COLLOQUY

THE QUESTION

RESPONSES

BACKGROUND

"If what Rand 'really' meant to express by the phrase is 'the primacy of existence,' then why didn't she just defend the primacy of existence without trying to defend it via a useless tautology?"

She didn't use this so-called tautology for the purpose of defending the premise, but rather for the purpose of stating the premise. Why she often chose the kind of language she used, I cannot say. It does appear that in some cases she was not familiar with more standard locutions. I would not have chosen this way of expressing the premise. My point is that that's what she meant, not that it is the best way of saying it.

-- Michael Hardy, lecturer in applied mathematics, MIT (posted 7/7, 3 p.m., E.D.T.)

previous response

next response

STEP 1: Your contact information (required)

Your name:

Your title & institution:

Your phone:

Your e-mail address:

STEP 2: Your comments (required)

STEP 3: Submit!

Check this box if you would like this submission to be considered for publication as a letter to the editor in the printed Chronicle.