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Atlas Shrugged 

By: De_Composed in 6TH POPE | Recommend this post (3)
Fri, 01 Mar 24 6:37 PM | 43 view(s)
Boardmark this board | 6th Edition Pope Board 		Msg. 50728 of 58543
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Midway through the book - which was written in the 1950s - I've read something that has me seeing incredibly strong parallels to today's world, today's events - particularly with regard to the corruption of 'SCIENCE' at the hands of governments and prominent leaders, and the public's response to it.

Dr. Stadler - a once revered scientist who founded the government's "State Science Institute" and, in the process, sold his soul even though he doesn't want to believe it, confronts a lesser being, Dr. Ferris, over his newly published book, "Why Do You Think You Think?" The book peddles all kinds of nonsense such as "Reason is an irrational idea" and "The entire history of science is a progression of exploded fallacies, not of achievements" and “Do not expect consistency. Everything is a contradiction of everything else. Nothing exists but contradictions.” The following dialogue occurs:


Dr. Stadler looked at him in bewilderment. "Do you realize what theme you chose to treat and in what manner? The style alone, the style, the gutter kind of attitude - for a subject of this nature !"

"Do you think, then, that the content deserved a more dignified form of presentation?" The voice was so innocently smooth that Dr. Stadler could not decide whether this was mockery.

"Do you realize what you're preaching in this book ?"

"Since you do not seem to approve of it, Dr. Stadler, I'd rather have you think that I wrote it innocently."

This was it, thought Dr. Stadler, this was the incomprehensible element in Ferris' manner: he had supposed that an indication of his disapproval would be sufficient, but Ferris seemed to remain untouched by it.

"If a drunken lout could find the power to express himself on paper," said Dr. Stadler, "if he could give voice to his essence - the eternal savage, leering his hatred of the mind - this is the sort of book I would expect him to write. But to see it come from a scientist, under the imprint of this Institute!"

"But, Dr. Stadler, this book was not intended to be read by scientists. It was written for that drunken lout."

"What do you mean ?"

"For the general public. "

"But, good God! The feeblest imbecile should be able to see the glaring contradictions in every one of your statements."

"Let us put it this way, Dr. Stadler: the man who doesn't see that, deserves to believe all my statements."

"But you've given the prestige of science to that unspeakable stuff! It was all right for a disreputable mediocrity like Simon Pritchett to drool it as some sort of woozy mysticism - nobody listened to him. But you've made them think it's science. Science! You've taken the achievements of the mind to destroy the mind. By what right did you use my work to make an unwarranted, preposterous switch into another field, pull an inapplicable metaphor and draw a monstrous generalization out of what is merely a mathematical problem? By what right did you make it sound as if I - I! - gave my sanction to that book?"

Dr. Ferris did nothing, he merely looked at Dr. Stadler calmly; but the calm gave him an air that was almost patronizing. "Now, you see, Dr. Stadler, you're speaking as if this book were addressed to a thinking audience. If it were, one would have to be concerned with such matters as accuracy, validity, logic and the prestige of science. But it isn't. It's addressed to the public. And you have always been first to believe that the public does not think." He paused, but Dr. Stadler said nothing. "This book may have no philosophical value whatever, but it has a great psychological value."

"Just what is that?"

"You see, Dr. Stadler, people don't want to think. And the deeper they get into trouble, the less they want to think. But by some sort of instinct, they feel that they ought to and it makes them feel guilty. So they'll bless and follow anyone who gives them a justification for not thinking. Anyone who makes a virtue – a highly intellectual virtue – out of what they know to be their sin, their weakness and their guilt."

"And you propose to pander to that?"

"That is the road to popularity."

" Why should you seek popularity?"

Dr. Ferris' eyes moved casually to Dr. Stadler's face, as if by pure accident. "We are a public institution," he answered evenly, "supported by public funds."

As I read this, I kept thinking about the Pffarters: Their unwillingness to see beyond headlines. Their eagerness to embrace stupidity - so long as it is their stupidity and someone bigger than themselves - Dr. Ferris, or The New York Times - says that it is so.

Mostly, though, I kept thinking about how "Believe the Science!" has become a mantra in today's world, just as Ayn Rand described in 1957.

What a great book.

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