Navigating Schisms in the Objectivist Movement

In this episode of New Ideal Live, Harry Binswanger, Onkar Ghate and Elan Journo discuss why schisms occur within intellectual movements, and the principles that guide the Ayn Rand Institute in navigating schisms within the Objectivist movement.

Among the topics covered:

Background on ARI’s new essay on schisms in the Objectivist movement;
Ayn Rand’s view of the necessity of moral judgment;
The role of proportionality in moral judgment;
Why ARI is publicly stating the principles it uses to navigate conflicts;
Why disagreement is a normal feature of all intellectual movements;
Why disagreement is to be expected even in the Objectivist movement;
Schisms in other positive intellectual movements;
Why ignoring disagreement is not justified in a “war of ideas”;
Why schisms clarify issues fundamental to intellectual movements;
The philosophic disagreement at the root of the dispute with David Kelley;
Why ARI vets the moral and intellectual integrity of those who speak on its behalf;
The importance of withdrawing one’s moral sanction from evil;
Why objectivity requires distinguishing between public and private information;
Why arbitrary claims cannot be evaluated and must be dismissed;
How to evaluate public allegations made about private events;
Whether outsiders must take a side on a private dispute made public;
Why the “court of public opinion” has no mechanism for evaluating the objectivity of testimony.

Mentioned in the discussion are the essays “Of Schisms, Public and Private” by Ghate and Binswanger, and “Fact and Value” by Leonard Peikoff.

The podcast was recorded on March 9, 2022. Note: this podcast has been edited from its original livestream. Listen to the discussion below. Listen and subscribe from your mobile device on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Stitcher. Watch archived podcasts here.