Objectivism

I have always had queries on the life that we lead , it seemed to me weird , shallow , surprising . Fortunately , i came upon this book "The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand".It really helped me to see life in a different perspective which seemed very mystique to me.

I would like to share some excerpts from The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand.Hope you enjoy it.

To quote Ayn Rand-"My philosophy,in essence,is the concept of man as a heroic being ,with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life,with productive achievement as his noblest activity , and reason as his only absolute."

Here are some excerpts-which is by the character Howard Roark who speaks for his testimony.


"Throughout the centuries there were men who took first steps down new roads armed with nothing but their own vision.Their goals differed ,but they all had this in common:that the step was first,the road new,the vision unborrowed ,and the response they received -hatred."

"His vision ,his strength,his courage came from his own spirit . A man' spirit, however is his self.That entity which is his consciousness. To think,to feel,to judge,to act are functions of the ego."

"The creator's concern is the conquest of nature.The parasite's concern is the conquest of men.The creator lives for his work.He need no other men .His primary goal is within himself.The parasite lives second-hand .He needs others .Others become his prime motive."

"The basic need of the creator is independence.The reasoning mind cannot work under ant form of compulsion.It cannot be curbed,sacrificed or subordinated to any consideration whatsoever."

"The basic need of the second-hander is to secure his ties with men in order to be fed.He places relations first.He declares that man exists in order to serve others.He preaches altruism."

"Altruism is the doctrine which demands that man live for others and place others above self."

"No man can live for another.He cannot share his spirit just as he cannot share his body.But the second-hander has used altruism as a weapon of exploitation and reversed the base of mankind' moral principles."

"Men have been taught that the highest virtue is not to achieve , but to give.Yet one cannot give that which has not been created."

"Men have been taught that it is a virtue to agree with others.But the creator is the man who disagrees."

"Men have been taught that the ego is the synonym of evil,and selflessness the ideal of virtue.But the creator is the egotist in the absolute sense,the selfless man is the one who does not think,feel,judge,or act."

"As poles of good and evil,he has offered two conceptions:egotism and altruism.Egotism was held to mean the sacrifice of others to self.Altruism-the sacrifice of self to others.This tied man irrevocably to other men and left him nothing but a choice of pain:his own pain for the sake of others or pain inflicted upon others for the sake of the self."


"The choice is not self-sacrifice or domination.The choice is independence or dependence."

"The egotist in the absolute sense is not the man who sacrifices others. He is the man who stands above the need of using others in any manner.He does not exist for any other man and he asks no other man to exist for him.This is the only form of brotherhood and mutual respect possible between men."


Well hope you enjoyed!!!!!!!!

Will be back with some more.