Conservatives vs Objectivism

[AisA]

Robert Tracinski has an article at Capitalism Magazine's web site that reminds us, as he puts it, of “the dark side” of conservatives. He discusses Whittaker Chambers’s preposterously shallow review of “Atlas Shrugged”, first published in The National Review in 1957 and recently reposted at National Review Online. His conclusion is that Chambers merely skimmed the book, rather than actually read it. (Entire article is here: Capitalism Magazine)

Chambers isn’t the only conservative intellectual guilty of this. In a recent review of Michael Crichton’s novel "State of Fear", George Will had this to say:

"State of Fear," with a first printing of 1.5 million copies, resembles Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" — about 6 million copies sold since 1957 — as a political broadside woven into an entertaining story. But whereas Rand had only an idea — a good one (capitalism is splendid), but only one — Crichton has information. "State of Fear" is the world's first page-turner that people will want to read in one gulp (a long gulp — 600 pages, counting appendices) even though it has lots of real scientific graphs, and footnotes citing journals such as Progress in Physical Geography and Transactions — American Geophysical Union.

You can read the entire article here: Will Article

(Free registration may be required.)

Only a hopelessly concrete-bound mentality can actually read Atlas and declare that it presents only one idea. Miss Rand presents a complete, radically new system of thought, with tremendous truths revealed in every branch of philosophy, refuting 2,000 years of Judeo-Christian tradition, and brilliantly dramatized over 1,084 pages -- and Will dismisses it as protraying only ONE IDEA. I do not expect conservatives to agree with Objectivism, but I must admit I’m surprised by this level of ignorance.

[BurgessLau]

I do not expect conservatives to agree with Objectivism, but I must admit I’m surprised by this level of ignorance.

Thank you for a well written and informative post.

The problem with these two -- and some other -- conservatives is not ignorance. The problem is evasion. But, you are right. They are ignorant -- willfully ignorant.