Recently I watched a lecture done by the new CEO of The Atlas Society which is the prominent "Open" Objectivism think tank. In it she did say somethings I thought was very wise and astute. About why people reject objectivism and misunderstand Rand on various issues. Much of what was said I totally agreed with, but, one thing stung badly. One of the questions was on loving Ayn Rand and God. Being an Objectivist and being a believer in a deity? The obvious answer is no! Objectivism is an atheistic moral philosophy due to using reason as a guide and not "faith or whim wishing feelings." You cannot be a person with objectivist moral philosophy and still believe in God.
There
is no way to be an Objectivist and not be also an atheist by
definition. This is not something to be argued over by Open Oists and
the idea that it was brought up at all was blood boiling. There can be
no wavering on reason and this is especially important the more we find
out about our wet wear and evolutionary psychology. Wavering on reason
means giving into instincts not honed in the modern day. Which often are
out to lunch with reality. This is why we need to have both reason and
emotion working together not as enemies of each other. For one without
the other is dead in the water.
This is
something that has been pointed out in the past when the dangers of an
open view of Objectivism have been raised by the likes of "Philosophy In Action," a radio show on reason in your life. The idea that this CEO
did not bitch slap the idea down right away is to show they had some
merit to their arguments. You do not need to agree or be an objectivist
to understand it to be a Closed philosophy and not something open to be
added to. It is meant to be part of all great and true philosophy not
the whole truth and nothing, but, the truth over all else. Objectivism
is Objectivism, A is A, and reality is reality. No deities can be
combined with any other part of Objectivism or it is no longer
Objectivism it is something else entirely!
