From: Valuemetaphysics@aol.com
Date: Wed Jun 09 2004 - 02:51:09 BST
Dear Mark M,
>True Intellectual enquiry pursues a factual,
> verifiable accounting, and not opinion, speculation or interpretation. I
> feel Noam Chomsky's work, which i recommend to you, 'Deterring democracy'
> achieves this with flying colours.
You realize I'm sure that everyone, including me, you, Chomsky, Limbaugh
and the most self-described "objective" scientist cannot possible know or
learn all the facts about anything, that of necessity facts are always
selected by both cultural and presumptive filters. Being familiar with
philosophy, you also realize that there's great debate about what
consitutes "facts," i.e., truth.
Mark 9-6-04: This goes for Ayn Rand also, unless a Randian individual is so
egocentric as to be unfettered by any cultural ties whatsoever - a robot in
other words lacking any emotional empathy with her fellow Human beings.
I am not reading to discover ways to attack America or support America. I
wish to become aware of the best intellectual sources regarding American
political activity on a Global scale. (That is to say, the highest Quality sources.)
If Rush and Rand provide intellectual insight then so be it.
You introduce notions of pro and con America, not me. You have directed my
sincere intellectual enquiry into a political area. I'm not interested in nitty
gritty politics. I'm interested in an intellectual enquiry into the morality
of politics as social and biological patterning as evinced in the best sources.
The best sources will reference first hand verifiable information, in the
academic style of discourse, which is there for others, including ourselves, to
check out. For example, when Noam Chomsky quotes and references official US
data regarding the effects of Tobacco and Alcohol on the American population,
these figures are open to public scrutiny.
I have no idea if Rush and Rand do the same. But i shall find out for myself.
Platt:
With that in mind I do recommend Limbaugh's "See I Told You So," but to
get the full context of his thinking you might want to read his earlier
work, "The Way Things Ought to Be."
Mark 9-6-04: If this is your considered view i shall find these sources. I
hope you are going to reciprocate and avail yourself of 'Deterring democracy'?
> I wish to make myself aware of leading edge intellectual enquiry, to that
> extent of which my own ability allows.
If you really want to go deep into intellectual enquiry, I recommend any
one of Ayn Rand's books, especially her seminal work, "Atlas Shrugged."
Best regards,
Platt
Mark 9-6-04: Please forgive me if i appear conceited, but i have just
finished a degree in philosophy, so i hope i have explored some depth of intellectual
enquiry within the last few years. Perhaps not as deep as Rand, but education
systems aren't what they used to be!
There was a little matter of one Robert Pirsig and his Metaphysics of
Quality, but let's not get carried away with thinking this is to be of any
intellectual import?
My Routledge encyclopaedia of philosophy says this about A. R:
Ayn Rand was a Russian-born US novelist and philosopher who exerted
considerable influence in the conservative and libertarian intellectual movements in
the post-war USA. Rand's ideas were expressed mainly through her novels; she set
forth a view of morality as based in rational self-interest and in political
philosophy defended an unrestrained form of capitalism.
Mark 9-6-04: If this is a good indication of what Ayn Rand is about then i
can immediately discern echoes of Platt Holden in there. I can also hear echoes
of American business elite in there and this accords with Chomsky's remarks in
DD very clearly: Democracy is not compatible with the self-interest of big
business. I imagine such self-interest can easily be argued to be rational, and
certainly 'unrestrained capitalism.' If unrestrained capitalism is not
compatible with rational self-interest, then Ayn Rand has contradicted herself.
This is precisely what Deterring democracy is about, if you would but read it
Platt?
Chomsky is not a Marxist any more than he is a tooth fairy. Chomsky observes
the fall out from perceived rational self-interest of big business and
correlates vast social inequality in both US culture and in those country's with whom
it suppresses to be one result.
If you still have absolutely no intention of reading DD, then i shall remind
you of an Ayn Rand quote: "The easiest way to hold onto a lie, is to evade the
truth."
All the best,
Mark
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