Posted on 12/04/2009 7:52:57 AM PST by Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus
Say what you will about Ayn Rand, but one thing is certain: She had no use for common niceties. A grimly precocious, friendless Rand declared her atheism at age 13. "Atlas Shrugged," Rand's secular sermon-as-novel, boils with revulsion toward the "looters" and "moochers" who consume public funds. Rand scornfully excommunicated followers who disagreed with her, and in 1964 she told Playboy that those who place friends and family first in life are "immoral" and "emotional parasites."
Shoddy manners aside, 52 years after the release of "Atlas Shrugged," Rand seems to be roaring back. Sales are surging—Brian Doherty, author of "Radicals for Capitalism" (2007), recently calculated that in one week in late August, "Atlas" sold "67 percent more copies than it did the same week a year before, and 114 percent more than that same week in 2007." Two buzzed-about Rand biographies hit the shelves this fall, and an "Atlas" cable miniseries is reportedly in the works. Designer Ralph Lauren recently listed Rand as one of his favorite novelists, and CNBC host Rick Santelli, whose on-air antibailout rant inspired hundreds of "tea party" protests across the nation, admitted the same. "I know this may not sound very humanitarian," he said, "but at the end of the day I'm an Ayn Rand-er...."
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
There is quite a bit of confusion generated by those who attempt to categorize as "Randian" principles she did not really espouse or even examine in Atlas Shrugged (or anywhere else as far as I know). One might think she'd be libertarian, for example, and find one's head snapped off by her for suggesting it. She wasn't.
It is difficult to distinguish between the no-frills capitalism she idealizes in Galt's Gulch and the barbaric practices of the freelance coal miners she describes in her deteriorating society. The difference is the ability of the State to enforce the dictates protected in the latter case only by "a ruthless observance of one's given word" through the just application of what few laws she allows to apply by a disinterested, Narragansett-like judiciary. That too is a bit of idealization.
The real difficulty, IMHO, is that her narrative and her philosophy don't always agree, and which part is actually "Randian" isn't very easy to determine with any great accuracy. It's certainly fun to speculate, but you will run into contradictions. Just my $0.02.
I took the ebook, PDF format - then converted the whole thing to a massive Doc file and changed the font and word wrap to my liking so it was handy reading on my netbook.
The audiobook runs 53 hours but it's handy for some passages. For instance, the Galt speech.
bump
For her fans, Rand's appeal lies in her big-picture, unified, philosophical approach to man's purpose and the meaning of life. But ultimately ideas need more than size and a potboiler plot to overtake the dominant, big-government political paradigm.
Seems about right. No whining that it's just mean to claim charity shouldn't be forced at gunpoint, and besides she was a tramp.
Bill, read the article and again, the author allows someone to claim Rand was against altruism.
No, Rand was not against altruism. Rand was fine with altruism, as long as it was done freely without threat of force.
Rand took a dim view of government getting into the business of altruism, because the state takes money by force and one is not given a choice in the matter.
Huge distinction that is always lost on people.
Stop snickering.
As we pointed out in the Book Club entries Rand's grasp on Christian theology was somewhat less than perfect. She devotes several paragraphs of Galt's great speech to a description of Original Sin that wouldn't have passed muster in most Sunday Schools, Catholic or Protestant. With a little better background it might have been a formidable argument; as it was, it was mostly a straw man. IMHO, of course, and some pretty smart people disagree with me in that respect.
You invest for your own benefit, not for the benefit of the collective.
Putting money in the market right now is a fool’s game as long as the government is trying to sink the economy.
I’ve long thought that if one could synthesize Rand and Christianity, it would make for an outstanding guiding philosophy.
Of course, as it is, I don’t find Rand and God necessarily incompatible.
For instance, God speaks of hiding “ones light under a bushel basket rather than letting it shine.”
Whereas Rand talks of working in such a manner that demands the best from within you.
The above are definitely not mutually exclusive.
And, I would ask who has done more for people: The person who employs many or the person who donates to those in need?
I submit God doesn’t see much of a distinction between the two.
Almost there, now add in the idea of give a man a fish or teach a man too fish.
ping for later
Publius,
I’m currently re-reading (after about 30 years) The Fountainhead. I’m enjoying it more than AS, as it seems to be the micro to the macro. Shoud we revisit it?
You should have scanned ahead to find the steamy parts like most people do.
What would a synthesis of oil and water be good for?
Excellent and thought provoking post!
I have always wondered how a true believer could possibly feel threatened by Rands atheism. After all, isn't God the one who created all atheists???
Ayn Rand ping
Excellent point. Only those whose faith is uncertain would feel threatened by an expression of non-hostile atheism. I myself was an atheist Rand fan until I felt the hand of God literally reach into my chest and remove the lung cancer. But then again, mine isn't a blind faith, is it? After all, I'm still relying on the evidence of the senses.
AR ping
Considering that after 50-odd years, her ideas are stronger than ever... and have more followers than ever, it’s really a stupid idea to spout off about how we *shouldn’t* follow her ideas because it’ll turn people away.
History has already shown that to be a falsehood.
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