Sunday, October 01, 2006

Ayn Rand and Evolution

I while ago, Diana Hsieh and Don Watkins attacked my article on Ayn Rand and evolution. Apparently the possibility that there is the least bit "tension" in Rand's thought is too much for certain people to take. Professor Robert Campbell came to my (partial) defense.

In any event, here is an article by skeptic Michael Shermer on evolution and why conservatives should support it. He lists six reasons, at least three of which (3, 4 & 5) lend support to my claim that certain well-known implications of evolution likely raised concern for Rand about the compatability of Objectivism and evolution.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

You may well be right that Rand was worried about evolution's implying 3, 4, or 5. But I don't think she need have been worried; even if our capacity for certain sorts of behaviour is to be explained by natural selection, it doesn't follow that our actually engaging (or not) in such behaviour must be so explained.