Peter Morris

If you can't even interpret what someone means when they tell you after not seeing you for sometime "you're the same", you must have really done some serious damage to your mind. Stop.

Sounds like rationalism. You're inventing an impossibility of an entity that has 5 equally fundamental characteristics and then asking how do we define it? By your own concession you can't think of such an entity.

In fact there's really only three main flavours. Those who support the non-aggression principle exclusively (Walter Block), those who support the utilitarian/economic arguments exclusively (David D. Friedman), and those who support both (Rothbard). I've been saying for some time justifying everything because it helps the poor just doesn't cut it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZlw5IkVhqk

Thank you. It is concerning when French citizens flee to Russia to escape imposing tax rates. Flat tax that is, 10% I believe. Not bad. Hell, France even has a wealth tax. You get taxed not on income but on wealth that is merely sitting in the bank. I've been thinking about China's rise economically. They switched to market mechanisms out of practicality. Their overall philosophy and their culture is still very collectivist and duty based. Their entire mindset is different from the west. It's been said they lack creativity due to their stifling education, but that's probably merely a symptom of a greater cultural phenomenon. Ask people who stay in China. People are very influenced by confucianism, and very group-think orientated. That being said they are clearly going to continue to rise economically, and probably even move further towards free markets. What might happen is we will all meet in the center. Financially, China is in a good place. The money has moved to Asia. But I now think that philosophically and culturally China has little to offer the world. On the issue of what I am to do as a career, I'm really uncertain. I want something I can be passionate about and throw myself fully into. Something that inspires me, challenges me and that has great potential.

This is one of the parts of objectivist thought that I disagree with. This view on sex, love and physical beauty, I honestly find a little absurd. I think it stems from two things. Objectivism seems to disregard biology and facts known about evolution. It does not accept man is a biological entity. In my view, one must understand man's metaphysical essence not only philosophically but allow for the expansion of that understanding with scientific discovery.

No. It's like saying, 'eating exists', 'life exists', and 'running exists'. There is an existence. It is. This is even more important to assert when most intellectuals and even scientists assert that there is no real physical reality that we interact with. Yet others say we live in a simulation or hologram.

None of them. Unless Dagny looked like this: But a cute, healthy, woman with her personality and values is a unicorn. Oh wait, that would be Kira Peikoff (perfect woman)

The benefits to thorium reactors are too hard to ignore though. The extreme safety is the main thing. The high efficiency and the abundance of thorium are also great. You don't have to use water, they don't have to be near water. The waste only lasts 350 years. No high pressure. Xenon bubbles away. It's great. China and Japan agree. China is going ahead and building them. Once the technology is well developed, I think it will be used somewhere. I can see why China likes the idea. Powering - completely domestically - China's 1.3 billion population is a good move for them if it can be done as safely as with thorium reactors.

Thank you for this response. Very awesome. I agree that countries like China (even Russia) are moving away from control while the West moves towards it.

Fantastic points

I'm not entirely sure. I'm currently studying science at uni, but I'm not keen on being a research scientist getting paid pittance to make incremental progress. Applied science is more attractive to me. I want to make cool and useful things. I probably should have chosen engineering. I can still switch to pharamceutical engineering or do a double degree in science and engineering. But I wasted time for so long in my life I am keen to get working. I'm not sure what I want to do. I am interested in computers too. I've done some programming in my free time but not in quite a few years now. I want to do something awesome... obviously. I have many interests which is probably a problem. I do wish to choose one main focus.

Leonard Peikoff says, "Of course man gains an estimable advantage from living in society, if it is a rational society." In light of this, which countries are the most rational in today's world?

I would love to do this. *sigh* It sounds so good.

Let me make it concrete for you It would be more likely to be individualistic in one or the other. It does not depend on the individual. We are talking about an average, a culture. Which country, as defined as a population of people living within a state and within a defined geographically area, has on average people with the most individuist mindset or where has the culture most condusive to the flourishing of an individualist. This does not depend on the individual. It depends on the aggregate of the individuals in the country. Half the team is above average for THAT team by definition. However, you can have a team who are 100% above average compared to all the other teams. I will assume you understand the meaning of average. I'd rather live in a country where 90% of people think favourably towards becoming wealthy and hard work than a country where 90% of people look down on you, and shame you for being successful. Take Denmark as an example. The general culture is that you should not think you are better than anyone else. Everyone should be the same. If you picked one person and they were highly individualistic you wouldn't say 'that whole country is individualistic'. Why do I care? Because you have to live somewhere and your life is effected by the aggregate philosophy/culture of those people around you. I didn't say it did That's true. Most people still cling to vestiges of these old ideas of individual rights. It's just you have to pay 50% as penance to society if you make too much.

I often start to imagine all the ways I will make money and then remember that if I'm successful so much of it will be taken away. How do productive people continue to be feel motivated when 40% of their effort is stolen from them? This may just be a psychological issue with me. Should you just focus on the productive process and be content with what you do get? In effect, if I don't do stuff because of the high tax rates, I am letting them win. I know Rand did not agree with actually going galt in this world. Money helps you be freer but in the process of getting it you must feed the beast. I think I recall someone says that the more money the government gets the quicker it will implode. Morality is practical, so I suppose taxes are toxic to the government and those who receive welfare in the end. Metaphysical justice.

Isn't it better to live amongst people who are individualistic? According to this I live in the 3rd most economically free country, and yet the highest tax bracket is 45%. Total tax rate for a productive individual is likely to be over 25%. Are we not 25% slaves? Denmark is a socialist hell hole. 45% tax is basically the lowerst bracket. Tax bothers me so much.

The question of abundant, cheap, safe, polution free, carbon free energy has been solved on a practical, scientific, technical level. The engineers have it. If worst comes to worst, there will not be a society wide collapse due to lack of energy if society so chooses. Well, the nuclear engineers have been brilliantly figuring out how to fix the problems with traditional reactors. They have invented something beautiful. Liquid Fluroide Thorium Reactors. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK367T7h6ZY This guy makes me want to switch from science to engineering. Oh, and of course the Chinese are building some.

Which country in the world is most individualist? I'm from Australia. I've been listening to Rand speak of America in the way it used to be. It's odd because, in today's world, I cannot see America as anything other than any other wretched welfare state. I'm sure there is still some spirit of indivualism there, but all the successful people appologize for their success, give enormous amounts to charity and claim to do it for everyone else, etc. Indeed, if I lived in America I would be worried and looking to get out soon. Which country or region is the most philosophically individualist? Where is there any hope in the world? Has the entire west has denounced its foundation? I think China will rise economically to be roughly under but nearly as prosperous as Taiwan (with whom it shares language, history, people, and philosophy minus communism) but their philosophy will prevent them from ever being truly great in the way that America once was. The Chinese mentality is still quite mystical and collectivist, but they are hardworking, intelligent and practical. But where today can one THRIVE as an individual? I'm not asking for the most economically free, or the most GDP rich, or the lowest taxes. I mean which has a general culture and over all individualist nature? Which place actually celebrates success? In Australia, success is somewhat celebrated, but it is as if you must pay penance for it, and you mustn't take the full credit. After all, "others haven't had your opportunties you know!" Thank you.