Yeah, now dare they lie about their sexual affairs when Ayn and Nathanial had a compact to lie about their own extra-marital liason? That's where the lies started, and it was Ayn Rand who initiated the affair and urged they keep it secret -- as opposed to the honest route of informing their respective spouses and seeking divorces. There is no great moral gulf between co-conspirators in this kind of moral deception. They are all guilty. The main difference, as I see it, is that Nathanial Branden finally realized he couldn't in conscience continue to act as spokesman for Objectivism (or any coherent philosophy for that matter) when he was morally compromised. So he took a bold step to 'come clean'. I don't criticize Rand much for initiating the affair. It was how she handled the dishonesty aspect that reveals her flaws. Throwing a fit and slapping someone in the face just for telling the truth is not consistent with a healthy, rational approach.
Her generous nature was unable to conceive the full truth about Nathaniel Branden.
In other words, her subjective considerations disabled her rational mind from perceiving the truth about a man she had closely associated with, professionally and romantically, for many years. She declared him the spokesman for her own philosophy. How could she know he would dare to disagree with her one day and reject her as the prophet and perfect embodiment of the saving philosophy she offerd to humankind? Aw, one almost feels sorry for the frail thing. But let's get real. If she could dish it out to others, why should she be immune from honest criticism of glaring character defects? By the way, both Nathanial and Barbara's books have more nice things to say about Ayn Rand than negative, the latter's bio has a palpable air of admiration, even reverence for Rand, despite the hurt Barbara suffered. Nathanial's book shows admiration for aspects of her work and personality, and when he criticizes her, it is in a sort of uncomprehending manner, as if 'how could someone who so eloquently defends the rational and ethical act so contrary?' But his criticism is also tempered by his frankly acknowledged culpability.
How does this amount to 'viscous (sp) character assassination'?
In contrast, Rand never admits and ethical missteps, just as she never found need to revise or refine her philosophy. Born perfect???
She was, in the broadest analysis, a cult leader, who rose to prominence less on the brilliance of her writings than on the passion with which she advocated and defended them. Passion coupled with acerbic, uncompromising intellectual clarity - that is her great contribution to philosophy and our culture. But at at least one critical point in her life, passion overcame reason. Adultry is a sin, whether you think in Christian terms (as I do) or Aristotelian terms, as Rand did. Because deceiving the ones you love and associate with means living a contradiction, betraying people's trust. Still, I wouldn't say that she ruined her life by any means, or put her in a moral leper category. No idealist can live up to his philosophy unless he or she happens to be called Christ, imo. Everyone falls short of the mark. But to elevate Rand to 'goddess' status, free of any taint of the dreaded 'irrational' or 'subjective' is pure hero(ine) worship. And I find that pretty irrational.
Yeah, now dare they lie about their sexual affairs when Ayn and Nathanial had a compact to lie about their own extra-marital liason? That's where the lies started, and it was Ayn Rand who initiated the affair and urged they keep it secret -- as opposed to the honest route of informing their respective spouses and seeking divorces.IIRC, it wasn't a secret to their spouses. I thought the lie was their rationalization that their affair was somehow the right thing to do. That aspect of it alone, to me, is icky to the extreme.
By the way, both Nathanial and Barbara's books have more nice things to say about Ayn Rand than negative, the latter's bio has a palpable air of admiration, even reverence for Rand, despite the hurt Barbara suffered.You know, I remember that too about The Passion. I was impressed by Barbara's obvious admiration for Ayn after all was said & done.