simonsays Posted February 17, 2007 Report Share Posted February 17, 2007 I got OPAR yesterday and read the back cover: Those who decide to examine Objectivism - with this book as a guide - are in for an awesome intellectual experience. - Detroit Free Press Awesome is an understatement here. This is beyond awesome. I am completely overwhelmed by the lucid explanations of metaphysics and epistemology. I am speechless. I am up to chapter 3 and the biggest reaction that I notice in myself is "Wow - I have a lot to learn!" Up until an hour ago I thought epistemology was something that was not necessary to study in my life and I found myself skimming some of the paragraphs to get to the juicy bits about capitalism. For the first time in my life I found myself interested in metaphysics and epistemology and instead of getting to the juicy capitalism bit, I slowed down in order to fully understand what was being said. This happened after reading the following: Since the mind omits measurements whether a man knows it or not, one may ask, what is the practical purpose of the Objectivist theory of concepts? … In deeper part, however, the answer is that the theory of measurement-omission is essential to the validation of conceptual knowledge and, therefore, to the validation of reason itself. … So long as men remain ignorant of their basic mental process, they have no answer to the charge, levelled by mysticism and scepticism alike, that their mental content is some form of revelation or invention detached from reality. I am loving this book. I will post again with more updates from this awesome intellectual experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IAmMetaphysical Posted February 17, 2007 Report Share Posted February 17, 2007 Glad to see your knowledge being elucidated, and your appreciation for the fundamental branches of philosophy growing. Maybe I will start to like you better now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMeganSnow Posted February 17, 2007 Report Share Posted February 17, 2007 I bought and read OPAR for the first time because I started trying to argue philosophy with a Thomasian Catholic and I realized after some time that I really didn't know what I was talking about. I had an outline from reading Ayn Rand's nonfiction, but I didn't know how things fit together. OPAR really helps you see how all the discrete bits of philosophy can fit together in a whole, how the one thing affects the other thing, and so forth. I think it's good to read it over a few times at intervals . . . you will connect more and more things to real life and understand more and more intricacies as you go along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khaight Posted February 18, 2007 Report Share Posted February 18, 2007 I bought and read OPAR for the first time because I started trying to argue philosophy with a Thomasian Catholic and I realized after some time that I really didn't know what I was talking about. I had an outline from reading Ayn Rand's nonfiction, but I didn't know how things fit together. I'm in sort of the opposite position from SimonSays -- I never actually finished reading OPAR. I made it up to the "juicy bits about capitalism" and stalled out there, somewhere between the chapters on "Government" and "Capitalism". I really need to go back and read the whole thing cover-to-cover one of these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrocktor Posted February 20, 2007 Report Share Posted February 20, 2007 OPAR is, without a doubt, the best non-fiction book I have ever read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonsays Posted February 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 It is 5am in the morning right now where I live and I am wide awake. This is partly to do with reading OPAR which I finished about an hour ago. It has had a tremendous impact on my life within the few short days that I have been reading it. Perhaps the biggest identification that I made is that I hold a false dichotomy between the moral and the practical. I have held this contradiction since as long as I can remember and I think it has manifested itself in many ways. To the extent that I eliminate this one contradiction, my life will be enriched. I am so glad I bought this book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IAmMetaphysical Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 Congrats, happy to hear it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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