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Leonard Peikoff

Leonard Peikoff Biography

Philosopher

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“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.”

RealityAtheism
Book:Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand
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“The unphilosophical majority among men are the ones most helplessly dependent on their era's dominant ideas. In times of crises these men need the guidance of some kind of theory; but, being unfamiliar with the field of ideas, they do not know that alternatives to the popular theories are possible. They know only what they have always been taught.”

KnowsMenNeedsKindIdeasFieldsTaughtTheoryCrisisMajorityAlternativesErasGuidanceDependentDominantUnfamiliarTimes Of Crisis
Book:Ominous Parallels
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“Now, the United States' response, the western response to this is a continuation of the appeasement that was started back in the '50s with Eisenhower when Iran seized western oil companies. The Americans, the British, and the Israelis, as I remember, launched an attack to try to reclaim it and - or at least the British and the Israelis did and Eisenhower vetoed it.”

TryingStatesRememberUnitedCompanyUnited StatesResponseWesternBritishOilIranContinuationOil CompaniesAppeasement
Author:Leonard Peikoff
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“Now if you ask me, in conclusion, "Well, what, then should properly be done?" Obviously war, but I mean in regard to this issue I would say: Any way possible permission should be refused and if they go ahead and build it, the government should bomb it out of existence, evacuating it first, with no compensation to any of the property owners involved in this monstrosity.”

IfsWayShouldFirstsWellsMeanWarDoneGovernmentAsksExistenceIssuesInvolvedRegardPropertyConclusionAsk MeBombsOwnersPermissionCompensationMonstrosity
Author:Leonard Peikoff
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“Ayn Rand held that art is a 're-creation of reality according to an artist's metaphysical value-judgements.' By its nature, therefore, a novel (like a statue or a symphony) does not require or tolerate an explanatory preface; it is a self-contained universe, aloof from commentary, beckoning the reader to enter, perceive, respond.”

DoeArtSelfRealityArtistValuesUniverseNovelCreationReaderArt IsPerceiveJudgementTolerateMetaphysicalStatuesSymphonyCommentaryAloofSelf ContainedBeckoning
Author:Leonard Peikoff
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“Unlike the Marxists, the Nazis did not advocate public ownership of the means of production. They did demand that the government oversee and run the nation's economy. The issue of legal ownership is secondary; what counts is the issue of control. Private citizens, therefore, may continue to hold titles to property-so long as the state res...erves to itself the unqualified right to regulate the use of their property.”

MayMeanLongStatesUseGovernmentRunningNationsLibertyEconomyIssuesEconomicCitizensDemandEconomicsPropertyProductionsTitlesOwnershipNaziMarxistUnqualified
Author:Leonard Peikoff
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“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.”

MenMeanReasonRealityGivenExistenceAcceptingAtheistDenyDimensionsContradictionSoleObjectivism
Author:Leonard Peikoff
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