Thanks for that reply gmjackson. Thanks also for introducing me to Ayn Rand. I would need to study her in more detail, I've added her to my reading list (it's long!). Interestingly at first glance I would probably agree with her on a lot of things. Just because I am positively exploring the idea that capitalism is a religion, and I believe Marx offered the best analysis of it, if not the most comprehensive, doesn't mean to say I am automatically against capitalism or think that its overthrow would inevitably result in a better society. I'm not about to trust any communist further than I could throw them!
I would say that if objectivism was Ayn Rand's philosophy, subjectivism is mine, and if people find their authentic self in following a religion I have far more respect for them than I would if someone were an atheist but being inauthentic and inconsistent about it. Same goes for people finding their authentic voice in the religion of capitalism, though quite honestly I don't come across it very much. For me respect is really about how much somebody can demonstrate their ability to rely on themselves and trust themselves rather than to rely on false ideas of objectivity or rely on false hopes of independent adjudication to determine what is right. Ayn Rand seems like a mixed bag to me - I mean that nicely. Apologies for scooting over the subject - this is just first impressions.
I would say that if objectivism was Ayn Rand's philosophy, subjectivism is mine, and if people find their authentic self in following a religion I have far more respect for them than I would if someone were an atheist but being inauthentic and inconsistent about it. Same goes for people finding their authentic voice in the religion of capitalism, though quite honestly I don't come across it very much. For me respect is really about how much somebody can demonstrate their ability to rely on themselves and trust themselves rather than to rely on false ideas of objectivity or rely on false hopes of independent adjudication to determine what is right. Ayn Rand seems like a mixed bag to me - I mean that nicely. Apologies for scooting over the subject - this is just first impressions.
