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Title: Ominous Parallels by Leonard Peikoff, Ayn Rand ISBN: 0-452-01117-5 Publisher: Plume Pub. Date: August, 1995 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4 (37 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Finally ¿ The Cause and Answer to Fascism
Comment: As a Jew, I have watched, read, and visited countless accounts of the Holocaust - but not one of them correctly identified the ideas that brought it about or the ideas that will prevent it from happening again. In some cases, I was first shocked by the accounts of survivors and then horrified when they offered as a solution the same ideas that created the Nazis.
"The Ominous Parallels" finally exposes the cause and answer to Fascism. Dr. Peikoff presents a compelling and cogent thesis on the evil of collectivism in terms of the fundamental ideas that shape our history by masterfully analyzing the intellectual and cultural climate that led to the Holocaust and its parallels to today's America. Along the way, he outlines the development of Western philosophy - from the glorious creation of the United States to the rise of skepticism, pragmatism, collectivism, and the Weimar culture. Broad philosophical, political, and cultural trends are analyzed and dissected according to their basic premises, as you will never hear in a history class.
Both those well read in and new to the philosophy of Objectivism will find this book accessible and the arguments reasoned out and supported by numerous examples. This is not light reading, however- I spent as much time pausing to digest and integrate the ideas in this book as I did reading it. Those unfamiliar with Objectivism may have some difficulty connecting the author's asides on abortion, physics, and religion to the central theme, but it does not detract from the overall message.
As Dr Peikoff states, it is impossible to predict the future or know whether the Holocaust will repeat itself - but it is certain that only by understanding and adopting a proper philosophy can America survive as a free country. If this book succeeds in teaching the world about the importance of ideas, then six million shall not have died in vain.
Rating: 3
Summary: An Objectivist View of History
Comment: Leonard Peikoff (the "intellectual heir" of Ayn Rand) came out with this work in 1981 or so in which he declared that there were "ominous parallels" between Germany's descent into irrationalism in the 1930s and the US in the twentieth century.
Unlike some other Objectivist works, THE OMINOUS PARALLELS attempts to present something of a sustained argument for its theses. He analyzes the culture of Germany before the Nazis and the US since its founding. This book isn't bad, but like many such works, it is given to simplification and exaggeration. There are also a few mistakes. As one of Peikoff's sources on Hitler, he sites the work of Hermann Rauschning, THE VOICE OF DESTRUCTION. Raushchning was a former National Socialist Senate President of Danzig. This work purports to be a collection of statements by Hitler, at his nihilistic best. However, its authenticity is widely disputed. He also quotes Luther concerning reason, apparently unaware of the Reformation controversies that resulted in such statements as "that whore reason." Also, his statement that Lutheranism was one of the "larger denominations" in Germany is a bit odd, considering that it was the largest Protestant denomination and second only to Catholicism in numbers. Certainly his "interpretation" of Kant (an Enlightenment liberal, of sorts) would be rejected by many Kant scholars.
I must take exception to Dr. Peikoff's attempt to blame the holocaust on Christianity. Perhaps Dr. Peikoff is unaware of the holocaust perpetuated by the atheistic Soviets against the Ukrainians. That's a parallel that Dr. Peikoff should have investigated. As Voegelin said, the death of God leads to the death of man.
Rating: 3
Summary: Interesting, useful, but I think it misses the mark
Comment: This book is a very good read. It does an excellent job of tracing the roots of German culture and American culture, showing how America is in many ways heading down a similar path. The only thing that leaves me unimpressed are the conclusions Peikoff comes to.
A look around at contemporary American culture will find plenty of irrationalism, no doubt about it. But whether this will lead to NATIONALISM as in National Socialism is another story.
If we look at the youth today, the direction that they are moving in and the political interests they are concerned about, we see many distressing things. An overt nationalism or pride in things American is certainly not what we see. We may see violence, extremism, irrational views, and commitments to some zany causes (anarchists, anti-free trade, etc.) but none of it is on a nationalistic base or impulse.
If anything, the dominant current is extreme hatred towards American history, American values, America's military, etc. A nationalist style movement does not seem to be what would sprout from that kind of soil. Kids are more interested in saving the earth, saving the world from free-trade, and in general spouting a series of anti-american sentiments.
American culture is becoming increasingly irrational to a startling degree. The increasing destruction of freedom, irrational trends in the law, the collapse of education, the nihilistic spirit of the age, the total collapse of community and community oriented values (yes, the objectivists will go nuts at that) are producing a bizarre and fragmented culture that will probably just get worse.
But I don't see much evidence that it will lead to nazism. Nazis were too well-dressed and disciplined for today's ruffian self-loathing anarchists, eco-thugs, socialists, etc.
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Title: Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal by Ayn Rand ISBN: 0451147952 Publisher: New American Library Pub. Date: July, 1986 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology by Ayn Rand, Harry Binswanger, Leonard Peikoff ISBN: 0452010306 Publisher: Meridian Books Pub. Date: December, 1990 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
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Title: Virtue of Selfishness: A New Concept of Egoism by Ayn Rand ISBN: 0451163931 Publisher: New American Library Pub. Date: July, 1989 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand (The Ayn Rand Library, Volume 6) by Leonard Peikoff ISBN: 0452011019 Publisher: Plume Pub. Date: December, 1993 List Price(USD): $18.00 |
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Title: Return of the Primitive: The Anti-Industrial Revolution by Ayn Rand, Peter Schwartz ISBN: 0452011841 Publisher: Meridian Books Pub. Date: January, 1999 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
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