Showing results by narrator "Scott R. Smith" in Politics & Social Sciences

 Explaining Postmodernism is intellectual history with a polemical twist, providing fresh insights into the debates underlying the furor over political correctness, multiculturalism, and the future of liberal democracy.  

In Ayn Rand and Altruism, George H. Smith calls attention to benevolence in Rand’s thinking. Indeed, Smith defends Rand’s rejection of altruism by contrasting it to benevolence. In this series of essays, originally published on Libertarianism.org and republished by The Atlas Society with permission of the author, Smith begins by establishing that Rand’s definition of altruism - “the placing of others above self, of their interests above one’s own” - is identical to the definition of altruism originated by Auguste Comte.  

Drafted to play for the Jacksonville Sea Storm, an NHL affiliate, 20-year-old Lane Courtnall's future looks bright, apart from the awkwardness he feels as a gay man playing on a minor league hockey team. He's put his foot in his mouth a few times and alienated his teammates. Then, during a rivalry game, Lane throws off his gloves against Jared Shore, enforcer for the Savannah Renegades. It's a strange way to begin a relationship.

Spartanburg Spitfires' goalie and captain, Isaac Drake, ended last season with an unexpected trip to the playoffs. He's found a home and a family with his coach and mentor, Misha Samarin, and he's looking forward to making a serious run for the Kelly Cup. But things take an interesting turn when Isaac's arch-nemesis, Laurent St. Savoy, is traded to the Spitfires. After Laurent's despicable behavior in the playoffs last year, Isaac wants nothing to do with him - no matter how gorgeous he is.

A freak accident during the Stanley Cup Playoffs put an end to Max Ashford's hockey career. Despite everything, Max gets back into the game as an assistant coach of the Spartanburg Spitfires. But nothing prepares him for the shock when he learns the new head coach is Misha Samarin, the man who caused Max's accident. Misha has no idea what to do when he's confronted with Max's presence - or the fierce attraction that springs up between them.

After last season's heartbreaking loss to his hockey team's archrival, Jacksonville Sea Storm goalie Riley Hunter is ready to let go of the past and focus on a winning season. His new roommate, Ethan Kennedy, is a loud New Yorker with a passion for social justice that matches his role as the team's enforcer. The quieter Riley is attracted to Ethan and has no idea what to do about it.

Can’t stop your critical thoughts? With mindfulness, you have critical thoughts… without the suffering. From an early age, many of us have this critical voice in our head that we call the inner critic. We have tried many different exercises and techniques to get rid of it, but nothing works. These intrusive thoughts keep popping up whenever they want. And they make us feel frustrated! Instead of overcoming our self-criticism, we end up making the inner critic our enemy and blame ourselves for having such self-loathing thoughts. 

De Brevitate Vitae (frequently referred to as On the Shortness of Life in English) is a moral essay written by Seneca the Younger, a Roman Stoic philosopher, to his father-in-law Paulinus. The philosopher brings up many Stoic principles on the nature of time, namely that men waste much of it in meaningless pursuits. According to the essay, nature gives man enough time to do what is really important and the individual must allot it properly.

The welfare state rests on the assumption that people have rights to food, shelter, health care, retirement income, and other goods provided by the government. David Kelley examines the historical origins of that assumption, and the rationale used to support it today.

Richard Horn and Timothy Davenport met in the SEALs 20 years ago, and have been lovers ever since. Now running their own paramilitary organization, Strike Force Omega, they work in the shadows to protect their country and its people. When Tim falls for Eric Newton, a deadly sniper and strategist on their team, Richard accepts that Tim's heart is big enough for two men. He respects, admires, and even desires Eric enough, to accept him into their relationship - and their bed - but he's never been fully a part of what Eric and Tim share.

This Christian healing audiobook delves into the negative and downright devastating events that occur in our lives that break our faithful hearts and trample our spirits, but it won’t be man-made wisdom pellets being handed out here. This is a Christian journey to find God in the midst of our sorrow.  

Objectivity is a core element of rationality, a cardinal virtue in the Objectivist ethics - and in any moral code that aims to help people live their best lives. But practicing objectivity is a challenge in light of emotional and other obstacles. David Kelley offers seven questions to ask ourselves in the effort to practice this virtue and maintain our alignment with reality. The questions are illustrated with examples from business, relationships, political argument, psychology, and other domains.

Contemporary views of business ethics often show businessmen and women in a bad light. Egoism, profits, and competition are branded as immoral, while social consciousness is praised. Atlas Society Senior Scholar Stephen Hicks, PhD, disagrees with this point of view. Most contemporary business ethics does business a disservice. Worse than that, its proposed cures are plagued with unintended consequences that are often much worse than the problems it is attempting to solve. Hicks defends the egoism that drives successful business people and the morality of free-market capitalism.

In this Pocket Guide to Postmodernism, author Andrew Colgan, PhD, explores the fundamental premises and ideas of postmodernism by summarizing and interpreting Explaining Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault by Stephen Hicks, PhD. In his discussion of the philosophical foundations of this intellectual movement, Colgan presents a concise guide into the views of one of the most influential schools of the 20th century and its real-life consequences. 

We all know the formula, and we all love the stories. Boy meets boy, one's a closeted jock and the other's a sweet college student with a heart of gold. The jock is always cautious and worried how others will perceive him. The gay protagonist is always too good to be true, and dare we say, dumb? Then it's all forbidden glances, angst, and misunderstandings, right? Well, this isn't one of those stories.

What is the nature of benevolence toward other people? How does it differ from altruism? Is it a major or minor virtue? How does it relate to the benevolent sense of life? David Kelley answers these questions in a groundbreaking work. Unrugged Individualism is the first philosophical analysis of benevolence from the Objectivist point of view, a major addition to the Objectivist ethics, and a convincing demonstration of the fertility of the system of ideas originated by Ayn Rand.

Philosophy professor and entrepreneur Stephen Hicks takes a critical look at unquestioned assumptions in the arena of business ethics.

Ayn Rand’s novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged gave birth to a movement based on her philosophy of objectivism. In The Contested Legacy of Ayn Rand, philosopher David Kelley explains why he broke ranks with orthodox objectivists and created an independent branch of the movement. Originally published in 1990 as a manifesto, the work has been revised as an analysis of the principles of the intellectual collaboration, toleration, and responsibility. It is an engaging introduction to the objectivist movement, its core ideas, and its central fissures.

Attorney Scott Winslow and CIA agent-turned-investigator Lee Henry are back with another extraordinary case. Scott must prove that a powerful company CEO raped his subordinate, Sarah Willis, on a business trip. Investigator Lee Henry employs his CIA background, and unorthodox practices, to chase evidence and help Scott prosecute the case. While Scott goes all in on the case, Lee reaches behind opaque curtains to search for clues. But can they piece it all together and win the case?

Ayn Rand's philosophical novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged made her the most controversial author of her age. Her works have drawn millions of fans and continue to sell at a breathtaking pace. Their impact on American culture runs from libertarian politics to the self-esteem movement in psychology to the rugged individualism of Silicon Valley and the Internet. Rand also launched a movement of intellectuals committed to her philosophy of Objectivism.