New substack post for students of objectivism

[Grandpa Hays]

I am Robert Hays, and write under the name of grandpahays. I have created a substack (grandpahays.substack.com). I considered myself a student of objectivism in high school and the first years of college. Ayn Rand was stil working then, and I also attended several lecture series offered by the Nathaniel Brandon Institute. I have written a 9 part posting (and posted the first three parts) to my substack. This series is entitled "Reflictions of an Elderly Former Student of Objectivism. In it, I point out some improvements I think are warranted to Objectivism as articulated by Ayn Rand (and as I remember them). I think any current student of objectivism will find them interesting, and (I hope) useful. Note that I have nothing to gain financially from this (subscribing to my substack is free and I intend that income from my books will go to support the project, including posthumusly).

[Boydstun]

Go Gramps! Thanks for sharing your interesting life course at your site. Do you live near Sedona?

The old identification "Students of Objectivism" faded away many years ago. Whether one studied Objectivism decades ago or just started this year, the replacement identification of one's self is Objectivist or Not, and if the latter, what are your differences from and coincidence with Rand's philosophy. One is said to be an Objectivist, said both by David Kelley and by Leonard Peikoff, if one concurs with the elements of the philosophy that are essential to it. Which elements are among the essential ones is left to the judgment of the self-identifier. 

I hope to read your installments, and sometimes comment a bit on them here. I have some information on Rand's formal education is science, which you mentioned, and I'll try to list it here when I get a minute to look it up.

Edited January 25 by Boydstun

[Grandpa Hays]

Thanks for your comments. As you will know from my other writings, although I know what scholastic work is, I'm not doing that. I rely on specialists like you to identify mistakes I've made and provide updates and improvements on my ideas. 

I'm not the least bit surprised that Rand wrote that evolution was the best explanation out there, but she wasn't all that knowledgeable about it. No one can be expert on everything, and she was working in an area where her abilities were needed. I'm sure she ran out of life before she ran out of things to write, without trying to also master another field. I expect to also run out of life first, although I might live for years after I can no longer write.

Sedona? No, I live on the other side of the mountain. In the county north of Prescott.

I hope you do get to read my other essays--and find time to comment on the substance of my ideas.

I think my audience is young people who have not yet formed solid views, not folks who did that decades ago. It will be a rare middle-aged person who's open to radical new ideas. Perhaps you're that rare person, or perhaps the site has several like that. But I'm hoping the site will attract young ones too. I know Rand's books still sell, so presumably, there are young folks reading her for the first time. But I don't see evidence of that like abundant Objectivism clubs in high schools. I also wanted to write for that audience, since I think in trying to follow Rand's ideas, some of my peers went astray. Hence I wrote the "reflections" series.

Do you advise me to post links or even the whole essays on this site? I know Google doesn't index most substack posts, so they're not found by most people who only do Google searches.

[Boydstun]

Definitely do try links here to your material. Better yet, post whole essays here. There are some good thinkers and responders here. And there are ten to a hundred times more viewers here than the number we see posting here.

Another path to a larger audience, if you join Facebook, is to search there for a group called "Ayn Rand" and try to join it. It has a very large readership and participation. If you are admitted into the group, read the posts a good while, then join in the comments on posts. You might then consider posting an essay. It might not be approved for dissemination. You might then try another essay. I found some good responders there and some good threads to join in making comments. I also found some there who were hostile to anything said deviating from Rand, and not willing to think further about anything (the one guy I encountered like that was an old fellow). I eventually left the group because the gatekeepers were not liberal enough in what new threads they would allow. With Facebook you are always able to edit or delete anything you post. So, notwithstanding the wide appreciation of the audience there on threads I was permitted to start there, eventually I decided the owners did not deserve my participation, I deleted all my threads and left the group. But try it out. You might find a right fit, and worthwhile for a long while.

Edited March 5 by Boydstun