Leonard Peikoff · 512 pages
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“An individual can be hurt in countless ways by other men's irrationality, dishonesty, injustice. Above all, he can be disappointed, perhaps grievously, by the vices of a person he had once trusted or loved. But as long as his property is not expropriated and he remains unmolested physically, the damage he sustains is essentially spiritual, not physical; in such a case, the victim alone has the power and the responsibility of healing his wounds. He remains free: free to think, to learn from his experiences, to look elsewhere for human relationships; he remains free to start afresh and to pursue his happiness.”
― Leonard Peikoff, quote from Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand
“Every argument for God and every attribute ascribed to Him rests on a false metaphysical premise. None can survive for a moment on a correct metaphysics....
Existence exists, and only existence exists. Existence is a primary: it is uncreated, indestructible, eternal. So if you are to postulate something beyond existence—some supernatural realm—you must do it by openly denying reason, dispensing with definitions, proofs, arguments, and saying flatly, “To Hell with argument, I have faith.” That, of course, is a willful rejection of reason.
Objectivism advocates reason as man’s sole means of knowledge, and therefore, for the reasons I have already given, it is atheist. It denies any supernatural dimension presented as a contradiction of nature, of existence. This applies not only to God, but also to every variant of the supernatural ever advocated or to be advocated. In other words, we accept reality, and that’s all.”
― Leonard Peikoff, quote from Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand
“[There is] a widespread approach to ideas which Objectivism repudiates altogether: agnosticism. I mean this term in a sense which applies to the question of God, but to many other issues also, such as extra-sensory perception or the claim that the stars influence man’s destiny. In regard to all such claims, the agnostic is the type who says, “I can’t prove these claims are true, but you can’t prove they are false, so the only proper conclusion is: I don’t know; no one knows; no one can know one way or the other.”
The agnostic viewpoint poses as fair, impartial, and balanced. See how many fallacies you can find in it. Here are a few obvious ones: First, the agnostic allows the arbitrary into the realm of human cognition. He treats arbitrary claims as ideas proper to consider, discuss, evaluate—and then he regretfully says, “I don’t know,” instead of dismissing the arbitrary out of hand. Second, the onus-of-proof issue: the agnostic demands proof of a negative in a context where there is no evidence for the positive. “It’s up to you,” he says, “to prove that the fourth moon of Jupiter did not cause your sex life and that it was not a result of your previous incarnation as the Pharaoh of Egypt.” Third, the agnostic says, “Maybe these things will one day be proved.” In other words, he asserts possibilities or hypotheses with no jot of evidential basis.
The agnostic miscalculates. He thinks he is avoiding any position that will antagonize anybody. In fact, he is taking a position which is much more irrational than that of a man who takes a definite but mistaken stand on a given issue, because the agnostic treats arbitrary claims as meriting cognitive consideration and epistemological respect. He treats the arbitrary as on a par with the rational and evidentially supported. So he is the ultimate epistemological egalitarian: he equates the groundless and the proved. As such, he is an epistemological destroyer. The agnostic thinks that he is not taking any stand at all and therefore that he is safe, secure, invulnerable to attack. The fact is that his view is one of the falsest—and most cowardly—stands there can be.”
― Leonard Peikoff, quote from Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand
“The man who waits for reality to write the truth inside his soul waits in vain.”
― Leonard Peikoff, quote from Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand
“The artist is the closest man comes to being God.”
― Leonard Peikoff, quote from Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand
Leonard Peikoff
Born place: in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Born date October 15, 2018
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“the combination of being more deliberate about what you want, more clear about what you intend, and more sensitive to the way you feel is, in essence, what the Deliberate Creative Process is all about.”
― Esther Hicks, quote from The Law of Attraction: The Basics of the Teachings of Abraham
“Finally, he knew the kind of loving that made two one and understood Jane was his world. His ocean, his country, his sun, his rain, his very heart.”
― Karen Marie Moning, quote from Into the Dreaming
“Nor will I live longer so, for though I will not say one word of penance for my love, which is there and remains forever, yet from now on I will be separate from him.”
― Joseph Bédier, quote from The Romance of Tristan and Iseult
“УДВОЕНО
По пладне и по обед се качих и се намирах на платформата и на задната площадка в един автобус и градски рейс, пълен и претъпкан, по южната линия и от Контрескарп към Шампере. Аз и моя милост видях и забелязах един млад мъж и зрял юноша, твърде смешен и доста комичен, с кльощав врат и тънка шия, а около шапката и покрай капелата – с въженце и канапче. След настаналата суматоха и подир настъпилата бъркотия той каза и рече със сълзлив глас и плачлив тон, че неговият съсед и близкостоящ нарочно и умишлено го бутнал и блъснал, щом и колчем някой слизал или излизал. Като свърши словото си и приключи речта си, той се отправи и насочи към едно празно място и свободна седалка.
След два часа и подир сто и двайсет минути отново и пак го срещнах и видях на площад Ром и пред гара Сен Лазар, придружен и съпроводен от свой приятел и негов другар, който го съветваше и убеждаваше да прибави и зашие едно копче и кокалено търкалце на своята горна и връхна дреха и одежда.”
― Raymond Queneau, quote from Exercises in Style
“Because it's good for nothing," I said. keeping my eyes on Tommy. "Because one worthless piece of shit deserves another.”
― Lauren Myracle, quote from Shine
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