[Weird Email About ARI]

Thanks for your comments, Bowzer. I just wanted to know whether Thomas is misrepresenting ARI. Looks like he is. Looks like someone else has picked up on this story, too:

http://angermanagement.mu.nu/archives/040214.html

[Weird Email About ARI]

I got an email from some dude saying strange things about ARI. Who takes classes from the OAC out there? Is any of this true? Does ARI teach students to "parrot" Ayn Rand or refuse to let kids ask questions?

-----Original Message-----

From: William Thomas

[mailto:[email protected]]

Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2004 4:03 PM

Subject: Objectivism from the Source course

<snip>

The Ayn Rand Institute already offers phone-in courses, so why should

you consider a course from The Objectivist Center? You may have even

heard insults directed against the Center's founder, David Kelley, or

you may have heard the Center derided as "subjectivists" or fake

Objectivists.

But no authority can trump your need for objectivity. While ARI

virtually deifies Ayn Rand and teaches students to parrot her writings

and ideas, TOC is committed to an engaged, respectful, and independent

study of her rich system of thought. Instead of being suppressed,

criticisms and questions are accepted and openly discussed. This does

not mean we are not Objectivists--on the contrary, we recognize that any

philosophic system as robust and true as Ayn Rand's must confront and

answer objections with sound philosophical inquiry. Individualism and

reason require the open vistas of clear debate and wide-ranging

discussion. This is the principle on which TOC was founded, and on which

my course will operate. For more on the advantages of studying

Objectivism with TOC, see "Why Choose TOC?" on our website:

www.objectivistcenter.org/obj-studies/wthomas_toc-ari.asp

<snip>