Topic: Libertarianism
Moral Individualism and Objectivism for Liberty Dr. David Kelley and William Thomas plan to form new intellectual alliances at the Cato Institute Wednesday, July 30th, by sponsoring an event to discuss Individualism and Liberty from a Rational point of view.by Nickalis N. Tower
(libertarian)
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Kelley, Thomas to hold evening discussion about Ayn Rand and Objectivism
The Atlas Society, the center for Objectivism, along with the Cato Institute, Institute for Human Studies, and Students for Liberty, will sponsor "An Evening Discussion about Ayn Rand and Objectivism."
The event will be held on Wednesday, July 30, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm at Cato. The address is 1000 Massachusetts Ave N.W., Washington, D.C., 20001. Refreshments will be served.
David Kelley, founder and senior scholar of The Atlas Society, and William Thomas, director of programs, will be speaking in the F.A. Hayek auditorium to Koch Fellows and other interns who are in Washington for the summer. But our friends and supporters in the D.C. area or any who happen to be in town that day are welcome to attend as well.
If you'd like to register--we'd like to get a count for the refreshment order!--you can call us at 202-AYN-RAND (296-7263) or email us at tas@atlassociety.org.
The program will be: David Kelley, Moral Individualism
Individualism is the belief in the primacy of the individual rather than the group. It is the morality of independence, autonomy, and the pursuit of happiness-as against the collectivist demand for conformity and sacrifice. Kelley will discuss Ayn Rand's innovative analysis and defense of moral individualism.
William Thomas, Objectivism for Liberty
Libertarianism is a political coalition based in the political defense of individual rights and the economics of laisser-faire. But politics and economics depend on more foundational issues in ethics and epistemology. How can you respond economically to environmentalists deeply committed to the intrinsic value of untrammeled nature? How can you respond politically to police-state advocates who hold that the President's judgment on matters of national security is authoritative? Thomas will argue that the core ethical and epistemological ideas of Objectivism (reason and rational-self-interest) need to take solid root in the culture if we are to win the battle for individual liberty.
TAS Executive Director Ed Hudgins will moderate and the presentations will be followed by a question and answer session.
We hope you can join us on a warm Washington evening as David and Will shine the cool light of reason!
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More about that pseudo-libertarian pseudo-philosopher Ayn Rand. Understand that there is nothing individualist or libertarian about the Randian ideology. Ayn Rand was a reactionary on all matters philosophical, political, and scientific. I strongly suggest reading The Ayn Rand Cult by Jeff Walker (who appears to be sympathetic to libertarian principles including free market capitalism). The libertarian movement has nothing to lose and everything to gain by jettisoning Ayn Rand and her disciples. "Objectivists" have no place in the Libertarian Party. Kudos to Dr. Ron Paul for repudiating Rand!
"But politics and economics depend on more foundational issues in ethics and epistemology."
I agree that politics, and to a lesser extent, economics, are rooted in ethics. However, ethics are not based on or founded on epistemology the way biology is founded on physics and chemistry or the social sciences are founded on biology. (Comte's hierarchy of the sciences.) Ethics and epistemology are two completely different areas of philosophy, though they do relate and thus you would find some interplay between the two. (I suggest all Randians take Introduction to Philosophy at their university or local community college.)
You do not need an archaic philosophy to support libertarian ideology. Intelligent people can defend and support their ideology using real science. Rather than insisting that socialism is "evil" argue why a free market economic system is better than a Keynesian system using the science of economics.
"Individualism is the belief in the primacy of the individual rather than the group. It is the morality of independence, autonomy, and the pursuit of happiness-as against the collectivist demand for conformity and sacrifice. Kelley will discuss Ayn Rand's innovative analysis and defense of moral individualism."
Ayn Rand paid lip service to freedom, individualism, liberty, personal responsibility, and other wonderful things while at the same time opposing them. The key to understanding what a philosophy really stands for is to look past the rhetorical smoke screen and see how its pracitioners lived in the real world. When Ayn Rand lived, the Objectivist movement operated as a totalitarian brainwashing cult. Rand's inner circle was called the Collective (ironic given Rand's alleged hatred of collectivism). In fact, the Objectivist movement had many similarities with the scientology movement. Objectivism, like postmodernism and deconstructionism, makes no distinction between facts and opinions. The difference of course is that postmodernism and deconstructionism regard everything as a matter of opinion while "Objectivism" regards Rand's opinions as facts. Reading The Ayn Rand Cult should provide plenty more examples of this suppression of individuality, including Rand's excommunication of members for using their independent reasoning during the Nathaniel Branden affair (and coming to a conclusion different to that of Rand).
The Atlas Society, the Center for Objectivism, along with the Cato Institute, Institute for Human Studies, and Students for Liberty, will sponsor "An Evening Discussion about Ayn Rand and Objectivism."
All if the above are Libertarian and "neo-Objectivist" organizations. Personally I think the Kelley-Sciabarra coalition of "reformed Randians" ought to ween themselves off Rand and give up on their attempt to salvage or redeem Objectivism. But then I take it Leonard Peikoff and the other rabid neocons from the Ayn Rand Institute are not showing up...
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