Skipper, do you think it might be possible that Ayn Rand's ideas were wise and appropriate for one era--a developmental one on earth, where industry, technology, and the population were still growing--but not for the times ahead of us? I mean, is the appropriate model for growth in a contained space which has plenty of capacity left the appropriate one for our little planetary Tupperware bowl whose lid is about to pop off with incredible force and blow us all somewhere nasty?
Don't philosophies that serve mankind well at particular points sometimes fail during others? Perhaps this is a delightful philosophy with a very limited lifespan, which is ending now that her ideas have inspired all of the people at SI to be strong and independent, and strive for riches!!!
I'm looking at these five points of her philosophy, and note that while items one, two and four make sense in either model, in my opinion, three and five are perhaps incompatible with the sense of joint venture and cooperation necessary on a very crowded planet. Let us just assume, for the purposes of this post, that living in outer space is not a practicable alternative. Here are the five points:
1. Man can and does reason, and reason is the source of knowledge.
2. Man's ethics, properly, proceed from his reason.
3. Man's purpose is to act, move, achieve, build.
4. Reason, ethics, achievement rest with the individual.
5. Society will benefit only to the extent that the individual is free to benefit himself. |
