Ayn Rand, Abortion, and Planned Parenthood.
Kevin Williamson of National Review did a follow-up to his piece which I posted here yesterday.
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/...
In this current piece, again on the Planned Parenthood atrocity (my word), he takes a shot at Planned Parenthhood apologists by referencing Rand
"Why not have a Fast Freddy’s Fetal Livers Emporium and Bait Shop in every town large enough to merit a Dairy Queen? If you are having some difficulty answering that question, perhaps you should, as some famous abortion-rights advocate once put it, check your premises."
Some people have taken this line to also be an implication of Rand.
Me, I'm not sure, there's a few things I disagree with Rand on, abortion being one of them.
But, what is Rand's view on abortion?
Here is a link the entry in the Ayn Rand Lexicon.
http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/abo...
I think the most relevant portion is this.
"A piece of protoplasm has no rights—and no life in the human sense of the term. One may argue about the later stages of a pregnancy, but the essential issue concerns only the first three months."
In Rand's day, that's what abortion was.
Now, I'm no doctor, but I doubt very much that organ tissue can be harvested from a first trimester embryo.
I speculate that Planned Parenthood was harvesting exclusively from late term and even partial-birth abortions.
What Rand would say about this is also speculative, although we can infer from her words "One may argue about the later stages of a pregnancy..."
So, Objectivists, what say you?
Disclosure, my personal opinions on abortion - the human animal is a biological machine, as such it has core programming (instinctual drives). Maternal instincts are some of the most powerful any animal possesses, even stronger than Self-preservation or Species-reproduction. As such, I believe that when a woman has an abortion, regardless of the trimester, her maternal instinct kicks in at some level - automatic, unstoppable, irrevocable, unaffected by popular opinion of what abortion is supposed to be. As such, I believe that when a woman gets an abortion, she is doing deep and permanent psychological damage to herself. The existence of groups such as Silent No More lead me to suspect that my opinion is correct. What is the percentage of women who are psychologically damaged by an abortion? Who knows, and with today's Lysenko "scientists" I doubt there will be any unbiased research done. Regardless, until women who are considering an abortion first get counselling on the (what I believe) strong probability of psychological damage from the procedure, I can not be anything but against it.
This disclosure is also open for debate on this thread.
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/...
In this current piece, again on the Planned Parenthood atrocity (my word), he takes a shot at Planned Parenthhood apologists by referencing Rand
"Why not have a Fast Freddy’s Fetal Livers Emporium and Bait Shop in every town large enough to merit a Dairy Queen? If you are having some difficulty answering that question, perhaps you should, as some famous abortion-rights advocate once put it, check your premises."
Some people have taken this line to also be an implication of Rand.
Me, I'm not sure, there's a few things I disagree with Rand on, abortion being one of them.
But, what is Rand's view on abortion?
Here is a link the entry in the Ayn Rand Lexicon.
http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/abo...
I think the most relevant portion is this.
"A piece of protoplasm has no rights—and no life in the human sense of the term. One may argue about the later stages of a pregnancy, but the essential issue concerns only the first three months."
In Rand's day, that's what abortion was.
Now, I'm no doctor, but I doubt very much that organ tissue can be harvested from a first trimester embryo.
I speculate that Planned Parenthood was harvesting exclusively from late term and even partial-birth abortions.
What Rand would say about this is also speculative, although we can infer from her words "One may argue about the later stages of a pregnancy..."
So, Objectivists, what say you?
Disclosure, my personal opinions on abortion - the human animal is a biological machine, as such it has core programming (instinctual drives). Maternal instincts are some of the most powerful any animal possesses, even stronger than Self-preservation or Species-reproduction. As such, I believe that when a woman has an abortion, regardless of the trimester, her maternal instinct kicks in at some level - automatic, unstoppable, irrevocable, unaffected by popular opinion of what abortion is supposed to be. As such, I believe that when a woman gets an abortion, she is doing deep and permanent psychological damage to herself. The existence of groups such as Silent No More lead me to suspect that my opinion is correct. What is the percentage of women who are psychologically damaged by an abortion? Who knows, and with today's Lysenko "scientists" I doubt there will be any unbiased research done. Regardless, until women who are considering an abortion first get counselling on the (what I believe) strong probability of psychological damage from the procedure, I can not be anything but against it.
This disclosure is also open for debate on this thread.
You stated, "If I were to create my own definitions, you and everyone else would immediately say, 'Who the heck are you to define terms in a way that is different from everyone else?" That is not true, and you cannot in logic "stand by" a misrepresentation of what you imagine someone else would say. Definitions are true or false in accordance with whether or not they correctly specify a concept in terms of essentials, not whether or not they are "different from everyone else".
The clown who voted this down has his own problems.
Science has not determined that fetuses are human beings with human rights like property rights. You are confusing religious dogma with science.
With all due respect your statement "Nor does it prove one's level of knowledge and/or understanding of any particular subject." I completely disagree. In the "About section" of this forum, an Objectivist who DOES have understanding should be self-motivated to action.
No Free Lunch
Value for Value
All core concepts to one who understands and has knowledge. Wisdom is the proper application of knowledge.
http://www.galtsgulchonline.com/about
"Producers are members of the Galt's Gulch community who have read Atlas Shrugged, are advocates of Ayn Rand's ideas, and understand that there is no free lunch. They understand that running this site costs money. They understand that the value they get from this site deserves a fair value-for-value exchange."
Value for value. I joined the Gulch because I was motivated by Ayn Rand after I read Atlas Shrugged, then The Fountainhead, then a few of her other lesser known works.
To self-identify as an Objectivist, one MUST view things from a value for value proposition.
Being flagged "Producer" while certainly not required to participate, indicates a specific level of "value-for-value" acknowledgement.
One who self identifies as an Objectivist is forced by these principals to ask themselves do I find "value" here? If I do then I should be motivated to as this site points out in its "About" section, know "there is no free lunch."
I joined this site, and remained a guest for a view months to determine if I found "value." I was self-motivated as were so many others who found value.
I did find a great deal of value so I made the choice being motivated by Objectivist principals knowledge of those principals, and the wisdom to ACT on those principals, I acted on that value and subscribe.
Some who contend they are the epitome of Objectivism, and do not find value, should not be taking harsh tones with others on this site who DO find value here and express that value with a subscription, thus being flagged "producer" whereby I have taken the product of my labor, to pay for the product of another person's labor, i.e. this forum.
To be honest, the value I paid voluntarily is less than smoker pay to suck down carcinogens on a regular basis, making this forum a significant value vs. the amount requested.
To quote directly from Ayn Rand.
The Virtue of Selfishness
"Since a value is that which one acts to gain and/or keep, and the amount of possible action is limited by the duration of one’s lifespan, it is a part of one’s life that one invests in everything one values. The years, months, days or hours of thought, of interest, of action devoted to a value are the currency with which one pays for the enjoyment one receives from it."
I guess one must ask what currency. Well since money is the tool by which men freely trade with one another and establish value, and as the "About" section points out there is NO free lunch. A person who holds Objectivism dear would most certainly ACT by providing that value, currency in the form of a subscription, else that person must not hold those values as dearly as proclaimed from the roof-top.
Not being a Galt's Gulch Online Producer also does not make one a moocher or a looter.
Galt's Gulch Online Producers are however expected to hold themselves to a higher standard and not berate, belittle, or attempt to pressure others into becoming Gulch Producers. This would actually be considered conduct unbecoming a Gulch Producer.
Let's raise the bar.
Thanks,
Scott
I was doing some additional research on what SCIENCE determines life to be and when it begins and while there are varying differences there are also some extremely consistent identifiers.
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/lif...
http://academic.wsc.edu/mathsci/hamme...
According to Hickman, Roberts, and Larson (1997), any living organism will meet the following seven basic properties of life:
1) Chemical uniqueness. Living systems demonstrate a unique and
complex molecular organization.
2) Complexity and hierarchical organization. Living systems
demonstrate a unique and complex hierarchical organization.
3) Reproduction. Living systems can reproduce themselves.
4) Possession of a genetic program. A genetic program provides fidelity
of inheritance.
5) Metabolism. Living organisms maintain themselves by obtaining
nutrients from their environments.
6) Development. All organisms pass through a characteristic life cycle.
7) Environmental reaction. All animals interact with their environment.
The fertilized egg, from the moment of conception, meets each of the properties that have been found to determine if an organism can be classified as living. Based on this definition, life begins at conception.
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/...
1
a : the quality that distinguishes a vital and functional being from a dead body
b : a principle or force that is considered to underlie the distinctive quality of animate beings
c : an organismic state characterized by capacity for metabolism, growth, reaction to stimuli, and reproduction
"C" a fertilized fetus meets this requirement the second the cells divide.
http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/s...
Living things tend to be complex and highly organized. They have the ability to take in energy from the environment and transform it for growth and reproduction. Organisms tend toward homeostasis: an equilibrium of parameters that define their internal environment. Living creatures respond, and their stimulation fosters a reaction-like motion, recoil, and in advanced forms, learning. Life is reproductive, as some kind of copying is needed for evolution to take hold through a population's mutation and natural selection. To grow and develop, living creatures need foremost to be consumers, since growth includes changing biomass, creating new individuals, and the shedding of waste.
Every scientific journal that defines "life" indicates that the second the egg and sperm come together and divide, they possess DNA and a complex mechanism which separates it from "protoplasm" which is specifically defined as:
However...Protoplasm itself within its own definition uses "LIFE".
Oxford Dictionary:
The colourless material comprising the living part of a cell, including the cytoplasm, nucleus, and other organelles.
So going back to Ayn Rand saying a protoplasm has no rights indicates that life has no rights.
So in the end I guess the discussion will go on for eternity and will be completely based on each persons specific set of morals, beliefs, and convictions.
Methinks one protests too quickly with respect to consequences. How many of the misdecisions of today are rectified by technology, yet are not rejected because they do not challenge religious "norms"?
Car repair, cardiac health, typos (retype the page, use white out, print over)...but somehow, this decision cannot be overcome by technology...why?
I foresee a circular argument coming
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