As Nazi Germany brought horrifying war to Europe, a teenaged Andrew Galambos reacted with singular sensitivity, particularly to the atrocities, murders and other crimes commited against the Jews, some of whom were relatives in his native Hungary. On 1942 December 7, the first anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, he enlisted. There in Europe, he saw the bloody rubble of what was once a great continent. There too, he learned of the deaths of his aunts, uncles and cousins in what would soon be named The Holocaust. There he resolved, "Never again!" As he said, "Either the Hitlers have to go, or civilization will surely go." Returning to New York City, he completed his education in physics and mathematics, and secured positions in academia, teaching those subjects at university level, and in industry, making major contributions to the rocket industry. Frustrated by the incompetence and injustice he saw everywhere he turned, and ever mindful of the conflagration the world had just endured, he began to construct a solution. In 1961, he founded The Free Enterprise Institute, his private, profit-seeking school through which he began to lecture. In over 100 courses, he described and designed a new world, one in which justice, freedom and prosperity will triumph. This book, Sic Itur ad Astra is the introduction to his theories, the blueprint to a stabilized durable civilization. It is the first step.
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As Nazi Germany brought horrifying war to Europe, a teenaged Andrew Galambos reacted with singular sensitivity, particularly to the atrocities, murders and other crimes commited against the Jews, some of whom were relatives in his native Hungary. On 1942 December 7, the first anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, he enlisted. There in Europe, he saw the bloody rubble of what was once a great continent. There too, he learned of the deaths of his aunts, uncles and cousins in what would soon be named The Holocaust. There he resolved, "Never again!" As he said, "Either the Hitlers have to go, or civilization will surely go." Returning to New York City, he completed his education in physics and mathematics, and secured positions in academia, teaching those subjects at university level, and in industry, making major contributions to the rocket industry. Frustrated by the incompetence and injustice he saw everywhere he turned, and ever mindful of the conflagration the world had just endured, he began to construct a solution. In 1961, he founded The Free Enterprise Institute, his private, profit-seeking school through which he began to lecture. In over 100 courses, he described and designed a new world, one in which justice, freedom and prosperity will triumph. This book, Sic Itur ad Astra is the introduction to his theories, the blueprint to a stabilized durable civilization. It is the first step.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
From Session 1: First of all, the Course is on freedom. That's a very frightful term to use and sometimes I almost shudder to mention it. I have occasionally given this Course without mentioning that it's about freedom until it becomes obvious, because the word freedom is so trite, so cheap, so commonplace and everybody uses the term. Therefore, it loses its luster simply from overuse by people who don't know what it means. Let me ask you, how many of you are for freedom? And how many of you are against freedom?
See, that's what I mean. Everyone is for freedom. I think Adolph Hitler was for freedom. I think Joseph Stalin was for freedom. Do you suppose that Hitler got up before his victims, the German people, and announced to them, "I plan to enslave you and destroy you, and when I get through with Germany, all you'll recognize is a pile of rubble? And, in the meantime, you'll suffer for twelve miserable years and wish you were dead." That is what happened, you know.
I define freedom as the societal condition that exists when every individual has full (i.e. 100%) control over his own property.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Galambos - the missing ingredient,
By David MacGregor (Australia) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Sic Itur Ad Astra: The Theory of Volition (Volume 1) (Paperback)
I read this book just 18 months ago. It blew my mind!Up until that time, Ayn Rand had been the greatest influence on my thinking - but she never worked out a way to get from where we are - to where we want to be, with regard freedom - except for the idea of changing the thinking of the "intellectuals" - who in turn would influence public opinion, which in turn would influence the "vote" - and bring about change via the ballot box. Fat chance! I spent 25 years of my life as a "political activist" doing everything from writing letters to the editor of papers, standing for election to public office, and even starting a political party. Galambos explains why such a line of action is doomed to failure. He says, in effect, that freedom cannot be voted for, fought for or protested for.... that it is a product which must be built, marketed and sold. His book opened my eyes to an incredible fact - that freedom will arrive via the marketplace - not via the political process. To me this is the "missing link". The world is full of freedom ideas, but woefully short of freedom strategies (at least ones that work). I would say this book will be regarded as the work of a genius - that his ideas will take hold slowly at first, then increasing in pace until sweeping everything in its path. If you're the sort of person who relishes new ideas - ideas that excite and motivate - then you simply must read this book. Warning: Don't be surprised if many people don't share your enthusiasm - especially those wedded to the political process. The idea that the market can deliver freedom is too inimical to their long-cherised ideas. One "libertarian" friend of mine called this magnificent book a "doorstop" and refuses to read it. But if you have an open mind, and know when you are in the presence of a great mind - then you will forever be grateful this book came your way. It truly points the way to the stars.
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Explains what the moral life is and how to live it.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Sic Itur Ad Astra: The Theory of Volition (Volume 1) (Paperback)
In my opinion, this book is among the, perhaps even THE, most important ever written.The book's title, "Sic Itur Ad Astra," is a quote from Virgil's "Aeneid," and is Latin for "This is the way to the stars!" It consists of the posthumous transcription of lectures given by Galambos in 1968. The editor of this transcription, the first in a series of courses by Galambos, is Peter N. Sisco who is charged with full responsibility for the quality of the production. The publisher is The Universal Scientific Publications Company, Inc. The students of Andrew J. Galambos, who have been anticipating this publication for almost thirty years, are grateful that his ideas are now available to all. Anyone who reads this book seriously will come away with every previous conception of human culture challenged. I believe the result will come to be regarded as a paradigm shift even more important than that which occurred at the American Revolution. I do have an unfortunate reservation about the book which I feel must be disclosed before I comment on the content. While Galambos' intellectual production of the book is unblemished, sadly the physical production is nowhere near the standard that Galambos would have insisted upon were he alive. Misspellings, typos and errors abound throughout the book and the serious reader must be prepared to look beyond the incompetence of the editor and publishers in order to appreciate the actual importance of what has been transcribed. Fortunately, the errors are, for the most part, readily apparent so, happily, the content remains undamaged. One of Galambos' major lessons to his students was competency and proprietary pride in one's work. Since some of his students were responsible for this book, those errors just should not be there. "Sic Itur Ad Astra" is the first general disclosure of Galambos' great discovery, the Science of Volition. This is the introduction to the study of the unique distinguishing quality of rational life, that of simply choosing. Your first choice should be to buy and read this book because from Volition derives the ultimate subject of the Science, freedom; a celestial commodity, as Thomas Paine put it, sought by every rational being. Every page of the book is readable and the ideas are accessible to everyone regardless of the extent of his or her knowledge of science. As Galambos states within the first two minutes of his lecture, on the first page of the transcription (page 5 of the book), "...the course is on freedom." What is your definition of "freedom?" In "Sic Itur Ad Astra," you will find a simple, one sentence, universal definition that contains all you ever thought about freedom and more. If we are successful in building freedom here on Earth, then "Sic Itur Ad Astra" will be known as THE most important book ever written. If not, it still will be the most important, but there will be no civilization, and probably no species, to attest to it. Andrew J. Galambos will be forever remembered as Earth's "Architect of Freedom." If you want to be a part of this wonderful and eternally durable project, you will get this remarkable book and read it carefully several times. If you possess any intellectual curiosity at all, "Sic Itur Ad Astra" should change your life.
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Truly a life-changing experience,
By
This review is from: Sic Itur Ad Astra: The Theory of Volition (Volume 1) (Paperback)
When I first took the course transcribed in this book in 1975 I was staggered by the beauty and simplicity of the first session, which is the first chapter of this book.After many hours of discussions with friends I did not have a workable definition of freedom, but after the few hours of that first session of this course I did! After that it was session after session of powerful material - "How do you know you are right?", the monopoly discussion, the postulates of the new science of volition, the true democracy and more. If you have looked for a rational explanation for mankind's failure to solve its political problems and are ready for thinking that "is outside the box," you owe it to yourself to read this accurate, thought-provoking transcription of Galambos' inspiring course. Even if you don't agree with it I believe that you will never again look at the world in quite the same way.
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