> "No one who "really knows what Philosophy is" takes Ayn Rand seriously. Actually, taking Ayn Rand seriously is a pretty good sign you don't really know what Philosophy is... "

Forget about the 80 years bit. Their main point is still totally valid... and you can go way back beyond 80 years and read Heraclitus or Dogen (playing favourites but sure there are more) and still get much better philosophy that is relevant 'our times' than you ever could hope for with Rand.

As an aside, I'd like to mention that Rand also does a huge amount of damage to the already damaged issue of women in philosophy, and that her popularization in recent years over, say, Susan Sontag or Julia Kristeva, just makes the whole situation even worse.

Susan Sontag would have lots to agree with Rand about Communism and Julia Kristeva sounds interesting. From wikipedia : "She believes that it is harmful to posit collective identity above individual identity." Sounds like she would agree with Rand there too.

Yes, they also shared a belief that tea goes well with milk. Telling, no?

As if an agreement in some "overview of political systems from 1000 miles above" stance, means anything...

Not a very good idea to compare philosophers (or philosophers and pulp writers like Rand) from Wikipedia...

So you see no difference between sharing a preference for popular drinks and agreeing on philosophical matters that often have to do with life and death ?

Let me guess : A Kantian or some other relativist perhaps ?