this is interesting. now it is public that curriculums might be decided by major donors.
ie;
larry flynt donates money to universities where public jerking off in classrooms are allowed.
possibilities are endless...
If college is going to become essentially required rathered than an optional experiance and the only path towards some level of success in the post industrial west than colleges and universities cant monopolize what they teach - or at least should offer some sort of acedemic free market of ideals - universities since the 60's have become homogenius leftist social clubs - they need a good smack down by the donors who let them read Milton in their twead sweaters all day.
Coincidentally, Seattle's The Stranger just held an essay competition to determine who would win the much-hated poster of Ayn Rand they had in their offices. The winning entry, by Bill Savage:
The Ayn Rand portrait currently hanging in the offices of the Stranger is rightfully mine and no one else’s because I can use it to educate—that is, destroy—some of Ayn Rand’s youngest and most misguided followers.
Teaching American literature at Northwestern, about twice a year I run into some otherwise smart and sensible student who has an Ayn Rand infection, that insidious intellectual disorder that substitutes egotism for empathy and selfishness for human sympathy. Her philosophy attracts them because they are the John Galts of their own little universes, as demonstrated by their admission to NU. They are unable to see past the end of their own noses to the grim reality that if writers were countries and bullshit were crude oil, Ayn Rand would be Saudi Arabia.
When this portrait arrives at Northwestern, I will place it over a dart board in my office, behind my meeting table. Any time a student brings up Atlas Shrugged or The Fountainhead in class or a paper or casual conversation, I will invite them to my office, where they will see this portrait skewered with several darts, one throwing knife, and a novelty scimitar letter-opener.
With this symbolic rejection of Rand behind me I will rip their intellectual pretensions into tiny little shreds. I will teach them that any philosophy which cannot differentiate between Hitler or Stalin and Mother Theresa or Jane Addams is not just a system of thought in need of tweaking and elaboration, it’s objectively in need of ridicule, rejection and righteous anger.
Bravo.
PS, there's no requirement in the money that Atlas Shrugged be taught seriously, is there? Maybe it can be in a class called "Debunking Simplistic Philosophies 101" or something similar...
When I'm rich and famous I'm going to give money to schools and suggest that they never show that crappy fountainhead movie I was forced to watch in college. Talk about an insult to everyones intelligence.
this happens a lot, without too much fury. it just so happens that rand causes a hair-trigger reaction in some of us.
i was a big fan of these books when i was younger and i don't think it's caused me too much harm. it's good to have exposure to a range of ideas and hers have been pretty influential.
so where do i sign up to read books and take some bankers' money?
The point is that if the college is going to take the money from someone extremely successful, someone who has navigated the world to their own advantage, the college would be wise to take their advice and whatever strings are attached to the money or say no.
I really could care less about Ayn Rand's objectivist Philosophy however - with all the crap our universities pass as "Knoweledg", a little Rand could go a long way.
Interesting LB the writer of your snippet was from an outfit called "The Stranger", possibly an even more juvenile and simplistic philosophy - required 9 grade reading.
The image of the guy in the article is revealing - it's obviously Steven Colbert in disguise! Now it's all clear... An elaborate joke.
Seriously, Rand needs to be discussed, so she and her thoughts don't continue festering like some hidden sore - give her thoughts the air & publicity they need, and they will wither away on their own. No need for hatred - that only fuels interest.
why shouldn't exposure be a good thing, whoever the messenger? you guys' dismissal of rand is sort of strange, almost anti-curiousity, protect the kids, isn't it?
a good education should ultimately render one intellectually resilient . . . therefore, take the money, read the book, move on as either a champion or critic of the work. i'd consider reading the bible for as low as 10k.
16 Comments
that's wrong
Proffesors suck
this is interesting. now it is public that curriculums might be decided by major donors.
ie;
larry flynt donates money to universities where public jerking off in classrooms are allowed.
possibilities are endless...
A friend of mine works for BBandT. He tells me that employees are strongly encouraged(read:required) to read some of Rand's work.
If college is going to become essentially required rathered than an optional experiance and the only path towards some level of success in the post industrial west than colleges and universities cant monopolize what they teach - or at least should offer some sort of acedemic free market of ideals - universities since the 60's have become homogenius leftist social clubs - they need a good smack down by the donors who let them read Milton in their twead sweaters all day.
Cameron, you crack me up.
Coincidentally, Seattle's The Stranger just held an essay competition to determine who would win the much-hated poster of Ayn Rand they had in their offices. The winning entry, by Bill Savage:
The Ayn Rand portrait currently hanging in the offices of the Stranger is rightfully mine and no one else’s because I can use it to educate—that is, destroy—some of Ayn Rand’s youngest and most misguided followers.
Teaching American literature at Northwestern, about twice a year I run into some otherwise smart and sensible student who has an Ayn Rand infection, that insidious intellectual disorder that substitutes egotism for empathy and selfishness for human sympathy. Her philosophy attracts them because they are the John Galts of their own little universes, as demonstrated by their admission to NU. They are unable to see past the end of their own noses to the grim reality that if writers were countries and bullshit were crude oil, Ayn Rand would be Saudi Arabia.
When this portrait arrives at Northwestern, I will place it over a dart board in my office, behind my meeting table. Any time a student brings up Atlas Shrugged or The Fountainhead in class or a paper or casual conversation, I will invite them to my office, where they will see this portrait skewered with several darts, one throwing knife, and a novelty scimitar letter-opener.
With this symbolic rejection of Rand behind me I will rip their intellectual pretensions into tiny little shreds. I will teach them that any philosophy which cannot differentiate between Hitler or Stalin and Mother Theresa or Jane Addams is not just a system of thought in need of tweaking and elaboration, it’s objectively in need of ridicule, rejection and righteous anger.
Bravo.
PS, there's no requirement in the money that Atlas Shrugged be taught seriously, is there? Maybe it can be in a class called "Debunking Simplistic Philosophies 101" or something similar...
When I'm rich and famous I'm going to give money to schools and suggest that they never show that crappy fountainhead movie I was forced to watch in college. Talk about an insult to everyones intelligence.
this happens a lot, without too much fury. it just so happens that rand causes a hair-trigger reaction in some of us.
i was a big fan of these books when i was younger and i don't think it's caused me too much harm. it's good to have exposure to a range of ideas and hers have been pretty influential.
so where do i sign up to read books and take some bankers' money?
The point is that if the college is going to take the money from someone extremely successful, someone who has navigated the world to their own advantage, the college would be wise to take their advice and whatever strings are attached to the money or say no.
I really could care less about Ayn Rand's objectivist Philosophy however - with all the crap our universities pass as "Knoweledg", a little Rand could go a long way.
Interesting LB the writer of your snippet was from an outfit called "The Stranger", possibly an even more juvenile and simplistic philosophy - required 9 grade reading.
It's an alt-weekly, evilp. Every decent -sized city has one, and we all know what their journalistic bent is.
that woman could have done with some gentle nuzzling
The image of the guy in the article is revealing - it's obviously Steven Colbert in disguise! Now it's all clear... An elaborate joke.
Seriously, Rand needs to be discussed, so she and her thoughts don't continue festering like some hidden sore - give her thoughts the air & publicity they need, and they will wither away on their own. No need for hatred - that only fuels interest.
why shouldn't exposure be a good thing, whoever the messenger? you guys' dismissal of rand is sort of strange, almost anti-curiousity, protect the kids, isn't it?
a good education should ultimately render one intellectually resilient . . . therefore, take the money, read the book, move on as either a champion or critic of the work. i'd consider reading the bible for as low as 10k.
Rand's philosophical message summary:
"Hooray for me, and fuck you."
anyone have any academic critiques or criticism of her philosophy?
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