The New York Times recently published an article about the dearth of Women philosophers. They had a photo of Ayn Rand at the beginning of the article. Some snide commentators complained that Rand wasn't a philosopher. Here was my published response to them:
Ayn Rand's sin, for which she can't be forgiven by many academics, is that her writing is intelligible to the general public. She wrote philosophical novels that continue to be accessible to the man and woman in the street. She believed in the power of reason. She rejected the mind-body dichotomy. She wrote about the supreme power and practicality of moral ideas. And she created a philosophical system—Objectivism—for anyone who may be interested, not just philosophers.
Perhaps Rand's greatest sin, however, was her total rejection of altruism as a moral ideal. For this, she will never be forgiven by those on the political left and right who realize that altruism is the lynchpin of everything they profess to believe.
Those who think that philosophy should help them lead a productive and successful life owe Ayn Rand a debt of gratitude for her sin of clarity.
Here's the link to the article and comments:
http://ideas.blogs.nytimes..com/2009/10/02/a-dearth-of-women-philosophers/?scp=2&sq=ayn&st=cse&apage=4#comment-26147
Ayn Rand's sin, for which she can't be forgiven by many academics, is that her writing is intelligible to the general public. She wrote philosophical novels that continue to be accessible to the man and woman in the street. She believed in the power of reason. She rejected the mind-body dichotomy. She wrote about the supreme power and practicality of moral ideas. And she created a philosophical system—Objectivism—for anyone who may be interested, not just philosophers.
Perhaps Rand's greatest sin, however, was her total rejection of altruism as a moral ideal. For this, she will never be forgiven by those on the political left and right who realize that altruism is the lynchpin of everything they profess to believe.
Those who think that philosophy should help them lead a productive and successful life owe Ayn Rand a debt of gratitude for her sin of clarity.
Here's the link to the article and comments:
http://ideas.blogs.nytimes..com/2009/10/02/a-dearth-of-women-philosophers/?scp=2&sq=ayn&st=cse&apage=4#comment-26147
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