Purpose Comes from Reason, Not Religion
The moral question to ask yourself is not “How can I be a tool in the hands of God?”—but “How can I make my life the best, happiest life it can be?”
Summer 2019 • Vol. 14, No. 2
Subscriber Files
From the Editor, Summer 2019
Welcome to the Summer 2019 issue of The Objective Standard. Reason, purpose, dual sovereignty, federalism, privatization of public lands, wine appreciation, and more—there’s something here for everyone! Religionists have long claimed that moral purpose comes from God, and this message is being trumpeted more loudly than ever today by Ben Shapiro, Dennis Prager, Rick Warren, and other people of faith. In “Purpose Comes from Reason, Not Religion,” I examine their claims, exposing them as demonstrably false and contrary to the requirements of human life, and I show how and why moral purpose comes instead from rational thinking in pursuit of a life of happiness. Even if you already know this stuff, I think you’ll enjoy the new formulations and find the article worth sharing—especially with young people. God knows they need answers to religionists’ claims on this front. This article provides them. Next, in “John Marshall: Dual Sovereignty, One Republic,” Timothy Sandefur brings to life the legacy of this little-known but enormously important American founder. Beginning with his defense of the Constitution during Virginia’s ratification convention and culminating with his thirty-four-year career as a Supreme Court justice, Marshall was a steadfast voice in support of the principle of dual sovereignty.. . . Continue »
More Issues
-
Spring 2019
-
Winter 2018
-
Fall 2018
-
Summer 2018
-
Spring 2018
-
Winter 2017
-
Fall 2017
-
Summer 2017
-
Spring 2017
-
Winter 2016
-
Fall 2016
-
Summer 2016
-
Spring 2016
-
Winter 2015
-
Fall 2015
-
Summer 2015
-
Spring 2015
-
Winter 2014
-
Fall 2014
-
Summer 2014
-
Spring 2014
-
Winter 2013
-
Fall 2013
-
Summer 2013
-
Spring 2013
-
Winter 2012
-
Fall 2012
-
Summer 2012
-
Spring 2012
-
Winter 2011
-
Fall 2011
-
Summer 2011
-
Spring 2011
-
Winter 2010
-
Fall 2010
-
Summer 2010
-
Spring 2010
-
Winter 2009
-
Fall 2009
-
Summer 2009
-
Spring 2009
-
Winter 2008
-
Fall 2008
-
Summer 2008
-
Winter 2007
-
Summer 2007
-
Spring 2008
-
Fall 2007
-
Spring 2007
-
Winter 2006
-
Fall 2006
-
Summer 2006
-
Spring 2006
Cover Article
Features
John Marshall: Dual Sovereignty, One Republic
John Marshall patiently upheld the principle of dual sovereignty and set vital legal precedents for America in her infancy.
Liberating Public Lands
Public lands are a drain on American citizens and a barrier to the production of life-serving values. If we want to stop wasting potential resources and, instead, use them to enrich our lives, we must privatize public lands.
John Gillis on Romantic Realism in Architecture
"Architects can add much to human happiness if they actively adopt a design philosophy that projects a good, bright view of the world while holding a heroic view of people." —John Gillis
How Wine Appreciation Can Enrich Your Life: An Interview with Adam Edmonsond
“Like other man-made products, wine is created to serve a specific set of purposes, and facts about the wine in relation to facts about man’s body determine whether the product can fulfill its purposes, and to what degree.” —Adam Edmonsond
Shorts
Salk and Sabin: The Rivalry That Killed Polio
Salk and Sabin never worked together, but their combined efforts made possible a world in which almost no one suffers from polio.
How Jamie Dimon Should Have Answered Representative Katie Porter
Businessmen must learn to defend themselves when they are unjustly attacked, as should anyone concerned with justice.
Flying Is Safer Than Eating
We owe a debt of gratitude to the countless engineers and pilots who have managed to make air travel among the safest things human beings do.
The Hard-Won Wisdom of a Former Bigot
Megan Phelps-Roper was five when her parents first put a picket sign in her hands. You don't want to know what it said.
Book Reviews
Book & Movie Reviews, History, Philosophy, Science & Technology
John Locke and Natural Philosophy by Peter Anstey
Peter Anstey reveals how John Locke’s pessimism about a science of nature began evaporating in light of Isaac Newton’s achievements.
Book & Movie Reviews, Good Living
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
If you’re interested in optimizing your life for peak flourishing, check out this invaluable resource.
Arts & Culture, Book & Movie Reviews, History, Philosophy, Politics & Rights
Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress by Steven Pinker
Harvard professor Steven Pinker lays out a powerful case for cultural optimism in his book Enlightenment Now.
Book & Movie Reviews, Good Living
Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport
We can all benefit from being selective when it comes to using technology.
Arts & Culture, Book & Movie Reviews, Science & Technology
Leonardo Da Vinci by Walter Isaacson
Isaacson’s Leonardo Da Vinci distills this complex Renaissance man whose achievements in art and science have enriched posterity.
