Dr. John Ridpath, RIP

This morning I was saddened to learn about yesterday's death of a man I greatly admired - Dr. John Ridpath.  Dr. Ridpath, a well-known and widely respected Objectivist intellectual, was a professor of Economics and Intellectual History at York University in Toronto.  Although he was a Canadian citizen, Dr. Ridpath was a great admirer of the United States of America, particularly of the ideas on which it was founded.  He was a passionate defender of individual rights and capitalism, and he had a great influence on me during some of my formative years when I was first learning about and exploring Objectivism, the philosophy of Ayn Rand.

Although I did not know Dr. Ridpath well, I had the privilege of meeting him when we invited him to speak at the University of Michigan in 1986 or 1987. At that time I was the president of the University of Michigan Students of Objectivism, a campus club dedicated to exploring and popularizing the ideas of Ayn Rand and her philosophy of Objectivism.   In addition to regular club meetings in which we explored specific aspects of Objectivism through discussion of Ayn Rand's writings, we periodically invited prominent Objectivist intellectuals to campus for lectures which were open to the student body and the public at large.

Dr. Ridpath had featured prominently in our very first public event on January 16th, 1986, when we sponsored a public showing at the University of Michigan Business School of a previously-recorded debated entitled "Capitalism versus Socialism - Which is the Moral System?"  In this debate, he and Dr. Leonard Peikoff presented a cogent defense of capitalism.  It was my first experience hearing Dr. Ridpath speak, and I was hooked.  His deep, resonant, melodious voice coupled with his razor-sharp intellect and deep knowledge of his subject made him a fascinating and charismatic speaker.

Later, Dr. Ridpath was the first person we invited to campus as a live speaker.  Unfortunately I no longer remember the topic of his talk, but I do remember that we were very pleased with his presentation.  It was a heady time for us, and our intellectual excitement was palpable.  We were young, we were passionate about Objectivism, and we felt strongly that we were doing something really important in helping to make Ayn Rand's ideas more widely known and discussed.   

I remember a small group of us sitting in Dr. Ridpath's hotel room talking about philosophic ideas late into the night. As we sat (literally at his feet) he told us about having been in similar settings himself as a student, listening to Ayn Rand discuss her ideas in person. I remember thinking at the time that this was probably as close as I would ever get to a direct personal connection to Rand.  I was conscious of it as a distinct and rare privilege. 

I later purchased a number of Dr. Ridpath's lectures as MP3 recordings.  I have spent many hours on long drives listening to his lectures on a variety of subjects.  His penetrating analysis and his clear, logical presentation have never disappointed.  Three of my favorites of his many lectures are "This Hallowed Ground", about the true story of the origin of the United States, "Individual Rights and the Founding of America", a more detailed philosophic discussion of the meaning of the United States and its place in history, and "Man's Rights: Ayn Rand's Historic Contribution".  All of these lectures, as well as others, are available as MP3 recordings from the Ayn Rand Institute eStore:

This Hallowed Ground

Individual Rights and the Founding of America

Man's Rights: Ayn Rand's Historic Contribution

The Ayn Rand Institute published the following announcement:

ARI Remembers Dr. John Ridpath

And so yet another man who had a significant impact on my life has passed on.  I will remember him fondly and with gratitude.

Mood:  Sad

Music: "This Hallowed Ground" (recorded lecture by Dr. Ridpath)