Existence has primacy over consciousness. Things are what they are independent of consciousness. Although one may wish to "have their cake and eat it too" it is impossible. A savage facing a charging beast may close his eyes and wish it away but he will not last long.
There are three main opponents to this view, all of which place primacy of consciousness over existence. ( where mind creates reality )
1. Supernaturalistic version - Plato, Hume, Christianity and Judaism for example, claim that the universe was created by a supernatural consciousness. The world which we know exists is superseded by the world of the supernatural, which is unknowable. In this view, the supernatural being may subject our universe to its decrees and produce miracles. To live in a world of miracles, is to live in a world of mysticism.
2. The Social version - Immanuel Kant's philosophy has greatly effected thought even to this day. Kant replaced the supernatural consciousness (God) with the human mind. A group such as a race, a state, a sex, or economic class can create reality. People today who support this idea (some without even knowing it) suggest that there is no objective reality, that truth is simply truth "for man" or whatever group they fill the quotes in with.
3. Personal version - Protagoras is the father of this type of thought. "Man is the measure of all things" he stated long ago. Meaning that each man has his own private truth, and that his truth may be different from everyone elses.
Rand goes on to explain :
Metaphysically given facts are reality. Man made facts are choices and must be evaluated. Being a "realist" is mindless conformity. For example, a realist might say "you can't fight city hall." Is this true ? Or are they simply sanctioning the status quo ? Another example may be if someone says that death makes life meaningless. What they are doing is trying to rebel against reality without realizing that the fact that death exists means it necessarily exists.
A philosopher by the name of Leibnitz once said "all is for the best in this best of all possible worlds." In other words God could have created a million different types of universes. This tempts people to spend their time wishing for a better world and religions invite such wishing which it describes as "hope" and "prayer."
In effect, it is an attempt to rewrtie reality.
Rand believes that there is no clash between the "spiritual" and the "material."
It is the integration of the two that will lead to harmony and the first cruicial step is to accept reality as it is. This subject is discussed in greater detail in an upcoming chapter.
Two other types of thought which contradict reality:
Idealism - Plato's used abstractions, Augustine used God, and Hegel used ideas to describe reality, which they felt was a spiritual realm that transcended the world of nature.
Materialism - men such as Democritus, Hobbes, Marx and Skinner champion nature but deny consciousness. They believe that since consciousness can not be measured, it does not exist. Feelings, for example can be explained by chemical reactions in the brain.
Objectivism advocates reason as man's only means of knowledge.
Concerning the soul, objectivism supports Aristotle's idea that the soul is not a ticket to another reality, but a developement of and within nature.
Thus ends chapter one. I have spent alot of time with it because it is the basis for the whole philosophy. I have probably lost all of my audience at this point but it has helped me to better understand it. It was not my intention or is it possible to summarize a whole philosopy, so I may be much more brief in outlining the rest of the book. I would like to see everyone read this book, even if you disagree with some of the ideas. It is a solid, uplifting, reality based philosophy which champions individualism.
