After reading Peikoff’s essay, my curiosity on this subject is piqued. Are all non-Objectivists evil? What about people who just aren’t philosophical people and don’t think about it? My girlfriend, and future wife, is a Catholic…although, pretty much in name only…she isn’t really sure what she believes. Another girl in one of my classes is about as far left as you can get, but she’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever known. Should I label these people as evil?
Are all non-Objectivists evil?
Most of them are ignorant. Some are ignorant of Objectivism but evil nonetheless; and some are evil given their knowledge of and overt rejection of the tenets of Objectivism.
I think my girlfriend would fall into the ignorant category…she’s pretty smart, but she just prefers not to think about politics and philosophy.
If human life is the standard - evil people are those that destroy it - either directly by initiating force, or indirectly by advocating (implicitly or explicitly) the initiation of force.
thats somewhat tricky to say that the mindful rejection of Objectivism is the prerequisite for evil, because my dad has mindfully rejected Objectivism, but still shares many of it’s values, such as a “never live for the sake of others or have others live for you” outlook on life and politics. Philosophically he is a Jeffersonian, which is tolerable at best EDIT: in a physical sense, because I do not have to come home to Michael Moore on my television. But I wouldn’t call the man who busts his ass to put me through college (so I wouldn’t have to sign a contract with the army to do so) evil.
If i had to make a broad specification, I’d say that a person is evil when they mindfully violate the rights of others or mindfully condone such acts. There are alot of gray areas to that though.
Shouldn’t this be in the Ethics forum BTW?
After reading Peikoff’s essay, my curiosity on this subject is piqued. Are all non-Objectivists evil? What about people who just aren’t philosophical people and don’t think about it? My girlfriend, and future wife, is a Catholic…although, pretty much in name only…she isn’t really sure what she believes. Another girl in one of my classes is about as far left as you can get, but she’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever known. Should I label these people as evil?
Zoso, may assume by this topic and the one on conversing with non-Objectivists that you’re going through a crisis in terms of the people you associate with? I, too, have been through such a crisis and it’s not an easy thing to resolve. There are several things you must ask yourself several questions:
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What value is this person to me? Why do I want to be around them?
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Am I evading any issues regarding this person?
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Does this person inspire me to be great or bring me down?
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Is this person evil? (Evil will be defined in just a moment.)
I have a boss who is a fundamentalist Christian. However, he has a wonderful sense of life and is often rational to the point I can’t believe he’s a fundmentalist. Based on his sense of life alone, I would rather have him as a friend than Nathaniel Branden, who claims to be an Objectivist, any day.
This is how Ayn Rand defined evil:
The standard of value of the Objectivist ethics–the standard by which one judges what is good or evil–is man’s life, or: that which is required for man’s survival qua man.
Since reason is man’s basic means of survival, that which is proper to the life of a rational being is the good; that which negates, opposes or destroys it is the evil. (Emphasis in the original.)
In other words, you must be able to define your values in order to define what is evil. Evil is anything which opposes your fundamental value, your life.
After reading Peikoff’s essay, my curiosity on this subject is piqued. Are all non-Objectivists evil? What about people who just aren’t philosophical people and don’t think about it? My girlfriend, and future wife, is a Catholic…although, pretty much in name only…she isn’t really sure what she believes. Another girl in one of my classes is about as far left as you can get, but she’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever known. Should I label these people as evil?
I noticed this is the second question you have in relation to Peikoff’s essay (it is Fact and Value that you are referring to in both threads, right?). And both times you have entirely misread or misunderstood it. Did you read it online? Do this if you did. Print it out, and sit down with it for a while. I have terrible reading comprehension on a computer screen, I really, really (are two reallys really necessary?) have to focus. I always print out online philosophy.
Non-Objectivists as evil is not a conclusion of that essay.
Could I suggest though, that you give us actual quotes? Some here may be able to give you a hand in digestion. 
Most of them are ignorant. Some are ignorant of Objectivism but evil nonetheless; and some are evil given their knowledge of and overt rejection of the tenets of Objectivism.
And some are evil even though they profess to adher to Objectivism, and seem to do so under the public eye - but not privately.
Most of them are ignorant. Some are ignorant of Objectivism but evil nonetheless; and some are evil given their knowledge of and overt rejection of the tenets of Objectivism.
again what is evil , an interpretation?
again what is evil , an interpretation?
Read this. It provides an extensive explanation of evil.