Peter Schwartz clearance sale

[Chris Grieb]

ARI Bookstore is offering all the cassettes of Peter Schwartz at a very reduced rate. More than two-thirds in some cases.

I was once told by someone who attended ARI events that Schwartz was very unpopular at the ARI conferences. This maybe further confirmation of the fact.

Just for the record I would not get them even if they were free.

Edited July 28, 2007 by Chris Grieb

[Neil Parille]

I've read a few things by Schwartz, and I can honestly say that I haven't learned one thing about Rand, Objectivism or anything else from his writings.

[jenright]

ARI Bookstore is offering all the cassettes of Peter Schwartz at a very reduced rate. More than two-thirds in some cases.

I was once told by someone who attended ARI events that Schwartz was very unpopular at the ARI conferences. This maybe further confirmation of the fact.

Just for the record I would not get them even if they were free.

Has his unpopularity increased? I don't think he was a scheduled speaker at OCON 2007. I don't think he's on the ARI board or staff anymore either. I wonder what's going on with him.

[Chris Grieb]

John;

Perhaps we are going to see one those personal differences announcements.

Capone personally killed his leading hit men. Maybe it's the fate of enforcers.

[BaalChatzaf]

ARI Bookstore is offering all the cassettes of Peter Schwartz at a very reduced rate. More than two-thirds in some cases.

I was once told by someone who attended ARI events that Schwartz was very unpopular at the ARI conferences. This maybe further confirmation of the fact.

Just for the record I would not get them even if they were free.

I know little about Peter Schwartz. Could you tell me why the negativity toward him?

Ba'al Chatzaf

[Roger Bissell]

My impression of PS is that he's hyperjudgmental and one of the leading forces in the PURGE mentality infesting the Leonard Peikoff Institute.

Personally, find him excruciatingly BORING. I attended a number of ARI events here in SoCal during the past 3-4 years, and his two talks were the ONLY ones that put me to sleep. :-/

REB

[Robert Campbell]

Bob,

Some folks here have had personal contact with Peter Schwartz. I know him only by reputation.

Schwartz became a prominent member of Ayn Rand's inner circle in the 1970s, after "the Brandens" had been expelled and some of the other early members had quit or been shoved out in their turn. He was never renowned for his deep knowledge of philosophy--or, so far as I can determine, of any other discipline. He did quickly gain notoriety for serving as an arrogant barrier between Ayn Rand and the outside world, and for writing the "don't let the doorknob hit you on the way out" notice when a heretic was expelled. As a founder of The Intellectual Activist, a newsletter that was pretty much the official voice of Leonard Peikoff's coterie for many years, he authored a declaration that nearly the entire contents of The Passion of Ayn Rand were arbitrary assertions; a poison pen classic titled "Libertarianism: The Perversion of Liberty" that he was allowed to worm into an edited collection of Ayn Rand's articles; and the first official announcement of David Kelley's expulsion (Kelley was such a perceived threat that Leonard Peikoff had to issue a second expulsion notice of his own).

Schwartz was feared rather than liked by his colleagues at the Leonard Peikoff Institute. I doubt they will miss him, though I do wonder whether they will be able to dispense with citing his greatest hit, "Libertarianism: The Perversion of Liberty."

Being the kind of organization that they are, they will need another enforcer. Ms. Hsieh seems to be auditioning for the role, but I'm sure she has competition.

Ironically, The Intellectual Activist was taken over some years ago by Robert Tracinski, who has now been pushed out of the organization himself. I guess one sign of Schwartz's declining status is that he wasn't commissioned to write an expulsion notice in this case.

Robert Campbell

[Neil Parille]

Mr. Schwartz is still listed as a "speaker and writer" for the ARI. Incidentally, so isn't Alan Gotthelf who recently was quoting as saying something to the effect that he keeps his distance from the ARI.

[Robert Campbell]

Neil,

Alan Gotthelf's claim of distance from the Ayn Rand Institute is largely hypocritical.

He does seem to view the purges and the ritual denunciation of heretics with distaste, but maintains his public ideological conformity.

Remember, this is a guy who obviously reads TAS pubications and will pass some of them to non-Randian scholars--under the table.

Robert Campbell

PS. I shouldn't have implied that Schwartz had been expelled from ARI, merely that he has been markedly losing status and clout there.

[Neil Parille]

Has anyone seen Prof. Gotthelf's recent essay on Rand & concepts in the Review of Metaphysics?

[Robert Campbell]

Neil,

Do you have a reference for Gotthelf's article on concepts? I looked for it in the Philosopher's Index but it didn't come up.

Robert Campbell

[Neil Parille]

Robert,

Actually, I think Gotthelf's university home page just says it's forthcoming.

[zantonavitch]

I heard Schwartz speak at New York University in February of 2006. He claimed slander and defamation of character were real crimes -- and thus it's okay to trash freedom of speech here. He also said Dark Ages Spain was rather nice under the Caliphate. Islamic expert Andrew Bostom immediately and harshly dressed him down, explaining that Spain was a hellhole jihadi theocracy during that period. It was great fun to watch! Afterwards Schwartz was very sheepish and brazenly claimed that the differences between himself and Bostom were "very minor."

(I think it's interesting that this ARI panel discussion on the Danish cartoon controversy has evidently not been made available on streaming video -- unlike all other similar events since 2006.)

[Chris Grieb]

I heard Schwartz speak at New York University in February of 2006. He claimed slander and defamation of character were real crimes -- and thus it's okay to trash freedom of speech here. He also said Dark Ages Spain was rather nice under the Caliphate. Islamic expert Andrew Bostom immediately and harshly dressed him down, explaining that Spain was a hellhole jihadi theocracy during that period. It was great fun to watch! Afterwards Schwartz was very sheepish and brazenly claimed that the differences between himself and Bostom were "very minor."

(I think it's interesting that this ARI panel discussion on the Danish cartoon controversy has evidently not been made available on streaming video -- unlike all other similar events since 2006.)

Kyrel; Do you mean Bernstein?

[jenright]

Do you mean Bernstein?

Chris, he means Andrew Bostom, who wrote The Legacy Of Jihad, and who was there for the NYU panel discussion.

John

[zantonavitch]

Thanks, Jenright. Andrew Bostom can give you a whole education on Islam in just one interview.

[Chris Grieb]

I wanted to add that yesterday ARI Bookstore is now offering John Ridpath's talks on cassettes at a very low price.

I think the bookstore is not going to offer cassettes any more.

[Chris Grieb]

John; Thanks for the link to the Bostom interview. The interview is great!

[Robert Jones]

Neil,

Alan Gotthelf's claim of distance from the Ayn Rand Institute is largely hypocritical.

He does seem to view the purges and the ritual denunciation of heretics with distaste, but maintains his public ideological conformity.

Remember, this is a guy who obviously reads TAS pubications and will pass some of them to non-Randian scholars--under the table.

Robert Campbell

PS. I shouldn't have implied that Schwartz had been expelled from ARI, merely that he has been markedly losing status and clout there.

Well, then, that's *good* hypocrisy, no?

[Robert Jones]

I heard Schwartz speak at New York University in February of 2006. He claimed slander and defamation of character were real crimes -- and thus it's okay to trash freedom of speech here. He also said Dark Ages Spain was rather nice under the Caliphate. Islamic expert Andrew Bostom immediately and harshly dressed him down, explaining that Spain was a hellhole jihadi theocracy during that period. It was great fun to watch! Afterwards Schwartz was very sheepish and brazenly claimed that the differences between himself and Bostom were "very minor."

(I think it's interesting that this ARI panel discussion on the Danish cartoon controversy has evidently not been made available on streaming video -- unlike all other similar events since 2006.)

Does that qualify Schwartz for "Self-Hating Jew" status?

[Chris Grieb]

ARI Bookstore had an announcement that another author's cassettes were for sale at reduced rates. I think they are moving to all CD format.

Edited August 10, 2007 by Chris Grieb

[Barbara Branden]

Does that qualify Schwartz for "Self-Hating Jew" status?

Sometimes, it's justified. Who knew?

Barbara

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Chris,

You have been outed as an "anti-ARI rumor-monger" and the lady apparently wants more!

I hope such repudiation doesn't interfere with your treatment for your illness and cause you a serious setback. I hear the psychological damage (if not worse) from hardcore repudiation is devastating and irreversible.

Woooooooooooohhhh...

Well, let's oblige the lady, just a little. I heard on the grapevine that Don Watkins actually left Noodlefood because he is migrating to Solo Passion.

Woooooooooooohhhh...

Michael

[Chris Grieb]

Thanks Michael for the link.

As someone who when the other names were added to sale list. I am now satisfied that Pete the Enforcer is not about to sleep with the fishes

Edited August 16, 2007 by Chris Grieb

[Robert Campbell]

When I was still active at SOLOP, I likened trying to understand what's happening within the Leonard Peikoff Institute to Kremlinology.

Even the best Kremlinologists, back in the days of the Soviet Union, made some wrong calls. No one on the outside of a highly secretive institution is going to get all of them right.

Somehow, though, I don't see a new batch of rumors gaining circulation...

Peter Schwartz helped to make the institutional culture of ARI.

What exactly is Don Watkins going to contribute? And who cares?

Robert Campbell