Fore more urdu books visit www.4Urdu.com

More oxford books @ www.OxfordeBook.comFore more urdu books visit www.4Urdu.com148FROM NOVELIST TO PHILOSOPHER, 1944–1957since the rise of scientific naturalism. 38 What differentiated Objectivismwas its ambition. Rather than simply reassert the idea of objective andtranscendent truth, a project supported by a host of other neo- Aristotelianthinkers, Rand attempted at the same time to vindicate a controversialand inflammatory transvaluation of values that contradicted the basicteachings of Western religion and ethics.The scope of her project awed her young followers, who consideredher a thinker of world-historical significance. In her ideas they found a“round universe,” a completely comprehensible, logical world. Rand’sfocus on reason led her to declare that paradoxes and contradictionswere impossible. Thought, she explained, was a cycle of moving fromabstract premises to concrete objects and events: “The cycle is unbreakable;no part of it can be of any use, until and unless the cycle is completed.”39 Therefore a premise and a conclusion could never clash, unlessan irrational thought process had been employed. Nor could emotionsand thoughts be at odds, Rand asserted. Emotions came from thought,and if they contradicted reality, then the thought underlying them wasirrational and should be changed. Indeed even a person’s artistic andsexual preferences sprang from his or her basic philosophical premises,Rand taught the Collective.It was all adding up to one integrated system. Man was a rationalcreature who used his mind to survive. The rational faculty requiredindependence and individuality to operate properly; therefore an ethicsof selfishness was appropriate for rational men. Any moral or ethicalproblem could be approached from this perspective. Was a personacting independently? Were his or her actions based on reason andconsistent with his or her premises? That was the true determinant ofright, Rand taught. Even more than her fiction or the chance to befrienda famous author, Rand’s philosophy bound the Collective to her. Shestruck them all as a genius without compare. On Saturday nights theyargued and debated the fine points and applications, but never questionedthe basics Rand outlined. During these marathon sessions, Randwas indefatigable, often talking until the morning light. The Collectivemarveled at how the opportunity to talk philosophy rejuvenated her,even after a long day of writing. The obvious was also the unthinkable.To keep up with her younger followers, Rand fed herself a steady streamof amphetamines. 40