Sharp as a Marble - Do you defend minorities?

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Do you defend minorities?

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I'm not a big Ayn Rand fan, but this quote is worth tattooing on my forehead

The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities. - Ayn Rand

posted @ 1/22/2007 3:05:06 PM

Comments

triticale says:

on 1/22/2007 8:04:13 PM

I once seriously annoyed a Randite by responding to this quote by suggesting that my wee wifey was a smaller minority than he was.

There is, BTW, a blog which takes its name from this statement.

Robb Allen says:

on 1/22/2007 8:47:33 PM

Damn, what a small world. That site is what reminded me of that statement!

And Randites are a lot of fun to annoy. It's easy and intellectually stimulating at the same time!

Kevin Baker says:

on 1/23/2007 11:31:18 AM

Good thing I'm not a Randite, though she wrote a lot of things as profound as that quote.

Robb Allen says:

on 1/23/2007 1:05:01 PM

Don't get me wrong, Kevin, much of what she wrote is amazing in its clarity and profoundness, it's just that her whole 'objectiveness' philosophy is kooky.

While Atlas Shrugged was one of the most boring books I've ever read (her descriptions of sex are as arousing as watching a robot stamp out doors for a Honda Accord), some of the passages in there should be required reading for all kids in school.

The part where D'Aconia (sp?) talks to a group of people about what money actually represents is absolutely brilliant. The simplicity of illustration between work and worth is something I'm going to pound into my kids' heads.

Great blog, btw. I'm thinking of working on changing my format here to be more firearm related, but I'm putting together a blogroll of 2A blogs right now. You're definitely included on that one.

Kevin Baker says:

on 1/26/2007 8:42:56 AM

One of my favorite quotes about Rand comes from an ex-blogger:

Perhaps the biggest mistake an intellectual can make is to try to parlay his one brilliant insight into a unified theory of existence. Ayn Rand made this mistake with Objectivism. Objectivism was useful for thinking in certain limited realms, but Rand sought to apply Objectivist thinking to every aspect of the human experience, including love. The result is a sterile philosophical landscape, extending out of sight in all directions. Tellingly, Rand was unable to live according to her ideals. This is part of what makes Rand so disagreeable; the almost hysterical denial of subjectivity's inevitable, essential role in our lives. And it makes her not only disagreeable, but wrong.

I'm absolutely with you on Atlas Shrugged. It's a good philosophical treatise. It's a lousy novel.

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