Many people are taught that without religion there would be no morality in the world. They believe that the sense of right and wrong comes to us from above through some invisible connection with the mind of God. What they often fail to point out is that when their God's will is the only standard of right and wrong, anything can be called "good" or "bad" depending on whether God says to do it or not (For some examples of God's twisted version of morality see The Bloody Bible or Sex in the Bible). As we shall show, morality should not be dependent on something as subjective as the will of an invisible God which some can hear and others cannot. Nor should it be based on the primitive writings of barbarians who blindly stumbled around attempting to appease the will of that same unseen God.
We follow the philosophy of objectivism as was laid out by the genius/subgenius; Ayn Rand. This philosophy is based on reason and objectivity rather than emotion or subjectivity. While the morality of religion is based on the will of God, the morality of objectivism is based on the individual human life and that life's happiness. Ayn Rand's vision of "man as he should be," in her literary works; "Anthem," "Atlas Shrugged," and "The Fountainhead," has polished the tarnished image of the true spirit of man into the shining, noble master of his destiny which he can be. Her brilliant and courageous mind has revealed for the intellectual man of today a philosophy of reason which will be the salvation for future generations of humanity. In her own words, "To live, man must hold three things as the supreme ruling values of his life: Reason--Purpose--Self Esteem. Reason, as his only tool of knowledge--Purpose, as his choice of the happiness which that tool must proceed to achieve--Self Esteem, as his inviolate certainty that his mind is competent to think and his person is worthy of happiness, which means: is worthy of living." The end result of the achievement of these values is true SLACK.
Each of the main areas of philosophy involves a struggle to answer a basic question. The answers to those questions are based on what is most valuable to that philosophy. In religion, the highest value is obedience to the will of God, while in objectivism the highest value is the individual human life. As rational, individual human beings, objectivism is the most logical and consistent philosophy for us to live by. It provides us with a rational morality based on reason and the life of man rather than faith and the will of an invisible God. We shall now give a brief overview of objectivism and how it applies to morality without God.
"Wishing won't make it so." - Ayn Rand
The study of existence is the base of the study of philosophy. Metaphysics asks: is the world we live in solid, ruled by natural laws and facts or is it a world of smoke and illusion, where magic and miracles can occur without explanation? Objectivism holds that we live in a solid world of facts while religion teaches that the world is subject to the whims of incomprehensible beings which are not subject to any laws other than their own desires. To begin to understand metaphysics, the first thing we must establish is that things actually exist. To establish this as a fact we must first exist to ask the question (if we didn't exist we couldn't ask the question) and we must also have the ability to conceive of the possibility of existence or non-existence. If things didn't exist we wouldn't have that ability to conceive. Existence exists. Reality is tangible. We hold that all things have a rational explanation that is founded in reality and is subject to the laws of nature.
"Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed." - Ayn Rand
You can't eat you cake and have it, too." - Ayn Rand
How do we obtain knowledge? This is the science of epistemology. Is knowledge acquired by a process of reason or is it obtained by heavenly messenger or divine inspiration? To obtain knowledge, we must have the ability to perceive reality (through our senses) we then must be able to process those perceptions (through our conscious, cognitive ability to reason). The end result of that processing is knowledge. Objectivism holds that the ability to reason is essential to our acquisition of knowledge. Without reason we leave ourselves open to the manipulations and deceptions of others. Religion teaches us to not rely on our ability to reason (Proverbs 3:5). In other words it intentionally makes us susceptible to the control of others (God, clergy, etc). In religion, knowledge is acquired by divine inspiration (self-delusion) or the inspiration of others (more delusions).
"Man is an end in himself." - Ayn Rand
The code of values which we use to guide our choices and actions are known as ethics or morality. Our morality will determine the purpose and course of our lives. In religion, morality is based on the will of God. If God wants someone killed then killing that person would be considered "good" whereas not killing that person would be considered "evil" because obedience to God's will is the standard by which all other values are judged. In Objectivism, the standard of good and evil is based on man's life. Man is a valuable entity because he exists and he has the ability to reason. These conditions are of value only because man lives and has the ability to make choices. A dead man has no value in the philosophical sense. If something is required for man's survival, then that thing is "good." If something is destructive to man's life, then that thing is "evil." Happiness and joy are the end result of those actions which add to man's life. Pain and suffering come as a result of those actions which are destructive to man's life.
Man has an ability which places him above all other living entities in our sphere of existence and that is the ability to reason. Unlike other animals who survive solely on instinct, man must discover the things he needs to survive. Man must work to obtain the things he needs to survive (food, shelter, etc.) and man must use reason to discover how to best obtain those needs. Man controls his environment by the use of reason or man chooses to not use reason and dies as a slave to his environment. That is the choice which the morality of Objectivism places in front of us, to use reason or to not use reason (i.e.; to rely on faith) to live or to die, to be free or to be a slave.
Objectivist morality can be described as the pursuit of rational self-interest. In other words, doing those things that are in your own best interest. This is not the spur-of-the-moment selfish immorality which the faithful believe atheists are all a part of. Short-term happiness which leads to long term destruction is not in the best rational self-interest and is thus "bad." The punishment for violation of objectivist morality is enforced by reality: break the rules and your life suffers the consequences.
Using rationality, we can judge whether an action is beneficial to life or destructive to it and can thus give it a scale of value by which we can judge other alternative actions. A requirement of objectivism is that you make judgements. You must use discrimination and judge those around you to determine whether they are allies or enemies to your pursuit of life and happiness ("slack"). Jesus taught that we should not judge so that we won't be judged. Our philosophy is to "judge and prepare to be judged." If you are found unworthy of life, then nature will execute your just punishment and you will be removed from the gene pool. Our primary tool for survival is our ability to reason and if we choose to not use this tool, we won't survive for long.
"Give me liberty or give me death." - Ayn Rand
One of the greatest philosophical questions has involved the value of the individual versus the group or "collective." Which is more important, the life of the individual human being or the needs of some supernatural group such as society, the community, the nation, the class, the race, etc? The answer to this question will determine the proper social system (politics) for man to live under.
Since the individual reasoning human is the basic unit of value and his life is the source of morality, anything which interferes with a man's ability to live (pursue his own rational self-interest) or prevents him from using his main tool of survival: reason, must be considered to be "evil." For example, when the Bible tells us to not use reason (Proverbs 3:5), it reveals that it is an evil book. Under the philosophy of collectivism, the individual is subjugated to the group for the sake of the illusionary "common good." A person's value is thus determined by how he serves the needs of the group. In these groups there are always an elite few who dictate what the common good is. These elite few exert their own individual wills over the masses, usually claiming some mystical reason for their superiority ("God talks to me" or "My wisdom is superior to yours") and enslaves those who are members of these groups. The end result of the evil of collectivism is the sacrifice of the rights of individual men to pursue their own rational self-interest. In other words, collectivism is evil.
When individual men choose to live together and deal with each other, they form a "society." In an society of individuals there is one rule which must be enforced and that rule is "no individual or group or organization has the legal power to initiate the use of physical force against other individuals or groups and to compel them to act against their own voluntary choice." (Ayn Rand) This rule is the basis for objectivist law and protects the rights of individuals to freely pursue their own happiness without injust treatment or threat from others. Governments exist for the sole purpose of preventing theinitiation of force by anyone. The key word here is the word "initiate." A person has the legal right to use force only to defend themselves when force has been initiated against them. The government exists to provide the defensive force that individuals may not personally possess. For example, the police exist to protect individuals from criminals who initiate force to harm individuals and their property, the army exists to protect individuals from invading foreign powers who would initiate force to harm individuals and their property, and the courts exist to protect and recompense individuals from those who initiate the use of force (possibly by deception or fraud) to harm them and their property. Any use of the government for purposes outside protecting individuals from the initiation of force is an abuse of power and should not be tolerated by those who give the government their authority: the individuals who consent to be governed.
In order to determine whether the actions of an individual are good or evil, it is necessary to judge or use discrimination. The word "discrimination" is a fnord (evokes an irrational emotional response) in our politically correct society. The kind of discrimination which is under attack in the media is more accurately called "irrational discrimination." This is when a person discriminates, not on the individual merits or actions of a person, but on their skin color, nationality, sex, sexual preference or other collectivist grouping which devalue individuals. Irrational discrimination is promoted by those who want to reinforce the ideals of collectivism; that membership in a group is more important than individual characteristics or actions.
An example of the irrational discrimination which collectivism promotes is found in the poison of RACISM. Claiming that they have a genetic superiority, the members of one race demand preferential treatment or respect because of their race. In the Bible, the Hebrews believed they were God's chosen race and they thought that gave them the right to murder other races and steal their land. In more recent times, Hitler believed that the Aryan race was superior to other races and exterminated the members of those other "inferior strains" of humanity. In any group, there will be superior individuals as well as inferior individuals. One of the greatest geniuses in history; Albert Einstein, was a member of what Hitler called an inferior group of humans (ironically, the same group that God had called his "chosen race;" the Jews). How many other superior human individuals were herded into the gas chambers to be slaughtered because of their race or other irrational grouping? There is no such thing as a superior or inferior race or other group. Groups don't do things, individuals do. Groups don't have rights, individuals do. When objectivists judge the actions of people, they judge the actions of individuals and not groups. It is only when individuals irrationally mold themselves into the stereotype of a group that they assume the identity of that group. But even then, when they choose to do something, they are to be judged and held responsible for their own individual actions, not because they appear to meet the stereotype of their group.
What is "good?" What is "evil?" Here are some examples of various situations and what a person who follows the morality of the Bible might call "good" or "evil" choices versus what an Objectivist would choose to do.
| Situation: A person owns property that you wish to own for yourself. What is a "good" way for you to acquire this property? | The Objectivist: The property should be acquired only through trade that is beneficial to and agreed upon by both parties. |
| The Bible: If God says you can have that property, then kill the owner and take what is his by force. If God doesn't give you this approval, hold the owner captive until he agrees to give you the property. (Deuteronomy 20:10-17) |
| Situation: You are attacked by a mugger who tries to beat you and take your property. You possess the means to defend yourself. Is the use of force in this situation "good?" | The Objectivist: Defending life and property by the means of force against someone who initiated the use of force is the correct action. |
| The Bible: Don't resist evil. If you are attacked, lower your defenses and allow the attacker to beat you senseless. If he takes your property, give him whatever else you may have. (Matthew 5:39-44) |
| Situation: Is it okay to own another human being as a slave and force him to work for you? | The Objectivist: No man has the right to own another human or initiate the use of force against an innocent human being. |
| The Bible: Nowhere in the Bible is the owning of slaves condemned. God says that if you buy slaves that aren't Hebrews, you can keep them "forever." If your slaves have children, those children will belong to your children "forever." (Leviticus 25:44-46) |
| Situation: One of your co-workers admits to being a homosexual. Is this an evil practice? | The Objectivist:If a person's sexual preference or activity does not involve initiating force against another consenting adult (sexual activity being only allowable between adults who understand the responsibilities of the reproductive act and are old enough to exercise their own abilities to reason), and does not pose a threat to the individual's life, that activity should be pursued if it brings the person happiness and improves his life. |
| The Bible: Homosexuals should be killed. (Leviticus 20:13) |
| Situation: If the government oversteps its boundaries and begins to blatantly violate the rights of individuals, should the people rise up in protest or remain silent? | The Objectivist: Government exists to protect the people from the initiation of force. If the government fails in its responsibility to protect individuals, the guilty parties involved in the violations should be removed from power and the system of government should be restored to its proper purpose. |
| The Bible: If someone is in power in the government, it is because God put them in that position. If you disobey them, then you are disobeying God. You should be obedient to those who are placed above you and pay whatever taxes they demand. (Romans 13:1-7) |
| Situation: If a man loves a woman and she loves him in return, and that man sees reflected in that woman his own highest values, should he show his love by touching her? | The Objectivist: Life thrives on consensual physical contact between human beings. When a man has self-esteem that is deserved, physical contact with the one that he loves comes as a natural celebration of himself and of existence. It is indeed "good." |
| The Bible: "It is good for a man not to touch a woman." If a man can control his sexual drive it is best if he doesn't marry or touch a member of the opposite sex. (1 Corinthians 7:1, 7) |
| Situation: If a man and a woman are both running for public office, how do we determine who is best for the job? | The Objectivist: By rationally comparing their qualifications: their experience, aptitude, and ability to best accomplish the tasks of the public office. Whichever individual is best qualified should get the job. |
| The Bible: The man is the best qualified because he is a man. The woman shouldn't be running for public office anyway because the Bible forbids women to try to have authority over men. (1 Timothy 2:11-12) |
It is fairly obvious that the morality which the Bible presents is not only unjust but irrational. God himself says that his teachings are foolish and irrational (1 Corinthians 1:19-21) because he doesn't want to save the wise men of the world. Instead, this morally upright God; the source of all Christian ethics, wants to save the irrational and foolish men who don't deserve saving because they won't even use their "God-given" ability to reason. We concede the issue and give this God the crown which he deserves: the dunce cap which all fools who refuse to use reason should be forced to wear.
When you choose to place reason above faith and use your own independent judgement regardless of what other people believe or want you to believe, you are a freethinker. To be a freethinker has always required a degree of resistance. One must be able to resist the fear of rejection (society frowns on people who are independent thinkers) as well as the dogmas and opinions of authority figures who claim to know what is true or right. ("Question Authority!") Freethought means that you don't believe things that you don't have good evidence for or rational reason to believe in. This requires that you value truth enough to place your fears or other emotional desires second while placing reason first. Freethought is the key to liberating the mind from the shackles of guilt, fear, ignorance, and superstition.
Objectivism and Freethought provide us with the foundation to allow mankind to become the best that he can possibly be. In order to live that life you must choose to use reason in every facet of your life. Don't be afraid to use your mind and think for yourself. Don't shut down your mind because an authority figure claims that he "knows what is best." Stand firm for reason with your values fully in view: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
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