Letters From An Enthusiast

Leonard Peikoff and The Greeks

    On a ship in 1997, Dr. Leonard Peikoff delivered a very personal speech in front of a group of Objectivist entitled, "Why Ancient Greece Is My Favorite Civilization". What sets this lecture apart from others given by Objectivist (such as Gary Hull's "The Brilliance of Ancient Greece") is how personal the lecture is.  At one point, Peikoff states (note: I transcribed this from the video.  Any error should be directed towards myself):

". this ship's journey is the closest I can ever get now to the spirit that I saw for three decades in the person of Ayn Rand.  And I wanted to experience that feeling one more time as fuel: the feeling I had known with her, and is possible outside of her and the world she created, only in contact with Ancient Greece."

    During the question and answer period, Gary Hull (the same man who gave the lecture, "The Brilliance of Ancient Greece" after the trip) asked Dr. Peikoff if he would prefer living in Ancient Greece instead of modern times.  He used plumbing as an example of the modern amenities our society has.  Dr. Peikoff said in response (once again, transcribed):

"Oh absolutely, are you kidding?
[...]
I'm not putting down technology.  But I'm saying that if I had a choice of living in a culture that is utterly barren and void but technologically still the way it is today, or completely backward, non-technological culture such as Ancient Greece -- I would, without hesitation, go back to Ancient Greece. Now I'm sure I would miss the plumbing there, and that it would be a big problem on this ship [laughter from the audience], [...] but that still does not mean that my choice of life would be made on that grounds.

I would much rather the intellectual life of that kind of society and the potentialities of the future, rather than live in a society which... Remember, you're free to take a different opinion; this is, in my opinion, an optional issue. I'm not here trying to prove that anybody who is happy in the world today has something wrong with them. [laughter from the audience] It's an optional issue.

Look, I've been fighting the trend in the world for 45 years, and it's gotten worse for 45 years. I've become very bitter in my old age, and I've found a lot of solace in the fact that people used to be a lot better than they were, in reading literature from the past and considering past civilizations.  That's one of the things that keeps me... sane."

    Not only is this lecture highly enlightening, it is a unique glimpse at the personal values of Dr. Peikoff.  And at $19.95, it's a steal.

---Jason Roberts

Life's Lessons Vol. 4: The Eagle and the Arrow

    Here related is the story of the Eagle and the Arrow:

An Eagle was soaring through the air when suddenly it heard the whizz of an Arrow, and felt itself wounded to death. Slowly it fluttered down to the earth, with its life-blood pouring out of it. Looking down upon the Arrow with which it had been pierced, it found that the shaft of the Arrow had been feathered with one of its own plumes. "Alas!" it cried, as it died,

"We often give our enemies the means for our own destruction."

    As reader Bryan pointed out, this fable is a perfect illustration of how the West has been acting recently, in terms of foreign policy.  From 1980 to 1988, the United States sent money and materials (including weapons) to Iraq, aiding them in their war with Iran. Also in the 1980's, the United States sent a couple of billion dollars in aid to Afghanistan in order to fund their operations against Soviet Russia.  This is the same Soviet Russia that the United States kept alive during both World Wars, sending food, money, and weapons over.  All three turned out to be enemies of the US, and two of the three have fought a war against the US.

    The moral, then, is obvious.  An enemy of your enemy is not your friend.  A friend is only one who agrees with you on a moral level.  It was not wrong in World War 2 for the United States to send aid over to Great Britain.  It was wrong to send aid to the Soviet Union.  It is not wrong today for the US to send aid over to Israel.  It is wrong to send aid to nations such as Saudi Arabia.

    What we need is a return to a Foreign Policy of Self-Interest.  Actions should be made on principle, and that principle is clear: love thy ally almost as thyself, and kick the hell out of thy enemy.

---Jason Roberts

"Axiomatic"

Don Watkins at Anger Management has begun a new project.  I suggest you check it out:

I am pleased to announce that I’m currently developing an online magazine, Axiomatic.

Since The Intellectual Activist became almost exclusively a current events publication, there has been no place for Objectivists to publish or read articles that analyze Objectivism, apply Objectivist principles to other fields of study, or help readers integrate Objectivism into daily lives. I’ve decide to create such a forum.

Axiomatic is a publication for Objectivists who wish to write seriously about Objectivist topics that are inappropriate for mainstream publications, and who do not wish to write for anti-Objectivist publications. (We will also welcome authors who wish to publish anonymously in order to protect their identity – especially individuals pursuing careers in academia, a world often hostile to Objectivists.)

As this project moves forward, I will keep you all informed of its progress. For people who are interested in receiving regular updates by email, please send me an email with the subject line, “Axiomatic: Reader.”

To those interested in writing for us: Axiomatic is not affiliated with any other organization or publication, but it is committed to Objectivism and therefore will not publish works by enemies of Objectivism or of Ayn Rand – this includes but is not limited to libertarians, anarchists, "tolerationists," people Ayn Rand condemned or who've condemned Ayn Rand, and anyone who sanctions members of the aforementioned groups.

Additionally, Axiomatic will only publish works that demonstrate a thorough, sophisticated understanding of Objectivism. Anyone may subscribe to and read Axiomatic, but in order to adhere to the highest standards of quality, we ask that those best described as “students of Objectivism” not submit anything for publication.

That said, if you are interested in writing for us, send me an email with the subject line “Axiomatic: Writer,” and I will send you a copy of our submission guidelines.

I am also looking for one or two advanced Objectivists who would be interested in a role either as a senior editor or as consulting editor (this latter position would involve intellectual consultation rather than copy editing), so if that interests you, let me know as well.

This is a for-profit venture, so all participants will be paid for their efforts.

One final note: no one is authorized to speak for Ayn Rand or Objectivism – certainly not I. Every author will speak only for himself, and although it is our policy not to publish anything that isn’t congruent with Objectivist principles, each reader will have to judge for himself whether we’ve succeeded at that task.

Thank you all!

Don Watkins

egoist(at)gmail.com

---Jason Roberts

Heroism in Farming

    Anyone who has read "Atlas Shrugged" understands the virtue of the Industrialist.  But what about farmers?  While the true, agrarian lifestyle may seem foreign to us in the modern, industrial world, agrarianism was an ideal from ancient Greece and Rome up to the Founding Fathers.  It was not considered arbitrary when the Founding Fathers envisioned a Republic of Farmers.  Quite the contrary, they believed that the greatest way to ensure a virtuous population was to maintain the spirit of a farmer.

    But we don't know what that is today; those of us who actually do live near "farmers" witness hundreds of acres run by machines and government subsidies.  Very few farmers farm the way they did hundreds of years ago.  Luckily, Victor Davis Hanson was one of those farmers.  When he left farming to become a professor of Classics, he left behind an ideal that is all but dead now.  Realizing this, he wrote, Fields Without Dreams: Defending the Agrarian Idea. I am about 1/4 of the way finished right now, and already am very much impressed with this book.  Instead of an abstract book, it is a memoir about his days at the farm and how it taught him many lessons.  By reading this, you begin to see "firsthand" why farming is a virtuous endeavor.  When I finish, I'll post a review as well as a more in-depth look at Farming in general.  For now, I'll end with this from the book:

"Farming is heroic, a midnight dash to get water on blooming fruit trees when the spring nights plunge below freezing.  Farming as a natural enterprise is tough, the need to disk and harrow with the flu, prune with the sprained ankle,pick overripe fruit with the stones in the kidney.  Farming involves deed, not mere word, reality over theory, substance over brag and big talk, for ugly trees can produce beautiful fruit, rain comes when it should not, and kindly neighbors will press you until stopped."

---Jason Roberts

What's Been Said About History

Thanks to reader Janet Busch, in the process of looking for the precise wording of a quote, I stumbled upon a treasure trove of history quotes.

David Ben Gurion, first Prime Minister of Israel, stated: "Anyone who believes you can't change history has never tried to write his memoirs."

Edward Gibbon, author of "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire", and considered by many to be the greatest historian of all time, said: "I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know no way of judging of the future but by the past."

Etienne Gilson, a French Historian and Philosopher, said of history: "History is the only laboratory we have in which to test the consequences of thought."

American Philosopher George Santayana said: "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

American humorist and writer Mark Twain said: "To arrive at a just estimate of a renowned man's character one must judge it by the standards of his time, not ours."

This quote is attributed to Thucydides, though I believe the website to be false (I'm pretty sure that Dionysius of Halicarnassus said this): "History is philosophy teaching by examples."

While I may not agree with the personal philosophies of many of the people who said these things, I can agree with the essence of what they said.  I cannot emphasize enough the importance of learning history, of understanding history, and of living by the principles taught via history.  Janet Busch, however, can:

"...it struck me how important it is to have intellectuals who are able to bring past experiences in human ways of life to light, especially at critical times (like now). I have certainly felt the lack of it these days. It is easy to see how Americans, generally speaking, have become unarmed against enemy propaganda; we have stopped teaching history and replaced it with "culture studies." Learning about the particulars of tribal dancing or food preparation doesn't tell you anything about the ideas that rule the culture, nor does it teach you how to make a judgment about it. It is a stark lesson (and a really good reason to have this site!)"

Amen.

---Jason Roberts

Update

    After being busy/gone for a week and posting, I was once again busy for another week!  I agreed to work a double-shift for over a week, so I have in essence been at work from 5 am-11pm every day with a few breaks in between.  Needless to say I was really tired!

    I still have 2 articles planned out and intend to write them (I spoke of them in my last update).  I also plan on writing a new Life's Lesson, suggested by a reader, and a Virtue in Action about Leonidas, the Spartan King at the battle of Thermopylae.

    I also am reading a very good book called, Fields Without Dreams.  It is a book that discusses Agrarianism as an ideal; I'll be providing commentary, and finally a review, as I finish it up.

--Jason Roberts

Apple

    I know that I have a certain "area", or "angle".  However, I've come across such a value that I can't help but share it!  As quoted, by me, on The Forum:

"I just recently bought an Apple laptop for School. I have been a PC user all my life, and since a very early age was taught that Apple was the "other computer" that we didn't buy. However, I have a few friends who have Apples and was also offered a great deal if I bought it. So I did.

What struck me at first (and has for awhile) is the esthetic beauty of Apple. Their love of simplicity and whiteness makes their computers very elegant. It turns out that this idea is the Theme of Apple: Simplicity, Integration, Harmony, and thus...Power. PC's have always seemed cluttered to me. They were like buying a car engine and frame, and then everything else is seperate and must be added. The result? A weird looking, multi-colored, odd-shaped car. But when using my apple, I feel like every single thing was done for a purpose. Every program relies upon and builds upon the other. Thus every program is nicely connected, purposeful, and destinguishably Apple. There is a nice ease-of-mind when using an Apple, one that makes me want to shout, "But of course!"

I am also impressed by Apple's ingenuity. There are many features in both their laptop and Operating System that blow my mind (and I'm still discovering many of them!). Some examples:

-Hot Corners: move your mouse to a corner of the screen, and an action will happen (such as automatically start your Screen Saver)

-Stickies: for all those tiny notes you take (such as a telephone number), stickies are basically virtual post-it notesin multiple colors. Much better than using MSword/Notepad

-Expose: allows you to focus on one application, or multiple.  Great program when you have multiple windows/programs open.

-iChat: AOL Instant Messenger with upgrades. It includes an automatic LAN feature that allows you to see/communicate with anybody in your network. CNN has just started using it to conduct interviews via its powerful audio/video chat software.

-Spellcheck: Many programs have spellcheck built in. iChat, for example, spellchecks everything you type. Why hasn't somebody thought of this before?

All in all, I'm converted. It reminds me of what Howard Roark stated about Architecture; and believe me, I feel like I'm using a computer that has integrity."

User and friend Carlos E. Jordan also had this to add:

My favorite application has to be Sherlock, with one application I can:
use an online Yellow Pages to find virtually any business, nearly anywhere;

use a program to search literally over a hundred airlines, checking their arrival times, departure times, status, etc;

use a pictures application to search for pictures on the internet;

use Stocks to keep track of companies on the stock market;

use Movies which allows me to search for theaters by zip-code, see what movies they are showing, what time, and watch previews;

use a dictionary;

use a language translator;

and use the program AppleCare.

When I was going to a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament in Dallas Texas, I was looking for a Hotel as close to the location of the event as possible.

Using Yellow Pages on Sherlock, for some reason I could find the school the event was happening at on a map, get directions to it, then use Yellow Pages to find the nearest Hotel along with its phone-number

Apple

I still have my desktop PC, but from now on it looks like I'll be typing on my Apple!

---Jason Roberts

Alexander the Movie

    I saw the movie Alexander when it came out in theaters.  The entire movie was a let-down.  In response to this flop, Director Oliver Stone "remade" the movie and released it on DVD.  I decided to give it a try, and found that it is still bloated with three main problems (Think of one as a fat, and the other as 'fat-free' fat.  You can say it is something different, but unless you change the nature of the entity, it will remain the same).

I encountered three main problems:

1.) Homosexuality: Homosexuality in and of itself does not bother me.  Nor does two men kissing (like they did in the movie), speaking to each other romantically, etc.  My problem with Alexander is that Oliver Stone took a theory (that Alexander may have been bisexual), and blew it up to such a giant sexual conflict within his character.  Instead of homosexuality being a part of Alexander's character, it became almost his defining characteristic.  I felt smothered by Stone; it was too much to handle.  Had they cut back on the homosexuality image and made it a part of his character as opposed to "him", the new Director's Cut would have been decent.  But they didn't, and thus it isn't decent.

2.) His Mother: In order to heighten the conflict, Stone portrayed Alexander's mother Olympias as this psychotic witch who used her words to poison the mind of Alexander.  Instead, it poisoned the movie.  While Angelina Jolie's acting was actually very good, the character she played was overbearing in her violence, outrage, darkness, and manipulation.  Instead of a strong and manly Alexander, we get a weak and torn, slavish Alexander chained to the whim of his mother.

3.) Lack of Battles and Military Conflict- This is a movie about Alexander, the greatest conqueror in history.  You would expect that a movie about him would show why he is so famous.  Besides one good battle scene and a psychedelic battle scene in India, the movie lacks battles and warfare.  The reason? It spent too long talking about his homo/bisexuality and his overbearing mother.  What battle scenes I saw, I liked.  I was expecting more of a "Troy" than a psychological film about a deranged homosexual.

Though these faults are enough to ruin the film, it does actually have value.  What I enjoyed most about this movie was the constant reference to "Greekness".  In fact, I would call this movie more Greek than any Greco-Roman historical film I've seen.  Stone seems to have gone to great lengths to add many features of Greek life, such as birds before battle (good omen) to Aristotle's lectures on moderation and temperance.  These elements are very ingrained into the movie however, and only somebody familiar with the Greek world will be able to pick up these treats (it doesn't say that eagles are good omens, it just expects you to know).

Overall, I'd say, "Don't watch it."  It's a waste of your time unless you have a serious interest in the Greek world.  Then again, I should have expected as much from Oliver Stone.  Let's hope that his next movie (about 9/11) is decent enough to not be an insult and mockery.

-Jason Roberts