David Kelley

For the producer of the same name, see David E. Kelley.

David Kelley (born 1949 in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American philosopher and author. He is best known for his advocacy on behalf of Objectivism. He is founder and senior fellow of the Atlas Society (part of The Objectivist Center, originally called the Institute for Objectivist Studies). He lives near Poughkeepsie, New York. David Kelley -- From http://www. ... David Kelley -- From http://www. ... David Edward Kelley (born April 4, 1956) is an American television and movie producer. ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Forest City Motto: Progress and Prosperity Location Location in Cuyahoga County, Ohio Coordinates , Government Country State County United States Ohio Cuyahoga Mayor Frank G. Jackson (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 213. ... A philosopher is a person who thinks deeply regarding people, society, the world, and/or the universe. ... An author is the person who creates a written work, such as a book, story, article or the like. ... Objectivism is the philosophical system developed by Russian-American philosopher and writer Ayn Rand. ... The Atlas Society (formerly the Objectivist Center (TOC) and originally the Institute for Objectivist Studies or IOS) is a global online community linking those who admire the fiction of Ayn Rand, including Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead. It is not merely a literary fan club, but a part of the... Poughkeepsie is a city in New York, USA and serves as the county seat of Dutchess County, located in the Hudson River Valley roughly midway between New York City and Albany. ...

Education and early career

Kelley is trained as a philosopher: He received his BA and MA in philosophy from Brown University, where he studied with the American rationalist, Roderick Chisholm. He received his Ph.D. from Princeton University, where his advisor was the American postmodernist Richard Rorty. He taught philosophy and cognitive science for 7 years at Vassar College, where he was denied tenure. He then embarked on a career as a writer for Barron's Magazine, later to devote himself to the leadership of the Atlas Society. A Bachelor of Arts (B.A. or A.B., from the Latin Artium Baccalaureus) is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course or program in the arts and/or sciences. ... A Master of Arts is a postgraduate academic masters degree awarded by universities in North America and the United Kingdom (excluding the ancient universities of Scotland and Oxbridge. ... Brown University is an Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island. ... This article is not about continental rationalism. ... Roderick M Chisholm (Seekonk, Massachusetts, 1916 -- Providence, Rhode Island, 1999) was an American philosopher, known for his work on epistemology, metaphysics, free will, and the philosophy of perception. ... Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. ... Princeton University is a coeducational private university located in Princeton, New Jersey. ... Postmodernism (sometimes abbreviated pomo) is a term applied to a wide-ranging set of developments in critical theory, philosophy, architecture, art, literature, and culture, which are generally characterized as either emerging from, in reaction to, or superseding, modernism. ... Richard McKay Rorty (born October 4, 1931 in New York City) is an American philosopher. ... Rendering of human brain based on MRI data Cognitive science is usually defined as the scientific study either of mind or of intelligence (e. ... Closeup of the Vassar Main Building Vassar College is a highly selective, private, coeducational liberal arts college situated in Poughkeepsie, New York. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Barrons magazine is an American weekly newspaper covering U.S. financial information, market developments, and relevant statistics. ...

Kelley's books cover a variety of subjects within philosophy. With Roger Donway, he co-authored "Laissez Parler: Freedom in the Electronic Media", a critique of government regulation. Kelley now writes mostly on politics and current events. Government regulation involves the use of the law, mandated by the state, to produce outcomes which might not otherwise occur, prevent outcomes which might otherwise occur, produce or prevent outcomes in different places to what might otherwise occur, or produce or prevent outcomes in different timescales than would otherwise occur. ... Politics is a process by which decisions are made within groups. ...

Objectivism "open" faction

Objectivism, as led by Leonard Peikoff's Ayn Rand Institute, declared Objectivism to be a "closed system" containing only the philosophic principles advocated by Rand during her lifetime. According to Kelley, Objectivist orthodoxy holds that cognitive error is the result of dishonesty or ignorance and therefore must be condemned and never sanctioned. This characterization is disputed by Peikoff and his supporters. The Ayn Rand Institute: The Center for the Advancement of Objectivism (ARI) was established in 1985, three years after Ayn Rands death, by Leonard Peikoff, Rands legal and intellectual heir. ...

In 1989, Kelley set out in a pamphlet his critique of the orthodox Objectivist movement. The pamphlet was titled "Truth and Toleration" (later republished as the book The Contested Legacy of Ayn Rand). It declared Objectivism to be an "open system" amenable to revision and addition. He held that cognitive error can result from many factors and need not involve moral culpability. This critique subsequently split the movement into two factions. This split led to Kelley founding the Institute for Objectivist Studies (now the Atlas Society), a non-profit dedicated to cultural advocacy on behalf of "reason, individualism, achievement, and capitalism".

Some who subscribe to Kelley's brand of open-system Objectivism call themselves "Neo-objectivists" (though Kelley does not use this term). Neo-Objectivism covers a large family of philosophical viewpoints and cultural values descended from Objectivist philosophy. ...

Selected books

Subjects covered:

• epistemology - The Evidence of the Senses: A Realist Theory of Perception (1986) ISBN 0807114766
• logic - The Art of Reasoning (1988) ISBN 0393972135
• ethics - Unrugged Individualism: The Selfish Basis of Benevolence (1996) ISBN 1577240669
• politics - A Life of One's Own : Individual Rights and the Welfare State (1998) ISBN 188257771X
• The Contested Legacy of Ayn Rand : Truth and Toleration in Objectivism (2000) ISBN 0765800608

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Knowledge. ... Logic, from Classical Greek λόγος (logos), originally meaning the word, or what is spoken, (but coming to mean thought or reason) is most often said to be the study of criteria for the evaluation of arguments, although the exact definition of logic is a matter of controversy among philosophers. ... Ethics is a general term for what is often described as the science (study) of morality. In philosophy, ethical behavior is that which is good or right. ... Politics is a process by which decisions are made within groups. ...

External links

• David Kelley Publications and Professional Experience
• The Atlas Society / The Objectivist Center
• David Kelley's works at the The Objectivism Store
• The David Kelley Corner at Objectivist Living