Before I begin, let me say that I do not expect everyone to agree with my philosophy. Just a few years ago, I didn't even agree with it. I had to read, think, read, and think some more before I became convinced that the philosophy I currently hold is correct. Of course, I have made minor adjustments along the way, but I have settled on the primary tenants of my philosophy.
Since my youth, my beliefs have wandered to and fro. Early on, I was a believer in the Bible, attending a Baptist church from time to time. Later, I became an unbeliever, even though I still believed in the existence of an All Powerful Creator that I called God. After college, I began attending a Church of Christ and was later baptized. I had been a Christian for about two years when I got married. My wife was a Christian, also. We began studying the Bible together on a regular basis, beginning with Genesis. I believed that my faith would grow stronger by studying the Bible. After all, everyone said it would. WRONG! Studying the Bible made my faith weaker. I found so many irrational and inconsistent things in the Bible, I could hardly stand studying anymore. I questioned many people about these problems and discovered, to my dismay, that no one had the answers. About all anyone could say is that I needed to believe by faith. One day we would understand. However, I knew that that could not be the answer. Every religion in the world asks people to accept its tenants by faith. If faith is all we have to go on, then ALL religions would have to be accepted. There had to be a missing element. There had to be something that could bring all men together on common ground for making decisions about how they should live.
The missing element was REASON!
It took a few years of thinking and searching to discover this. I was beginning to formulate a philosophy when I discovered the writings of Ayn Rand. She was the founder of a philosophy based on reason named OBJECTIVISM. It all began to fall in place. Man had within him the ability to discern right and wrong once he learned how to do so. This ability could only be realized by holding a correct and consistent set of premises and using proper reasoning according to the laws of logic. Since this philosophy is not based on faith, it is incumbent on each individual to determine the correctness of any assertion made by another person. No one should just accept what someone else has said without being given the proper reason for believing it. Of course, this makes it very difficult to acquire a lot of adherents quickly. Many people do not want to think. They want someone else to do it for them. Of course, these people are much more susceptible to charlatans.
So, I consider myself to be an Objectivist, but I do not agree with everything Ayn Rand believed. Since Ayn Rand's death in the early 80's, there have formed two major camps espousing Objectivism. First is the Ayn Rand Institute (ARI). This camp is the more dogmatic one, having basically set everything Ayn Rand has said in stone. ARI is the creation of Leonard Peikoff, Ayn Rand's intellectual heir. The second camp is the The Objectivist Center (TOC), formerly known as the Institute for Objectivist Studies (IOS). It is attempting to create an open environment for discussing Objectivism, correcting its flaws, and extending the areas in which it is applicable to the real world. (Obviously, all relevant topics could not be covered by one person in one life time.) TOC is the creation of David Kelley, a long-time adherent to the philosophy of Objectivism. There is currently a rift between these two institutes. In the past, I supported both organizations. However, the more I read, the more I realized that I could not support the Ayn Rand Institute. I believe the course they are currently on -- that is purging everyone that disagrees with them on strategy -- can lead to nothing but decline. I believe the course that TOC is on -- working together on common goals even if you don't agree on everthing -- is the correct one. I will continue to support it.
To understand better how I came to believe what I do, I have included links to three articles entitled "Foundations of Faith, Parts 1-3." These are articles I wrote over a period of time when I was shaping my philosophy. Please read them and give me your feedback. I have also included some links to other Objectivist oriented pages on the Web. I will be adding additional material as I have time.
(NOTE: All of the articles are copyright © 1988-1996 by Randy C. Finch. They can not be reproduced without the permission of Randy C. Finch.)
| First in a series of three articles about faith. In this one, I present the case for not relying on faith for your beliefs. Written in July 1988. | |
| Second in a series of three articles about faith. In this one, I discuss things that Christian friends have said about faith and the Bible and present my arguments to refute them. Written in June 1993. | |
| Third in a series of three articles about faith. In this one, I present several quotes from the Bible and discuss why they are either irrational or inconsistent. Written in October 1994. | |
| Links to other sites on the Web containing information about Objectivism. |