Posted by fachad on March 27, 2002, at 8:47:26
In reply to I am Peter Breggin's Biographer, posted by trouble on March 27, 2002, at 0:02:41
I had no idea Breggan had ever been influenced by Rand. Their styles sure do seem similar - that "I am absolutely and totally right and everyone else is hopelessly deluded" mentality.
I was a big fan of Ayn Rand in high school, but grew enough intellectually in college to see the evils of her dogmatism. I still think Nathaniel Branden is awesome.
Have you read his book "Judgment Day"? It's about his adventures with Rand, and the psychological dangers of her philosophy.
> In my dreams, of course. But to say I love the guy isn't pushing it, I'm sorry, I've been tracking his career since he was a student of Ayn Rand and that's going way back friends.
>
> Breggin wouldn't be the first guy burdened by the human condition to swerve on the path, he spoke my truth for 3 days straight when I saw him at a Chicago convention in 1980 for Libertarian candidate Ed Clark, back then he sounded alot like I imagined R.D. Laing would sound, and he's a hero. (My gramma had a lobotomy.)
>
> Peter Breggin is one of the last of the true believers, he first embraced and then fought Rand, embraced, fought Libertarianism, ditto male chauvinism, and now he's in some anti-medication spiral and I'm waiting for the veils to fall from his eyes. It's hard. He's got more money and influence than ever now, even if he does change his rap, how can he recant w/out destroying whatever remains of his credibility.
> It's just an opinion, but I do believe he is an altruist, I think he could have been a Great Man, in the philosophical sense of the term, but he seems to have become quite mad, and not budging this time round. So, I understand the vitrol he inspires on the board, but I don't like seeing him dehumanized, just really don't feel he warrants it.
>
> trouble
poster:fachad
thread:99751
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020327/msgs/100541.html