[ExI] Strong libertarianism, societal good, & suffering (was: Cephalization, proles)

[Amon Zero]

On 15 May 2011 19:17, Damien Broderick <thespike at satx.rr.com> wrote:

>
> I have the feeling that Rafal's position is not a million miles from the
> True Knowledge of the (paradoxically) libertarian communist future portrayed
> in Ken MacLeod's novel THE CASSINI DIVISION:



Cheers for that Damien! I have to admire that worldview for its boldness
(!), even if it is essentially just like admiring Darth Vader for being a
hardcore bad guy!  ;-)


This reminds me of something else I was wondering. It's a bit of a tangent,
but maybe someone would care to enlighten me:

I have a passing familiarity with Ayn Rand, got halfway through The
Fountainhead, know the general stance if not all the details of Objectivism.
If I understand correctly, Rand is all about the triumph of hard-headed
individualism over collectives. Idolising the free individual - presumably
with emphasis on the uncompromising, talented ones.

The thing that has always struck me as a little odd is that for a
triumphalist worldview, somehow it doesn't quite seem to go far enough. I
mean, why advocate anything for such powerful self-driven individuals at
all... if they can be crushed by some mindless bureaucratic horde then
wouldn't Rand disavow them as weak-and-not-real-heroic-individuals anyway?

Maybe Rand doesn't advocate supporting such heroic characters, which would
seem paradoxical to me, but then I wonder... why write the books and push
the worldview at all? If these powerful culture-shaping individuals truly
exist, then surely they don't need Ayn Rand as their cheerleader?

Anyway, as I am say I'm sure this is something the Objectivists or Rand
herself addressed years ago. I'm just curious if there's a stock answer or
interesting insight anyone may care to offer...

- A
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