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Wrong Premises, Errors, and Corruptions-- Part 3: The Wrong Sense of Life Reginald Firehammer A Journal for Western Man-- Issue XXVIII-- November 27, 2004 |
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| Near the end of the last article
in this series,
I said, with reference to Ayn Rand's famous Ford Hall Forum Lecture
statement, I would discuss the three characteristics she attributed to
wrong choices. Her statement was made in the context of a particular wrong
choice, but pertains to any. Those characteristics are "unfortunate
premises," "errors," "corruptions," and "psychological flaws." The
"corruptions" I refer to are corruptions of philosophy, and the
"psychological flaws" are those that result from the "unfortunate
premises," "errors," and "corruptions."
Philosophy from Wrong Premises and Errors The wrong premises and errors I am referring to are those exhibited in both the explicit and implicit philosophy demonstrated and promoted on SOLO. I admit it is difficult to say exactly what that philosophy is. There is a dearth of explicit philosophical discussion or exposition on SOLO that explains the SOLO philosophy. There are three "documents," however, which provide as clear statements as can be found on that philosophy which I will examine. They are:
The wrong premises and errors these documents demonstrate are specific. The most serious wrong premises include subjectivism, mysticism, and a priorism. Errors made along the way, include perverting Ayn Rand's intended meaning of "sense of life," misusing the words, "rationalism," (which we've already discussed, but will be addressed in greater detail in an upcoming article) "romantic love," and "passion," (which is wrongly equated with physical desire). I will begin this article by describing that particular perversion of Objectivism found in the very name of SOLO, sense of life. I will do that by referring to the SOLO Credo. Sense of Life There is an "Objectivist sense of life," but the expression "sense of life Objectivists," uses "sense of life" as a modifier, as though sense of life were a specific attribute or quality. The SOLO use of the word also implies that "sense of life" is an attribute one ought to seek or strive for, as though it were something to be achieved. I suppose it could be used that way, but as Ayn Rand used it, "sense of life," can be either good or bad, or anything in between, and everyone already has a sense of life, including Objectivists. No one has to seek a sense of life, they have one whether they want one or not. A sense of life, as Ayn Rand means it, is the involuntary manifestation of one's philosophy in one's whole approach to life. Credo and Sense of Life There is not much in the Credo about philosophy, nothing about the fundamental philosophical principles SOLO intends to uphold and nothing about the methods of inquiry deemed appropriate for a philosophy of reason. It is mostly a promotional piece, designed to excite and motivate. It illustrates, rather than explaining what a "sense of life" Objectivist is (as opposed to what ever other kinds there might be) and what a "sense of life" is for that kind of Objectivist. You can read the whole thing here: SOLO Credo. I have included enough, I think, to get an understanding of what SOLO means by a "sense of life." My comments follow the sections included.
The SOLO sense of life excludes individualism, independence, and self-sufficiency. It rejects ruthless reason, preferring something called, "the 'kick-a** factor." The sense of life SOLO is promoting, cannot be what Ayn Rand intended, because after all, she was wrong. This is the sense of life that knows, without them (those who find a home on SOLO, we presume), Objectivism cannot be what it is supposed to be. By sense of life, the SOLOists apparently mean, "the SOLO way of life and approach to living." "Sense of life," is equated with living "exuberantly," with "total passion," and "emotionally;" but it is not what Ayn Rand means by "sense of life" at all. Ayn Rand's Meaning of Sense of Life Except for her explanation of what she meant by, "sense of life," in The Romantic Manifesto, Ayn Rand only used that expression in a couple of other places. One of those is in Philosophy: Who Needs It, "Don't Let It Go." "A sense of life is not a substitute for explicit knowledge. Values which one cannot identify, but merely senses implicitly, are not in one's control. One cannot tell what they depend on or require, what course of action is needed to gain and/or keep them. One can lose or betray them without knowing it." [Emphasis added.] The Romantic Manifesto Ayn Rand's use and intended meaning of the phrase, "sense of life," is found in The Romantic Manifesto. She uses the phrase to identify something she describes as, "exasperatingly elusive," and in another sense, "hard to identify conceptually;" and she uses it for two quite different but analogous things. Her first use of it in the Introduction means the general spirit or characteristics of an age or a society. Her second use of it pertains to individuals and means the implicit philosophy and view of life expressed by one's behavior and manner of living. We can see the difference in these uses, and their significance, by examining each. A Society's Sense of Life As part of her introduction to Romanticism, Ayn Rand described the "afterglow of the most radiant cultural atmosphere in human history" that existed in Russia after World War I. Of that, she said, "If one has glimpsed that kind of art—and wider: the possibility of that kind of culture—one is unable to be satisfied with anything less." She explains, "I must emphasize that I am not speaking of concretes, nor of politics, nor of journalistic trivia, but of that period's "sense of life." What kind of sense of life does she mean that once one has glimpsed it they are, "unable to be satisfied with anything less?" She describes it [and I emphasize it]: Notice that a society's "sense of life" is not a particular philosophy or ideology, not a specific political system, not even any specific values; it is those things but only as they are implied by the actual behavior and attitudes of individuals. An Individual's Sense of Life In the second chapter of The Romantic Manifesto, "Philosophy and Sense of Life," Ayn Rand explains what she means by an individual's "sense of life." "Long before he is old enough to grasp such a concept as metaphysics, man makes choices, forms value-judgments, experiences emotions and acquires a certain implicit view of life. Every choice and value-judgment implies some estimate of himself and of the world around him—most particularly, of his capacity to deal with the world. ... What began as a series of single, discrete conclusions (or evasions) about his own particular problems, becomes a generalized feeling about existence, an implicit metaphysics with the compelling motivational power of a constant, basic emotion—an emotion which is part of all his other emotions and underlies all his experiences. This is a sense of life." Notice that a sense of life is not specific, but, "a generalized feeling about existence," and it is not an explicit philosophy, but, "an implicit metaphysics," which is an individual's "estimate ... of his capacity to deal with the world." [Emphasis mine.] But this is only during the process of development, not at its conclusion. This is only while one's philosophy is still "implicit," but applies to all those who never do develop an explicit philosophy. She explains how a benevolent sense of life is developed. "To the extent a man is mentally active, i.e., motivated by the desire to know, to understand, his mind works as the programmer of his emotional computer—and his sense of life develops into a bright counterpart of a rational philosophy." This is obviously the exact opposite of the SOLO version of sense of life. Essentially, they have the cart before the horse. Sense of life is not merely enthusiasm and passion, those are the result, not the cause. The emotions, like enthusiasm for life, and the passions are the result of a correct philosophy, as Ayn Rand explains: "An emotion is an automatic response, an automatic effect of man's value premises. An effect, not a cause. ... This relationship cannot be reversed, however. If a man takes his emotions as the cause and his mind as their passive effect, if he is guided by his emotions and uses his mind only to rationalize or justify them somehow ... he is condemning himself to misery, failure, defeat ..." ["Playboy's interview with Ayn Rand," pamphlet, page 6.] This is exactly what SOLO's wrong view of "sense of life," means. It means being guided by the desires, the passions, one's enthusiasm and emotion; it is exactly what is intended by, "intellectually and emotionally, simultaneously and harmoniously," as though the emotions and intellect were equally correct means for determining how one ought to live and choose. It is this precise mistake they are codifying by their repudiation of "any reason/passion dichotomy," implying reason and passion are equally valid means of determining one's values. But the intellect, the mind, is the only means man has for determining what is true, right, and of value; if a man places the emotions on the same footing as the intellect, he is courting disaster, exactly as Ayn Rand said, "if he is guided by his emotions and uses his mind only to rationalize or justify them somehow ... he is condemning himself to misery, failure, defeat." Only the ruthlessly rational are capable of the kind of philosophy and values that produce the kind of emotions, passions, and enthusiasm for life that bring complete fulfillment and continuous enjoyment of life. What do I mean my "ruthlessly rational?" I mean what Ayn Rand means: "Happiness is possible only to a rational man, the man who desires nothing but rational goals, seeks nothing but rational values and finds his joy in nothing but rational actions. [My emphasis] [Atlas Shrugged Part Three, "Chapter VII—This Is John Galt Speaking"] On SOLO, this view is repudiated as "rationalism," and that repudiation, as we shall see, forms a major part of the SOLO philosophy and sense of life. Evidence of the Anti-rational SOLO Sense of Life "A given person's sense of life is hard to identify conceptually, because it is hard to isolate: it is involved in everything about that person, in his every thought, emotion, action, in his every response, in his every choice and value, in his every spontaneous gesture, in his manner of moving, talking, smiling, in the total of his personality," Ayn Rand continues in "Philosophy and Sense of Life." In other words, an individual's sense of life it is what determines an individual's "style." This is the basis of my earlier statement, "If you want to know what people really believe and really value, it is not necessary to listen to what they say, only to observe what they do—a person's true philosophy and values are always reflected in his behavior. What a person really loves and cares for is what he spends his time and money on. What a person is really interested in is what he talks about most and involves himself with. What a person really values will be reflected in how he speaks, what he shows respect for, and what he shows contempt for." If you want to know how I know what Mr. Perigo is and what his philosophy are, I know because a person's personality, philosophy, and what is important to him are demonstrated "in his every thought, emotion, action, in his every response, in his every choice and value, in his every spontaneous gesture, in his manner of moving, talking, smiling, in the total of his personality," in short by his "style." If you want to know how I know that what Mr. Perigo and SOLO mean by "sense of life" is the exact opposite of everything Ayn Rand and Objectivism mean by it, please see the first article in this series "SOLO Perversion of Objectivism: Part 1—The SOLO Style." Then compare the sense of life "the SOLO style" represents with the sense of life Ayn Rand described as characteristic of the high point of Western Civilization. Reginald Firehammer is a filosofer and author of the book: The Hijacking of a Philosophy: Homosexuals vs. Ayn Rand's Objectivism. He is the author and host of The Autonomist, an online intellectual journal, and a prominent contributor to the SoloHQ forum, as well as a contributor to The Rational Argumentator. In the future, he intends to produce a comprehensive treatise on ontology, consciousness, and ultimately filosofy itself. Mr. Firehammer can be contacted at regi@usabig.com. You can discuss this work on The Autonomist's forum at http://usabig.com/wowbbforums/view_topic.php?id=24&forum_id=7. Give feedback on this work at TRA's forum, which you can access at http://rationalarg.proboards24.com. Advertise your business or product permanently on TRA for a mere $1 donation to a worthy endeavor to combat human aging. Click here to learn more. Help bring about the cure for human aging within our lifetimes. Learn how you can help through the Chicago Methuselah Foundation Fund. Visit The Rational Argumentator's new Online Store. Visit TRA's Yahoo! Group, a means of notification and communication for our subscribers. You can find it at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rationalargumentator. You can sign up by sending an e-mail to rationalargumentator-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Click here to return to the Issue XXVIII index. Visit TRA's Master Index, a convenient way of navigating throughout the issues of the magazine. Click here. |
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