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libGommi

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Hello. What are the objectivist views on these issues?

1. Employees of the public sector.

If a person is employed by the government to administer some sevice, truly valuing and enjoying their career, do you respect them dispite the source of their operations being money extracted from the private sector? If, as an example, a teacher at a public high school or a public social worker derives personal fulfillment from their work, while efficiently providing a service, should their acts be condemned on moral principal?

2. Unions

It is expressed that the most undeserving and repulsive members of society are the unproductive citizens who 'leach off' of other people's efforts. How do you regard unionized laborers however, who are clearly productive, though whose economic views you disagree with?

3. Humility

As a materialist, Ayn Rand felt that valuable objects were to be cherished by productive citizens. These may include expensive cars, large houses, jewels, high-tech gadgetry, ect. This view is one that people should be encouraged to enjoy and display their wealth, as it reveals their accomplishments, and the objects are able to convey a sense of love or value. If a man gives his wife a grand piece of expensive jewelery, it is a strong measure of value. What is your opinion of those that prefer to live more humbly though, considering your profound view of expensive commodities.

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I'm not sure there is a specific "Objectivist view", but I'm happy to give you the view of one Objectivist.

1. Employees of the public sector.

If a person is employed by the government to administer some sevice, truly valuing and enjoying their career, do you respect them dispite the source of their operations being money extracted from the private sector? If, as an example, a teacher at a public high school or a public social worker derives personal fulfillment from their work, while efficiently providing a service, should their acts be condemned on moral principal?

Teaching would be a necessary role, even in a privatized system, i.e. it is productive and provides value. I think the fact that someone wants to be a teacher can certainly be admirable. To me the choice of career per se is not the issue. However, if a teacher were to advocate publically funded education and actively work for it, that stance would be at issue.

2. Unions

It is expressed that the most undeserving and repulsive members of society are the unproductive citizens who 'leach off' of other people's efforts. How do you regard unionized laborers however, who are clearly productive, though whose economic views you disagree with?

Anything to entrench a particular group of workers despite their ability and the competitive options I take issue with strongly. I've lived this one. Laws that enhance the ability of unions to do this, and unions that force their workers to pay dues that fund causes that enahnce this ability, again would be at issue with me, especially if hte union member advocated this stance. Their choice of job that places them in a union is not an issue with me.

3. Humility

As a materialist, Ayn Rand felt that valuable objects were to be cherished by productive citizens. These may include expensive cars, large houses, jewels, high-tech gadgetry, ect. This view is one that people should be encouraged to enjoy and display their wealth, as it reveals their accomplishments, and the objects are able to convey a sense of love or value. If a man gives his wife a grand piece of expensive jewelery, it is a strong measure of value. What is your opinion of those that prefer to live more humbly though, considering your profound view of expensive commodities.

Value is not intrinsic in a material object. If you choose to live more "humbly" then that relfects your choice of values. However, if you view all "humility" as a virtue and look down upon anyone who does cherish objects as a result of true productivity (as opposed to someone who is a 2nd hander, and uses such things to prop up a false sense of self-esteem) then this would be at issue.

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To ilucidate on the third: It isn't about showing off (for what reason?), it is about enjoying what you have. Not to prove what you are, at most to prove what you have. Ayn rand never said you should strive to get pretty thing to show off, she said that people should be able to enjoy them. If you look at any of her characters, you see they doen't put much value on luxuries, but know when they can enjoy them.

Cheers.

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1. Employees of the public sector.

The same reasons that make the welfare/regulatory state immoral make those jobs affected or created by the state less desirable to a productive, egoistic individual. Can you imagine working for the post office or a teachers union? The costs do not always outweigh the benefits, but a rational person should prefer to work in the private equivalent of any given industry.

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2. Unions

It is expressed that the most undeserving and repulsive members of society are the unproductive citizens who 'leach off' of other people's efforts. How do you regard unionized laborers however, who are clearly productive, though whose economic views you disagree with?

There is an interesting letter that Ayn Rand wrote to a fan in 1964, that might help you better understand Ayn Rand's attitude toward unions.

To Deborah A. Baker, a fan

September 3, 1964

Dear Miss Baker:

You seem to be mistaken in your approach to [the issue of labor unions]. You ask: "Do you feel these employees are making demands that shouldn't be made? Or do you feel they also are the contributing factor to the success of big business in this country—and are deserving of certain privileges from the company they work for?"

Any competent man, who does his job well, contributes to the success of a business—but that is not relevant to the question of unions and it is not an issue of "privileges." It is an issue of individual rights. All men, whether employers or employees, have the right to earn their own living, to pursue their own interests and to deal with one another by means of discussion, persuasion, bargaining and voluntary, uncoerced agreement, to mutual advantage. Employees have the right to form unions, if they do so voluntarily, and to go on strike. An employer has the right to negotiate with them, if he chooses, or to hire other workers. In case of such disagreements, it is the free market that determines who will win and whether the employees' demands were fair or not.

But today, under our labor laws, both employers and employees are forced to act under government coercion.

Employees are forced to join unions, whether they want to or not—and employers are forced to bargain with unions, whether they want to or not. Therefore, today, the whole field of labor-management relations is unfair and unjust, in basic principle, and violates the rights of all those involved.

You ask whether it is proper for you to represent an employees' union. Since you have no choice about the labor situation, it is proper for you to take part in union activities and to do the best you can under the circumstances—that is, be as fair as you can, always remembering the rights of all parties involved. The principle to remember, in this context, is: just as the employees do not work for the sake of the employers, but for the sake of earning their own living, so the employers are not in business for the sake of providing jobs, but for the sake of earning their own living, which means: their profits.

You mention that a representative of Mohawk's management told you that if you agreed with my philosophy, you shouldn't be the "representative of a union arguing the cause of employees." This sounds like the statement of a fool. Apparently, he sees economic relations as a class war in which one must fight either "for businessmen" or "for workers." This is a view which my philosophy rejects and opposes in its entirety. My philosophy upholds the rights of individual men, on any economic level—not the special privileges of any "class" or group.

There are also some interesting letters between Ayn Rand and various political figures regarding unions--she was opposed to both the liberal's and conservative's approaches to unions.

3. Humility

As a materialist, Ayn Rand felt that valuable objects were to be cherished by productive citizens. These may include expensive cars, large houses, jewels, high-tech gadgetry, ect. This view is one that people should be encouraged to enjoy and display their wealth, as it reveals their accomplishments, and the objects are able to convey a sense of love or value. If a man gives his wife a grand piece of expensive jewelery, it is a strong measure of value. What is your opinion of those that prefer to live more humbly though, considering your profound view of expensive commodities.

Ayn Rand wasn't a materialist.
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Hello. What are the objectivist views on these issues?

Is there any context? Such as....

"Hello. I am interested in studying Objectivism. I am under the delusion that Objectivism is a hodgepodge of answers to concrete questions, and here are three of which I am not sure."

"Hello. I am interested in studying Objectivism and finding all its flaws. I am looking into these issues in the hope that I can find a gaping hole in its logic, and to prove once and for all that Objectivism is inherently contradictory."

"Hello. I am interested in studying Objectivism and, although I think I grasp the principles of it, I am not sure how to apply them in complex situations. Here are some example situations in which the methods of applying the principles of Objectivism are unclear to me."

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