Why Philosophy?: The Importance of Ayn Rand’s Objectivism

by Robert Garmong

You are alive because of the knowledge you have built knowledge of practical skills, abstract knowledge like science and math, and social mores to deal with the important people in your life. But there’s a whole other realm of knowledge that underlies, validates (or invalidates), and unites and makes sense of all those specific fields of knowledge and behavior. This is the realm of philosophy. And while everyone has heard the word and most people have some vague notion of what it refers to, very few people give it much conscious thought. Maybe they have a religion (which is a kind of philosophy), but even most regular church-goers don’t necessarily think about what it all means. Maybe they have some political ideas, and perhaps some self-conscious moral principles, but for most people that’s as far as their thinking about philosophy goes. This booklet is my answer to the question posed in the Why philosophy? You can think of it as a kind of sales pitch for philosophy, and specifically for Ayn Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism. It’s not a textbook of philosophy — I’ll have only a little bit to say about the actual contents of philosophy — but it is an invitation to philosophy. If a book called Introduction to Philosophy contains the main issues and questions of philosophy and a survey of the main answers to those questions, you can consider this to be an introduction to the introduction. In this booklet, I’m going to talk about what philosophy is, and why it matters. Consider a simple, everyday kind of it's 6:00 am on a work day, you're deep in sleep, and your alarm clock goes off. Do you get out of bed, or do you go back to sleep? What could philosophy possibly have to do with such a commonplace, practical decision? My answer everything. What if I told you that you cannot make such a simple decision without relying on a whole system of philosophic ideas? What if I told you that your whole system of ethical values was implicit in the decision you make? What if I furthermore claimed that your basic view of right and wrong was involved in your choice? How about your view of the human mind and how one gains and validates knowledge? What if I went so far as to say that your view of the basic nature of reality was implicit in whether or not you hit "snooze"? Would you think I'm crazy? Read this book and find out. Every single one of us — you, me, the barista at your favorite coffee shop — has a philosophy, whether you know it or not. The nature of your philosophy is a fundamental determinant of your success or failure, happiness or unhappiness. From financial success to emotional well-being, all human happiness depends on philosophy. And just as with any other field, philosophy takes conscious, reasoned thinking. In other words, the more carefully you think about philosophy, the more successful and happy you will be. In this booklet, I — How philosophy shapes all one's thoughts and actions, from the humble to the monumental. — How you can understand people's seemingly incomprehensible behavior when you understand their philosophy. — What exactly is philosophy? — What are the main issues and branches of philosophy? — How (in brief summary) does Ayn Rand answer the main issues of philosophy? This little book is the first volume in a series on Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism. Her philosophy forms the background and fundamental premises from which I argue. However, the main points should be accessible to anyone, whether or not you have a particular interest or background in Ayn Rand's ideas.

42 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 5, 2021