Re: I Break for Randians

Previously I noted Objectivists’ “odd, pompous, self-important, silly habit of offically ‘breaking’ with people who were once in the fold but who start to think for themselves.”

The latest entry is that of one William E. Perry, who has apparently broken with David Kelley’s The Objectivist Center, and is announcing to the world at large that he is “no longer employed by, or affiliated with The Objectivist Center. … I left because of a variety of issues. Most of them pertain to my growing disagreement with David Kelley’s views about judgment and toleration. My view of the application of justice is far different than David Kelley’s view.” [Note: this probably has to do with the split years back between David Kelley and one of the more “orthodox” Randians at the Ayn Rand Institute–Peikoff, I think–about how much we can “tolerate” people who make mistakes–as I recall, Kelley was of the view that you can be honestly mistaken without being automatically “evil”, or something like this. (See also his comment, “Creswell’s Ignorance,” here.)Anyway, Perry informs us that:

I intend to take about a year to consider certain issues in Objectivism. I am about to complete a basic philosophical education course of my own design, which will better enable me to evaluate those issues. The course included working through John Hospers’ introductory text, David Kelley’s logic text, and the entire nine- volume history of philosophy by Frederick Copleston. (I am in the ninth volume of Copleston.)

I am then going to re-examine issues in Objectivism. I may write about them, but I don’t intend to publish or post anything from May 1, 2006-April 30, 2007. Nor do I intend to participate in any Objectivist conferences. My only contact with Objectivist groups of any sort will be attendance at Arizona Objectivists and other local groups. If I post anything on any website it will be about applications only, or about non-philosophical issues.

However, I will be writing a few things and posting them on SOLO Passion between now and May 1. I will discuss what I write until that date.

I love it. He knows it will take a year, and what he will read, and knows that after this time, he’ll have figured it out. And he announces this to people. Is it just me, or is this a bizarre type of behavior peculiar to Randians?

I can’t keep it all straight, but apparently some Objectivists are upset with David Kelley types being tolerant of the Brandens and not agreeing with James Valliant’s attack on the Brandens… and George Reisman’s comments on Rand’s Q&A being edited comes up in all these… my Lord, who can keep all this straight.

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Another recent brouhaha I heard of concerns the Ayn Rand Institute getting upset with Robert Tracinski, publisher of The Intellectual Activist, for being too pro-Bush, and threatening to shut down that long-time Objectivist newsletter. I just can’t keep these guys straight.

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Update: Nicholas Provenzo posts an (unintentionally) funny reply to this at the “Rule of Reason” (sic) blog.

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2:08 pm on April 5, 2006