Pursuing pleasure is a lot of fun. đ Listening to music, reading novels, spending time with friends, romance, walking in the woods, playing with children, sports, hobbies, etc. Pursuing pleasure is what itâs all about, at least according to Aristippus (c. 435âc.356 BCE) of Athens. He developed a whole school of philosophy called Hedonism, which…
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Agreement vs. Disagreement
Agreement is good. Itâs reassuring. Itâs harmonious; it feels good. Disagreement, on the other hand, can be irritating, annoying, unsettling, and can be upsetting.However, rational disagreement can lead to deeper understanding and result in objectivity.Disagreement done correctly can lead to more effective ideas and solutions. To paraphrase General George S. Patton: If everyone is agreeing,…
A Stunning Statistic
The Wall Street Journal reports that âOver 24,000 bills were passed by state lawmakers in the U.S. in 2022.â This is freedom vs. more laws. If one considers that most laws written in todayâs world curtailfreedom, what can we learn from such a stunning statistic? Carl B. BarneyJanuary 9, 2023
Itâs a Wonderful World⊠Or Is It?
We all have a way of facing life, the world, and other people. We develop a âsenseâ or a “feel,” a sort of continuing emotion that corresponds to our overall view of lifeââitâs a wonderful worldâ on the one hand, or âlifeâs a bitch, and then you dieâ on the other. Ayn Rand called this…
Objectivism Goes Worldwide
In May this year, 50 bright, active-minded men and women from 23 countries embarked on a serious study program of Ayn Randâs books and Leonard Peikoffâs books and courses. This is the launch of the Prometheus Fellowship, initiated and funded with a $2.3 million dollar grant by my Prometheus Foundation. Wolf Von Laer (CEO) and…
Fighting Back against Oppression
(This is mostly for people who have been following the assault on my colleges and Independence University by the Colorado AG and the Department of Education. Feel free to disregardâŠ.) My colleges and Independence Universityâbuilt over several decades into a student-oriented, high-quality, results-focused institutionâwere callously destroyed by the Department of Education on the basis of…
New Intellectuals and New Frontiers for Objectivism
(This is for Objectivists. Please feel free to forward this, and I appreciate any feedback that you care to provide.) Ayn Rand saw the need for new intellectuals. She wanted to reach intelligent, ambitious, young (and older) minds with her inspirational, rational philosophyâa philosophy for living fully, successfully, and happily. Her long essay âFor The…
Work
Work is a life-sustaining activityâliterally life-sustaining. We work to acquire food, to earn money to pay for shelter, and to produce all the values upon which our lives depend. Work is the lifeblood of not only our physical health, but also our psychological/spiritual health. Purposeful work is one of manâs noblest values and virtues. Thatâs…
Thanksgiving Message: Generosity, Appreciation, and Gratitude
Iâve learned some important lessons about generosity and its emotional offspring, gratitude. From Generosity to Gratitude Magnanimous, âgreat-souled men,â as Aristotle called them, are generous. But generosity is about more than material gifts. Itâs about expressing care, admiration, and love, and sharing knowledge, wisdom, andâif we have some to spareâmoney and possessions, too. My friendsâ…
Appreciation, Gratitude, Admiration, and Love
When I first read Atlas Shrugged, I thought âthereâs something important here.â But I did not and could not appreciate it fully until I read Ayn Randâs nonfiction and took Dr. Leonard Peikoffâs courses. Then I appreciated it immensely! When I began to apply the philosophy, to use it personally in my life and for…