Saturday, December 12, 2009

Objectivist Intellectuals and Rational Businessmen are Heroes

I posted the following on Goodreads on September 3, 2008:

I’ve just read Why Businessmen Need Philosophy – “… a posthumous collection of essays by Ayn Rand and other Objectivist intellectuals, published in 1999…"

I thank Ayn Rand and other Objectivist intellectuals for their virtues and precious gifts [e.g. their books]. They make it much easier for me to understand, and to form convictions.

Objectivist intellectuals and rational businessmen are heroes.

The book is not just for businessmen. It is also for thinkers who want to understand business and the government’s policies toward businessmen, like the jailing of businessmen, insider trading, antitrust laws, etc. It is for decent men, who wish mankind happiness, who impose on no one, who want to check if they hold false premises and could unwittingly hurt themselves, their loved ones, their heroes, or other good people.

I bought the book on July 4, 2006 at the Ayn Rand Bookstore of the 2006 Objectivist Conference [OCON] in Boston. The book was autographed by Dr. Edwin Locke. After attending OCON 2006, I started writing REASON REIGNS.

I have a simple common-sense philosophy when it comes to things that I do not yet fully understand: I ask myself, “Does this violate anyone’s rights?” If yes, I deem it to be bad. If not, I further ask, “Would it make me happy, or could it make someone happy?” If yes – then it’s good. Objectivism helps me understand.

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