Hello

[vinod]

Hello friends,

One of my friend recommended me The Fountainhead.

I am reading it now.

I am here to learn about Ayn's ideas of objectivism, reason based living and

to discuss a lot of things regarding them.

I like reading books, watching movies and wish to travel to new places.

[BaalChatzaf]

Hello friends,

One of my friend recommended me The Fountainhead.

I am reading it now.

I am here to learn about Ayn's ideas of objectivism, reason based living and

to discuss a lot of things regarding them.

I like reading books, watching movies and wish to travel to new places.

You have come to the Right Place.

Ba'al Chatzaf

[Chris Grieb]

Welcome: Tell us more about yourself. How old are you? Where are you from? What kind of work do you do?

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Vinod,

Welcome. I take it you are from India.

I keep seeing India pop up on the Internet with Rand's name along. Here are a few links from your neck of the woods.

Ayn Rand and the individualistic cult by Ipsita Baishya

Movie Review: Guru: Is It The Indian Version Of Atlas Shrugged? by Balaji Viswanathan

Ergosum - a blogger from India, usually leaning toward a more orthodox Objectivism side, but quite intelligent.

Ramu, a famous movie director. Here is an interview.

"Why do I speak the truth" - Ramu

by Joginder Tuteja

There is lots more out there.

India comes in second place to the USA in worldwide Google searches for "Ayn Rand" since 1994. (This can be verified at Google Insights for Search.)

Michael

[Alfonso Jones]

Hello friends,

One of my friend recommended me The Fountainhead.

I am reading it now.

I am here to learn about Ayn's ideas of objectivism, reason based living and

to discuss a lot of things regarding them.

I like reading books, watching movies and wish to travel to new places.

Welcome to OL! I urge you to browse around, find topics of interest and read them. Comment with your own ideas and ask questions.

And keep on reading The Fountainhead.

Bill P

[vinod]

Welcome: Tell us more about yourself. How old are you? Where are you from? What kind of work do you do?

Vinod,

Welcome. I take it you are from India.

I keep seeing India pop up on the Internet with Rand's name along. Here are a few links from your neck of the woods.

Ayn Rand and the individualistic cult by Ipsita Baishya

Movie Review: Guru: Is It The Indian Version Of Atlas Shrugged? by Balaji Viswanathan

Ergosum - a blogger from India, usually leaning toward a more orthodox Objectivism side, but quite intelligent.

Ramu, a famous movie director. Here is an interview.

"Why do I speak the truth" - Ramu

by Joginder Tuteja

There is lots more out there.

India comes in second place to the USA in worldwide Google searches for "Ayn Rand" since 1994. (This can be verified at Google Insights for Search.)

Michael

Thanks for the welcome

Yes I am from india.

I am 25 yr and a software engineer.

Interesting to know that india come second for searching "Ayan Rand".

When I was in college I saw the movie Matrix and I was quite impressed by it. Everything in this world

is as our mind perceives. All the facts, everything. Sometimes we can control our mind and sometimes we can't.

I read some of the articles online about rational thinking, objectivism. Not yet in a position to form a view. I will need to understand them first.

Found some reference to objectivism as closed system and rigid. Is it so or i misunderstood the facts?

I am always open to new ideas and thoughts that will expand my horizon instead of limiting it.

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Found some reference to objectivism as closed system and rigid. Is it so or i misunderstood the facts?

I am always open to new ideas and thoughts that will expand my horizon instead of limiting it.

Vinod,

Take your time and read everything, good and bad. Then use your own mind to judge.

Objectivism is currently divided into 5 categories of people who are interested in the philosophy:

1. People who gravitate around Rand's heir, Leonard Peikoff. These people claim that Objectivism is a closed integrated system limited to Rand's works and works by others she sanctioned (except for those works Peikoff and his followers later brushed aside). They have a formal organization called The Ayn Rand Institute (ARI). They are often called orthodox Objectivists.

2. Another faction was founded by David Kelley, who holds that it is an open system as a body of thought and that others can contribute to that body of thought so long as the fundamental principles are not breached. Kelley was formerly denounced by Peikoff and asked to leave Objectivism alone (in an essay called "Fact and Value"). He did not. He has held seminars, written works, etc. There is an influential formal group that resulted from his efforts and those who threw in with him: The Atlas Society (TAS).

3. Splinter groups, often online forums, educational groups, publications or local meeting groups. These are people who are highly interested in Objectivism and who get together, but are not formerly aligned with either of the above two organizations. These groups are as varied as possible, going from groups that where "excommunicated" by ARI, but still adhere to the orthodox view, those that are sympathetic to TAS, but have followed their own paths (OL is one such), those that try to present new "Objectivist leaders" (who are hell-bent on saving the world or saving the philosophy or saving something or the other), Christian Objectivists, some educational institutions, scholarly ventures like those of Chris Sciabarra and Stephen Boydsten, etc.

4. Libertarians. These are people who are politically more active and who mix Objectivism with a lot of other lines of thought, but who adhere to the fundamental ideas of freedom and capitalism. I only mention libertarians because almost all the groups under that heading (there are several) use Ayn Rand's works as one of their cornerstones, even if only partially.

5. What I call the "silent contingency." These are people who have read the literature and possibly have looked at the groups, but who go about living their lives as they see fit and taking what ideas they find useful from the philosophy, leaving the rest behind. I believe these are the vast majority (well over 90%). One such prominent person (who is not so silent) here in the USA is TV and radio personality, Glenn Beck.

For your information, OL is only a discussion forum of individuals who are interested in Objectivism, whether they agree with it or not, or agree with only part of it. OL is not a movement. Independent thinking and civility are of great value here and the members tend to be very intelligent. Ayn Rand's principal biographer and intimate friend during the early days when the Objectivist movement started, Barbara Branden, is a regular member here. Many other imminent independent people from the Objectivist subculture also post here.

Some of the "save the world" missionary types you find among the categories above hate OL and what it stands for. They seek adherence to a movement with well-defined rules (and guess who they have in mind to define those rules? ), not independent individual thinking. So they perceive OL as an enemy or a threat.

I personally trust the independent mind of a person of good will more than any control-freak who is expert in the philosophy, even when such person disagrees with me radically. I believe good will is necessary as a prerequisite for peaceful social interaction, and that when good will is not present, rational thought is impaired regardless of how much people claim they are being rational.

I will be adding an educational feature as I go along, but one not so much focused on theory (although theory will be present). I am more interested in practical application of the basic principles and getting something going in Internet marketing so people (who are interested) can make money along with their philosophy.

Michael

[Selene]

Vinod:

Welcome. Essentially, all philosophical systems are "closed". The philosopher is a guide to me on the "journey" or "path" that I was born to walk. However, each of us, being able to understand reality, utilizing our rational minds shall incorporate as much of the philosopher's "system" as they require to lead a productive life.

I am not sure whether you are or were raised in a religion, but Rand is, frankly, a pushy athiest.

Do you live anywhere near this incident in India?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/09/world/as...a.html?emc=eta1

At any rate, this is a phenomenal forum for thinking and exploration of ideas.

Adam

[Chris Grieb]

You will find many Objectivists are in to computers and work in the computer industry. Michael's post is a good explaniation of the Objectivist scene.

[Brant Gaede]

Greetings from Tucson, AZ, USA.

--Brant

[kalch]

Greetings from Tucson, AZ, USA.

--Brant

Hi,

My name is Mike. I am a PhD scientist by education and a business guy in the biotech industry by day.

I like the different classifications of objectivist types. I am a secular (atheist) jew, and like Objectivism, I can pick and choose how to integrate certain thinkings, ideology and applications to my daily filter.

Thanks for hosting this community.

[Brant Gaede]

Greetings from Tucson, AZ, USA.

--Brant

Hi,

My name is Mike. I am a PhD scientist by education and a business guy in the biotech industry by day.

I like the different classifications of objectivist types. I am a secular (atheist) jew, and like Objectivism, I can pick and choose how to integrate certain thinkings, ideology and applications to my daily filter.

Thanks for hosting this community.

I didn't welcome you you SOB.

Troll.

--Brant

[kalch]

brant,

enough...

Troll i am not.

[vinod]

Do you live anywhere near this incident in India?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/09/world/as...a.html?emc=eta1

Read about this incident in newspaper.

India is a land of paradoxes.

Some people's response to this incident.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/...cms?in_showcase

[Chris Grieb]

I had forgotten about the fundamentalist Hindus. Fundamentalism is a problem in many countries including the US.

[Brant Gaede]

brant,

enough...

Troll i am not.

If not I'll eventually apologize. I'll need time and more posts from you to know that. This is the first time you've come across as real to me. In the meantime I won't bug you any more.

--Brant

[Selene]

From the Book of Michael verse MCCIV

And Michael laid his hands upon the disputational thread and calmed the adversaries!

[Selene]

Do you live anywhere near this incident in India?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/09/world/as...a.html?emc=eta1

Read about this incident in newspaper.

India is a land of paradoxes.

Some people's response to this incident.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/...cms?in_showcase

Vinod:

I seem to remember several years ago an Indian Prime Minister who drank his own urine for a health reason and I just came across this today. Are you familiar with this company?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_...icle5707554.ece

Adam

[Rich Engle]

Hello, Vinod!

Just getting around to welcoming you. I'm sure your time here will be well-spent!

Rich Engle