textfiles/occult/PAGAN/rand.txt

    T H E   C R I T I C A L   I M P O R T A N C E   O F   A Y N   R A N D
    compiled by ZOOGZ RIFT
    *
        As most of you are well aware, I am a firm supporter of the
    writings of famed philosopher Ayn Rand. She devoted her life to intense
    analysis of the working concepts of reality, and man's right to
    personal freedom, individualism and self-interest. In her writings, she
    explored, scientifically sorted out and proved the validity of
    objective reality, setting forth the moral principles of Objectivism.
    Many, many years ago, Rand changed the course and direction of the life
    of Zoogz Rift forever, and out of respect to her, and even more so in
    an attempt to better the world that I and those I care about have to
    live in, I ask you to seriously think about the following quotations:
        "Any system of ethics is based on and derived, implicitly or
    explicitly, from a metaphysics. The ethic derived from the metaphysical
    base of Objectivism holds that, since reason is man's basic tool of
    survival, rationality is his highest virtue. To use his mind, to
    perceive reality and act accordingly, is man's moral imperative. The
    standard of value of the Objectivist ethics is: man's life--man's
    survival qua man--or that which the nature of a rational being requires
    for his proper survival.  The Objectivist ethics, in essence, hold that
    man exists for his own sake, that the pursuit of his own happiness is
    his highest moral purpose, that he must not sacrifice himself to
    others, or others to himself."
        "It is the concept of original sin that negates morality. If man is
    guilty by nature, he has no choice about it. If he has no choice, the
    issue does not belong in the field of morality.  Morality pertains only
    to the sphere of man's free will--only to those actions which are open
    to his choice. To consider man guilty by nature is a contradiction in
    terms."
        "Now what does it mean, to act on whim? It means that man acts like
    a zombie, without any knowledge of what he deals with, what he wants
    to accomplish, or what motivates him.  It means that man acts in a
    state of temporary insanity. Is this what you call juicy or colorful? I
    think the only juice that can come out of such a situation is blood."
        "I most emphatically advocate a black-and-white view of the world.
    What (do I mean) by the expression 'black and white'? It means good and
    evil. Before you can identify...(gray areas) you have to know what is
    black and what is white, because gray is a mixture of the two. And when
    you establish that one alternative is good and the other is evil, there
    is no justification for the choice of a mixture. There is no
    justification for choosing any part of what you know to be evil."
        "[D]ogma is a set of beliefs accepted on faith; that is, without
    rational justification or against rational evidence. A dogma is a
    matter of blind faith....Objectivism tells you that you must not accept
    any idea or conviction unless you can demonstrate its truth by means of
    reason."
        "Force, in a free society, may be used only in retaliation...against
    those who initiate its use. This is the proper task of government: to
    serve as a policeman who protects men from the use of force."
        "I am an advocate of laissez-faire capitalism, of individual
    rights...there are no others...of individual freedom. It is on this
    ground that I oppose any doctrine which proposes tha sacrifice of the
    individual to the collective."
        "So long as men can speak and write freely, so long as there is no
    censorship, they still have the chance to reform their society....When
    censorship is imposed, *that* is the sign that men should go on strike
    intellectually, by which I mean, should not cooperate with the social
    system in any way whatever."
    --above quotes from "Playboy's Interview with Ayn Rand"
    *
        "Is the power of society limited or unlimited? Individualism
    answers: The power of society is limited by the inalienable, individual
    rights of man. Society may make only such laws as do not violate these
    rights.  Collectivism answers: The power of society is unlimited....
    Example: Under a system of individualism, a million men cannot pass a
    law to kill one man for their own benefit. If they go ahead and kill
    him, they are breaking the law...and they are punished....Under the
    Soviet system, millions of peasants, or 'kulaks' were exterminated by
    law, a law justified by the pretext that this was for the benefit of
    the majority, which the Party contended was anti-kulak. Under the Nazi
    system, millions of Jews were exterminated by law, a law justified that
    this was for the benefit of the majority, which the Nazis contended was
    anti-Semitic. The Soviet and Nazi laws were the unavoidable and
    consistent result of the principle of collectivism. When applied in
    practice, a principle which recognizes no morality and no individual
    rights can result in nothing except brutality...Either the power of
    society is limited or it is not. It can't be both."
        "When we say that we hold individual rights to be *inalienable*, we
    mean *just that*. *Inalienable* means that which we may not take away,
    suspend, infringe, restrict, or violate--not ever, not at any time, not
    for any purpose whatsoever."
        "When you see a society that recognizes man's rights in some laws,
    but not in others--do not hail it as a 'mixed' system and do not
    conclude that a compromise between basic principles, opposed in theory,
    can be made to work in practice. Such a society is not working--it is
    merely disintegrating. Disintegration takes time. Nothing falls to
    pieces immediately--neither a human body or a human society."
    --above quotes from "Textbook of Americanism"
    *
        "The meaning ascribed in popular usage to the word "selfishness" is
    not merely wrong, it represents a devastating intellectual
    "package-deal" which is responsible, more than any other single factor,
    for the arrested moral development of mankind.  In popular usage, the
    word "selfishness" is a synonym of evil; the image it conjures is of a
    murderous brute who tramples over piles of corpses to achieve his own
    ends, who cares for no living being and pursues nothing but the
    gratification of the mindless whims of the moment.  Yet the exact
    meaning and dictionary definition of the word "selfishness" is: concern
    with one's own interests....Altruism declares that any action taken for
    the benefit of others is good, and any action taken for one's own
    benefit is evil. Thus the *beneficiary* of an action is the only
    criterion of moral value--so long as that benefit is for others,
    anything goes. Hence the apalling immorality, the chronic injustice,
    the grotesque double standards, the insoluable conflicts and
    contradictions that have characterized human relationships and human
    societies throughout history, under all the variants of the altruist
    ethics."
        "An irrational society is a society of moral cowards--of men
    paralyzed by the loss of moral standards, principles and goals.  But
    since men have to act, so long as they live, such a society is ready to
    be taken over by anyone willing to set its direction. The initiative
    can come from only two types of men: either from the man who is willing
    to assume the responsibility of asserting rational values--or from the
    thug who is not troubled by questions of responsibility. No matter how
    hard the struggle, there is only one choice that a rational man can
    make in the face of such an alternative."
    --above quotes from "The Virtue of Selfishness"
    *
        "If you are seriously interested in fighting for a better world,
    begin by identifying the nature of the problem.  The battle is
    primarily intellectual [and philosophical], not political.  Politics is
    the last consequence, the practical implementation of the fundamental
    ideas that dominate a given nations's culture....If you want to
    influence a country's intellectual trend, the first step is to bring
    order to your own ideas and integrate them into a consistent case, to
    the best of your knowledge and your ability.  This does not mean
    memorizing and reciting slogans and principles, Objectivist or
    otherwise: knowledge necessarily includes the ability to apply abstract
    principles to concrete problems, to recognize the principles in
    specific issues, to demonstrate them, and to advocate a consistent
    course of action. This doesn't require omniscience or omnipotence; it
    is the subconscious expectation many would-be crusaders. What is
    required is HONESTY--intellectual honesty, which consists of knowing
    what one does know, constantly expanding one's knowledge, and NEVER
    evading or failing to correct a contradiction....Most particularly, DO
    NOT KEEP SILENT shen your own ideas and values are being attacked...If
    a dictatorship ever comes to this country, it will be by the default of
    those who keep silent.  We are still free enough to speak. Do we have
    time? No one can tell. But time is on our side--because we have and
    indestructable weapon and an invinceable ally...if we learn how to use
    them...reason and reality."
    --above quote from "Philosophy--Who Needs It?"
        There are many books, pamphlets and publications written by, with,
    and about Ayn Rand and her philosophical ideas.  These quotes
    admittedly just scrape the tip of the iceberg, and are intended to
    entice you into reading the publications in full. Below is a list of
    many of these publications, as well as the publishers and distributors.
    I strongly urge you to go out and purchase these books, and read them
    carefully--take your time--you've got a whole new life ahead of you.
    Zoogz Rift 1988
    *
    BOOKS BY AYN RAND:
    Fiction:    THE EARLY AYN RAND
                WE THE LIVING
                ANTHEM
                NIGHT OF JANUARY 16TH
                THE FOUNTAINHEAD
                ATLAS SHRUGGED

    Philosophical (general):
                FOR THE NEW INTELLECTUAL
                PHILOSOPHY: WHO NEEDS IT

    Philosophical (epistemology):
                INTRODUCTION TO OBJECTIVIST EPISTEMOLOGY

    Philosophical (ethics):
                THE VIRTUE OF SELFISHNESS

    Philosophical (aesthetics):
                THE ROMANTIC MANIFESTO

    Philosophical (social-political-economic):
                CAPITALISM: THE UNKNOWN IDEAL
                THE NEW LEFT: THE ANTI-INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

    Philosophical (compendium of quotations on various subjects):
                THE AYN RAND LEXICON (compiled by H. Binschwanger)

    ABOUT AYN RAND:
                THE PASSION OF AYN RAND (biography) by Barbara Branden
                (Doubleday and Co., 1986)
                MY THIRTY YEARS WITH AYN RAND: AN INTELLECTUAL MEMOIR
                (pamphlet...biographical/expository) by Dr. Leonard Peikoff
                (New Renaissance Books)

    BY LEONARD PEIKOFF (AYN RAND'S ASSOCIATE):
                THE OMINOUS PARALLELS

    All books not specified as to publisher are available in paperback from
    New American Library/Mentor Books.

    PAMPHLETS BY AYN RAND:
                TEXTBOOK OF AMERICANISM
                THE FORGOTTEN MAN OF SOCIALIZED MEDICINE: THE DOCTOR
                THE INTELLECTUAL BANKRUPTCY OF OUR AGE
                THE FASCIST NEW FRONTIER
                THE MORAL FACTOR
                GLOBAL BALKANIZATION
                CULTURAL UPDATE
                FAITH AND FORCE: THE DESTROYERS OF THE MODERN WORLD
                AMERICA'S PERSECUTED MINORITY: BIG BUSINESS
                NOTES ON THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN FREE ENTERPRISE
                PLAYBOY'S INTERVIEW WITH AYN RAND

    PAMPHLETS BY LEONARD PEIKOFF:
                ASSAULT FROM THE IVORY TOWER
                THE AMERICAN SCHOOL: WHY JOHNNY CAN'T THINK
                MEDICINE: THE DEATH OF A PROFESSION
                MY THIRTY YEARS WITH AYN RAND

    PUBLICATIONS PUBLISHED BY AYN RAND:
                THE OBJECTIVIST
                THE OBJECTIVIST NEWSLETTER
                THE AYN RAND LETTER

    All of the above are available through Second Renaissance Books, Box
    4625, Oceanside, CA 92054. The aforementioned publications are
    available, in their complete runs, in bound volumes. Also available
    through Second Renaissance are taped lectures by Rand and Peikoff. All
    are well worth checking out.