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Since respect for reason (as
opposed to mysticism or subjectivism) is the basic distinguishing
feature of Western culture, a philosopher must advocate reason to
be considered truly Western. The greatest truly Western philosophers
of history are Aristotle and Ayn Rand.
Aristotle (384-322
BC)
Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle can be considered the father
of reason—that is, of an explicit, consciously defined and
objective method of acquiring knowledge. As a result, he can also
be considered the father of Western culture. As Ayn Rand observed:
“If there
is a philosophical Atlas who carries the whole of Western civilization
on his shoulders, it is Aristotle… Whatever intellectual
progress men have achieved rests on his achievements. Aristotle
may be regarded as the cultural barometer of Western history.
Whenever his influence dominated the scene, it paved the way for
one of history’s brilliant eras; whenever it fell, so did
mankind.”
Logic,
the method of reason, was first discovered and largely developed
by Aristotle. His works on logic are the essence of the foundation
for a rational, secular and free society or culture.
Upon their rediscovery
by Europeans in the Late Middle Ages, Aristotle’s ideas, particularly
his works on logic, played a crucial role in bringing about the
Renaissance. In other words, his works are proven in their power
to enlighten, transform and drastically improve a culture.
Many of Aristotle’s ideas have been proven wrong. However,
the fundamentals of his philosophic approach, particularly his works
on logic, are eternally true. One cannot help but be awed by the
contributions of Aristotle, and the fact that he lived some 2,400
years ago makes his contributions even more impressive.
Aristotle’s Treatises on Logic (online and available
free)
Links go to www.Non-Contradiction.com
Without a doubt,
many of the passages in the treatises on logic above are difficult
to grasp. This problem is that Aristotle did not prepare these treatises
for publication. Rather, these treatises probably come from lecture
notes of his students—or as one philosopher put it, with notes
taken from the waste paper basket.
- For a free
online book about logic that is better organized and overall easier
to read than the above treatises, see Logic:
Deductive and Inductive by Carveth Read.
- For all of
Aristotle’s works, as well as more information about him,
go to Non-Contradiction.com.
Ayn Rand (1905-1982)
Ayn Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism, which is presented in
her fiction and non-fiction works, has contributed greatly to the
development of Western ideals and values. In
her words, Objectivism is, in essence:
“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.”
According to
a survey by the Library of Congress and Book-of-the-Month Club,
her novel Atlas Shrugged ranked second after the Bible as
the book that most influenced people's lives. In addition, total
sales of all Ayn Rand’s titles since their original publication
date now surpass 23 million copies.
Free Online Works
- Philosophy:
Who Needs It — the title to her 1974 address to the graduating
class of the United States Military Academy at West Point
- Ayn
Rand’s interview with Playboy magazine —
published in March 1964
- Her novelette
Anthem
— Anthem is the story of Equality 7-2521 who lives in
the Dark Ages of the future, where individualism has all but been
destroyed—so much so that the word “I” has disappeared
from the language. Equality 7-2521 struggles to find his own individuality.
Anthem's theme is the meaning and importance of ego.
Her other works are listed below (and link to Amazon.com)
Fiction
The
Fountainhead
Atlas
Shrugged
We
the Living
Nonfiction
The
Virtue of Selfishness
Capitalism:
the Unknown Ideal
Philosophy:
Who Needs It
For
the New Intellectual
The
Romantic Manifesto
Introduction
to Objectivist Epistemology
©
2007 Western Culture Global
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