jts Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 I don't know which branch of Objectivism "benevolent universe premise" and "malevolent universe premise" belong under.My question is: what are BUP and MUP in concrete terms?The Ayn Rand Lexicon doesn't help. I don't understand Ayn Rand's explanation of BUP and MUP.http://aynrandlexicon.com/Is this a rare time when Ayn Rand didn't know what she herself meant?Here is my best attempt to attach meaning to BUP and MUP. Is this correct?Let chess represent life even tho chess is only a game. Now what do BUP and MUP mean in chess?BUP: Chess has rules. You can play chess. You don't necessarily win, but you can make plans and combinations.MUP: The rules change unpredictably. A bishop moves like a knight, a knight moves like a bishop, whenever they feel like it. All the rules in chess change unpredictably. You can't make plans or combinations.Is this correct? If so, how do BUP and MUP apply to life?A little amusing side story. Kasparov was world chess champion for 15 years, highest rated for 20 years. Then he quit professional chess and went into politics. A journalist asked him: "What is the difference between chess and politics?"Kasparov answered without hesitation: "Chess has rules." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syrakusos Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 I can accept your explanation. Other perspectives reveal other facets of the concept. In a malevolent universe, the rules are stacked against you, even if they remain consistent. Original Sin is an example of that. There was a recent movie which I did not see, The Butterfly Effect, about a young man who attempts to re-live the past to correct misfortunes that befall the girl he loves:"Ultimately, he decides that his attempts to alter the past end up only harming those he cares about, and realizes that the main cause of everyone's suffering in all the different timelines is himself.... The film ends eight years in the future with Evan leaving an office building in Manhattan and passing Kayleigh on a crowded sidewalk. They alternately pause and turn after spotting and passing each other. After a moment of hesitation, Evan lets her walk away without speaking to her with a whimsical smile on his face." WikipediaTo me, this is an example of the malevolent universe, where the best you can hope for is not hurting someone else, and in the mean time, everything he does makes things worse for everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthony Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 I don't know which branch of Objectivism "benevolent universe premise" and "malevolent universe premise" belong under.My question is: what are BUP and MUP in concrete terms?The Ayn Rand Lexicon doesn't help. I don't understand Ayn Rand's explanation of BUP and MUP.http://aynrandlexicon.com/Is this a rare time when Ayn Rand didn't know what she herself meant?Here is my best attempt to attach meaning to BUP and MUP. Is this correct?Let chess represent life even tho chess is only a game. Now what do BUP and MUP mean in chess?BUP: Chess has rules. You can play chess. You don't necessarily win, but you can make plans and combinations.MUP: The rules change unpredictably. A bishop moves like a knight, a knight moves like a bishop, whenever they feel like it. All the rules in chess change unpredictably. You can't make plans or combinations.Is this correct? If so, how do BUP and MUP apply to life?A little amusing side story. Kasparov was world chess champion for 15 years, highest rated for 20 years. Then he quit professional chess and went into politics. A journalist asked him: "What is the difference between chess and politics?"Kasparov answered without hesitation: "Chess has rules."I like your chess illustration, jts. BUP is a metaphysical concept, btw.Evidently the universe in fact doesn't care if Man (or a man) exists, but it has 'rules'.Work with them to our advantage, 'command' them intelligently/advisedly. Most significantly, man's mind is equal to his existence, and our universe contains all the building blocks required for our creativity.Even when the seemingly random upheavals of nature occur, we are learning to anticipate them, or capableof responding better. But never is the random aimed at you or I, personally. (Subjectivism.)Given that, BUP or MUP underpin an individual's 'sense of life', so relate to his psychology andpsycho-epistemology as well as his convictions. Concrete examples I'll leave to your imaginationand experience! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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