Атлант расправил плечи
“This is John Galt speaking”
"Existenceexists—andtheactofgraspingthatstatementimpliestwocorollaryaxioms:thatsomethingexistswhichoneperceivesandthatoneexistspossessingconsciousness,consciousnessbeingthefacultyofperceivingthatwhichexists.
"Ifnothingexists,therecanbenoconsciousness:aconsciousnesswithnothingtobeconsciousofisacontradictioninterms.Aconsciousnessconsciousofnothingbutitselfisacontradictioninterms:beforeitcouldidentifyitselfasconsciousness,ithadtobeconsciousofsomething.Ifthatwhichyouclaimtoperceivedoesnotexist,whatyoupossessisnotconsciousness.
"Whateverthedegreeofyourknowledge,thesetwo—existenceandconsciousness—areaxiomsyoucannotescape,thesetwoaretheirreducibleprimariesimpliedinanyactionyouundertake,inanypartofyourknowledgeandinitssum,fromthefirstrayoflightyouperceiveatthestartofyourlifetothewidesteruditionyoumightacquireatitsend.Whetheryouknowtheshapeofapebbleorthestructureofasolarsystem,theaxiomsremainthesame:thatitexistsandthatyouknowit.
"Toexististobesomething,asdistinguishedfromthenothingofnon-existence,itistobeanentityofaspecificnaturemadeofspecificattributes.Centuriesago,themanwhowas—nomatterwhathiserrors—thegreatestofyourphilosophers,hasstatedtheformuladefiningtheconceptofexistenceandtheruleofallknowledge:AisA.Athingisitself.
