determinist Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 (edited) The last survey I posted yielded more questions about my survey questions than answers to them. As a result, I created new survey questions that are similar but framed more specifically, with new details, and with updated clarifications. 1. Are you an Objectivist or student of Objectivism that presently rejects any philosophy that is mutually exclusive with Objectivism? If "yes" is your answer to this question, then Question #2 is intended for you. 2. Based on all of Ayn Rand's actions known to you, do you believe that that Ayn Rand was morally perfect or morally imperfect? By "moral perfection" I mean what the self-identified Objectivist (or student of Objectivism that presently rejects any philosophy that is mutually exclusive with Objectivism) believes it is. The same idea applies to the phrase "standard of morality" as well. That is, the second survey question is being asked with respect to your own standard of morality if you are a self-identified Objectivist (or student of Objectivism that presently rejects any philosophy that is mutually exclusive with Objectivism). I realize that nobody has an archive from a camera man who followed Ayn Rand her whole life (and if there was, time would still be an issue). Therefore, this second question is being asked with respect to all of Rand's actions that are known to you. 3. If your answer to Question #2 is that Ayn Rand was morally imperfect according to her actions known to you, what (specifically) did she do that was immoral? Edited December 13, 2011 by determinist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian0918 Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 How does such a survey determine whether or not Objectivism is a cult? You're merely relying on equivocation: utilizing two different standards of morality. According to traditional morality, humans by definition are imperfect, and only other-worldly, supernatural deities are perfect. So if Objectivists tell you that Rand was "morally perfect", and you tell non-Objectivists that fact, they will assume you mean perfection according to their morality, in order to conclude that Objectivism is a cult. On the contrary, so long as one continually strives to be rational in his choice of values and actions within the full context of his knowledge, and with his life as the standard of value, his choices are correct - he is acting perfectly moral. JASKN 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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