A Critique of Murray Rothbard's "Sociology of the Ayn Rand Cult" (Part 3 of 3)
by G. Stolyarov II
The "Gold" of Rothbard's Analysis
Thus far, the conclusions drawn by this commentary have been overwhelmingly negative, and deservedly so. The very notion of an Objectivist movement becoming a cult, especially in the lifetime of the founder, defies reason. However, this is not to say that Rand and her followers had not, and frequently in a too rash a manner, propagated certain fallacies. Rothbard does accurately depict some of the minor defects and foibles in early Randian ideology, which should serve as a caution to individuals truly consistent with the essentials of Rand's philosophy never to take any matter on faith, no matter how credible a source it emanates from, but to always accept only the conclusions validated within one's own mind. For, while Rand was closer to ideological perfection than any before her, she did not reach it, and did occasionally thrust some of her imperfections upon her associates.
Most glaringly evident is the Randian circle's perception of smoking as a near-duty. Rothbard writes, "In my own experience, a top Randian once asked me rather sharply, 'How is it that you don't smoke?' When I replied that I had discovered early that I was allergic to smoke, the Randian was mollified: 'Oh, that's OK, then.' The official justification for making smoking a moral obligation was a sentence in Atlas where the heroine refers to a lit cigarette as symbolizing a fire in the mind, the fire of creative ideas." Today, the gruesome and devastating health hazards posed by tobacco smoke are well known, and any rational man, who upholds his life as the supreme value, will abstain from it as he would from a supreme detriment thereto. However, the early Randian movement (1958-1968) was oblivious, as was the general public, to these consequences. It was as late as the mid-1990s that tobacco company executives swore under oath (and were believed) that nicotine was not addictive. Therefore, we can only attribute an error of knowledge to the Randians (which is pardonable). As for representing the fire within one's mind, Rothbard himself agrees that there are other means to do so. "One would think that simply holding up a lit match could do just as readily for this symbolic function." When selecting a symbol for one's values, it is essential that the symbol represent only them and not possess harmful side effects besides, although if the symbolic act is in itself of physical benefit, then it is even more preferable. (For example, jogging can be employed as representative of the systematic productivity of the individual, dependent only on his own exertion and determination.) When Objectivists of today consider the philosophical and practical ramifications of their undertakings, they should learn from history and ensure that these are concordant.
When encountering a person of a rationality, intellectuality, and discipline beyond all but a few of her time, it is all too easy to assume that she is infallible, and that every minute aspect of her character is just as absolute as the essentials of her thought. This, to a degree, was a mistake made by Rand's early associates, and, in Rothbard's view, tacitly allowed by Rand. "One suspects that the actual reason, as in so many other parts of Randian theory, from Rachmaninoff to Victor Hugo to tap dancing, was that Rand simply... had the need to cast about for a philosophical system that would make her personal whims not only moral but also a moral obligation incumbent upon everyone who desires to be rational." In this statement, gold and rubbish exist side by side. Being an admirer of the literary works of Victor Hugo and the music of Rachmaninoff, as well as recognizing the intricacy and immense physical skill inherent in tap dancing, I would not dub adherence thereto "a personal whim." Numerous objective qualities can be traced that would render Victor Hugo superior to Gertrude Stein and Rachmaninoff worlds above Stravinsky. But when one is criticized for preferring Bach to Rachmaninoff, this is analogous to denouncing someone as irrational because he enjoys trigonometry to a greater extent than statistical analysis. Bach and Rachmaninoff both composed intricate, complex, inspiring, rhythmical, harmonious works, and both should, absolutely, be held in high esteem. But just as the individual's peculiar talents and experiences incline him toward a particular mathematical discipline, so do they implore him to select a favorite composer amongst the greats.
But, it should be clarified that, contrary to Rothbard's portrayal of her in his criticism as well as in the satirical play, "Mozart was a Red," Rand did not dislike the classical composers; she merely preferred those of the Romantic period to a greater extent. In The Romantic Manifesto, a book particularly devoted to aesthetics, Rand does not direct a single disparaging remark toward Bach, Mozart, or Beethoven, nor does she in any other works. She writes of all high Western music, "the modern diatonic scale used in Western civilization is a product of the Renaissance. It was developed over a period of time by a succession of musical innovators." Note that Rand does not limit her approbation to the Romantic period itself, but rather to all music derived from the Renaissance onward, with the Romantic period as its culmination. (Afterward, the diatonic scale was abandoned in favor of grotesque perversions of harmony.) Hence, the peculiar incidents that may have infrequently occurred amongst the members of Rand's circle, as well as Rothbard's grossly over-exaggerated depiction of Rand's aesthetic rigidity, do not in any manner reflect on Rand's theoretical accomplishments or the philosophy of Objectivism per se.
There is another concern that Rothbard voices in regard to allowance for nuances of language in the Randian circles. "Another [means] was to insure that every spoken and written word of the Randian member was not only correct in content but also in form, for any slight nuance or difference in wording could and would be attacked for deviating from the Randian position. Thus, just as the Marxist movements developed jargon and slogans which were clung to for fear of uttering incorrect deviations, the same was true in the Randian movement. In the name of 'precision of language,' in short, nuance and even synonyms were in effect prohibited." Rand was a staunch adherent of precise definitions as a defense against arbitrariness and package-dealing. This is indeed a proper stance. Before advanced philosophical concepts can be discussed to any satisfactory or productive extent, the parties must agree upon terms used. Otherwise, a hodge-podge of misinterpretations (especially of malice where none exists) can occur. However, to advocate precision and to discourage variety are not the same course of action. Various contexts require the use of similar, but not quite the same, vocabulary (one can call grass verdant, but a Mountain Dew can would be more concordant with the description, "lime" or "neon-green"). And perfect synonyms-say, selfishness and egoism-are never at a detriment to precision. Quite to the contrary, they enrich the form of language by constantly keeping the reader tied to every word and avoiding the perception by the reader of repetition, except where repetition is intended for reinforcing effect (such as here). Except in these cases, it is not generally proper within scholarly writing or discourse to encounter the same noun, verb, or adjective twice in the space of several sentences. This is, of course, in addition to the fact that a particular nuance may possess precisely that key toward further exploration of a concept that a similar, originally employed word did not contain.
Randian Authoritarianism?
Even a false assertion, such as the one concerning the totalitarian nature of the "Ayn Rand cult" is often imbued with tidbits of truth. One of the greatest stains on the image of Rand, and one of the most formidable weapons employed against her by the critics of Objectivism, is the notorious split between Rand and her primary intellectual protégé, Nathaniel Branden, in 1968. The split resulted from a horrific jumble of personal love affairs, deceptions, equivocations, secretiveness, and outright slander from all parties. A brief timeline is available from the Objectivism Reference Center at http://www.noblesoul.com/orc/bio/brandens.html. The factors behind the split were personal squabbles, but to the fully unexposed circle of Rand's associates, they were conveyed as immense ideological differences and accusations aimed to defame the moral integrity of Branden.
Rothbard describes his own version, "In a development eerily reminiscent of the organized hatred directed against the arch-heretic Emanuel Goldstein in Orwell's 1984, Rand cultists were required to sign a loyalty oath to Rand; essential to the loyalty oath was a declaration that the signer would henceforth never read any future works of the apostate and arch-heretic Branden. After the split, any Rand cultist seen carrying a book or writing by Branden was promptly excommunicated. Close relatives of Branden were expected to – and did – break with him completely. Interestingly enough for a movement which proclaimed its devotion to the individual exertion of reason, to curiosity, and to the question 'Why?' cultists were required to swear their unquestioning belief that Rand was right and Branden wrong, even though they were not permitted to learn the facts behind the split. In fact, the mere failure to take a stand, the mere attempt to find the facts, or the statement that one could not take a stand on such a grave matter without knowledge of the facts was sufficient for instant expulsion. For such an attitude was conclusive proof of the defective 'loyalty' of the disciple to his guru, Ayn Rand." Ignoring Rothbard's infantile and abusive name-calling and comparisons, it is doubtless true that the ideals of independent individual judgment based on the facts and evidence of any given matter (or the acceptance after close scrutiny of reasoning presented by another) have indeed been breached by this incident. Rand's response to Branden was horrid; one of the most innovative and commercially dynamic members of the Objectivist movement was accused of financial parasitism and lack of productivity. His genuine offense had been to write a letter explaining that their vast difference of ages would prevent the continuation of their affair (as well as to initiate another affair in the meantime). While dishonesty in any realm is counter-Objectivist, reciprocal dishonesty is by no means the solution. Nor do evasions in a realm so private as love ever discredit the scholarly, public merit of a philosopher. While Rand's behavior had been by no means commendable, it was understandable at least. Emotionally, she almost undoubtedly encountered extreme betrayal from someone whose truthfulness and confidence she thought herself most capable of enjoying. Her anger was justified; her response was not. A personal alienation may have been proper, but not a threat against non-involved associates, false defamation, and any aggressive response in the realm of ideas.
In Summation
Rand was less than perfect, both in her actions and in some of her non-fundamental preachings. Additionally, her personal life was more turbulent than most. This, to a rational reader, is what Rothbard's commentary reveals. But this does not imply that, in Rothbard's vitriolic manner, we must reject the promethean philosophical leaps that Rand's mind had accomplished. Nor does it imply that, in the regular dynamics of her circles, any cult-like authoritarianism existed. Passion for ideas, their ardent advocacy, and the entwinement of feeling with logic were characteristics of the early Randian movement that only a dichotomy-mired mind can misinterpret for the breeding of passive zombie troops. Applying Rand's philosophy with full consistency, as well as discovering new concepts and applications by derivation and observation, will render us more perfect human beings in practice, perhaps exceeding even the charismatic general moral purity of Objectivism's founder.
As for Rothbard himself, his legacy shall remain one of mixed premises, a paradoxical coexistence between forthright laissez-faire advocacy alongside a grim mysticism and totalitarianism, and it is doubtless that much of his work is a valid supplement and extension of Objectivism. However, a scholarly effort should be directed toward determining precisely which ideas these are. The length of this commentary has approached that of its subject, but many more claims and examples within that very document remain to be analyzed. Be prepared for a quagmire of non-sequiturs and faulty premises, but also scout the same sentences which contain them for grains of truth and insight from what cannot be but another highly proficient mind.
Discuss this Article (45 messages)
|
