Posted by Sorenmad on December 24, 1999 at 06:24:04:
In Reply to: Re: Nietzsche and Ayn Rand connection posted by Hempedocles on December 19, 1999 at 23:59:18:
With the Ayn Rand connection in mind I checked out a book of essays by AR today, called "The Voice of Reason" I have read about 20 pages and must say this is some of the greatest filth I have ever seen parading under the mask of philosophy. In the intro L. Peikoff notes: 'From the intellectuals, however, she evoked for the most part the opposite (of the american crowd/herd admiration) :hatred" (PoR intro p.ix) It didn't take me long to figure out why: "In regard to the humanities, consciously or subconsciously, explicitly or implicitly, most people revert to the epistimology of prehistoric savages, i.e., to subjectivism." (AR, VoR p.18-19) Not content with merely calling me a prehistoric savage, she then proceds to give her 'objective' description of subjectivism:
"Subjectivism is the belief that reality is not a firm absolute, but a fluid, plastic, inditerminite realm which can be altered, in whole or in part, by the conciousness of the preciever - i.e., by his feelings, wishes, or whims. It is the doctrine which holds that man- an entity or a specific nature, dealing with a universe of a specific nature - can, somehow, live, act, and achieve his goals apart from andf/or in contradiction to the facts of reality, i.e. apart from and/or in contradiction to his own nature and the mature of the universe. (This is the "mixed," moderate or middle of the road version of subjectivism. Pure or "extreme" subjectivism does not recognise the concept of identity, i.e. the fact that man or the universe or anything posseses a specific nature.)" (VoR, p.19)
This is twaddle. First of all, I dont consider myself a 'subjectivist' (or an 'existentialist' for that matter), But I still feel the sting of her poison. Nietzsche called it resentment, and ayn has filled me with it. Therefore, ayn is full of it. And furthermore, AR can kiss my ass.
"The weak and the failures shall perish, first principle of our love of man. And they shall be given every possible assistance." (N, A-C, ch. 2)
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