“My Rational Reality” is a venue for my observations and analyses of issues relating to politics, economics, foreign policy, popular culture, psychology, and other topics through the lens of rationality and objectivity. I neither claim nor consider myself an expert on all of these topics; myriad other websites offer more in-depth and experienced viewpoints, as well as the philosophies already established by intellectuals in these areas. Indeed, the framework for a rational and moral philosophy for life has already been proven – it makes no sense to reinvent this wheel of logic, but instead to begin using it.
I conceptualize this blog as a small contribution towards what I perceive as a growing revolution in thought – a rediscovery of rationality and, in so doing, liberty. My goal is to support this enlightenment by disseminating the efforts of others, making more widely available existing educational resources, saluting achievements of liberty and capitalism where I find them, and addressing as best – as rationally and objectively – I can the contradictions I perceive to “fall through the cracks.” In short, this blog constitutes my decision not to default to – my refusal to sanction – irrationality and its many correlating “anti-ideologies.”
Shortly after completing a master’s degree in national security policy I discovered Ayn Rand’s philosophy of objectivism. Her ideas offered a guide by which I continue to identify my own values, work through the contradictions in my own thinking, and view the world – and well as my own role in it – more logically. Indeed, she clarified for me how man’s existence is given, that he chooses to live and think rationally, and that acting rationally to achieve his values is moral. This philosophy of logic – both refreshing and comparably extreme in a society rife with altruism – made sense to me; reading Atlas Shrugged, I repeatedly heard my inner voice of reason shouting, “Yes!”
In naming the moral premise of this blog, suffice it to say that I embrace the following principle (in Rand’s words): that man has the “right to his own life, to his own liberty, to the pursuit of his own happiness – which means: man’s right to exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself; and that the political implementation of this right is a society where men deal with one another as traders, by voluntary exchange to mutual benefit.” Consistent agreement with the morality of individual thought and action necessarily entails a belief in free market capitalism, and I have since undertaken a self-directed study of Austrian economics – a critical third-leg of an inseparable philosophical-political-economic triad that is requisite to understanding liberty.
When researching tips for maintaining a successful blog, I discovered two pieces of advice emphasized most regularly: write often and be specific. Having named these rules, I now offer an explanation for why I will probably bend them to the point of breaking. First, I am not a professional blogger; my goal is to post in-depth self-authored assessments when time permits, and issue brief comments or links in the interim. Second, I greatly enjoy studying a variety of topics and believe breadth of knowledge is an important balance to depth when evaluating inherently complex and multi-faceted issues.
Furthermore, I consider the particular appeal of objectivist thought to be captured by the Randian axiom that “contradictions do not exist”; if it appears they do, one must check his premises. While the variety of subjects about which I write is great, a constant among them is the predictability of discovering contradictions masked behind policies of collectivism and altruism. Majority rule, mixed-market economies, imperialism, warfare, religion, welfare, racism, tradition, obligation to the state, self-sacrifice, compromise, and so on – at the bottom of every haystack of irrational rhetoric surrounding these issues is contradiction. Thus, while I may often ignore the recommendation to “blog specific,” my rationale for addressing a wide array of issues is, in reality, more disciplined then it may at first appear. I hope the content value of this site compensates for its breadth and that you find my ideas and approach to be engaging, topical, and uniquely refreshing.
Thank you for your visit.
