A reader asked me to comment on an article written by the mother of a would-be killer, a violent young person with no conscience whom the mother felt should be entitled to mental health services to correct his low character. … Continue reading
Past or present, old-fashioned or “progressive,” most parents still agree on one thing: Teach your child not to be selfish. If you ask me, this is the single biggest mistake a parent can make. Telling a child not to be … Continue reading
Throughout human history, the greatest of the great innovators have been rebuffed, persecuted or even put to death. Socrates — regardless of what one thinks of his philosophy — was put to death for asking questions that even the democratic … Continue reading
Everything good in human life comes from reason. By “reason” I mean rational, reality-based measures to attain survival and happiness in life. The primary arenas in which reason operates are science and business. By “science” I mean genuine science, based … Continue reading
Dear Dr. Hurd: I wonder if you could help me explain the difference between being kind and being everyone’s keeper. Is kindness “looking after others?” And, is this way of relating to others contagious, as many people believe? Reply: Kindness … Continue reading
Andrew Bernstein, author of ‘Capitalist Solutions’ and other excellent books, said the following: ‘Nothing is given to man on earth — struggle is built into the nature of life, and conflict is possible — the hero is the man who … Continue reading
First, here’s the problem with Democrats: They claim that socialism is good in theory AND good in practice. It’s good in theory, they claim, because the purpose of the individual is to take care of his fellow man. Government’s purpose … Continue reading
Vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan has reportedly had favorable things to say about Ayn Rand, author of Atlas Shrugged and the philosophy of Objectivism, which stresses the absolutism of reason, reality and individual rights (including laissez-faire capitalism). The New Yorker magazine … Continue reading
I ran across the following criticism of Ayn Rand in a Facebook comment: ‘Arguably, no 20th century writer brought more people to libertarianism than Ayn Rand, but never underestimate how much damage her hyperindividualism did to the movement and to … Continue reading
A number of readers know I’m a fan of Ayn Rand’s ideas. (Ayn Rand is the author of ‘Atlas Shrugged’ and much else.) They have written to ask me if it’s true that Ayn Rand, an advocate of individual rights … Continue reading
Sigmund Freud once wrote: “Religion originate(s) in the child’s and young mankind’s fears and need for help. It cannot be otherwise.” He also wrote: “Religion is an attempt to get control over the sensory world, in which we are placed, … Continue reading
If it’s true that the road to hell is paved with good intentions … what does this say about our definition of “good”?