I came here not really to contribute but to learn. I see this place as sort of a think tank. Many times on this forum people repeat things from which they have heard elsewhere(either from a book, radio show or television). It is a great place to debate different topics when you have nothing better to do.
Hi… welcome to the forum. Are you interested in Objectivism?
I came here not really to contribute but to learn. I see this place as sort of a think tank. Many times on this forum people repeat things from which they have heard elsewhere(either from a book, radio show or television). It is a great place to debate different topics when you have nothing better to do.
I encourage you to post when you feel part of a debate is not being addressed, or you think you are missing an important point. It’s true that this forum reflects the news of the world and especially the U.S. However, you can get news - and even Objectivist views - without going to the forum.
The benefit the forum provides is that it is active instead of passive. When you have to order your thoughts to make a post, when you consider the different issues raised by others, you create your own questions. Those questions reflect your understanding of the world and of Objectivism. The people on this board will help you answer your specific questions. I’ve found that far more valuable than simply reading/listening to/watching someone else’s canned opinion, no matter how well-informed or properly derived. A single sentence that addresses the point you need is worth more than an entire book with the answer buried somewhere inside.
To be clear: I strongly advocate reading books, especially Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand and Atlas Shrugged. You should also use the Search function to see if your issue has already been discussed. But you will - you should have questions, and that it what the forum is for! Welcome!
Atlas Shrugged is the book that turned me onto Objectivism. The reason I said I won’t debate too much is because I’m not that “wordy”. Many posts on here seem essay length, and I seldom have patience for debates. I will however ask questions when I get hung up on an issue, and I will use that search feature.
A’Guy,
There is a tremendous amount of content here. Just remember, not everything posted here is written by Objectivists, and much of it may or may not conform to Ms. Rand’s philosophy. That’s hardly a knock against this site, in fact it’s one of the things that makes it so interesting and helpful.