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What's a woman's attractiveness? First and foremost, her principles, her character, her morality, her rationality. Without any of it she's a piece of flesh, and a much lower value. The music, song, dance, etc... those are all nice, sure. But if you choose your women based on how well they...

I think this is a perfect example of where using correct definitions becomes very important. When you say value, you seem to mean anything that has some sort of benefit, regardless of its costs. When I say value, I mean anything that has a net benefit; the benefits outweighs the costs. The...

Thanks :)

I never said anything could be identified as a value. I said that values that exist can be identified. Reason tells us what is a value, as well as what is not a value. Denying reason is denying reality. I could say "drugs make me feel good, they're a value and I'm going to keep using them"...

Of course not :) But I'm sure that there are people reading this who might not understand Objectivism, and maybe it helps. At the very least, it always helps me to understand something better by explaining it.

You are making the crucial mistake of confusing reason as a source of values and as a tool to identify them. If apples taste good to me, and peaches taste good to Joe, then we can both use reason, which does NOT vary from person to person, to identify those individual values. What realy makes it...

Sure, it is if so many people don't understand it. I don't mind explaining things which I esteem to be correct, no matter how simple, if someone doesn't understand them. Look at what propoganda alone has done to the common sense of society.

Objectivism does not say outright that drugs are bad. But given the context of most people's lives, it would be immoral for most people to use them. If the net benefit from using drugs is not actually a benefit (costs more than it gives), then it is immoral. Of course you choose your...

The definition of selfish is NOT flexible; to act selfishly is to act in one's own interest. This goes beyond immediate gratification, which is why being principled is important. The whole point of what Galt says is that between seeing his enemies harm his lover and dying, dying would be the...

I would love to really get into this with you guys but unfortunately I don't have the time at the moment. I'm hoping someone else can do the job (Francisco?). I would like to point out that there is a difference between not discussing something and being wrong about it. Phyzzle said Objectivism...

I don't have time right now to go in depth on the details of Objectivism, but here is a thread where Objectivists discuss why rights exist: http://forum.objectivismonline.net/index.php?showtopic=7215

Phyzzle, I'd love to see an example of an experiment which has disproved one of Objectivism's "wrong beliefs" or false principles.

Your definition of self esteem is different from hers.

That is hardly the same as saying that the ONLY source of self-esteem is the opinions of other people. First of all, I want to point out that you say, "'You' are largely created by those around you." This implies that you are not completely created by those around you. Which implies that you...

Standards are not found in reality, they are developed from it, as is every concept. You don't "find" standards in the same way that you don't "find' geographic coordinates. Standards are points of reference which are used to determine, quantitatively or qualitatively, the nature of something...

The whole point of Objectivism is that you judge your actions by your OWN, objectively determined standards. That "somewhere outside of his head" is reality. Objectivism holds that morality is objective (according to reality), that there are true "rights" and "wrongs' that are valid independent...

In other words, Objectivism fails because it is impossible to grow beyond being insecure and needing the approval of others? Or, is it that insecure people who seek the approval of others and can't learn to respect themselves enough to take control of their lives can't live up to a philosophy...

How did I miss this thread? As far as Objectivism goes, I do not consider myself to be one, because I think to do so would require years of study. The roots of Objectivism go very deep philosophically, and I could never expect to understand them after reading one or two fictitious novels. The...

Purchased, as opposed to seized.

Who exterminated them?