Glenn Fletcher

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  1. Phil, In the sciences, Harvard seldom hires an assistant professor on the tenure track. They usually keep them for several years, then they let them go. Most of their senior faculty are hired in as senior faculty from other universities, where they have already established their reputations. I have to disagree with your statement that academia is not a meritocracy. I think it is. However, what is considered meritorious, at most universities today, is research, not teaching. They typically reward researchers who do some teaching, not teachers who do some research. At least this is true, again, in the sciences, where I have first-hand knowledge. But I doubt that it is any different in the humanities. "Publish or perish" is ubiquitous. Thanks, Glenn
  2. Michael, With all due respect, I've read Michael Prescott's "Shrugging Off Ayn Rand" and I was underwhelmed. I went back and found it. Here's a classic bit from there: The rest of it is, well ..., since he's a friend of yours, I won't comment further except to say that he should stick to fiction writing. The point I was trying to make in my previous post was, I think, a little obscure, so let me try again. There seem to be people who approach Objectivism as a movement that they want to belong to. It really is approached by them as a religion would be. But the difference is that, supposedly, they intellectually accept the philosophy and the arguments made. They study the metaphysics and epistemology, which, I assume, must make sense to them. They think about the ideas in the Objectivist ethics and politics and accept them using their ability to reason. But then, something happens to change their mind. As with Prescott and the example Ms. Branden gave, they don't like the person they've become. Then what? All of the arguments they once accepted are no longer valid? Their reason now tells them that the Objectivist theory of concepts is wrong, that altruism is the right way of life, that an external reality doesn't exist independent of your mind? I'm going to give my simplistic and much too general explanation of what happens to these people. They accept the package whole, without, in most cases, actually understanding it (or perhaps 'integrating it' would be a better way of putting it). They don't get the method. So, when disenchantment sets in, they drop the package. Thanks, Glenn
  3. I want to go back to James' previous post, which had some good points. In it he refers us back to Barbara Branden's remarks about a letter she received from a young lady. The letter writer is quoted as saying: To which Ms. Branden added: A question I've had for a while is: what do "recovering Objectivists" do? In other words, after being "turned off" by people involved with Objectivism, do they revert to their former philosophies? Do they no longer accept that A is A, that altruism is bad, that the emotions are not tools of cognition, that the meaning of a concept is its units, etc. I'm not trying to be facetious here. It occurred to me that we have people who get interested in the ideas of Ayn Rand, read her books, etc., and, I assume, accept as true much of the philosophy of Objectivism. Then, they get treated badly by an Objectivist or an organization and become disenchanted. Do they then conclude that everything that Rand said must be false? I wonder what parts of what they learned they keep and what parts they reject. And (this I think ties in with what James was saying) why do they let the bad treatment they received change their minds about what they have learned. Thanks, Glenn
  4. Rich directed us (actually Dr. Branden) to the site www.rickross.com, saying that So, I went there. He has a search option, so I typed in "objectivism". I got one hit; an article by Ray Jenkins entitled "Ayn Rand after a century: Who was she - and why?" The opening line is: He goes on to say: If this is the opinion of Rand that Ross thinks belongs on his website, why should I think that what he says about other "cults" is of any value? Thanks, Glenn
  5. Roger, I was using "old" in a relative way. I definitely don't think 40 is old! I'm curious why you think Hank was eight years older than Dagny. From AS, p. 26: So, if Dagny is 30, then ten years earlier she was 20 and Rearden was already starting a steel mill. I don't know how old he was supposed to be then, but 28 seems pretty young to be starting your own steel mill. Thanks, Glenn
  6. Roger, I think it's very simple: it's age. Why would Dagny want to stay with an old man like Hank, when she could have a man her own age? Except for those women who are trying to replace their father, I think women are attracted to older men because of their maturity, experience, confidence, and, in some cases, wealth. Well, Galt had all these qualities, plus youth. What a killer combination. Just for the record; I'm about the same age you are, Roger, and my wife is 7 years younger than me (and she wasn't trying to replace her father!). So I know what I'm talking about. Thanks, Glenn
  7. Michael, In my previous post my intention was to point out how a lecturer at the ARI Summer Conference was willing to even mention dialectics. As Roger points out in his "A review of Chris M. Sciabarra's Ayn Rand: the Russian Radical “, in the Review of Ayn Rand: the Russian Radical (1996) thread: I find it to be a good sign that one of ARI's rising stars was willing to bring up the topic of dialectics, even in the simplistic way he did. Thanks, Glenn
  8. Roger, Here's a quote I almost forgot; I carry it around in my wallet. It's from The Psychology of Self-Esteem, last paragraph of Chapter 6: Thanks, Glenn
  9. I recently listened to a lecture by Greg Salmieri called "The Hierarchy of Knowledge", from the 2005 ARI Summer Conference. In this lecture, Salmieri uses the D-word: dialectic. [in what follows, I will be paraphrasing Salmieri, since the "quotes" will be based on my transcription of his lectures; so they aren't verbatim.] The "context" of this use is in discussing Socrates' concern with context. He states that And later: And Of course, no mention is made of Dr. Sciabarra. But I find it interesting that Salmieri even brought up the term, when, given the way he is using it, "context" would have sufficed. Glenn
  10. I fondly recall Leonard making a joke in his "Objectivism:State of the Art" lectures. He was giving his favorite Hegel quote, and it went something like this: "The truth is the whole. That's w-h-o-l-e." That one cracks me up every time. Robin Williams, eat your heart out! Glenn
  11. I keep a close watch on this heart of mine I keep my eyes wide open all the time I keep the ends out for the tie that binds Because you're Ayn, ITOE the line I find it very, very easy to be true I find myself alone when each day is through Yes, I'll admit that I'm a fool for you Because you're Ayn, ITOE the line As sure as night is dark and day is light I keep you on my mind both day and night And happiness I've known proves that it's right Because you're Ayn, ITOE the line You've got a way to keep me on your side You give me cause for love that I can't hide For you I know I'd even try to turn the tide Because you're Ayn, ITOE the line I keep a close watch on this heart of mine I keep my eyes wide open all the time I keep the ends out for the tie that binds Because you're Ayn, ITOE the line
  12. Roger, I like this idea. If I may, I'd like to contribute one. From The Psychology of Self-Esteem, Chapter 12, p. 240 in the paperback edition. (This was italicized in the original text.) Thanks, Glenn