David Kelley - The Foundations of Knowledge: 1. The Primacy of Existence

A cardinal principle of Objectivist metaphysics is the primacy of existence which asserts that there is one objective world, which exists independently of consciousness. This fact is irreducible and does not have to be proved because existence is the fundamental self-evident truth that lies at the foundation of all knowledge.

The primacy of existence is a corollary of 3 basic axioms of Objectivist metaphysics and epistemology: the axiom of existence, the axiom of identity, and the axiom of consciousness. Objectivism holds that each of these axioms is implicit in any act of knowledge, thus, the primacy of existence is a fact contained within the truths of these philosophical axioms.

Citing John Galt's speech in "Atlas Shrugged" and the title essay in "For the New Intellectual" Dr. Kelley explains why many philosophers have denied the primacy of existence and embraced the primacy of consciousness in what he terms the "diaphanous model." And he points out the essential fallacies in this model of awareness

ABOUT DAVID KELLEY:
David Kelley is a professional philosopher, teacher, and best-selling author. After earning a Ph.D. in philosophy from Princeton University in 1975, he joined the philosophy department of Vassar College, where he remained until 1984. He has also taught at Brandeis University as a Visiting Lecturer. Among his books are Unrugged Individualism: The Selfish Basis of Benevolence; The Contested Legacy of Ayn Rand; The Evidence of the Senses, a treatise on epistemology; and The Art of Reasoning, one of the most widely used logic textbooks in the country. With Roger Donway, he co-authored "Laissez Parler: Freedom in the Electronic Media", a critique of government regulation. He is also the author of "A Life of One's Own: Individual Rights and the Welfare State", a critique of the moral premises of the welfare state and defense of private alternatives that preserve individual autonomy, responsibility, and dignity.

His articles on social issues and public policy have appeared in Harper's, The Sciences, Reason, Harvard Business Review, The Freeman, and elsewhere. He has been an editorial writer for Barron's, has appeared on 20/20 and the ABC News special, "Greed" With John Stossel, and has written and lectured extensively on issues in philosophy, politics, and public affairs.

An active proponent of Objectivism for more than 25 years, he has lectured to student groups at Harvard, Yale, University of Michigan, Berkeley, Amherst, and many other colleges and universities. He has also addressed the Mont Pelerin Society, the Free Press Association, the Cato Institute, and Heartland Institute, as well as many Objectivist conferences.

David Kelley - The Foundations of Knowledge: 1. The Primacy of Existence

David Kelley - The Foundations of Knowledge: 1. The Primacy of Existence

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