tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post3919269734770439503..comments2024-03-19T07:48:54.021-06:00Comments on Gus Van Horn: Enjoyment FridayGus Van Hornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05126749051688217781noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-56306808957636297772010-04-09T21:08:01.712-06:002010-04-09T21:08:01.712-06:00It's funny that you mention the unquestioning ...It's funny that you mention the unquestioning "respect" Aristotle got in the Middle Ages which included, if I recall correctly lots of propagation-by-authority of factual errors of his in non-philosophical disciplines (medicine in particular). My initial impression of Aristotle in college was colored by knowledge of these factual errors (which actually had no bearing on the value of his philosophical ideas), leading me to be prejudiced against him. (The very phrase 'The Philosopher' evoked derision in my mind at first.) <br /><br />In any event, the point you make about Rand's epistemology being crucial to her respect for her audience occurred to me as I made a post-publication edit. I had said that this respect remained the most valuable thing to me about her to this day. In the sense that it reflects her epistemology, that's true, but it's not the whole story, of course.Gus Van Hornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05126749051688217781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-65918585431980928862010-04-09T19:00:11.607-06:002010-04-09T19:00:11.607-06:00She had an amazing respect for the intelligence of...She had an amazing respect for the intelligence of ordinary people didn’t she?<br /><br />This is a pretty good litmus test for my respect. Those who don’t have this respect of their audience do not have my respect. <br /><br />“Ayn Rand never has done this, and would rather you reject her philosophy because you don't see it, rather than pay ignorant or second-handed lip-service to it.”<br /><br />Aristotle did as well. He would have been appalled by the way his ideas were accepted without question in the middle ages. You are right that very few intellectuals are like this. I know of a few scientist who are. <br /><br />The single thing that impressed me the most about Ayn Rand was her epistemology and to this day it is still the most impressive thing about her to me. You know what though, this is absolutely a necessary cause of her respect for her audience.Stevenoreply@blogger.com