IDOAR #6 - Q&A: Who Decides What is a Value?

A response to Sergio's rebuttal concerning the determination of what is, and what is not, a selfish act. The short but cryptic answer: nobody decides what is a value.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• selfishness
• Ayn
• Rand
• Objectivism
• Objectivist

[eujct]

Very interesting video with alot of good points, but I disagree when you claim anyone who does not follow Ayn Rands philosophy is pro death. Kropotkin's work 'mutual aid' discusses Darwin theory and argues that evolution and being "pro life" depends on communities working together and survival being based on co-operation. This is a rational observation of society, what Kropotkin advocates is an anarcho-communist society. This dosent make him pro-death.

[PaulMcKeever]

I cannot comment on Kropotkin, not having read much about his works. Working together, or not doing so, isn't what determines whether someone is pro death. A city of rational egoists would trade with one another, work with one another etc. The matter of pro-life/pro-death is ultimately epistemological. Specifically: to think rationally is pro-life, not to do so is anti-life. To be or not to be = to think or not to think.

[horvay]

Ah, another good decision for myself, subscribing to Paul's videos.

[PaulMcKeever]

:-)

Thanks for subscribing!

[dabruin2]

What the fuck does shaving have to do with anything? Dumbest comment I've ever read.

[garybsg]

Excellent job Paul!!!!! Now I do have a question as a reader of Ayn Rands. Something that I have not understood is how would a nation defend itself since a soldier must be willing to give his life for the country(group). I'm at a loss to resolve this conflict with Ayn's thinking. Help

[TheRealBenAtkin]

I wish you would still do videos like these sometimes. I have an easier time getting into these than documentaries or appearances on TV shows.

[Sam26100]

Fabulous, one of the best argued philosophical videos I've seen, and Im a youtube addict. Brilliantly lined out the argument, and broke it down. It's funny, I remember Stefan Molyneux saying that Ayn Rand wasn't good at the socratic method, and I think he implied that objectivists aren't either. If you ever end up having the time to debate him on youtube, I think you would have more to teach him than the other way around, and I say this as an admirer of Stefan

[xaviern007]

Lol, I was going to post the same thing.

[QuaereVerum1983]

Hear hear!

[Rahab111222]

"You've decided that certain things people buy are "unnecessary": does that mean that you would use force (like banning), so that they cannot use such items?"

This is a false dichotomy if I've ever seen one. How clever of you to build up a strawman.

[shamgar001]

Good video, but I feel the need to point out that it only takes a few day to dehydrate. Three weeks in when you die of starvation.

[stovens]

Wonderful I adore mental chess matches. Check!

[msdragonfly1]

i feel like i'm learning a lot here, ty