Blake

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About Blake

  • Birthday 06/26/1988

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  • Interests
    Music, Philosophy, Psychology
  • Location
    Nebraska
  • Gender
    Male

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  • Full Name
    Blake Salem
  • Looking or Not Looking
    looking for female
  • Relationship status
    looking in real life*
  • Favorite Music, Artworks, Movies, Shows, etc.
    Currently: Chromeo, Ludovico Einaudi

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  1. Rich: I'm not sure I understand what you're getting at. Who are "you guys", and what about going to a free church? Are you calling me a mean, soul-sick person? I never used the term "religionists", nor did it spawn in the O-forums you speak of. According to Random House, the term originated in the late 18th century.
  2. Blake

    Ludovico Einaudi

    Italian pianist and composer of contemporary classical music. His pieces are wonderfully accessible and beautiful in their simplicity. Due Tromonti: Can't vouch for the montages of photos... Here's another one of my favorites: Julia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LwB_uCOdOw Enjoy!
  3. A few days ago, I asked my developmental psych. professor to explain what Montessori schools were about.. I already knew to a certain extent, but with him being the socialist/subjectivist he is, I was curious to hear his thoughts. He said they were built around the idea that children are "little explorers", which I think this video exemplifies excellently. The way he phrased it led me to believe he thought there were plenty of other premises to base your approach to teaching children, but I see no other.
  4. Adam: I read Atlas Shrugged when I was about 17 or 18. For the most part, being what you could call a victim of modern society, I set Rand and her ideas to the side.. After spending a few years engaging in mindless indulgences, and paying the consequences, I started anew with the utmost dedication to ideas, and Objectivism in particular. As to my musicianship, I've played guitar since I was about 14, and though 8 or so years of playing is a pretty good chunk of time, it doesn't necessarily reflect my skills at the moment >D. I have a band called Bottlerocket, and we have a couple albums on iTunes. Rich: In my post, which perhaps I should have specified, I was referring to any of the religions that preach that life on Earth is simply a means to some higher, eternal existence, or 'proper' existence. As far as I know, Christianity and Islam are similar in this regard, though I don't have much interest in sorting through the details. One could certainly narrow the discussion to Christianity. Reidy: Thanks for the helpful reference. I know I've read that before.. often things don't stick in my mind unless I'm looking for them, unfortunately. So for it to truly be a value, it must be in our self-interest. To be in our self-interest, it must be in accordance with reality. Correct? This made me wonder about the case where, let's say, you value your girlfriend very much and often give her precedence over smaller values. As it turns out, she was cheating on you the whole time. Your value did not align with reality, therefore it was not a value, (which would be an error in knowledge, not morality). So let's say there are religious people who have been actually duped into thinking they have knowledge that they will go to heaven, (which I believe there are). Their reality is also misaligned as the man who was mistaken in trusting his cheating girlfriend. Perhaps the key point is, however, that the evidence that the girlfriend might like him is by far more reality oriented than the zero-evidence for an afterlife. Ninth Doctor: I am not trying to disagree with anyone per se, nor defend religious people. I just found it to be an interesting connection. Religious morality preaches altruism, correct. But in general, people are exchanging their values on Earth for what they take on faith to be a higher value. Which isn't a value because it doesn't exist.. They still want something, but because it is not reality based, it is not a value, thus not an action motivated by self-interest. "It is only the legacy of mysticism that permits men to imagine that they are still speaking meaningfully when they declare that one can seek one's happiness in the renunciation of one's happiness." -NB, VOS, p69
  5. I am completely new to the whole Objectivist cyber-world, not to mention blogging in general, so bear with me. After scanning through an earlier post in this forum, I came to a realization; at least it was new to me. The post was discussing how our conscious interpretations of our actions may or may not align with our "objective" or true motives. Anyhow, what I noticed was this: religious people, by virtue of their professed beliefs, are acting upon self-interest, (which is what their religions claim as an evil). They are doing exactly what Objectivists preach when we speak of self-interest. One thing that must first be understood is the fact that they actually BELIEVE they will achieve eternal life in heaven. They VALUE eternal life in heaven more than life on Earth. They are trading value for higher value. That value is above all other values. In ethics, their actions align with Objectivism, though clearly not epistemologically speaking. Unfortunately, their higher value is founded on logical incoherence and driven by faith. Also driven by an apparent dissatisfaction with their present lives, for whatever reason. Values presuppose life, and the presence of alternatives. The only alternatives they take into account are heaven and hell.. A priest isn’t a selfless preacher of the Gospel. He wouldn't do it if he did not BELIEVE that upon entering the gates, he will somehow hold more esteem then his followers. I don’t know, maybe he can cut to the front of the line at Club Angel, god only knows. What do you guys think about this?