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Objectivism and Helplessness

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Tom Haws

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That is indeed a good start.

Are there any books or essays that describe in fictional or philosophical detail the operational possibilities of a model objectivist society that includes and discusses people in their respective degrees of interdependency and varying ability including infants, ill, and aged and those objectivists who relate to them most closely?

Edited by Tom Haws
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Child rearing is a subject of its own (widely covered in Objectivist circles). Don't have any links for you, but they shouldn't be too hard to find.

As for illness, it is addressed through medicine (sorry for stating the obvious, but since you haven't...). Objectivism believes that all science, including medical science (both basic and applied), should be free from government coercion.

Given the current state of the world (in which medical science and the healthcare industry are not free), most Objectivists are focused on pointing out the flaws of socialist systems, rather than on creating or imagining a healthcare system without government corercion...simply because such a world is so far from reality, given current politics. But there may be materials I'm not aware of, that do that as well. So don't let me stop you from searching for them.

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6 hours ago, Tom Haws said:

Are there any books or essays that describe in fictional or philosophical detail the operational possibilities of a model objectivist society that includes and discusses people in their respective degrees of interdependency and varying ability including infants, ill, and aged and those objectivists who relate to them most closely?

I don't think there are any, at least not in the sense that there is a detailed model to follow. It's not in the spirit of Objectivism, that is, egoism and individualism, to provide such a model. A lot of it depends on a myriad of details, so any discussion you find will probably discuss trading value for value, independent thought, voluntary exchange, and helping those that deserve it. Principles, not details.

If you are really interested in operational possibilities, studying free market economists and thought regarding medicine and aid would be good. Does that seem about right?

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  • 3 weeks later...

That is a pretty good answer, Eiuol.  If I am hearing right, you are saying that Objectivism has something to do with free market economics.

I thought that the information might be easiest found in fictional stories or novels since the birth of Objectivism or at least the most influential/persuasive descriptions of it seem to be in the fictional novels of Ayn Rand including Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead.  Since those two novels don't treat the subject of this thread, I wondered if there might be other novels or essays by Rand or subsequent Objectivist thinkers/practicioners that go in that direction.  If I understand you correctly, you are telling me that there are not.  And you are suggesting that the closest thing might be the subjects of medicine and aid from an economist perspective that might be expected to have Objectivist leanings.

If I have understood correctly, I thank you for your help answering my question.  Enjoy your new year.  Have a great 2017.

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 1/5/2017 at 9:58 AM, Tom Haws said:

Since those two novels don't treat the subject of this thread, I wondered if there might be other novels or essays by Rand or subsequent Objectivist thinkers/practicioners that go in that direction.

You'd get ideas, but that'd be more like thinking about possibilities. Rand and others will tell you principles, but not the details like "how should I help -this- person who is in a bind?" For you, reading novels by say, Robert Heinlein might be cool, he has a bunch of Objectivist-ish ideas. But you might like academic details on economics from a free market perspective.

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