I have read a handful of Ayn’s books…and had to stop. Perhaps we are of the same ilk Archy.
When it comes to bureaucrats, the following speaks reams. “…"Eichmann. Who the hell was Eichmann?" Churchill asked the crowd. He cited Jewish scholar Hannah Arendt and her book on the Eichmann trial, "Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil." She wanted to report on the trial because to her Eichmann epitomized evil, but what she found was "the absolute nondescript reality of the man. Nothing distinguished him from the mass. He was a little gray mouse," Churchill said. "No, he sat in a bureau in Berlin and arranged train schedules and logistics to make the Final Solution possible. He never directly killed anybody as far as I know. He was a nondescript little bureaucrat who was entirely proficient at his job, who didn't even believe in the policy he was implementing."…” http://www.monabaker.com/pMachine/more.php?id=A2670_0_1_0_M On Sep 7, 5:52 pm, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > I don't really believe this 'stuff' Orn, but it is a way to make > points I do believe. The spiritual (no doubt a false form) is often > used to reach a coldness needed to kill based on indoctrination and a > certainty in passion and conviction. I do not place this in the > intellect, but can easily see how people being 'clever' can appear > cold and very selfish. Religious and bureaucratic rationalisations > often chill me to the bone and more and more of this seems to take the > form of economic discourse and those pretending an objective voice as > a tool of rhetoric - deconstruction always shows the return of Desire > in such rhetoric, that the rationality or objectivism is always less > than pretended. Rand isn't without some sense on some things, but she > could only ever be a strawman version of objectivism suitable to be > shot down in flames. I'm reminded of the 'greed is good' neo-con > arguments and some watered-down Nietzsche. First time I've seen the > woman, though we have 'Atlas Shrugged' in the house, partly read. > > I've never really believed we can get into pure intellect or even > argument where the only operative force is that of pure Reason. > Altruism shouldn't be able to survive, given the altruists presumably > perish first! It runs in evolution as celibacy runs in some Catholic > families! My guess is this form of 'objectivism' is really political > and makes the intellectual a merely functionary purpose to its > interests. What joy there might be to live, write and breathe other > than as a functionary? I hope I share your spirit in this Orn - even > if we might appear to be at cross-purposes. We share a certain 'will' > as we are both Williams! We can at least go Dutch on the bill. > > On 7 Sep, 19:54, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > ““The lower, and purely intellectual, is nearest to the principle of > > Desire, and is thus distinguished from its other side which has > > affinity for the spiritual principles above. If the Thinker becomes > > wholly intellectual, the entire nature begins to tend downward—for > > intellect alone is cold, heartless, selfish.” – W. Q. Judge: “The > > Ocean of Theosophy” > > > We were discussing things like love and compassion along with > > consciousness in another thread. Here is a view from one extreme point > > on the spectrum…that of Ayn Rand. Since she has been mentioned now and > > then here, for those of you who have little exposure to her, her books > > and/or philosophy, here is a short video interview that may provide a > > fairly rapid and direct access to what is called objectivism. > > > While the video is on a Theosophy site, read the other stuff only if > > you are attracted, if not, that is fine too…scroll down to the 4th > > picture and click on it for the video to start. > > > “Objectivism vs Altruism” > > >http://theosophywatch.com/2009/09/07/the-caring-spirit/- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
