Return of the Primitive

[Kat]

Return of the Primitive "The Cashing-In: The Student 'Rebellion'"

Here are some discussion questions for Return of the Primitive for my group on Saturday. I don't have the teacher's edition so I'd love to get some feedback on the following questions on the begining of the book.

Interpretive Questions

Why did Peter Schwartz change the title for the second edition of this book from The New Left to Return of the Primitive?

Why does Ayn Rand contend that the "central theme and basic ideology of all the activists is:

anti-ideology"?

Distinguish between what the student activists mean by "rights" and what Ayn Rand means by "rights."

Distinguish the meaning of "civil disobedience" when each of the following persons uses the key term: Martin Luther King, Jr.; Mario Savio; Ayn Rand

Evaluative Questions

Evaluate the Introduction.

Evaluate the Foreword.

Do you agree with Ayn Rand that the activists are "fully, literally, loyally, devastatingly the products of modern philosophy"?

Do you agree with Ayn Rand that "compromise does not satisfy, but dissatisfies everybody"?

Do you agree with Ayn Rand that the purpose of the student rebels aimed "to condition the country to accept force as the means of settling political controversies"?

Which of your values did these essays undermine or reinforce?

[Kat]

Ayn Rand examined the New Left at the height of its hysteria when she wrote The New Left: The Anti-Industrial Revolution. Peter Schwartz updated the second edition with a new title: Return of the Primitive: The Anti-Industrial Revolution. This discussion focuses on her essays "The Chickens' Homecoming" and "The Comprachicos"

The Isle of Merit Group:

Saturday, February 18, 2006, 6:00 PM at Barnes and Noble Booksellers, 780 E Merritt Island Cswy, Merritt Island, FL 32952

Dinner following at Appleby's across from the mall

Chicago/Evanston, IL Group:

Saturday, February 18, 2006, 2:00 PM at Gullivers Pizza on Howard and California, Chicago. We'll have pizza there.

Questions for "The Chickens' Homecoming" and "The Comprachicos" in Return of the Primitive: The Anti-Industrial Revolution

Interpretive Questions

"The Chickens' Homecoming"

1. Why did Ayn Rand name the first essay of this discussion "The Chickens' Homecoming"?

2. What prompted the American Philosophical Association (APA) to issue its resolution condemning the war in Vietnam?

3. What aspects of the resolution did Ayn Rand oppose?

4. What factors does Ayn Rand name as the root causes of the APA actions she criticizes?

"The Comprachicos"

1. Why did Ayn Rand name the second essay of this discussion "The Comprachicos"?

2. Name some ways in which Ayn Rand compares the original comprachicos with their modern educational counterparts.

3. What aspects of modern education at all age levels, from nursery school through college, does Ayn Rand condemn? Why?

4. What alternatives to mainstream education does Ayn Rand propose? Why?

Evaluative Questions

"The Chickens' Homecoming"

1. Do you agree with Ayn Rand's assessment of the APA, its resolution, and how the events she recounts offer a "microcosmic version of what is wrong with today's world"?

2. In what ways did this essay influence your values?

"The Comprachicos"

1. Do you agree with Ayn Rand's assessment of most modern educators as "comprachicos"?

2. Do you agree with the alternatives to mainstream education that Ayn Rand proposes?

3. In what ways did this essay influence your values?

[Barbara Branden]

Kat, you asked: "Why did Peter Schwartz change the title for the second edition of this book from The New Left to Return of the Primitive?"

I don't know why, and I don't care. This infuriates me. I remember that when Rand told me about selling the movie rights to THE FOUNTAINHEAD without any legal claim to a say about how the movie was done, she said that the one thing that kept her sane was the knowledge that however bad the movie turned out to be, at least the book could not be touched or altered in any way. She said that if the movie were terrible, it would soon be forgotten, but the book, exactly as she had written it, would remain on the shelves.

Well, Peter Schwartz, with Peikoff's blessing, has proved her wrong about one of her books: THE NEW LEFT. Not only have they changed the title that she intended her book to have -- perhaps they'll soon decide to change her fiction titles as well, and do some editing of the novels, why not, after all? -- but they have included, as an integral part of her book, essays that she did not write or sanction or agree to have as part of her book. This is as disgraceful as anything these presumptuous people have done. What I really want to say is: Who the hell are they to alter a book by Ayn Rand!

[Kat]

Who the hell are they to alter a book by Ayn Rand!

I'm with you on this, Barbara. By what right! What gives him the right to retitle Ayn Rand's book and sneak in his own essays. There is something very dishonest about this type of thing. Is this a common thing in publishing? What other great author's have had their work vandalized in this way? This ARI-brushing thing is truly shameful. I don't mind them writing introductions and that type of thing, but inserting their own essays and opinions into a book of a great author sure seems crappy. (pun intended)

Kat

[Jerry Biggers]

Hmmm, Since I am the author of the (substantially-edited) letter that Ayn Rand used in her Foreward to The New Left: The Anti-Industial Revolution, I think I am entitled to a few comments. I don't think changing the name of the book improved upon its contents or its appeal.

The ostensible reason was to update the book to include discussions of current controversies (multi-culturalism, libertarianism, etc). However, the additions by Peter Schwartz detract from the main discussion of the original book, which was clearly stated in the original title. In addition, he cannot resist throwing in some completely inaccurate descriptions of libertarianism.

Of course, he got his name in print next to Ayn Rand, but to his eternal embarrassment, anyone who familiar with the main libertarian arguments are going to notice that he has set up a strawman and then proceeded to demolish it. Of course, such deception, once discovered, tends to destroy the reputation and veracity of the perpetrator (and possibly anyone associated with him).

Parenthetically, in my original letter to Miss Rand, I suggested that she include other articles that had been published in The Objectivist. Specifically, one by John O. Nelson and one by George Walsh. One of the articles was a detailed comparison of Ayn Rand's philosophy to that of Herbert Marcuse.

Since this was after "the break," apparently she no longer felt comfortable to adding other contributors to works published under her name! Imagine - if she had included George Walsh's article then they (ARI) would have had another list of deletions/revisions to consider in future reprintings!

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Lanyard (is your first name Mike or something with GMB?),*

Welcome to our little home. You just took my breath away. Literally. It is high honor to have you here.

I have wondered about who that fan was ever since I read The New Left: The Anti-Industrial Revolution back when it came out. It's not everyday you get a question over 3 decades old answered by the person himself (the answer).

Thank you so much for that delightful surprise.

btw - GMB - these are the initials of the person in the fan letter Rand gave. I presume they are you?

Anyway, I really hope you feel at home here and have time to share your thoughts on occasion. I agree with your observations on Return of the Primitive and Rand not including essays of others in her compilation after the break. And I share Barbara's indignation.

Michael

* Edit - The pen name "lanyard" has since been changed on all OL posts to "Jerry Biggers," Jerry's real name - July 12, 2006.

[Kat]

This is very cool indeed. Hi and welcome to OL. We're glad you're here.

btw - How does it feel to have personally inspired Ayn Rand?

Kat

[Jerry Biggers]

Michael, Kat: Thank you for your comments and your welcome!

Lanyard, of course, is just a pen (internet?) name from "Michael Lanyard" from Joseph Lewis Vance's mystery-adventure books on a character he created also called "The Lone Wolf" (later, a '50's TV series and some earlier movies). Reportedly, Leslie Charteris built upon this character for his Simon Templar "The Saint" novels.

Well, so much for that trivia.

Anyway, many (maybe all) of the posts in OL that I have read so far have been extremely interesting. A number of the topics discussed got me fired up and I will address them in the appropriate sections of your forum shortly. A forum devoted to the actual contributions of the Brandens in the development and spread of Objectivism has been long overdue. Of course, current developments and contributions to Objectivism are also important, but its history should not be left to those "custodians" who would rather wield their eraser! I am afraid that future historians will not look favorably upon ARIan attempts to edit-out and rewrite intellectual history.

Kat, Regarding your kind comments about having "personally inspired Ayn Rand," my original letter to her (actually written about two years earlier, at the height of New Left/SDS-instigated campus rioting) was more of an encouragement or suggestion to her to collect her articles on the New Left in a book to inspire others. I was already inspired!

Many months after writing the letter (to which I did not expect a personal response), I was startled to receive a letter from a law firm (Ernst, Todd, Berner & Gitlin, I think. I still have the letter) which opened with, "We represent Ayn Rand." Since we had just had Nathaniel Branden give a standing-room-only lecture at Northern Illinois University (at my invitation), I was immediately apprehensive as to what this was about. However, it dealt with the letter that I had written to her, and would I approve of my letter (or portions of it) possibly being used in the Foreward to a book Miss Rand was preparing to publish? (Uh, gee. Let me think...) Of course, I immediately wrote back saying I felt honored, with my signed consent.

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Lanyard,*

Than you for putting that story up, and for your kind comments both online and by email.

I certainly do look forward to your thoughts on the different issues we have cooking over here.

It is gratifying to find people who do not like historical erasers.

btw - I checked the articles your mentioned (but I have not read them). They are:

"The 'Freedom' of the Hippie and the Yippie" by John O. Nelson (The Objectivist, August 1969)

"Herbert Marcuse, Philosopher of the New Left" by George Walsh (in 4 installments - The Objectivist, September, October, November and December 1969)

Michael

* Edit - The pen name "lanyard" has since been changed on all OL posts to "Jerry Biggers," Jerry's real name - July 12, 2006.

[C. Jordan]

I can only ask, given that the Peter Schwartz changed the book title and snuck in his essays — was anything else changed?

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

... given that the Peter Schwartz changed the book title and snuck in his essays — was anything else changed?

C. Jordan,

That is a very good question. Given ARI's propensity to eliminate previously published references to the Brandens and others in such publications, it is something that needs complete checking. I think there are only 2 pre-1968 essays by Rand in the book, "The Cashing-In: The Student 'Rebellion,'" and "Racism."

I will compare versions and let you know. This was already on my outline of things to check for the article I am writing on airbrushing publications. You can see some of the things I have found so far in the Branden Corner: Air brushed Objectivist publications and materials.

Michael

[Chris Grieb]

I think Peter Schwartz's motives for changing The New Left are obvious. He gets to have his name assciated with Ayn Rand. He would never have got this on his own.