Ayn Rand versus conservatives
Posted by Zenphamy 9 years, 5 months ago to Philosophy
Since so much of Galt's Gulch Online content has become conservative headline aggregation posting and commentary over the last several months, let's discuss what Ayn Rand thought of conservatives and conservativism. She put forth quite a bit of commentary on the subject, particularly after Atlas Shrugged came out.
To put it bluntly, she considered conservatives as big a danger to this country as she did liberals/progressives, considering both leading the country down a path towards statism, socialism, anti-capitalism, and most importantly-anti-freedom. Following is just one quote, there are a number:
“Conservatives”
Objectivists are not “conservatives.” We are radicals for capitalism; we are fighting for that philosophical base which capitalism did not have and without which it was doomed to perish . . .
Politics is based on three other philosophical disciplines: metaphysics, epistemology and ethics—on a theory of man’s nature and of man’s relationship to existence. It is only on such a base that one can formulate a consistent political theory and achieve it in practice. When, however, men attempt to rush into politics without such a base, the result is that embarrassing conglomeration of impotence, futility, inconsistency and superficiality which is loosely designated today as “conservatism.” . . .
Today’s culture is dominated by the philosophy of mysticism (irrationalism)—altruism—collectivism, the base from which only statism can be derived; the statists (of any brand: communist, fascist or welfare) are merely cashing in on it—while the “conservatives” are scurrying to ride on the enemy’s premises and, somehow, to achieve political freedom by stealth. It can’t be done.
The Objectivist Newsletter
“Choose Your Issues,”
The Objectivist Newsletter, Jan, 1962, 1
So What Do You Think Conservatives
To put it bluntly, she considered conservatives as big a danger to this country as she did liberals/progressives, considering both leading the country down a path towards statism, socialism, anti-capitalism, and most importantly-anti-freedom. Following is just one quote, there are a number:
“Conservatives”
Objectivists are not “conservatives.” We are radicals for capitalism; we are fighting for that philosophical base which capitalism did not have and without which it was doomed to perish . . .
Politics is based on three other philosophical disciplines: metaphysics, epistemology and ethics—on a theory of man’s nature and of man’s relationship to existence. It is only on such a base that one can formulate a consistent political theory and achieve it in practice. When, however, men attempt to rush into politics without such a base, the result is that embarrassing conglomeration of impotence, futility, inconsistency and superficiality which is loosely designated today as “conservatism.” . . .
Today’s culture is dominated by the philosophy of mysticism (irrationalism)—altruism—collectivism, the base from which only statism can be derived; the statists (of any brand: communist, fascist or welfare) are merely cashing in on it—while the “conservatives” are scurrying to ride on the enemy’s premises and, somehow, to achieve political freedom by stealth. It can’t be done.
The Objectivist Newsletter
“Choose Your Issues,”
The Objectivist Newsletter, Jan, 1962, 1
So What Do You Think Conservatives
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1)Youtube
Hayek https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fszzh...
Mises https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkEyY...
2) Articles
Menger http://hallingblog.com/2015/11/16/car...
Mises http://hallingblog.com/2015/09/08/pra...
Hayek http://hallingblog.com/2015/03/04/hay...
The enlightenment worked on the epistemology of reason and made some good progress, but ultimately failed to solve some problems that were exploited by David Hume and Kant. Many people are still working on the epistemology of reason, including David Kelley who wrote the book Evidence of the Senses. Like the sciences of physics, chemistry, etc. it is likely that there will always more to be learned about reason and how it works.
The Conservative movement (philosophically) traces its roots to David Hume and Edmund Burke. David Hume is best known for his attack on causation, induction, and his "is ought" attack on ethics. Burke also attacked reason, because he thought the French Revolution was the logical result of unrestrained reason. F.A. Hayek picked up on the idea of Hume and Burke and created his idea of cultural evolution, which is also an attack on reason. The modern day conservative movement includes Austrian Economics, many libertarians, and of course the religious right. Conservativism is fundamentally an attack on reason, which is why it attracts so many religious people. Objectivism and Conservativism are fundamentally incompatible (something I have shown by exposing the irrational foundations of Austrian Economics) and any nominal agreement that both want a smaller government is coincidental.
I'm still chewing on "the argument from self-esteem" as the best way to defend capitalism (at the end of the video).
I'm also going to remember the term, "semantic pretzels."
Perhaps Rand's most important point was the importance of living a life that is free of contradiction, and on that I agree with everyone in here.
Liberal: One who wants to be liberal with others' life, liberty and property by initiating force and fraud, exacted by the state.
Old dino follows his own path.
You get to decide what is yours in a free society.
I refer you to an article that I today posted under both "Philosophy" and "Politics," titled, "LEADING" WITH GOD.
Dave
If you are really an Objectivist you are in a small minority group...
Ayn Rand's message to conservatives: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpp5E...
I've seen quite a few episodes in which Kirk has left the bridge to Spock and in which he saved the ship and Kirk. I think I remember one in which, at least a partial explanation of why he wasn't a Captain; having something to do with him not as able as Kirk in thinking out of the box and often unwilling to challenge the odds as Kirk consistently did.
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