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From the Editor:

Articles and Activism
Posted by Ethan Dawe on 12/12, 1:06am
Now that my first week as editor is over, I wanted to take a moment to both make a call for articles and to talk a bit about the types of articles we're looking for. In preparing to write this I went back and read Joe's opening article for RoR, "The Rebirth." The ideas he set forth there are ones I will use to help guide my selection of articles, so if you haven't read it yet and are thinking about submitting an article, I recommend it. Therein you will see that Joe would like to focus this site more on activism.

          Some people have noted that activism isn't for everyone, and some have said that it isn't an interest to them at all. Recent discussions in the RoR forums have revolved around the many different forms activism can take, and Ciro D'Agostino very aptly noted that the best form of activism comes from being a successful example of your personal philosophy. It's certain that living an efficacious life based on Objectivism will definitely serve you, but it will also serve as an example to others who can learn from and be inspired by your actions. In this way, everyone is something of an activist. For those of us who wish to be more active activists I hope that the articles and discussions on RoR will be useful and thought provoking.

          So what direction does that give authors and prospective authors? Certainly articles that offer insights into Objectivism in any way are good, as are ones that show how Objectivist principles have lead to better living. Joe Rowlands has been a huge supplier of this sort of article. Those that provide accounts of good debates and ideas encountered in them are helpful and often enjoyable to read. Marty Lewinter's recent article and posts about his debates in academic circles are good examples of this. Those that give us a deeper understanding of the inconsistencies and fallacies in other philosophic systems are useful. Tibor Machan's articles often fall into this category. There really isn't too much that can't be of some use in the war of ideas! If you're in doubt about a topic, you can always send me a note outlining what you are thinking of doing and we can discuss it. If you really want to write something, but can't come up with an idea, there are always the topics on Capitalism up for grabs in the War Room.

          In closing I want to say that I will often consider posting an article that may seem odd for an Objectivist site, such as one I'm looking at now on a bit of the history of and inconsistency in the Bible. It's important to note that I don't have to and may not agree with everything an author is writing, if I think the article will provide either a good basis for debate on some topic or, as in the article I just mentioned, provide a good information source for debating and challenging non-Objectivists and their belief systems. This doesn't mean I'll post anything, however. There must be merit beyond the mere fact that it's written and in the queue. If you want to see an article on some topic, write it. If you think something in an article is wrong, debate it.
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