Jump to content
Objectivism Online Forum

I Went To A Christian Forum....

Rate this topic


nimble

Recommended Posts

I think you're a little confused if you think that Objectivism holds that Plato's metaphysics are an accurate identification of the nature of reality.

Ash,

I don't believe that is what I said. If you follow the discussion carefully you will see that I was at least attempting to make a point with Mr. Weiss.

I am not extremely knowledgeable of the teachings of Ayn Rand/Ojectivism, that is why I am here. At this point I would conclude that Objectivism holds a materialistic metaphysic and probably denies the existence immaterial relalities.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ash,

I don't believe that is what I said. If you follow the discussion carefully you will see that I was at least attempting to make a point with Mr. Weiss.

I am not extremely knowledgeable of the teachings of Ayn Rand/Ojectivism, that is why I am here. At this point I would conclude that Objectivism holds a materialistic metaphysic and probably denies the existence immaterial relalities.

good assumption :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

http://www.theologyforums.com/forums/index.php?s=

nimble,

I don't know why you were not welcomed at the other forums, but the administrators and moderators are really good here.

Objectivism has been on my list of things to investigate and learn about. I generally learn faster and retain information better in a forum type of setting than I do from reading alone. If nothing else, a sojourn at our forum might give you a better understanding of the nature of Christian theology and apologetics.

sincerely,

conan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mr. Weiss,

I am not sure exactly what you mean. Maybe you could clarify a bit. You seem to be saying that presuppositions are inherently circular. At any rate, presuppositions are presupposition reguardless as to how one arrives at them.

I was actually distinguishing between axioms and (arbitrary) presuppositions. Axioms are at the base of knowledge because one cannot deny them without affirming them (Aristotle). So, there is actually quite a difference as to how one arrives at them. And axioms, properly established, are not circular - in fact even the concept of "circularity" presupposes them.

Btw, Objectivism is not "materialist", if by that is meant a denial of consciousness or a reductionist view of consciousness which considers it necessarily physical and governed totally by the laws of physics. In fact, (the existence of) consciousness is one of the axioms of Objectivism - as is free will.

I believe that the Ayn Rand Institute website has some good primer material on the basics of Objectivism. Even if you are not inclined to read the basic texts in the corpus I would highly recommend that you familiarize yourself with those basics before venturing too much further into the Forum.

Fred Weiss

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am not extremely knowledgeable of the teachings of Ayn Rand/Ojectivism, that is why I am here.

If that is why you are here, you are here for the wrong reasons. Although I think many people on this forum can teach a great deal of Objectivist philosophy and clarify many points of it to you, the philosophy cannot be taught in a systematic way on a forum like this. Also, there's the problem that our restatements or interpretations of the philosophy could be in error. The ONLY way for you to really learn about the philosophy of Objectivism, is to read the writings of Ayn Rand, in which she defines it. If you read those books, you will have a lot more to go on in your discussions here, and will get a lot more out of this forum.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ash,

Thanks for your advice. If I am welcomed, I will resume here at that time.

Mr. Weiss,

Your last post is tempting a great discussion, so what material should I read to best understand what you mean by "free will", "consciousness", etc.. We do seem to have some linguistic conflicts that causes the miscommunictaion, so I understand the need to research these topics before discussing them further in this forum.

Thanks for your time and patience,

conan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ash,

Thanks for your advice. If I am welcomed, I will resume here at that time.

Conan,

Please don't take my post to mean that you should leave altogether until you are well-versed in the Objectivist corpus. I think this board can serve a definite purpose for those who are new to Objectivism. But that purpose is to clarify questions you may have, not to teach you the philosophy from scratch--for that, your primary source should be Ayn Rand's writings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But this next one is what I find most interesting, American beliefs on evolution:

pny_chart_whatamsbelieve.gif

Wow, that's unbelievable!

I think in Israel at least 70% believe in evolution. I was 22 when I first met someone who didn't believe in evolution.

Actually, I was shocked that someone could "not believe" in evolution, as if it was some passing craze. It's just like "not believing" in gravity!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually, I was shocked that someone could "not believe" in evolution, as if it was some passing craze. It's just like "not believing" in gravity!

Well, I don't think that evolution is quite as obviously true as gravity. After all, Aristotle didn't believe in evolution either. :D (Then again, he didn't believe in gravity either--he had a completely different theory to explain natural phenomena.)

[Of course, I am joking with my Aristotle example. Talking about his beliefs regarding the issues would be just a little anachronistic.]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...I heard some discussion about Kerry being and atheist but I haven't had enough interest to research it.  Has anyone else heard whether or not that is accurate?  And why?

Elle:

Did you hear this past weekend that Kerry now says life begins at conception? I don't have a source, but it was all over the radio earlier this week.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mr. Weiss,

Your last post is tempting a great discussion, so what material should I read to best understand what you mean by "free will", "consciousness", etc.. We do seem to have some linguistic conflicts that causes the miscommunictaion, so I understand the need to research these topics before discussing them further in this forum.

Thanks for your time and patience,

conan

Again, I would suggest that you check out The Ayn Rand Institute website. I'm sure they offer a number of introductory materials on the philosophy, including I believe a lecture or even mini-course on the basics.

I agree with Ash that this Forum is not the proper vehicle for teaching those basics.

Fred Weiss

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with Ash that this Forum is not the proper vehicle for teaching those basics.

Ash and Mr. Weiss,

I really do understand and have no ill intentions. I have done some research, just not enough I guess. I trust that you kind people are secure in who you are, so I hope you don't mind me presenting questions/challeges when I encounter principles/teachings that are difficult to accept.

sincerely,

conan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ash and Mr. Weiss,

I really do understand and have no ill intentions. I have done some research, just not enough I guess. I trust that you kind people are secure in who you are, so I hope you don't mind me presenting questions/challeges when I encounter principles/teachings that are difficult to accept.

sincerely,

conan

conan:

Most of us here have read all of Ayn Rand's novels, and a great deal of her non-fiction articles and essays. There is no way I can see to casually consider some of Ayn Rand's ideas and discuss them in this particular forum. Her philosophy is complete and comprehensive, and she herself described many times just what is involved in adopting an entirely new philosophy. If you're like I was, a taste of Ayn Rand's philosophy makes you want to get to the end immediately, but, like so many things, there's no shortcut.

George

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...