12/31/2023 0 Comments Ayn rand was an avowedOne criticism of Rand derives from natural science, focusing on the extent to which her celebration of the autonomous man-her mythical version of the rugged individualist-flies in the face of what we know about biology. She also regarded marriage as an artificial constraint on those with the self-confidence and courage to live outside the “herd.” She was not only an avowed atheist, she would doubtless be pro-choice in today’s abortion debate. In fact, Kant’s austere, punishing discourse would likely frighten them.Īlas, today’s Randians-at least those affiliated with the conservative wing of the Republican Party (which is to say all Republicans)-are forced to tip-toe around Rand’s more controversial and embarrassing views. There’s a smug, self-congratulatory element to it.Īs far as traditional Western Philosophy goes, this infatuation with Rand is not something most students are likely to duplicate when reading the works of “real” philosophers-say, the writings of Baruch Spinoza or David Hume or Immanuel Kant. The two reasons why undergraduate students (and certain congressmen) get such a thrill out of Ayn Rand’s “Objectivism” philosophy: (1) it comes off as non-conformist and slightly “dangerous,” and (2) it unapologetically glorifies all those egotistical impulses we had as teenagers. Too much spaghetti, not enough meatballs. As amusing as this material is, it’s flimsy. (“Woman is not yet capable of friendship: women are still cats and birds or, at best, cows.”). But no matter what the Randians try to tell us, there’s no way you can base a life philosophy on her theories (“If any civilization is to survive, it is the morality of altruism that men have to reject.”) any more than you can base one on the writings of Nietzsche.
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