Does Ayn Rand help or hinder the message of liberty?

[Kat]

As excitement for the release of the new Atlas Shrugged film reaches a fever pitch in the lead up to its premiere, AFF-Chicago is asking a question that divides free marketeers every time it's raised:

Does Ayn Rand help or hinder the message of liberty?

Join us from 6-8 PM on Wednesday, April 27th to hear arguments from both sides.

Many conservatives and libertarians read Rand's works in their formative years and credit Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead, or the philosophy of Objectivism with opening their eyes to the moral rationale for a society that respects the rights of individual above all else. For some, Rand was their first teacher on the ideals of liberty.

On the other hand, some view Rand's teachings as overly-rigid, cold, and off-putting. Although Rand criticized religious faith vehemently, her followers sometimes appear cultish and doctrinaire. Should Rand be the first person read by people curious about liberty and free markets?

The event will feature two spectacular panelists, each of whom has strong thoughts on Ayn Rand and her usefulness in broadening the movement for liberty.

Heather Wilhelm is a columnist for RealClearPolitics and a member of AFF's Chicago committee. She penned a piece in the Wall Street Journal in December 2009 that asked, 'Is Ayn Rand Bad for the Market?' http://www.heatherwilhelm.com/wall-street-journal/is-ayn-rand-bad-for-the-market/

Marsha Familaro Enright is president of the Reason, Individualism, Freedom Institute, the Foundation for the College of the United States. She recently coauthored a column in the Daily Caller advocating on Rand's behalf entitled 'Can the free market be saved without Rand?' http://dailycaller.com/2010/02/16/can-the-free-market-be-saved-without-rand/

Where: Sullivan's Steakhouse, 415 N Dearborn, Chicago

When: Wednesday, April 27th, 6-8 PM (debate begins at 7 PM)

RSVP: chicago@americasfuture.org or on our Facebook event page

Price: $10 per person (includes one drink ticket, payable at the door). Members get free admission.

We hope you'll join us for this exciting event!

Facebook event link: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=168267963226743&index=1

[caroljane]

As excitement for the release of the new Atlas Shrugged film reaches a fever pitch in the lead up to its premiere, AFF-Chicago is asking a question that divides free marketeers every time it's raised:

Does Ayn Rand help or hinder the message of liberty?

Join us from 6-8 PM on Wednesday, April 27th to hear arguments from both sides.

Many conservatives and libertarians read Rand's works in their formative years and credit Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead, or the philosophy of Objectivism with opening their eyes to the moral rationale for a society that respects the rights of individual above all else. For some, Rand was their first teacher on the ideals of liberty.

On the other hand, some view Rand's teachings as overly-rigid, cold, and off-putting. Although Rand criticized religious faith vehemently, her followers sometimes appear cultish and doctrinaire. Should Rand be the first person read by people curious about liberty and free markets?

The event will feature two spectacular panelists, each of whom has strong thoughts on Ayn Rand and her usefulness in broadening the movement for liberty.

Heather Wilhelm is a columnist for RealClearPolitics and a member of AFF's Chicago committee. She penned a piece in the Wall Street Journal in December 2009 that asked, 'Is Ayn Rand Bad for the Market?' http://www.heatherwilhelm.com/wall-street-journal/is-ayn-rand-bad-for-the-market/

Marsha Familaro Enright is president of the Reason, Individualism, Freedom Institute, the Foundation for the College of the United States. She recently coauthored a column in the Daily Caller advocating on Rand's behalf entitled 'Can the free market be saved without Rand?' http://dailycaller.com/2010/02/16/can-the-free-market-be-saved-without-rand/

Where: Sullivan's Steakhouse, 415 N Dearborn, Chicago

When: Wednesday, April 27th, 6-8 PM (debate begins at 7 PM)

RSVP: chicago@americasfuture.org or on our Facebook event page

Price: $10 per person (includes one drink ticket, payable at the door). Members get free admission.

We hope you'll join us for this exciting event!

Facebook event link: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=168267963226743&index=1

Kat, that looks really interesting. Are you and/or Michael planning to go? Your report would generate a lot of discussion on here I'm sure!

[Greybird]

The answer to the thread-topic question is "Yes."

Whether help or hindrance depends on the context: what the message is, who is delivering it, who is likely to listen, and what the working definition is of "liberty."

I doubt that'll be settled in any of these respects in one evening, but having known the formidable Mrs. Enright, I wouldn't bet against her.

[Brant Gaede]

It's not Ayn Rand. It's you and me. Rand is dead, remember?

--Brant

[syrakusos]

... AFF-Chicago is asking a question ...

Does Ayn Rand help or hinder the message of liberty?

That would be the America's Future Foundation, is that right?

http://americasfuture.org/

To answer the question: Helps. In fact, "the message of liberty" could mean anything, such as: "You cannot be free when you are hungry, therefore everyone deserves a guaranteed minimum living wage." Ayn Rand taught that there can be no significant and lasting political reform without an antecedent change in the broad acceptance of objective (rational-empirical) metaphysics and epistemology.

Until and unless discussions of any kind begin from a common framework of reality and reason, we will be distracted by noise such as: How do you know you are right? That's just your opinion. There are no absolutes. You can prove anything with logic. Your reality is different from mine.

Consider the America's Future Foundation Chicago roundtable on the drug laws, from 2009. Summary of the event from the AFF-Chicago here. All five viewpoints were considered equivalent in validity and merit. Each apparently took an aspect of the war on drugs as if it were without context. None started with an axiomatic truth. Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran and Collin Corbett, head of the Lake County Young Republicans, argued for tough laws. On the other hand, Jennifer Koerner–an activist with the Chicago Young Republicans– "contended that moving drugs from the black market would reduce the huge incentive for criminal activity, and produce safer end-products for users." Ralph Conner from the Heartland Institute called for legalization because "only through legalizing drugs can we break the narco-economy and restore a future for the communities affected." Situated between the pros and the cons, Chris Robling, a lawyer called for "faith-based programs in prisons for counseling." He said that self destructive choices damage society.

I think that at any Ford Hall Forum Ayn Rand would have summed this up standing on one foot and gone on to the question. If you start with first principles - axiomatic truths - and reason correctly you will find that experience supports your claims.

Absent objective philosophy, if "liberty" and "freedom" were delivered to us by the gods, we would lose them the same way they were eroded before.

(And as for the gods, just what is the source of your rights, if the Universe had no Creator?)

[studiodekadent]

Objectivism, correctly understood and explained, is fantastic for the libertarian movement.

The defamatory charictature of Objectivism promoted by Objectivism's foes is not.

And, unfortunately, most people know more about the charictature than actual Objectivism.

Even more unfortunately, not all nominal Objectivists are the best at explaining (and exemplifying) how the real thing differs from the charictature.

[Kat]

Here is a recording of the event. It starts about 8 minutes in.

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It was a pretty good talk and a pleasure to see Marsha and John again. I think Marsha came out ahead, although Heather was pretty good, and very at ease in front of an audience. Her big issue was that Rand was an atheist and "closest totalitarian." and attacked Rand personally as a hater rather than sticking to the ideas. Christian bias rather than rational argument.... her biggest complaint being that Rand turned Judeo-Christian values on its head. Marsha defended the philosophy quite well.