The Passion of Ayn Rand's Critics

In 2005, a book came out that re-ignited a terrible division in a community to which I belong. That book is The Passion of Ayn Rand's Critics (PARC) by James Valliant. The community is made up of those who follow Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism. The two main camps are the Ayn Rand Institute (ARI) and The Objectivist Center (TOC). I am a strong supporter of TOC. I have no issue with ARI. The division between the two groups causes me great pain and frustration. We are a tiny, marginalized group as it is. The in-fighting only serves the purposes of our enemies. The differences between ARI and TOC are well known within the community. If you don't know what they are a few Internet searches will provide hours of reading.

I began to read PARC with an open mind. From the first pages, however, I found it appalling; so much so that I began marking pages and writing in the margins. The notes were only to be for me but I soon began to read how many in the community admired and liked the book. I can't understand how anyone can like this book. So, I've decided to publish my thoughts online. There is a plague in the Objectivist community. I hope one day we find a cure. In the meantime, here is my attempt at an antiseptic.

Caveats/Disclaimers/Miscellaneous:
• I refuse to write anything that is nasty, mean or an ad hominem. I will maintain this in my DB here and anywhere I post. A commitment to this is the first step to curing this in-fighting.
• I am not affiliated with nor do I have any relationship with Nathaniel Branden or Barbara Branden. I've met Nathaniel a few times at TOC events and he's never been nice to me. I met Barbara once at a talk she gave and she seemed very nice.
• I will not respond to criticism (public or private) of the DB.
• The DB is currently limited to my opinions only. In the future I'll consider opening it up to others.
• I have not read Passion of Ayn Rand or Judgment Day in many, many years. My comments are based solely on what I found in PARC.
• I am not a student of philosophy nor an expert on Objectivism. I use Objectivism to live my life.
• I give financial support to The Objectivist Center and attend many of their conferences.
• I have no animus towards the Ayn Rand Institute or its supporters.
• As of the posting of this DB, I hereby refuse to visit the websites that are the main carriers and conveyors of the "plague".


-- Jordan Zimmerman