Posted on 07/20/2010 6:42:03 AM PDT by marshmallow
One of the main tenets of Rand's Objectivism is, "Man—every man—is an end in himself, not the means to the ends of others."
Try raising children with that philosophy. There is no doubt that we are the means to our children's ends, and it is likewise obvious that we are morally bound to be so. We are responsible for keeping them alive; and we are responsible for equipping them for their own adult lives; and they, in turn, have the same responsibilities.
And in the same light, consider this axiomatic statement of Rand's: "Reality exists as an objective absolute—facts are facts, independent of man’s feelings, wishes, hopes or fears."
Then let us look at "reality," particularly in the context of raising children.
The evidence from nature tells us one thing in particular: propagation of the species is the primary factor that drives the behavior of every species on Earth, including humanity. We're built for reproduction; and in large part our psychology is centered on finding a mate and/or having sex.
Consider evolution -- the only sort of explanation available under Rand's philosophy. The mechanism of evolution operates, not on the basis of the individual per se, but rather on mating behavior whereby individuals (plural) get together to pass on their genes to the successive generations -- again, individuals become merely the means to their children's ends.
And again, Objectivism simply cannot stand up to the implications of having children.
Oh absolutely,,i probably didn’t come across right, but im chiming in with you. And i think you had a very sage point, as to the behavior of her true believers, deifying her. I understand this was especially rampant in the early 60s. Quite an irony there.
Hint: atheism is also irrational, and it is Rand's atheism that seems to have driven her philosophy (and not vice versa).
And sadly, this causes no shortage of morons to go after her personally, and discuss her emptiness, rather than discussing the smart things she said. Interesting, isn't it?
Some people discuss people...
others discuss events...
and still others discuss ideas.
Eleanor Roosevelt uttered something along those lines. Lets discuss her sexuality and her public disagreement with Francis Joseph Spellman, the Catholic Archbishop of New York! Juicy!
“So basically Rand’s philosophy is no more than the Pagan creed that “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law”.”
Well, she wouldn’t agree that one has a right to “do what thou wilt” if it involved taking the property or labors of another, except in a free and fair exchange, benefical to both parties.
In Atlas Shrugged, Rand left Eddie Willers to die.
Enough said.
Her idea was flawed, because first an foremost she missed the fact that a man does not originate in himself, he has to be brought into the world by another trough an act of sacrificial love, and that fact alone means that he can’t possibly be the “end to himself” that she claims he is.
It’s not by accident that her life was miserable, her miserable life was the direct consequence of her trying to live out her fatally flaws view of the nature of man and his end.
Looking at the interaction of the Catholic Church with the governments of the former Soviet bloc and also in the far east today, in countries such as China and Vietnam, I'm not sure how you come to that conclusion. The blood frequently is and was Catholic blood and the perpetrators Marxists.
Most sane commentators regard the Catholic Church as being in the vanguard of opposition to communism behind the Iron Curtain and having played a major role in its downfall.
I have read her works but more important, I see her cult in action. The absense of good is evil. There is no vacuume as Rand’s ideology demands.
I think the other saying is “Do What Thou Wilt, But Do No Harm.”
Hey Donald DeMarco. There has NEVER been a “CULTURE of Death” in an individual, yet there have been many, many, many cultures of death in gangs, tribes, collectives, countries throughout history.
Disgusting article.
“And again, Objectivism simply cannot stand up to the implications of having children. “
Agreed, which is why it’s entirely appropriate to place her on the side of “the culture of death”. The logical conclusion of her philosophy is the absence of children and hence the death of humanity.
If the highest apostle of a philosophy violates same at every turn ... what are we to make of both the philosopher and her philosophy?
In the end, the self-contradictory nature of Rand's philosophy shines forth in her own wretched behavior. Look at the hypocritical dynamics -- they were oh, so Objectivist about it -- of her affair with Nathaniel Branden. (You can read about it in Barbara Branden's book, The Passion of Ayn Rand, for example.)
But really, that's about what one would expect of a philosophy like Rand's Objectivism, which is not even logically self-consistent.
Of course there has. Read the police blotter some day.
There is no shortage of morons who worship her, that is for sure.
Don’t you believe that the ultimate personal rewards, and the happiness of having children, is greater than the difficulty encountered in raising them?
“In Atlas Shrugged, Rand left Eddie Willers to die.”
Nope,,leaves him to get off his butt and make his way. But I guess if he just decided to sit there forever, waiting for someone to come “save him”, he would undeed, die.
“Rand left Eddie Willers to die”
What did you do to help him?
Just kidding of course. Leaving a fictional character to die is not a crime yet. A fictional account to make a point is not the same as killing someone. If it was, PETA would have gone after Disney for allowing Bambi’s mother to be shot.
everyone is brought into the world in an act of sacrificial love?
Not unless you think the rewards of having children are *less* than what it takes to create and raise them. Many people i know view having their children as a joy exceeding anything they must do to have them.
Having children is certainly not usually an act of “sacrificial love”. It’s usually someone getting exactly what they desire. That’s not a definition of sacrifice.
Anyway guys, gotta run, i feel the need to sacrifice a dollar and a quarter for some McDonalds coffee.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.