would have hoped that your author would be aware that John Ridpath and debated two Canadian Readers' Forum socialists at in 1984. This debate was attended by 1,700 people. One would think he would also know about Dr. Ridpath's debate with Bob Rae, now the Premier of , in More on 1990. The maintains a speakers bureau which, among other In the Summer 1994 FREE INQUIRY we published "Was Ayn Rand a Humanist?" things, makes speakers available for by Jeffrey Walker. Some readers responded strongly to the author's criticism of debates at colleges all over North Rand, and we print their reactions below. Jeffrey Walker then responds.—EDS. America. 3. In referring to he As I understand it, your publication is My eye was first caught by Walker's says, "The book is read mainly by senior associated with the valiant efforts of concluding sentence, "Every sensible high school students." There is abso- some scholars to debunk pseudoscience man, every honorable man, must hold lutely no data upon which such an and to raise the alarm as to the dangers the Randian sect in horror." I must absurd statement could be based. Well of the methods and conclusions of pseu- confess, that sounded a bit shrill. It did over 100,000 copies of this novel are sold doscientists. If a "scholar" approached reflect the tone of the entire article, which in the each year. In a 1991 you with a paper on a topic for which is remarkable considering what he survey of readers conducted by the he clearly had a strongly held emotional accused Objectivists of being like. Book-of-the-Month Club with the mind-set, sufficient to allow him to evade Reading the article was like having Library of Congress, more readers cited and misrepresent facts, let alone indulge someone scream in your face for thirty Atlas Shrugged as the book having the in blatant sarcasm and ad hominem minutes that you should be more tolerant most influence on their lives than any attacks, I would expect you to reject such of other ideas. Some of the wording was other book except the Bible (which had a paper immediately. virtually the same as attacks on Ayn a head start). To respond to every error, sarcasm, Rand in the 1950s from the religious and ad hominem sneer would require a right, which one would not expect to Richard E. Ralston paper much longer than you would read see in your publication. Director of Development and or I care to write. I will, however, offer When Walker first approached us Academic Programs my speculation on what the root is of about his radio program he presented The Ayn Rand Institute Mr. Walker's hatred for and misrepres- himself as wanting to produce a "tribute" Marina Del Rey, Calif. entation of Ayn Rand. In this article he to Ayn Rand upon the thirty-fifth repeatedly praises tolerance, pragma- anniversary of Atlas Shrugged, a book Yes, there are people who regard Objec- tism, and the concrete, while condemn- that he now describes in your magazine tivism as a closed system of ideas. But ing absolutes, the philosophically uni- as "a gusher of hatred and contempt." many of us hold that Rand's work is versal, certainty as dangerous authori- We did not discover until his program a foundation for further inquiry to tarianism—making at one point the was broadcast that he was a passionate extend her ideas and, where the evidence incredibly silly and self-contradictory hater of Ayn Rand and her writings. He requires it, to modify them; and that a statement that philosophical opposition presented his program as journalism, i.e., process of open discussion and debate, to communism has to be based on "a as being about Ayn Rand, when it would especially with critics, is a necessary proven falsehood." Outside the domain have been more accurately titled "Why condition for such inquiry. of absolutes, of truth, this means nothing I Hate Ayn Rand." Walker knows about this other wing at all. If one considers the threat that Walker has no regard for facts. Here of the , having absolutism and Ayn Rand represent to are just three examples: interviewed me and other scholars mushy, approximate, compromising 1. The first words of the article are associated with the Institute in connec- pseudointellectuality, it is easy to a simple mistake: "1994 is the fiftieth tion with a radio program he prepared understand the hatred this article reeks anniversary of the publication of Ayn some years ago, but we do not fit his of and the errors it contains. Rand's novel ." That preconceptions. novel was published in 1943 and we cele- As for his vitriolic remarks on Atlas John B. Ridpath brated the fiftieth anniversary last year. Shrugged, the book is its own best de- Assoc. Professor Sorry he missed it. fense. I urge readers to judge for them- and Intellectual 2. "Neither Rand nor her spokesmen selves whether Rand's moral idealism is History have ever chosen to debate 's "a gusher of contempt for the 99.9 York University critics." This is a very broad and unquali- percent of humanity who fall short of Ontario, fied statement. Being from , one the Randian ideal man," or whether it

Winter 1994/95 51 is, as Rand herself said, a testament "to proceeds to take that form of "argument" versary of The Fountainhead. Delayed the glory of Man." Walker's attitude to new lows, flinging accusations of by six months, the mistake somehow reminds me of humanitarianism voiced emotionalism, dishonesty, misrepresen- escaped everyone's notice, mine as well. by the villain Ellsworth Toohey in The tation, and Rand hatred. Sorry, he does I have heard three Objectivist- Fountainhead: "Which is kinder—to not present one piece of evidence. sponsored debates on versus believe the best of people and burden Presumably, the very choicest bit is my , and others on animal rights them with a nobility beyond their "incredibly silly and self-contradictory and psychotherapy. But they were not endurance—or to see them as they are, statement that philosophical opposition on Objectivist . As for Rand, and accept it because it makes them to communism has to be based on 'a as Barbara Branden told me, "She never comfortable? Kindness being more proven falsehood.' " This is a simple answered her critics, ever." important than justice, of course." misreading of the text, or a mishearing By "mainly" I did mean mainly, not if it was read to him over the phone. all. As for the Book-of-the-Month Club , Exec. Director, "Proven falsehood" is quite obviously survey, Ralston wisely omits mentioning Institute for Objectivist Studies referring to communism, not opposition that a mere 17 readers from all over Poughkeepsie, N.Y. to communism. America (1.7 percent of respondents) cited Atlas; 166 cited the Bible. I have been a student of Objectivism for * * * over thirty years and have found Ayn Rand's views very promising and fruitful My concluding paraphrase of Voltaire Kelley writes, "Yes, there are people who for purposes of approaching and even could hardly be said to reflect the tone regard Objectivism as a closed system solving philosophical problems. Jeff of the whole article. Naturally Richard of ideas." What Kelley is afraid to admit Walker's diatribe does neither Rand nor Ralston, alarmed at that dramatic is that these people make up the vast FREE INQUIRY any justice. I am sure summing-up, prefers to read its tone into majority of that movement. Kelley's east- that the bulk of those who take Rand every preceding paragraph so as to justify coast contingent is a dove wing greatly seriously—as distinct from simply an effortless dismissal of the whole. I overpowered by Leonard Peikoffs west idolizing her—will not see themselves in also regard his attempt to characterize coast pterodactyl wing. what Walker claims of them (e.g., as my critique as a religious-styled one— So impoverished is the Randian ap- being "abject sycophants"). without offering any instance of this— preciation of the real world or even of It is too bad you chose Walker as as a rather feeble attempt to appeal to fiction outside the Randworld that it's the person to discuss Rand—there are the secular instincts of Frs readership. a given for any critic that he or she many others who could have done a That I am a "passionate hater of Ayn eventually will be compared to a Ran- more objective, albeit non-adoring, job Rand and her writings" is allegedly dian villain. And even Leonard Peikoff, of it. proven by my CBC programs on Rand. in an answer to a question at one of Tibor R. Machan Yet many of Ayn Rand's admirers wrote his lectures, admits that Ellsworth Contributing Editor, FI letters to me expressing how much they Toohey is an impossible character Professor of Philosophy enjoyed the programs and how fair they outside of fiction. Also, note the false Auburn University were, including Rand biographer Bar- dichotomy between self-acceptance and Auburn, Alabama bara Branden, Rand intimate Joan self-actualization that Rand endorses in Blumenthal, inner circle member Kay the Toohey quote, one that even Rand's Nolte Smith, and Ron Merrill (author initial choice of heir, , of The Ideas of Ayn Rand). Philosopher felt obliged to jettison in the wake of Jeff Walker Replies Antony Flew wrote that, if anything, the adverse reaction to his The Psychology programs were "too gentle rather than of Self-Esteem (1969). Naturally, Kelley John B. Ridpath gets everything wrong too harsh." Libertarian book distributor told me he regards that book as "sound from the outset, where he confuses FREE Laissez-Faire, with pages of Objectivist Objectivist doctrine." INQUIRY with the Skeptical Inquirer. merchandise including Rand's own * * * And in the light of Rand's proud claim works in its catalogue, wouldn't have that her Objectivist epistemology and been selling cassettes of the CBC pro- Re 's comments: first, a ethics constitute a science—she is not grams for the past two years if they mani- spirited critique is not a diatribe. Second, using the term in the weaker sense of fested a passionate hatred of Ayn Rand. just as chanting "Reason, reason, "culinary science" or the "science of As for how I characterized my CBC reason" is no guarantee of clear reason- theology"—to critique Rand's work is program, I always qualified "tribute." I ing, being an Objectivist, a former indeed "to debunk pseudoscience and to was only part way into my research when Objectivist, a neo-Objectivist, or simply raise the alarm as to the dangers of I visited ARI and couldn't know how a lifelong student of the philosophy pseudoscientists." critical the show would be. whose borrowed name includes the word It is difficult to take seriously charges The article was intended for publica- objectiv[e] confers no guarantee of or of ad hominem from someone who tion in 1993, to mark the fiftieth anni- monopolization on objectivity. •

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