From: Samantha Atkins (samantha@objectent.com)
Date: Sun Jan 20 2002 - 13:32:47 MST
Olga Bourlin wrote:
>>Damien Broderick wrote:
>>
>>>I need a ruling on this from Max or Greg. If T0M is right, I'll thank
>>>everyone on this list for several years of fascinating and sometimes
>>>infuriating conversation, and be out of here quicksmart.
>>>
>
> From: "Samantha Atkins" <samantha@objectent.com>
>
>>Hmmmm. Are we actually expected to take it as a major downer if
>>a "founder" objects or rebukes us on something we say?
>>
>
> Well, noooooo, but ... IMHO there's a cultishness associated with Randians
> (I'm not saying T.O. Morrow is a Randian - I don't know whether he is or
You might want to avoid using such terms as "Randian" as that is
already disparaging of a particular line of thought. Many here
owe something of a debt to Ayn Rand whether they think of
themselves as Objectivists, objectivists, students of
Objectivism, or not. Most certainly none think of themselves as
"Randian" or "randroid". Do you lump everything you have
trouble with or thing cultish as all being baggage from Ayn Rand?
> not - but Ayn Rand is one of the recommended authors on the Extropians' home
> page, last time I looked). Apparently, there are many Extropians who
She certainly should be.
> actually admire either Ayn Rand or her economic and political views (both of
> which were not exactly
> innovative, to begin with). Once Ayn Rand's name gets associated with a
The integration she performed of which these areas are only two
and not even the most important IS innovative. It is for that
and for taking ideas seriously and attempting to integrate them
on that larage a scale and for being an antidote to a lot of
assumed truths that I believe she most certainly deserves a
place on the list.
> group, the stench of cultishness (justified or not) is carried on the
> breeze. It is a kind of paradox - freedom and authoritarianism in the same
> candy box. Interesting essay follows strictly FYI and submitted in the
> spirit of the marketplace of ideas:
>
The "stench" is only in minds that insist that Ayn Rand is
synonymous with "cultishness".
> http://www.skeptic.com/02.2.shermer-unlikely-cult.html
>
> I do think it's a good idea to keep adding some mixed nuts into the candy
> box as well (a little protein will help offset the effects of a sugar high,
> heh heh heh). Bon bons and bon mots -- who could ask for anything more?
>
I have no disagreement with that.
- samantha
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