First things, first: that was a well written post, H.L. and I enjoyed it very
much.
I, too, got a jolt from Rand that was similar to the Joni Jolt but over time
and with more exposure to life, I still believe that Rand lacks a great deal
of compassion, heart and soul.
>> You can call Ayn Rand's philosophy of objectivism heartless and lacking in
compassion. That's easy to do while sitting in our cozy armchairs of
touchy-feely political correctness. We've been taught that we can't even
use the word "mankind" without offending women, we can't call a person with
dwarfism a dwarf, etc., etc. For generations, we have been trained that
"insensitive" and "selfish" are the worst things people could ever be. To
people who really buy into that, Ayn Rand must seem like a total AntiChrist.
While much of what you say is very true, there is certainly much, much good
in this "political correctness." Without some mode of "pc," we'd still have
places named "N***ertown," phrases such as: "jew them down," and other words
and terms that become such a part of everyday speech that people can hide
loads of malevolent action behind it.
Rand also practiced the same brand of PC; it was just tailored to her
philosophy.
>> But she had a lot of compassion. And she was very keen on the rights of
people to be themselves -- women were equal, people of alternative
lifestyles or consciousness were totally free to express who and what they
were.
Funny, though, how both heroines of her two major novels, Dagny and
Francesca, had their major "passionate" awakenings from a sexual encounter
with the heroes that could be construed as rape. Interesting, though, how the
women were nearly always darting about in thin strapped heels, wearing suits
with sheer blouses. Many of her female heroes barely stepped out of any
constricting mold. (perhaps their shoes pinched their toes and made stepping
difficult).
>> Remember that Ayn Rand escaped communist Russia. She was writing during a
period in America's history in which people were being molded by extreme
patriotism and persecuted socially if they failed to conform.
Umm, to the best of my knowledge, Ms. Rand testified for the HUAC hearings.
Having no problem with "naming names" of people who failed to conform to HER
rigid standards.
>>> Rand had high and lofty ideas about true love, artistic expression,
individualism, standing up for what is right despite what "other people"
think. Her heroes in Atlas Shrugged were creative -- they created something
new and different, whether the critics liked it or not.
Unfortunately, her high and lofty ideas were pretty much devoid of compassion
for people with normal, everyday faults. Perhaps a bit too dependent, perhaps
a bit too needy. What the heck? Life is for learning and there but for the
grace of God go I.
>>> Rand had no compassion for people who refused to grow.
Here is a foundation of Rand's biggest weakness, at least in my mind. Having
"no compassion for people who refused to grow," treads dangerously close to
no compassion at all. Have a little heart. Why can't they grow? What's the
obstacle? Sometimes, growth happens not in this life, but in others.
Sometimes, the best test of a quality person is the compassion and love that
they hold in their hearts for people like Toohey.
This inability to have and hold a true form of unconditional love is what
makes Rand fall very, very short of being a great thinker.
In my opinion, of course.
MG
np: the homework chaos
