/default.asp">Ayn Rand Bookstore</a>.Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-796169656211771238.post-34850065776623626062011-04-24T14:12:00.000-07:002011-05-06T07:25:35.837-07:00What is democratic culture?<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">This is the first in a series of three posts sketching my preliminary understanding of democratic, sacred, and profane culture.</span></span></div><div><br /></div>Understanding a culture in a particular period involves identifying not only the elements of that culture, but their interrelationships too. Are there patterns among the cultural elements? Which of the elements are causes and which are the effects?[1] This post is a sketch of one pattern among many in the overall culture of America today.<br /><br /><b>ORIGIN</b>. The <b>democratic movement</b> is the <a href="http://aristotleadventure.blogspot.com/2008/07/what-is-movement.html">movement</a> of individuals who are striving to establish and expand a democratic society.[2] The term "democracy," for these individuals, names a concept that covers far more than only a particular form of government. One democratic activist, Yale University professor of constitutional law Jack M. Balkin, explains his view of democracy and identifies the root of the democratic movement:<br /><br /><i>The ultimate goal of our constitutional order is not merely to produce democratic procedures but a democratic culture: a culture in which all citizens can participate and feel that they have a stake, a culture in which unjust social privileges and status hierarchies have been disestablished. . . . Democracy inheres not only in procedural mechanisms like universal suffrage but in cultural modes like dress, language, manners, and behavior. Political egalitarianism must be nourished by cultural egalitarianism.</i>[3]<br /><br />Democratic advocate Randy Fullerton Sardis, an admirer of Balkin, elaborates:<br /><br /><i>Democratic culture is about individual liberty as well as collective self-governance; it concerns each individual's ability to participate in the production and distribution of culture. Removing the political, economical, and cultural elitists from their thrones and allowing everyone a chance to participate in the production of culture, sounds like a wonderful idea in my opinion.</i>[4]<br /><br /><b>Culture</b>, in its broadest meaning, refers to all those artifacts which can be produced by individuals in one generation and bequeathed to later generations. Democratic culture is the set of cultural elements produced by members of the democratic movement as part of their effort to create democracy.<br /><br /><b>EXAMPLES</b>. Examples of democratic culture include: magazine articles calling for "net neutrality"; rap music lyrics berating the "elite"; Harvard philosophy professor John Rawls's book <i>Theory of Justice</i> (1971); a progressive income tax used to fund redistribution of income from the most productive to the least productive; "stakeholder" organizations who try, in corporate stockholders' meetings, to influence business policies and products to benefit "the people"; tax-funded "public" libraries that give everyone equal access to information; and support for folk art or the "everyday art" of "the people."<br /><br /><b>PHILOSOPHICAL ROOTS</b>. Certain institutions are also examples of democratic culture. An <b>institution</b> is an organization designed to continue operating even after the resignation, retirement, or death of the founding members. For instance, consider one particular institution, The Center for Democratic Culture, which is housed in the Sociology Department of the University of Nevada. Its CDC Mission Statement reveals the institution's underlying philosophy:<br /><br /><i>The Center for Democratic Culture ... derives its philosophy from American pragmatism, which regards democracy as an ongoing experiment in collective living and institution building. Democracy, according to [philosopher of Pragmatism] John Dewey [1859-1952], begins at home in a neighborly community, and is first and foremost a quality of experience.</i>[5]<br /><br />"Quality of experience" is a euphemism for life in an all-encompassing culture and society of egalitarian collectivism. And that is what democratic culture is: the culture of egalitarian collectivism.<br /><br /><i>Next post in this series: "What does 'sacred' mean?"</i><br /><br />Burgess Laughlin, author, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/"><i>The Power and the Glory:The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i></a><br /><br /><b>[1]</b> For a brief explanation of the principle of cultural detection: Leonard Peikoff, <i>Ominous Parallels</i>, hardcover, pp. 143-144, the first one and a half pages of Ch. 7. <b>[2]</b> For the nature of a movement: "What is a movement?," July 5, 2008, on <i>Making Progress</i>, at <a href="http://aristotleadventure.blogspot.com/2008/07/what-is-movement.html">aristotleadventure.blogspot.com/2008/07/what-is-movement.html</a>. For an objective definition of political "democracy," as a dictatorship by the majority of a society, see: <a href="http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/democracy.html">aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/democracy.html</a>. <b>[3] </b>Jack M. Balkin, "The Declaration and the Promise of a Democratic Culture," 1999, pp. 6-7 of my printout, <a href="http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/jbalkin/articles/declar1.htm">www.yale.edu/lawweb/jbalkin/articles/declar1.htm</a>. (Caution: The text duplicates some paragraphs.) <b>[4]</b> Randy Fullerton Sardis, "What is a Democratic Culture?," Feb. 3, 2009, p. 3 of my printout, on the weblog at <a href="http://atuuschaaw.blogspot.com/2009/02/what-is-democratic-culture.html">atuuschaaw.blogspot.com/2009/02/what-is-democratic-culture.html</a>. <b>[5]</b> For the CDC's mission: <a href="http://www.unlv.edu/centers/cdclv/mission/index2.html">www.unlv.edu/centers/cdclv/mission/index2.html</a> under Mission/Statement in the upper left corner.Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-796169656211771238.post-74107662349228110892011-02-23T14:09:00.000-08:002011-02-23T14:21:24.990-08:00David Allen's "Getting Things Done," as IntegrationI recommend David Allen's book, <i>Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity</i>, New York, Penguin, 2001, 267 pages.<br /><br />Amy Peikoff has fully reviewed the book in <i>The Objective Standard</i>, <a href="http://www.theobjectivestandard.com/issues/2009-summer/david-allen.asp">here</a>. The special point I am focusing on in this post is that the Getting Things Done system is a tool of integration, at multiple levels. <br /><br />"Teaching you how to be maximally efficient <i>and</i> relaxed, whenever you need or want to be, was my main purpose in writing this book," says Allen (p. xi, emphasis added). That is what Allen does. As the subtitle says, he presents an <b>art</b>, that is, a <i>general</i> method that employs <b>judgment</b>, which uses free will and a growing body of knowledge.[1] He applies that art, which requires an investment of time to learn and automatize, to achieve both higher productivity and greater relaxation at the same time. No one needs to postpone a relaxed attitude until after work hours. That is an example of integration.<br /><br />One element of Allen's system of Getting Things Done is what I call The Total Inbox. The idea is to place everything that enters your world and demands your attention into a single depository. This is the collection phase, and it too is an instance of integration. It brings together the many channels that affect us daily: phone calls, emails, letters, requests made at meetings, and nagging demands from one's own subconscious ("I really should do something about ..."). <br /><br />The next phase, processing, performs a cognitive integration. For each input (such as a bill received in the mail) that goes into the Getting Things Done system, one must identify its nature (a legitimate request for payment), categorize it (deserves prompt but not immediate payment), and state an action that will move one a step closer to a solution (write a check on the 14th of the month). The thinking required here is a form of integration in that it identifies facts and connects them to one's values and actions. <br /><br />After the inputs are collected and initially processed, they can be organized into a systematic way of dealing with them. For me, that means a short interconnected set of lists of projects and the next-action to take for each one. Lists, however, are useless unless one reviews them regularly and then acts on them. <br /><br />Those are the four stages: Collecting, Processing, Organizing, and Reviewing. This personal management system connects the philosophical (one's hierarchy of values) to the psychological (both the random flashes of insight and the ill-timed naggings issued by the subconscious) to the existential (action in the world as it is and as one wants to make it). <br /><br />For me, David Allen's book, <i>Getting Things Done</i>, required several days to read and annotate and then another day to implement. The result has been a higher quality life, one in which I have peace of mind in knowing that I have accounted for everything within my control.<br /><br />Burgess Laughlin<br />Author of <i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i>, described <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com">here</a>.<br /><br />[1] I learned this from Harry Binswanger: <a href="http://www.hblist.com">hblist.com</a>.Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-796169656211771238.post-65078921192707259322010-10-06T03:48:00.000-07:002011-02-26T06:46:20.125-08:00Why construct a chronology?<div><br /></div><i>UPDATED Oct. 9 through Jan. 30 in the seven postscripts.</i><br /><br /><b>INTRODUCTION</b>. A <b>chronology</b> is a statement, usually in the form of a list, of the temporal order of a series of events. Ideally, a chronology identifies: a particular time, the nature of the event, and the place. A chronology ought also to identify the source of the information for each item, thus answering the question, "How do you know this person did this at this time and place?"<br /><br />The value of a chronology is three-fold. Assembling a chronology helps a researcher discover what he knows and doesn't know. When fully documented, a chronology helps the researcher check the reliability of his information. Placing events in temporal order paves the way for identifying the causal relationships, if any, between the events.<br /><br /><b>EXAMPLE</b>. Consider an example, the series of events happening around the publication of David Harriman's book, <i>The Logical Leap</i>. The following chronology is a work in progress. Two crucial pieces of information, as well as some details, are missing.<br /><br />1985. <b>Dr. Peikoff and others created The Ayn Rand Institute</b>. After Ayn Rand's death in 1982, Dr. Peikoff became the executor of her estate and her intellectual heir. [Missing: a source describing Dr. Peikoff's responsibilities as executor and intellectual heir, as he understands them.] Dr. Peikoff became ARI's first chairman of the board of directors. (Source: "Announcements". <i>The Objectivist Forum</i> 5 (6): 13–15, December 1984.)<br /><br />2001. <b>Dr. John McCaskey founded the Anthem Foundation for Objectivist Scholarship</b>. Dr. McCaskey is a professor of history and philosophy of science at Stanford University. (Source: johnmccaskey.com/resignation.html.)<br /><br />2004. <b>Dr. McCaskey joined the ARI board of directors</b>. (Source: johnmccaskey.com/resignation.html.)<br /><br />200?-200?. <b>ARI funded physicist David Harriman's writing of <i>The Logical Leap</i></b>. (Source: johnmccaskey.com/resignation.html.)<br /><br />200?-200?. <b>Dr. McCaskey discussed with David Harriman an early draft</b> of Harriman's manuscript, "The Logical Leap". Dr. McClaskey told Harriman: "The historical accounts as presented are often inaccurate, and more accurate accounts would be difficult to reconcile with the philosophical point the author is claiming to make." That quotation is Dr. McClaskey's later summary of earlier conversations. (Source: johnmccaskey.com/resignation.html.)<br /><br />June 14, 16, and 28, 2010. <b>Dr. McCaskey sent an email on each of three days to David Harriman</b>. Dr. McCaskey's emails, written as he read through <i>The Logical Leap</i>, challenged Harriman's statements in the published book. (Source: www.johnmccaskey.com/emails.html.) Apparently Dr. McCaskey received an advanced copy, weeks before the official date of publication listed on Amazon, as noted for July 6 below.)<br /><br />July 6, 2010. <b>David Harriman's book was officially published</b>. Harriman, working through NAL Trade, published <i>The Logical Leap: Induction in Physics</i>. Dr. Peikoff was the author of the Introduction. (Source: "Product Details" section of the Amazon page, www.amazon.com/dp/0451230051, as of Oct. 4, 2010.)<br /><br />July ??, 2010. <b>Dr. McCaskey and eight other academics privately discussed David Harriman's book</b>. [Missing information: Was the discussion via email or face-to-face? Did the discussion occur after the book was officially published? If so, what was the purpose of the discussion?] (Source: johnmccaskey.com/resignation.html.)<br /><br />????, ??, 2010. <b>Dr. Peikoff received a copy of emails</b> apparently sent by one or more unknown persons, who apparently were involved in the July 2010 private discussions by nine academics, to another unknown person (who apparently shared them with Dr. Peikoff), apparently relating to Dr. McCaskey's private comments about the book. (Source: the email, from Dr. Peikoff to Arline Mann, at johnmccaskey.com/resignation.html. My repeated use of "apparently" reflects the partly conjectural nature of this particular account.)<br /><br />August 30, 2010. <b>Dr. Peikoff emailed Arline Mann</b>. She is an attorney and member of the board of directors for ARI. In his email to Mann, Dr. Peikoff said, "By the way, from the emails I have seen, his [McCaskey's] disagreements are not limited to details, but often go to the heart of the philosophic principles at issue." [Missing: What are the principles to which Dr. Peikoff alludes? Do his actions follow from his responsibilities as executor and heir?] Dr. Peikoff said too that Dr. McCaskey must leave (the board of ARI, presumably) or he, Dr. Peikoff, would. [Not clear to me: What is Dr. Peikoff's current relationship to ARI and its board of directors? Was he saying that if Dr. McCaskey didn't leave, then he, Dr. Peikoff, would withdraw sanction of ARI?] (Source: johnmccaskey.com/resignation.html, which reproduces Dr. Peikoff's email, with Dr. Peikoff's permission, Dr. McCaskey says.)<br /><br />September 3, 2010. <b>Dr. McCaskey publicly announced his resignation from ARI's board</b>. (Source: Dr. McCaskey's statement at johnmccaskey.com/resignation.html.)<br /><br />September 4, 2010. <b>Dr. McCaskey's comments on and rating of Harriman's book appeared in public</b>. Dr. McCaskey wrote comments on the book in the review section of the book's Amazon page. The title of his comment is "Potentially seminal theory, but some unconventional history." He gave the book a "3" rating. (Source: the review section of the Amazon page www.amazon.com/dp/0451230051 for <i>The Logical Leap</i>.)<br /><br /><b>CRITIQUE</b>. To critique a chronology, the writer himself as well as his reviewers might ask questions such as:<br />- Is the chronology accurate, as stated?<br />- What other relevant events occurred, if any?<br />- What other information is missing? (In the example above, I have noted two missing pieces: a description of Dr. Peikoff's responsibilities as executor and heir, as he sees them; and the nature of the philosophical principles mentioned by Dr. Peikoff as appearing in private emails. Some details, such as a few dates, are also missing.)<br />- On any point, has the writer misinterpreted the sources?<br />- Are "stronger" sources available?<br />- Do any of the sources need corroboration?<br /><br />Suggestions about the construction of chronologies in general or about the example above in particular are welcome.<br /><br />Burgess Laughlin<br />Author, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/"><i>The Power and the Glory:The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i></a><br /><br />P. S. 1 (Oct. 12, 2010) -- An expanded chronology is available <a href="http://blog.dianahsieh.com/2010/10/resignation-of-john-mccaskey-facts.html">here</a>: http://blog.dianahsieh.com/2010/10/resignation-of-john-mccaskey-facts.html<br /><br />P. S. 2 (Oct. 29) -- Craig Biddle presents his argument here: <a href="http://www.craigbiddle.com/misc/mccaskey.htm">http://www.craigbiddle.com/misc/mccaskey.htm</a><br /><br />P. S. 3 (November 10) -- Leonard Peikoff makes a statement here: <a href="http://www.peikoff.com/peikoff-vs-an-ari-board-member">peikoff.com/peikoff-vs-an-ari-board-member</a><br /><br />P. S. 4 (Nov. 11) -- The Ayn Rand Institute makes a statement here: <a href="http://www.aynrand.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=26109">aynrand.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=26109</a><div><br /></div><div>P. S. 5 (Nov. 16) -- David Harriman, in "Is My Account of History 'Unconventional'?," discusses a criticism of his book at <a href="http://www.thelogicalleap.com/archives/102">thelogicalleap.com/archives/102</a>, which apparently is the first of a series of posts.</div><div><br /></div><div>P. S. 6 (Nov. 20) -- Paul Hsieh (with Diana Hsieh) publishes a closing statement (including a comment from a critic, Yaron Brook) and adds elements for the chronology of events here: <a href="http://blog.dianahsieh.com/2010/11/closing-thoughts-on-ari-peikoff-and.html">blog.dianahsieh.com/2010/11/closing-thoughts-on-ari-peikoff-and.html</a></div><div><br /></div><div>P. S. 7 (Jan. 30, 2011) In an essay "Justice for Leonard Peikoff," Glenn Jorgensen defends Dr. Peikoff by supporting -- with an extended argument (plus citations) and an example (suggested by Jorgensen) -- Peikoff's position that the issue in the conflict with Dr. McCaskey was McCaskey's repudiation of a key element of Objectivist philosophy. Jorgensen's essay appears in Brian Phillips's weblog, <i>Live Oaks</i>, on Jan. 30, 2011, here: <a href="http://txpropertyrights.blogspot.com/2011/01/justice-for-leonard-peikoff.html">txpropertyrights.blogspot.com/2011/01/justice-for-leonard-peikoff.html</a> (See also the comments by Sean Green, both here on <i>Making Progress, </i>below<i>,</i> and on <i>Live Oaks</i>.)</div>Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-796169656211771238.post-38078356629717292512010-10-04T16:56:00.000-07:002010-10-05T14:23:11.801-07:00Best approach to disputes in a movement?If I had another lifetime to live, I would like to study social movements -- for example, how they form, how they expand without losing their original purpose, and how individuals respond to the inevitable disputes among members. Intriguing movements of the past were the anti-slavery movement in the 1700-1800s, the movement to break down trade barriers in the 1800s, the movement to abolish the draft in the 1960-1970s, and the movement to abolish prohibitions against abortion, also in the 1960-1970s.<br /><br />I have been a student of Objectivism and a member of the Objectivist <a href="http://aristotleadventure.blogspot.com/2008/07/what-is-movement.html">movement</a> for almost fifty years. I have seen conflicts arise and fade away. I am learning that there is a proper procedure for outside individuals -- those who are not directly involved -- to approach these conflicts. Part of that procedure consists of asking and answering these questions:<br /><br />(1) Does the dispute deserve my attention, that is, is there justification for taking time away from pursuing my highest personal values -- my <a hef="http://aristotleadventure.blogspot.com/2008/05/what-is-central-purpose-in-life.html">central purpose in life</a>, my friendships, and my favorite and much needed recreational activities?<br /><br />(2) Exactly what is the conflict? Is it philosophical, personal, something else, or a combination?<br /><br />(3) Exactly what is the issue in dispute? If there are several issues, in what order should I resolve them?<br /><br />(4) Is all the evidence available that I need in order to make a decision about which side, if any, to support? Have I waited long enough -- usually months or even years -- for all the relevant facts to emerge? Do I have the facts straight about who did what? Are my sources -- primary and secondary -- reliable?<br /><br />(5) Do I need to make a decision now or at any time? If so, why?<br /><br />(6) If I do decide to investigate a dispute and if I uncover enough information to form a judgment, should I take a stand (which entails time and effort to formulate, present and defend), either in private or in public?<br /><br />The main lesson I have learned is to wait until I can answer such questions with confidence. A secondary lesson is that Objectivism (which is a fixed set of ideas) remains unchanged no matter what happens between individuals in the Objectivist movement.<br /><br />What other approach would you suggest?<br /><br />Burgess Laughlin<br />Author, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com<br />"><i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i></a>Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-796169656211771238.post-27459326314967510102010-08-29T06:00:00.000-07:002010-08-29T06:25:22.890-07:00Is Neoconservatism Dead?<span style="font-style:italic;">From the American Conservative Union Foundation's newsletter, Issue 162, August 25, 2010, at conservative.org . . .</span> <br /><br />"Neoconservatives today dominate conservative think tanks and foundations; they have a major presence in the media; and they are entrenched in America’s universities. Well-known neoconservative intellectuals such as Michael Ledeen, William Kristol, and David Brooks are regular contributors to the <span style="font-style:italic;">National Review</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Weekly Standard</span>, and <span style="font-style:italic;">New York Times</span>. They all appear frequently on Fox News and PBS. They are the public face of the conservative movement.<br /><br />Given their high levels of prominence and productivity, how can the question of the death of their intellectual movement even arise?" . . .<br /><br />[<span style="font-style:italic;">For the remainder of this article, see:</span> <a href="http://www.conservative.org/acuf/issue-162/issue162cul2">http://www.conservative.org/acuf/issue-162/issue162cul2</a> ]<br /><br />I highly recommend <i>Neoconservatism: An Obituary for an Idea</i>, by Thompson and Brook and available through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1594518319">Amazon</a>. The book stands at the intersection of history and philosophy, which is the focus of this weblog, <i>Making Progress</i>.<br /><br />Burgess Laughlin<br />Author, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com<br />"><i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i></a><br /><br />P. S. -- I provided a chronology for the key individuals and events in the book, <a href="http://aristotleadventure.blogspot.com/2010/06/chronology-for-neoconservatism-obituary.html">here</a>.Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-796169656211771238.post-683963309781192482010-07-22T06:35:00.001-07:002010-07-23T05:02:11.290-07:00Peter Schwartz, "The Writing Process"For beginning and intermediate writers, I recommend <i>The Writing Process</i>, an audio recording of two lectures by writer and editor, Peter Schwartz.[1] <div><br /></div><div>In a quiet, understated style, Schwartz first identifies false ideas some writers -- and would-be writers -- hold about the nature of writing. These false ideas make the writing process more difficult than it needs to be. An example false idea is the notion that the writer as a person is defective if his efforts to write are not productive. The appropriate true idea here is the insight that the process the writer is following, not the writer himself, is most likely the cause of a writing problem. If the writer comes to understand (1) the process he is actually using and (2) the logical process he should be using, then he can take steps to practice the objective process. <div><br /></div><div>The second major section of the lectures considers true ideas about writing, as theory. Topics include the nature of clarity, not only sentence by sentence, but for a whole essay; the integrative role of a theme; and the importance of choosing, before writing, the level of abstractness appropriate for the subject and theme. The problem of abstractness is a problem of depth. For example, does a writer need to establish the metaphysical, epistemological, and ethical foundations of a political theme? A homework assignment at the end of the first lecture challenges listeners to decide which sort of article to write for a particular theme -- for instance, that the U. S. Food and Drug Administration should be abolished.</div><div><br /></div><div>The third major section of the lectures also examines true ideas about writing, but in actual practice. (Integration of theory and practice is characteristic of Schwartz's lectures.) Particularly helpful is Schwartz's discussion of the writer's actions in the five major stages of the writing process: understanding; compiling a "laundry list" (including a theme statement); outlining (Schwartz recommends two types); composing a draft; and editing.</div><div><br /></div><div>Peter Schwartz's lectures, <i>The Writing Process</i>, are an exercise in objective communication. Drawing from his own long experience, he identifies facts about the writing process and offers suggestions for making it more efficient and therefore more enjoyable.</div><div><br /></div><div>Burgess Laughlin</div><div>Author of <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/"><i>The Power and the Glory</i></a><i>: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i></div><div><br /></div><div>[1] Available from <span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.aynrandbookstore2.com/prodinfo.asp?number=GS55M">The Ayn Rand Bookstore</a>.</span></span></span></div><!--StartFragment--><!--EndFragment--> <!--StartFragment--><!--EndFragment--> <!--StartFragment--><!--EndFragment--> </div>Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-796169656211771238.post-70610261202920514172010-06-14T09:56:00.000-07:002010-09-28T05:21:45.441-07:00A Chronology for "Neoconservatism: An Obituary for an Idea"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">In late August and September, </span><a href="http://www.studygroupsforobjectivists.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Study Groups for Objectivists</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> will examine selected chapters of C. Bradley Thompson's new book, </span><a href="http://www.aynrandbookstore2.com/prodinfo.asp?number=HT01B"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Neoconservatism: An Obituary for an Idea</span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">available from The Ayn Rand Bookstore. The book, which I hope to review next month, spans 2400 years of history as part of the author's plan to characterize the sixty-year-old neoconservatism movement and uncover its tangled roots. The movement's advocates characterize neoconservatism as a form of conservatism uniquely identified with America. It isn't, as shown in the following chronological sketch -- which I drew up while selectively rereading the book. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I have placed this chronology in the Prep section for the study group. Perhaps this chronology will also be useful to anyone now reading Dr. Thompson's book. My third motivation is to counter the impression that some individuals have -- that the book is only about day-to-day politics under the Bush administration. Far from it!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The question marks below show I am unsure of a particular point. Treat the details cautiously; this is only a working draft I wrote to make my own study of this rich book more productive.<br /><br />428-328 BC: </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Plato</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plato"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plato</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /><br />1135-1204: Moses </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Maimonides.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> (see Wikipedia)</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> (p. 211)<br /><br />1469-1527: Niccolo </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Machiavelli</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, Florence, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machiavelli"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machiavelli</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /><br />1844-1900: Friedrich Wilhelm </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Nietzsche</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nietzsche"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nietzsche</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /><br />1883-1945: Benito </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Mussolini <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">(see Wikipedia)</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /><br />1889-1976: Martin </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Heidegger </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">(see Wikipedia)<br /><br />1899-1973: Leo </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Strauss </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">(see Wikipedia)<br /><br />1915: During WWI, Werner </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Sombart</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> (1863-1941) publishes </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Merchants and Heroes</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, denounces the selfishness of the merchant society (capitalism), and praises Plato's idea of society, as a model for the German state. Sombart influenced intellectuals who in turn influenced young nihilists and the young Strauss immediately after WWI. (pp. 206-207)<br /><br />1920-2009: Irving </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Kristol </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">(see Wikipedia)<br /><br />1921-1929: Strauss is a devoted follower of Nietzsche. (p. 200)<br /><br />c. 1922: Strauss audits courses taught by Heidegger, whom Strauss initially admires. (p. 200)<br /><br />1927: Carl </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Schmitt</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> (1888-1985), a close friend of Sombart and later an official Nazi scholar, publishes </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The Concept of the Political</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. The theme is that capitalism is bad (it "depoliticizes" society) and a society based on "the political" (collective political action) is good. (p. 207)<br /><br />c. 1930(?): Strauss, a Jew by birth culture, identifies but does not reject (?) Heidegger's connection to Nazism. Strauss later (when?) shows disdain for Heidegger personally. (p. 201)<br /><br />1930's-1940s: Later neocons are Trotskyite communists at this time. (p. 27)<br /><br />1932: Strauss reviews Schmitt's </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The Concept of the Political</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. Strauss, whose much later neocon supporters said he was a "friend of liberal democracy," does not defend a free society but instead attacks it by helping Schmitt strengthen Schmitt's argument against a free society. (p. 208) Strauss thus indirectly aided in destroying the Weimar Republic. Strauss, not a Nazi, sided with Nazis (and others) against capitalism. (p. 211)<br /><br />1932, Sept. 2: Strauss writes a long letter to Schmitt, adding more intellectual ammunition to Schmitt's anti-capitalist arguments. E.g., man is evil and therefore needs to be dominated by the unifying state, preferably by uniting men against other men. (p. 211)<br /><br />1932: Strauss leaves Berlin for Paris, then Cambridge Univ. (1935), New York universities (1938-1948), and Univ. of Chicago (1949-1969). (Wikipedia)<br /><br />1932: Before he turns anti-semitic, Mussolini (writing with fascist philosopher Giovanni </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Gentile</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">) publishes "Doctrine of Fascism," an article presenting the fundamental principles of fascism. (p. 214) </span><a href="http://www.worldfuturefund.org/wffmaster/Reading/Germany/mussolini.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">http://www.worldfuturefund.org/wffmaster/Reading/Germany/mussolini.htm</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /><br />1933, May: In a letter to his Jewish friend Karl </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Lowith</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, Strauss (a Jew by birth but later an atheist in private), says he thinks the best antidote to Nazism is another sort of fascism. It saves man from the "ludricous and despicable appeal to the rights of man." (p. 212) The type of fascism Strauss refers to is the early Italian version he learned from a variety of European writers. (CBT, p. 213) The wording of the letter resembles the wording of Mussolini's brochure. (p. 214)<br /><br />1941: At the New School for Social Research (NY), Strauss delivers the lecture "German Nihilism," explaining that nihilist young "Conservative Revolutionaries" in the 1920s gravitated from Nietzsche and Heidegger to Nazism and Fascism. Though rejecting nihilism, he sympathizes with the nihilists' attacks on Enlightenment and capitalist culture -- "modernity." (p. 202) From the 1940s onward, Strauss showed contempt for the moral meaning of capitalism, which is the right of each individual to pursue his own happiness. (pp. 203-204) The essence of virtue, he held, is self-sacrifice. (p. 205) While accepting their morality, he did not follow their politics (totalitarianism). (p. 205) He was "moderate" and "prudent"; they were extreme. Further, they blamed Plato for rationalizing capitalism; Strauss "recovered" Plato by reinterpreting him in a way compatible with Strauss's philosophy of governance (Platonic-Machiavellianism, that is, classical [idealism]-realism), the foundation of later neoconservatism. (p. 206)<br /><br />1950-1960s: The individuals who will later consider themselves neocons are "liberals" at this time. (p. 27)<br /><br />1952: Reading philosopher Strauss inspires Kristol to launch the neoconservatism movement. (pp. 64, 137) Kristol synthesizes Plato and Machiavelli (both described by Strauss) as "classical [idealism]-realism." (p. 137)<br /><br />1953: Strauss publishes </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Natural Right and History</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. (Wikipedia) ["Right" apparently refers not to individual moral or political"rights" but to a structure of the world, including society, as when philosophers rule and commoners are ruled by "natural right."<br /><br />1960s: Certain liberals, on their way to becoming neocons, denounce the cultural Left (moral relativism, etc.). (p. 27)<br /><br />1970s, early: "... Kristol, following Leo Strauss's lead, begins to flirt with 'the secular myth of nationalism' as an antidote to the internal contradictions inherent in bourgeois capitalism." (CBT, p. 220) This is an example of an intellectual, Kristol, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">applying</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> a philosopher's philosophical (universal) idea to a particular culture. Within 20 years, Kristol will be willing to openly say that the three pillars of neoconservatism are religion, nationalism, and economic growth. (p. 221)<br /><br />1970s: Kristol encourages proto-neoconservatives to accept the welfare state (p. 24) but at the same time his proto-neoconservatives realize Pres. Johnson's "Great Society" was a mistake because it tried to impose liberal idealism too quickly on the supposed reality of a religious, nationalist country. (p. 140)<br /><br />1990s, late: David </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Brooks</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, intellectual heir to Kristol and a writer for the New York Times, begins publishing the principles of "national greatness conservatism." (p. 222) Note how long the chain of influence is: decades from Strauss to Kristol to Brooks and then in 2008 to John McCain.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica, serif;">See Wikipedia for "David Brooks (journalist)."</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br />2003: Kristol publishes "The Neoconservative Persuasion." (p. 23)<br /><br />2008: Brooks trains John </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">McCain</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> in the neocon philosophy of governance. (p. 225)</span></span></div><br />Burgess Laughlin<br />Author, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/"><i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i></a>Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-796169656211771238.post-47762996434306777752010-04-08T05:25:00.000-07:002010-09-29T17:23:58.878-07:00Bernstein to lead study group on capitalism's history<div><br /></div>THE STUDY GROUP<br />For June 14 to July 25, <a href="http://www.studygroupsforobjectivists.com/">Study Groups for Objectivists</a> has scheduled a five-week study group examining the historical roots of capitalism. The study group leader will be prolific author, lecturer, and philosophy teacher <a href="http://www.andrewbernstein.net/">Andrew Bernstein</a>, PhD ( http://www.andrewbernstein.net ). The study text will be four chapters from his book, <a href="http://www.aynrandbookstore2.com/prodinfo.asp?number=CB81B"><i>The Capitalist Manifesto: The Historic, Economic and Philosophic Case for Laissez-Faire</i></a>. To allow for attendance at the 2010 Objectivist Conference, the study group skips the week of July 4. The fifth and last week of the study group will be a review week.<br /><br />Why study this text? Dr. Bernstein says:<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><i>Capitalism is under attack. The intellectuals accuse it of crimes against humanity. Following the lead of the intellectuals, the politicians push America remorselessly into socialism. Now more than ever in America’s illustrious history, a capitalist manifesto is necessary -- a ringing moral endorsement of the principle of individual rights.<br /><br />Most urgently, men must start by studying capitalism’s history. Socialist intellectuals have created a vast mythology, claiming capitalism exploited workers, exacerbated child labor, instigated imperialism, and spawned penury. This fabric of interlocking canards is taught to millions of students.</i><br /><br /><i>It is time for the antidote.</i></span><br /><br />The antidote to that statist mythology is "Part One: History" in <i>The Capitalist Manifesto</i>.<br /><br />THE BOOK<br />So far, I have finished reading the Introduction and Part One. The style is clear and direct, yet informal. The content is logically structured. The "joints" in the skeleton of the argument are evident because the author tells readers at each turn where the argument is headed next. The text is objective, that is, it supports each theme and subtheme with a flood of evidence.<br /><br />This book is a one-stop source for anyone who has an active mind engaged in trying to decide what sort of political system is best for living fully on earth. Intellectual activists working for capitalism can recommend the book for such readers. Readers already supporting capitalism as an ideal will gain a wealth of information about the actual history of the rise of capitalism, its brief period of flowering, and the beginnings of its decline. The footnotes and annotated bibliography are doorways to further study. By assembling all of this information in one spot, Dr. Bernstein has spared readers from the vast investment of time required to sort through scattered scholarly material.<br /><br />Capitalism has been an "unknown ideal," to use Ayn Rand's phrase. Her work and Dr. Bernstein's work are making it known.<br /><br />Burgess Laughlin<br />Author, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/"><i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i></a>Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com0