Re: ART: What Art Is

From: E. Shaun Russell (e_shaun@uniserve.com)
Date: Sat May 27 2000 - 18:39:00 MDT


Dan Adams wrote:

>It's sad that Rand wasted such a brilliant mind on
>such a defeatist, "mental-masturbatory" philosophy...
>
>and, before I get flamed for that statement, I realize
>we all share her ideals of independence. Nonetheless,
>as one who has studied her work thoroughly, I feel
>confident (though, granted, not infallible) in saying
>that she turned a golden ideal into an empty
>rhetoric...

I won't flame you, but I will disagree. Despite the direction Peikoff has
taken the Objectivist Institute in recent years, philosophical Objectivism
still has merit. Very few who have been influenced by Rand's philosophy
have revoked that influence...most still try to attain the ideal. I have
often suggested that Extropy is the next logical step to Objectivism: using
the acknowledgment of individual ability proferred by Rand's philosophy and
uniting it with a focus on future progress.

I will agree that her personal life (as cited in her biographies) did not
always match her philosophical offerings, but I would be hard pressed to
think that any of her ideals (or those in her books) can be considered
rhetoric.

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E. Shaun Russell Extropian, Musician, ExI Member,
e_shaun@uniserve.com Moderator of NWExtropians list
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