antihero3000

I also plan to vote for Libertarians in most of the Georgia races - with only one exception, the governor of Georgia. The reason for that is because I don't like the fact that the Libertarian candidate John Monds (http://www.votemonds.com/) is a member of the NAACP in Georgia (see the web site http://www.votemonds.com/about/).

I am not sure why the Libertarian party will let someone who is also a member of a race-based organization (correct me if I am wrong about that) to represent them in an election as important as governorship. I think Libertarian party of Georgia really makes a philosophical mistake in letting someone who embraces collectivism to represent them in the mid-term election here in Georgia.

Also, the Libertarian Party doesn't sound like a party that embraces Ayn Rand's philosophy to me. I was thinking about registering as a Libertarian before. But now I have second thought because of that.

Antihero3000

I just watched this science fiction movie titled Sunshine on Sunday. It is a story about a crew of 8 on a mission to re-ignite the dying Sun in the Solar system.

I compare it to other sci-fi movies I've watched, I will say the CGI effects in it is first-rate.

Apart from some other science fiction movies (e.g. Alien Vs. Predator, Chronicles of Riddick, Transformers and Serenity etc.) that shows more intense actions, instead it shows more on the psychological side of the crew members living in the vast empty space and under the immense pressure on completing a high-risk mission that may or may not succeed at the end.

After watching the movie, I am a bit surprised that the movie did not receive a much better receptions from the general audiences back in 2007. I guess that may be because the movie doesn't have all those high flying popular notions of heroism in saving the world like the movie Spider Man or Superman does.

I think this movie is not about altruism or sacrificing yourself to save the world, though I will admit that the side-effect of the mission at the end is saving human civilization from dying out. It is more about ordinary folks doing their jobs and don't ask for recognition and rewards from the world. At the end, each of them pays a heavy price. But I guess that most of them are happy and accepting the risk for the passion in each of them doing what they love to do.

- Antihero3000

I sincerely hope Objectivism is the one true voice that I have been searching for.

- Antihero3000

That's a religious quest. There are people who have tried to find religion in Objectivism. They have embarrassed and are embarrassing themselves. A dedication to reason is not properly a dedication to what someone else says reason results in.

--Brant

However, from what I read about Objectivism so far, it mentions that men's soul is the consciousness in him/her as he or she perceives the reality. Wouldn't it also make sense to also say my soul (consciousness) is searching (looking) for the one true voice (objective truth)?

I don't know what your consciousness is doing. You need to start providing some quotations for this type of discussion. Reality doesn't have a voice; it just is. The one "true voice" is scientific truth, but it can be extremely hard to pin down.

--Brant

I agree that reality doesn't have a voice, but my mind or consciousness seem to have one. Otherwise, it will be like god talking to me, which I think is very very unlikely.

- Antihero3000

And it also mentions that one of the premises from Objectivism is that existence exists. Wouldn't it be correct to say that Objectivism is also a form of Existentialism that is based on reason and perception of reality in this world instead of subjectivism or pure emotions and wishing thinking that relates to another reality beyond the current one?

Regards,

- Antihero3000

Existentialism is not about what exists in the world. It is about Dread, Angst and the Absurdity of human existence. Do you find Dread and Angst interesting?

Ba'al Chatzaf

You're absolutely right. I stay corrected

No, I absolutely don't find Dread and Angst interesting. After I read the novel "Stranger" by Albert Camus (a French novelist who wrote novels in the theme of existentialistm), I was more depressed than ever!

P.S. Though I still love some of his sayings or quotes.

P.S.S. Now I find Ayn Rand's quotes are even more cool and intelligent and practical B)

- Antihero3000

(snip)

And it also mentions that one of the premises from Objectivism is that existence exists. Wouldn't it be correct to say that Objectivism is also a form of Existentialism that is based on reason and perception of reality in this world instead of subjectivism or pure emotions and wishing thinking that relates to another reality beyond the current one?

Regards,

- Antihero3000

No. Read some Rand on the subject of Objectivism. I suggest:

The Objectivist Ethics (in the paperback Virtue of Selfishness)

Galt's speech (in Atlas Shrugged, and also in For The New Intellectual)

for starters. These two sources will give you a good grounding. The other essays in Virtue of Selfishness are particularly good, also.

Bill P (Alfonso)

I actually have bought The Virtual of Selfishness and The New Intellectual.

Since I am on vacation until early next year, I guess I will try to read them both.

Thanks!

- Antihero3000

Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto No. 1 in D, Op. 35.

There are so many violinists playing it. So far, I find two of them play it so brilliantly are Jascha Heifetz and Leila Josefowicz.

- Antihero3000

He is still the best singer for anyone who's ever been in love. Some of his life wasn't great but his singing was wonderful.

I love "My Way'.

Me too. The song is so worldly and originally individualistic

- Antihero3000

The best argument for free (or freer) markets is that they produce the most prosperity and comfort for people. Command economies grind people into a life of squalor. We have live examples of free economies (or comparatively free economies) and we have examples of centrally controlled economies. The results speak for themselves. At no time do we need a philosophical justification. We just look and measure.

Philosophical disputations are just plain medieval.

Philosophy is the software of the human mind. We all have a philosophy after early babyhood; it's usually a mess, and as people grow so do their philosophies. Most formal, academic philosophy is one set of worthless garbage arguing with another.

--Brant

Brant,

You said philosophy is the software of the human mind. I bet this is an analogy. Does it also mean that the human mind is very similar to a computer or machine? If that is the implication, does it mean that an intelligent design is behind the human mind since a computer or machine cannot exist by itself but must be designed and created? Should philosophy be just a tool for the human mind to interpret reality?

- Antihero3000

I sincerely hope Objectivism is the one true voice that I have been searching for.

- Antihero3000

That's a religious quest. There are people who have tried to find religion in Objectivism. They have embarrassed and are embarrassing themselves. A dedication to reason is not properly a dedication to what someone else says reason results in.

--Brant

Brant,

Thanks for the comment and I appreciate for your valuable input.

I wholeheartedly believe my current quest does not have anything to do with religion or mysticism (not anymore I am sure). I think they are both irrational and dangerous to me from my prior experiences with religion and mysticism.

However, from what I read about Objectivism so far, it mentions that men's soul is the consciousness in him/her as he or she perceives the reality. Wouldn't it also make sense to also say my soul (consciousness) is searching (looking) for the one true voice (objective truth)?

And it also mentions that one of the premises from Objectivism is that existence exists. Wouldn't it be correct to say that Objectivism is also a form of Existentialism that is based on reason and perception of reality in this world instead of subjectivism or pure emotions and wishing thinking that relates to another reality beyond the current one?

Regards,

- Antihero3000

I come up with this poem back in 2001:

An Existential Quest

I am a boat sailing in the ocean of void;

With my soul searching for the one true voice;

Even though facing my own fate alone is the only choice;

I will sail to my destination with the deepest joy.

I sincerely hope Objectivism is the one true voice that I have been searching for.

- Antihero3000

The One True Voice is your own. Don't look to a guru or a thought-master for the truth. That is the quickest road to bondage.

Ba'al Chatzaf

Ba'al,

Thanks for your unique insight. If I am correct, Objectivism is a framework (or philosophy) antithesis to Extentialism or Subjectivism. And I think back then I was more into the ideas of Existentialism and influenced by it. I more and more find that Existentialism is a system of thoughts that will ultimately lead to despair and frustration.

Personally, I will be more interested in knowing more about the philosophical differences between Objectivism and Existentialism. Any suggestion on where I can read articles on comparison in between the two?

Regards,

- Antihero3000

I come up with this poem back in 2001:

An Existential Quest

I am a boat sailing in the ocean of void;

With my soul searching for the one true voice;

Even though facing my own fate alone is the only choice;

I will sail to my destination with the deepest joy.

I sincerely hope Objectivism is the one true voice that I have been searching for.

- Antihero3000

I was searching in this forum on whether "Equilibrium" is recommended, to see if someone have watched this movie already.

It is a brilliant movie, and it is thought-provoking. Christian Bale's exceptional acting really bought out the theme of the movie about how an individual mind (and behaviors) changed from being a member of a collective to an individual.

Being someone who likes watching movies that have similar plot - a lone individual against the hostile world or universe. I will recommend other movies like V for Vendetta, Chronicles of Riddick and Shine.

The best moment in this movie is when the protagonist awaken by his long suppressed emotions when he is listening to the Beethoven's 9th Symphony. I found that movies that usually portray individuals who have long been suppressed and oppressed by the status quo of the society or world always have a connection to a theme song of some sort. In this movie, it is Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, in the V for Vendetta, it is Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture and in Shine, it is Rachmaninoff's 3rd Piano Concerto.

- Antihero3000

Chris,

Thanks for the response.

I still prefer the handle because it reminds me to think outside the box

In my personal opinion, the concept of heroism in today's world is tainted with idea of self-sacrifice. Being a hero often means sacrifice yourself for the common good. In order to remind myself not to be the kind of hero that is contradictory to what Ayn Rand has envisioned, I would rather be a bit eccentric.

antihero3000

Hello All,

Being new to this forum, I look forward to learn more about Objectivism from the posts and ask questions.

Thanks.

antihero3000

How Web 2.0 Works

by Jonathan Strickland

This article is about as good an introduction to the concepts behind Web 2.0 as it gets. From the article:

In September 2005, Tim O'Reilly posted a blog entry that defined Web 2.0. The explanation spanned five pages of text and graphics illustrating O'Reilly's take on what the term meant. O'Reilly's philosophy of Web 2.0 included these ideas:

• Using the Web as an applications platform
  
• Democratizing the Web
  
• Employing new methods to distribute information
  

In this article, we'll explore each of these points.

Although this might sound a little geeky, this is the future. It is also a great source of income (I should say wide array of income mechanisms) if you do the studying. However, you don't have to become a geek. Most applications are very user friendly. If we are near to a global financial crisis, it makes sense to learn this stuff, as I do not think it will go away in a crisis.

The only problem to learning is that right now we are in the middle of a wonderful explosion of a vast number of new applications (both free and paid) arriving on the Internet everyday. Each one has its own procedures that need to be learned and this can become a bit overwhelming. But the good news is that you don't have to use all the programs out there. Just becoming good at one usually provides some kind of opportunity for making money. With some, like Wikipedia, this is not so easy. (Funny that an Objectivist did this one.) But with Google, there's Adsense for starters.

Later I might open a section on OL just to discuss the Internet.

Michael

Michael,

I think it is a good idea to open a section to discuss the Internet, including its implications to human society and its endless applications to enhancing individual well-being.

I wonder if people who are in the profession of being programmers/software developers/web developers will tend to be drawn to Objectivism. I am a web developer myself. And I love to engage in thinking and problem solving all the time (though I admit there are still plenty of rooms for me to improve on that). I constantly try to obtain good (objective) knowledge to improve myself (both physically and mentally). I believe Objectivism will provide such a venue for me to achieve such goals and I look forward to that.

I am new to Objectivism and I don't want to call myself one before I fully understand the philosophy yet.

antihero3000