In QUORA: Why is
it so difficult for many people to understand that selfishness is the middle
between altruism and selfism when reading Ayn Rand?, Elesa Zehndorfer answered:
Because Ayn Rand was horribly self interested [sic], despised poor
people, reified business, wrote horribly and became the ultimate hypocrite in
her twilight years when she accepted state financial aid. Her theory was very
weak, philosophically poor but extremely pretentious and simply did not hold up
to scrutiny whatsoever.
Zehndorfer doesn’t provide any example of
“scrutiny” that Rand’s “poor” philosophy doesn’t “hold up” under. But I felt
like answering, anyway.
“Ayn Rand was . . . the
ultimate hypocrite in her twilight years when she accepted state financial
aid.”
As a Social Security
recipient who is a conscientious objector to the program, I find this highly
offensive.
As far as I can tell, the
“state financial aid” Rand accepted was Medicare, a coercive government program
that she, like everyone else, was and is forced to pay into, under threat of
being dragged off in handcuffs and thrown into a prison cell for tax evasion.
So accepting promised benefits of a coercive government program one is forced
to pay for, even if morally opposed to the program, is not hypocrisy. It is
justice. There is no moral conflict there. If you paid for it, you’re entitled
to it, no ideological test required.
The opposite view focuses
only on the benefits, while dishonestly ignoring the taxes. Since we are forced
into Medicare and Social Security, we are entitled to the promised benefits for
the same reason we are entitled to get out wallets back from a street thug who
robbed us at gunpoint. When it comes to forced redistribution of wealth, there
is no essential difference between turning over your wallet to the thug to
avoid being shot or turning over your money to the tax collector to avoid being
jailed.
The hypocrite accusation is a
sleazy smear of anyone who advocates for a free society and rolling back the
welfare state. I oppose tax-funded libraries and tax-funded state unemployment
“insurance”. Am I a hypocrite for using the local public library, which my
taxes pay for it? Am I a hypocrite for collecting state unemployment benefits
if laid off, which my taxes pay for? The list can go on and on. It’s cruel to
say it’s moral to force me to pay for the welfare state, but not moral to
collect the promised benefits because I have dissenting views. The hypocrite
accusation is a sneaky little gimmick to discredit and silence opponents of
welfare statism.
Hi Michael, Have you read Ayn Rands [sic] books? I have - all of
them. I find her writing offensive and poorly thrown together. In the context
of knowing her writing very well, my comments are ones I stand by completely.
And yes, she was a hypocrite, if you know her life and philosophising well.
Elisa: Rand may have been hypocritical
in some areas—I don’t know. I did not personally know her. But taking Medicare
was not one of them, in my view. Yes, I have read all of Rand’s work—often more
than once. But I do not conflate her personal life and opinions with her
philosophy, which she called Objectivism. A philosopher's life is certainly
open to examination. But I also believe a philosophy should be judged on its
own merits, not the philosopher's personal behavior. (Personally, whatever her
faults, I think she epitomizes the American Dream—a poor immigrant making
something of her life.)
I have also read many
Objectivist critiques. I believe I have a good grasp of Objectivism and many of
the arguments against, and I find Objectivism to be a great guide to live by.
So, we disagree. People should not draw final conclusions based on what you or
I say, though, but should read her for themselves. Her writing is plenty clear.
Sincerely, Mike. [PS; I’m puzzled by your charge that Rand “despised poor
people.” I know of nothing about Objectivism or of her fiction and nonfiction
writings that supports that view.]
Related Reading:
My answer to QUORA: ‘Why is it so difficult for many people to
understand that selfishness is the middle between altruism and selfism when
reading Ayn Rand?’
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