Tracinski no longer affiliated with ARI?

[The Wrath]

I googled his name because I was looking for an article that I thought he wrote, and this thread from another Objectivist forum caught my eye.

http://www.objectivistliving.com/forums/in...?showtopic=2373

Reading through the thread, I'm fully aware that people on this forum will not agree with their views, and I am not claiming to agree with those views. But I did read through the linked articles about his supposed expulsion from ARI, and I was just wondering some of your views about it.

[softwareNerd]

A related thread.

[The Wrath]

Ah, thanks...I actually looked for threads with his name, but that title didn't strike me as the right one.

[KendallJ]

Cross post from SOLO (whose views I don't agree with either). TIA had Tracinski's response to this whole issue. It doesn't look to me like it was an expulsion as much a parting of the ways.

http://www.solopassion.com/node/2139

Utlimately, I think he is benevolent toward Objectivism and seem honest, but I think some of his differences stem directly from his disagreements about effects of philosophy on history. I've posted to that effect in a few other threads and am eagerly awaiting installment 6 of "What Went Right" so I can see what his bottom line is. I think he is wrong on these points.

[LaszloWalrus]

Are you sure Tracinski was EXPELLED from ARI? Perhaps the departure was amicable due to honest disagreements.

[The Wrath]

UPDATE #6, 1/17/07 -- Tracinski has finally broken his silence on his split with ARI. While he indicates that he and ARI have not really been working closely for some time now, the most relevant line in his message is this: "Why they [ARI]chose to change that description [of my affiliation] now, and why they chose to do it in those particular words, I don't know."

Quote taken from http://bidinotto.journalspace.com/?entryid=485.

This seems to suggest that it was, in fact, ARI that severed the connection. In light of Peikoff's recent remarks about the election, this is the explanation that seems to make the most sense.

[softwareNerd]

Quote taken from http://bidinotto.journalspace.com/?entryid=485.

If this Bidinotto guy is implying that he had something to do with the break, that is simply silly! It's the kind of "evidence" that most conspiracy theorists put forth.

Now, focus on facts:

Start by reading Tracinski's articles. They're clearly written in a tone other than one that suggests friendly intellectual differences with ARI-related Objectivists. That is evidence that Tracinski, clearly bright enough to know what he is doing, made a conscious decision to distance himself from ARI.

Perhaps, he hoped they would distance themselves from him but still publish his op-eds. Such an expectation would seem very far-fetched. From the evidence, it seems much more reasonable to conclude that Tracinski decided it was time to break from ARI, even if he did so by letting them sever the relationship.

If one wants to term this decision an expulsion, so be it; but, the word seems to imply that Tracinski worked at ARI or was on some ARI-committee or some such, rather than someone who wrote op-eds for them.

Edited January 18, 2007 by softwareNerd

[The Wrath]

I don't know who Bidinotto is, but the quote from Tracinski in there makes it sound as though ARI is the one that decided there should be a separation. Since he wasn't actually an employee of ARI, I suppose you're right in that "expulsion" is the wrong word, but there has clearly been some sort of separation. Everything I've seen on the subject, so far, has led me to believe that this is not just a friendly disagreement. I'd be interested in reading more of what Tracinski has to say on the subject, if he's written anything else on it.

[softwareNerd]

I don't think I made my point clearly enough. The point is that it really does not matter who said the words; what matters is who did the deeds.

If an employee starts to steal, knowing fully well that he would be discovered at some point, and the boss finally does discover this and fire him, then the boss fired him yes. However, it is the employee who decided to change the nature of the relationship.

If you look at the quote, you'll see that Tracinski does not express surprise. He clearly knows that if he expressed surprise, his readers would question whether he's being up-front, or question whether he can really read people and events with the acuity he claims. So, he does not insult his readers, but simply phrases it in a neutral way.

In summary:

• He did something that would obviously cause ARI to change the relationship
  
• They did
  

What's to discuss further?

[The Wrath]

Nothing, that clears up what you meant. I would just be interested in knowing more about what he did to cause such a rift.

[softwareNerd]

I would just be interested in knowing more about what he did to cause such a rift.

Yes, that would be worth discussing. Have you read the article that was linked to in the other thread? I've read only the first half of his first article, and I think that's enough to make a judgement about tone.

[KendallJ]

Hey guys. Check the SOLO link. It has the Tracinski quote in it's complete context. It is unclear that there is a rift.

My read is ARI has a right to make an announcement if for nothing that clarity's sake. Tracinski was already not active with ARI at the time of that announcement. I don't yet see any evidence for any sort of animostiy between parties, but I've seen all sort of speculation that this is an "expulsion" or excommunication. I just don't buy it. I think it's a lot less than what people perceive.

Let differences in ideas be debated on the merits of the ideas involved.

Edited January 18, 2007 by KendallJ

[khaight]

My read is ARI has a right to make an announcement if for nothing that clarity's sake. Tracinski was already not active with ARI at the time of that announcement. I don't yet see any evidence for any sort of animostiy between parties, but I've seen all sort of speculation that this is an "expulsion" or excommunication. I just don't buy it. I think it's a lot less than what people perceive.

I agree. Tracinski addressed this 'issue' at some length in TIA Daily the other day. Apparently he had been winding down his work for ARI for the past few years, because he wanted to focus his energy on TIA (his own magazine). There just isn't an issue here, as far as I can tell, apart from people with axes to grind trying to jam this into the standard "ARI expels dissenters" narrative whether it fits or not.