Nathaniel's lectures on Basic Principles of Objectivism

[Ellen Stuttle]

[...] I trust in NB's commitment to preserving the historical record, not bowdlerizing it (or flushing it down the memory hole) as the ortho's are all too apt to do.

Unlike the orthos, NB has every personal reason to want the historical record preserved exactly the way it was. His lecture course had AR's strong endorsement as presenting her philosophy correctly. It's to NB's advantage to have on record the style and approach to which she gave her imprimatur -- vox auctoritatis tone, intimidatory psychologizing remarks, et al.

Ellen

___

[Philip Coates]

> preserving the record INTACT will be very valuable [bill]

> to have on record the style and approach...intimidatory psychologizing remarks, et al. [Ellen]

Here’s one way to handle this last while publishing the transcripts basically intact --- one way to handle the "anyone who subscribes to this for an instant...shows lack of character...evasion...lack of intellect...so, in your soul, Dear Reader, do you" sort of thing -- or any other cases of psychologizing aspersions or unjustified attacks:

i) Don’t try to track down every instance of this or borderline cases or disrupt the ‘flow’ of the lectures by trying to constantly pinpoint it. ii) Instead, mention in the Introduction that one's views have changed on this issue, define the issue exactly and give a brief explanation of the reason for the change in perspective. iii) Then make a bracketed comment in the text or footnote the first time it occurs and mention that this occurs elsewhere in the lectures, and is similarly disavowed.

All this would be the judgment and role of the original author, not the transcriber, obviously. NB or BB or anyone else (even Peikoff if he were self-critical enough, or other future publishing of lecture series).

[Roger Bissell]

Lecture 11 finished -- NINETY PERCENT OF COMPLETION!! (two lectures to go!)

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

Now, having made this happy announcement, I hasten to add that, for personal reasons, I have decided to place an administrative hold on the transcription project. In six months, I will re-evaluate the work that has been done so far, and if appropriate, I will see to it that the final two lectures are transcribed and passed along to Nathaniel. I know that many people are beyond anxious for this project to culminate in a published book, and no one wants this to happen more than I, but I hope that people will allow themselves to calm down and find something more productive to do than to hover over this very worthy project.

Best regards to all,

Roger B.

P.S. -- Just kidding! I anticipate that the final two lectures will be completed this weekend, in time for the original Labor Day (September 1) target date. :rofl:

REB

[Brant Gaede]

Lecture 11 finished -- NINETY PERCENT OF COMPLETION!! (two lectures to go!)

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

Now, having made this happy announcement, I hasten to add that, for personal reasons, I have decided to place an administrative hold on the transcription project. In six months, I will re-evaluate the work that has been done so far, and if appropriate, I will see to it that the final two lectures are transcribed and passed along to Nathaniel. I know that many people are beyond anxious for this project to culminate in a published book, and no one wants this to happen more than I, but I hope that people will allow themselves to calm down and find something more productive to do than to hover over this very worthy project.

Best regards to all,

Roger B.

P.S. -- Just kidding! I anticipate that the final two lectures will be completed this weekend, in time for the original Labor Day (September 1) target date. :rofl:

REB

You are giddy with the romantic insanity of your position as you race for the finish line! Go, Roger! Go!

--Brant

[Alfonso Jones]

Lecture 11 finished -- NINETY PERCENT OF COMPLETION!! (two lectures to go!)

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

Now, having made this happy announcement, I hasten to add that, for personal reasons, I have decided to place an administrative hold on the transcription project. In six months, I will re-evaluate the work that has been done so far, and if appropriate, I will see to it that the final two lectures are transcribed and passed along to Nathaniel. I know that many people are beyond anxious for this project to culminate in a published book, and no one wants this to happen more than I, but I hope that people will allow themselves to calm down and find something more productive to do than to hover over this very worthy project.

Best regards to all,

Roger B.

P.S. -- Just kidding! I anticipate that the final two lectures will be completed this weekend, in time for the original Labor Day (September 1) target date. :rofl:

REB

Good to hear.

Excuse me for a minute while I get on the phone and call off the hit squad of deranged Objectivists I had dispatched to deal with you appropriately (terminating with extreme prejudice!) for causing a delay, before I realized you were joking.

Whew!!! Got them in time. They were close!

Good to hear you're on target. Looking forward to seeing the finished product. Sounds as if the ball will in NB's court very soon.

Bill P (Alfonso) --- smiling

[Roger Bissell]

Thanks, Brant and Bill! You took the message -- and the bait! -- in exactly the spirit in which it was intended. :hug:

It is very exciting to be even a small part of history like this -- but nowhere in the rule book does it say it can't also be fun!

REB

[Alfonso Jones]

Thanks, Brant and Bill! You took the message -- and the bait! -- in exactly the spirit in which it was intended. :hug:

It is very exciting to be even a small part of history like this -- but nowhere in the rule book does it say it can't also be fun!

REB

REB -

It is supposed to be fun.

Bill P (Alfonso)

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Roger,

Just so you know, I slipped on the banana peel, too.

Michael

[Philip Coates]

Roger, thanks for your work in getting BB's and NB's courses transcribed. (I trust that the administrative hold will be lifted and you will be released to complete your work once your breathalyzer and blood alcohol level testing has gone through.)

[Roger Bissell]

GREAT NEWS!! This is the next-to-last progress report on the BPO transcription project!!

Lecture 10 is finished and in Nathaniel's hands. Only Lecture 9 remains, and I am assured I will receive it this weekend, so I can check it over and forward it to Nathaniel.

So, here are the cheerleaders again!

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

:cheer: :cheer:

:cheer:

:cheer: :cheer:

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

REB

P.S. -- I'm glad everyone else seems to be in a good mood about this, because I sure am! :thumbsup:

I am headed for dinner, along with a nice concoction of diet coke and merlot. Yum. (Breath-alyze away, me hearties! :pirate: )

[Chris Grieb]

Roger; CONGRATULATIONS! I think a job well done.

[Barbara Branden]

> preserving the record INTACT will be very valuable [bill]

> to have on record the style and approach...intimidatory psychologizing remarks, et al. [Ellen]

Here’s one way to handle this last while publishing the transcripts basically intact --- one way to handle the "anyone who subscribes to this for an instant...shows lack of character...evasion...lack of intellect...so, in your soul, Dear Reader, do you" sort of thing -- or any other cases of psychologizing aspersions or unjustified attacks:

i) Don’t try to track down every instance of this or borderline cases or disrupt the ‘flow’ of the lectures by trying to constantly pinpoint it. ii) Instead, mention in the Introduction that one's views have changed on this issue, define the issue exactly and give a brief explanation of the reason for the change in perspective. iii) Then make a bracketed comment in the text or footnote the first time it occurs and mention that this occurs elsewhere in the lectures, and is similarly disavowed.

Good idea, Phil. I'll pass it along,

Barbara

[Chris Grieb]

Acheivements like Roger's make me want to stay around for a little longer.

Roger: Thank you again!

[Roger Bissell]

Well, as I write these words, it is 11:51 pm here on the West Coast, so it is still John Galt Day aka Atlas Shrugged Day, so I am happy to celebrate the last few moments of this special day by announcing that I have just finished transcribing the one remaining lecture of Nathaniel's Basic Principles course, so I hereby declare the transcription project COMPLETED!

One last time, here are the cheerleaders, one for each lecture completed:

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

Now the torch is passed back to Nathaniel. There will be more writing, as well as editing to catch whatever spelling or transcribing glitches I didn't catch.

But it's really a job well done, and I give my heartfelt thanks to Jerry Biggers for his stellar work on Lectures 15, 17, 18, 19, and 20 -- and to Robert Campbell for helping me out in a pinch today with some timely portions of Lecture 9, as well as previously sending me portions of two earlier lectures.

Tomorrow (Wednesday), my wife, daughter, and I are going to celebrate by attending a performance of Rand's Night of January 27th in Huntington Beach -- and then scoot backk home to listen to a re-run of Sarah Palin's speech, which may be one of the two most interesting and pivotal events of the 08 campaign.

Best to all,

Roger B.

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Roger,

Let me be the first to congratulate you on a job well done.

Wonderful news.

Michael

[Chris Grieb]

Roger; I guess I have to be number two but ditto what Michael said.

[Alfonso Jones]

I say what Michael and Chris said!!!

Great news.

Bill P (Alfonso)

[Roger Bissell]

Thanks, guys!

It was really a treat, getting to savor the lectures in a kinesthetic/visual way. I appreciated them much more deeply than if I'd just listened to them.

I heard once that there was a school of thought about writing and composing, that if you wanted to really understand how to write like a given composer or author (or at least to understand how he did it), you should transcribe his book or musical score. (The latter presumes that you already have musical knowledge, of course.) I think there's something to it, but it is a bit of an oversimplification.

But I digress! Now we all get to salivate over the prospect of a book that only needs some editing and a preface and epilog by Nathaniel. Like I said before, I'm hoping the book is out sometime in the next year or so.

Best to all,

REB

[Barbara Branden]

Roger, all my congratulations on your transcriptions of NB's lectures and my own. Your transcriptions are remarkably intelligent and exact; I don't quite know how you do it, but you seem able to catch every word either of us say, as well as to recognize appropriate commas vs. semicolons, periods vs. paragraphs, etc,. Thanks so much for doing what I know was very hard work. It will make my job a great deal easier, and I'm sure Nathaniel would say the same.

And many thanks also to Jerry Biggers and Robert Campbell.

Barbara

[kiaer.ts]

Congratulations to all involved, I can't wait!

[Robert Campbell]

Roger,

Glad to hear you got to the finish line on September 2nd. And I think the lectures, with very light editing, will make a great book.

Barbara,

I did only a tiny bit of the transcribing; Roger and Jerry carried the project. But in the portions I did, I found Nathaniel easy to transcribe—his enunciation was clear, hardly any words were muffled, and the rhetorical trajectories were familiar.

Robert Campbell

[Roger Bissell]

Barbara, for reasons Robert indicated, transcribing you and Nathaniel was really ~not~ hard work, just tedious and lengthy.

And when you're transcribing people who speak clearly and speak clear, fascinating thoughts, even the tediousness melts away.

Some people might scratch their heads, wondering if we transcribers have surrendered our individual self-interests, in order to "serve a cause greater than ourselves"--a la Sen. McCain's "conversion" from a self-absorbed "me-first" hotshot pilot to a "country-first" service-oriented citizen.

I can only speak for myself, but I don't see a dichotomy between "Me first" and "Objectivism first." (Or "Barbara and Nathaniel first.")

For me, it's my ~self-interest~ first, my values, the things I want to gain or to have happen. And my concept of the sphere of my self-interest has expanded considerably since my ego-centric childhood and teenage years. I think a lot more in terms of "spiritual values" and "helping to change the world for the better" than I used to.

And Barbara's and Nathaniel's lectures and the books that will grow out of them are certainly in that category -- as are my own intellectual and musical creations, to which I enthusiastically return, now that my labor of love for Barbara and Nathaniel is complete.

REB

[Chris Grieb]

Roger; I think that our profits other than monetary. I think this is what motivated your transcribers. Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence talked about the signers pledging their lives, fortunes, and sarced honour. I don't think in regard to fortunes he expected the signers would be able to obtain a fortune.

[Alfonso Jones]

Barbara, for reasons Robert indicated, transcribing you and Nathaniel was really ~not~ hard work, just tedious and lengthy.

And when you're transcribing people who speak clearly and speak clear, fascinating thoughts, even the tediousness melts away.

Some people might scratch their heads, wondering if we transcribers have surrendered our individual self-interests, in order to "serve a cause greater than ourselves"--a la Sen. McCain's "conversion" from a self-absorbed "me-first" hotshot pilot to a "country-first" service-oriented citizen.

I can only speak for myself, but I don't see a dichotomy between "Me first" and "Objectivism first." (Or "Barbara and Nathaniel first.")

For me, it's my ~self-interest~ first, my values, the things I want to gain or to have happen. And my concept of the sphere of my self-interest has expanded considerably since my ego-centric childhood and teenage years. I think a lot more in terms of "spiritual values" and "helping to change the world for the better" than I used to.

And Barbara's and Nathaniel's lectures and the books that will grow out of them are certainly in that category -- as are my own intellectual and musical creations, to which I enthusiastically return, now that my labor of love for Barbara and Nathaniel is complete.

REB

Thanks for posting this, REB.

Bill P (Alfonso)

[Roger Bissell]

Well said, Chris!

While it's not the same life-death (give me liberty or...) situation as the American Revolution, this ~is~ a revolutionary philosophy, and Nathaniel and Barbara led the charge. At least, in the sense that they founded the Objectivist Movement and the organization that promoted the writing and delivering of the lectures. Their contribution to the Movement has been ENORMOUS, and their landmark lectures are a key part of the historical record and outstanding intellectual contributions in their own right.

So, yes, I am pledging a portion of my life, fortune, and honor to doing this. It's a reasonable, even small, risk to take and price to pay. (Like I'm going to worry whether some of the Ortho's disapprove? Yeah, right!)

REB