Dormin111 Posted July 16, 2014 Report Share Posted July 16, 2014 http://bleedingheartlibertarians.com/2014/07/craig-biddles-chart-on-essential-moral-theories-objectivist-strawmen/ Is there any validity to the author's claim that Rand strawmanned other philosophies? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrictlyLogical Posted July 16, 2014 Report Share Posted July 16, 2014 I would say: 1. Rand was probably only familiar with a certain number of prominent thinkers. 2. Derivative philosophies generally tend to follow or fall under the same category as the prominent philosophy upon which they are based. 3. The author and the person the author cite don't seem to have much of substance to say... Which would mean the onus is on someone else to determine the validity and more importantly the relevance of the claim. I suspect responding to this Libertarian would end up a complete waste of time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eiuol Posted July 16, 2014 Report Share Posted July 16, 2014 I don't think Rand was unfair towards ethical philosophy in general, and Kant receives criticism especially as a result of Rand's attacking deontological ethics. Consequentialism is criticized, usually in terms of its lack of using principles to act or Rand's arguments against Pragmatism. Virtue ethics is mixed, as Objectivism has features like it. Rand attacked subjectivism as a moral philosophy, but I don't think any philosopher takes it seriously anyway. The only thing Rand didn't address is relativism, which isn't the same as subjectivism. Relativism is morality of convention, but any relativist wouldn't say the conventions are arbitrary, so that one got away. Plus, I believe relativism is more modern, so it's not like Rand even could criticize it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrictlyLogical Posted July 16, 2014 Report Share Posted July 16, 2014 I think Ayn Rand's philosophy as she expressed it already addresses relativism in the sense that relativism may be analysed in terms of more basic tenets which Rand already addressed. i.e. its ingredients and/or pedigree was already fully repudiated by Ayn's discoveries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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