Objectivism and capitalism are, in their true forms, logically sound. One should question the motives of such men. For my own selfish benefit, and for that of the reader, I will dedicate two articles to discrediting reason s assailants. In this first part, I will undertake the dissection of Mr. Boldt s article. Having torched his straw men, I will then do the same with Mr. Hogan s in part two, which, due to space constraints, will appear in a later issue.
Reality exists, independent of one s wishes or perception of it.
Reality does not go away if one refuses to see it, nor can one change reality by the use of mind-altering drugs. All one can do is to perceive reality to the best of one s ability. That s where logic and reason come in, as the crucial link between oneself and reality. Objectivism states that each man s life is an end in itself, and that the pursuit of his happiness is his highest moral purpose in life. To survive and achieve his own happiness, each man must act in his own rational self-interest.