Allan Gotthelf

“Descartes concludes that the only certain basis for knowledge is the principle, cogito ergo sum, and he treats the existence and nature of a mind-independent world as an inference from a prior awareness of his own consciousness and its contents. Moreover, he holds that our most certain ideas are abstract and innate, whereas ideas based on perception are subject to doubt and uncertainty.”
― Allan Gotthelf, A Companion to Ayn Rand

“The standard of man’s life is supposed to be objective because it is derived from the facts that give rise to the phenomenon of values. This derivation requires that the word “life” (or “survival”) in the standard be understood literally, in terms of the alternative between existence and non-existence.”
― Allan Gotthelf, A Companion to Ayn Rand