Philosophy

"What are the relationships of and differences between altruism and second-handedness?" In answering this question, Craig Biddle clarifies the respective meaning of each concept, identifying one as a theory of morality and the other as a psychological malady, discussing their essential differences and similarities, and contrasting these concepts and relationships with those of egoism and first-handedness or independent thinking.

After the shocking news of Robin Williams’s apparent suicide hit the media, people throughout America and the world mourned his passing and celebrated his life and work. But not everyone did so. Consistent Muslims took the opportunity to spew Islamic venom at Williams and wish him eternal torture in flames.

Theocrat Rick Santorum is the CEO of the Christian film production company EchoLight, as the Heritage Institute reports. Unsurprisingly, judging from its trailer, one of the company’s forthcoming films, “One Generation Away: The Erosion of Religious Liberty,” substantially distorts the meaning and significance of the First Amendment’s language about religion.

Every so often, people hostile to Ayn Rand’s ideas try to attack them by saying that Rand said or implied something she never said or implied and then attacking that thing she never said or implied. Given that Rand’s actual views are so readily available, it’s baffling that her detractors wantonly make this stuff up.

Needless to say, a rights-respecting (or even partially-civilized) government does not arrest people for dancing, cheering for a sports team, or not wearing a headscarf. This is just another indication of the barbarism entailed in taking Islam seriously and establishing governments on the basis of religion.

The fact that the Bible advocates the murder of homosexuals (as well as the murder of “witches,” of those who worship other gods, and of blasphemers—among others) indicates that the Bible, far from being a guidebook for morality, is largely an absurd book of mindless and evil prohibitions and commandments rooted in nothing more than ancient superstitions.

As Rand points out, the tribal lone wolf mentality has nothing to do with genuine, rational, life-promoting selfishness. A rationally selfish individual, far from “living” (or killing and dying) by the opinions of others, lives by his own independent judgment and for his own self-achieved happiness, creating values and trading value for value with others.

Atrocities against women and girls, against homosexuals, against non-Muslims, are, in the Muslim world, a daily occurrence. The action against this Sudanese woman—whether or not Muslims ultimately carry out their threat to murder her—is just one atrocity in an endless stream of atrocities perpetrated by Muslims in the name of their “God.”

In his recent address to representatives from the United Nations, Pope Francis called for “the legitimate redistribution of economic benefits by the State” in order to alleviate poverty. The pope believes economic inequality is wrong and that government should forcibly remedy the problem. But the pope is wrong on both counts.

Why did a gang of thugs kidnap 276 schoolgirls in Nigeria last month? As Ali points out, “Boko Haram sincerely believes that girls are better off enslaved than educated.” Ali also points out that the kidnappings are part and parcel of the broader jihadist campaign against women living as human beings.