Half a**ed critique of "Atlas Shrugged"

mine | Mr. PolishHammer

[Mr. Polish-hammer]

Just read "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand. Here is my take:

I think we all agree on the basic tenet that capitalism is good, and anything else is bad. However, Ayn Rand seems to take this to a whole new level, one which I don't like. She places capitalism into her own moral egoist philosophy; capitalism is not a means to an end, but an end in itself, a moral one. Acting in ones self-interest is moral, altruism is immoral. So donating to charity, in her mind, is immoral. To me, donating to charity is perfectly moral. What is immoral is when the government, or any other third party, forces one to be charitable. Any action done on voluntary terms, or any deal, is perfectly moral, and to call it immoral is non-sensical, if not scary.

To Ayn Rand, the lazy and incompetent, those without ambition, are immoral. Even if they seek no harm, mind their own business, and violate no ones rights, they are still immoral. Their only sin is to not be productive, which only harms society as a whole. It seems that Ayn Rand deems immoral that which does not benefit her, her being part of society.

Another strange aspect to her writing is her animus toward religion. Religion takes a beating in "Atlas Shrugged", being accused of fostering socialist mentality. Paradoxically, she praised the USA, especially its first one hundred years, as being the closest to her ideal. If religion fosters socialism, how does she explain the religous founding, and continuing religous existence of the USA? Moreover, why is it that the strongly socialist countries (USSR, Sweden, etc.) are strongly atheist, or have governments that despise religion?

Many inconsistencies are present in her writing. I'd be interested in hearing her defense. I know there are many fans on this forum.

[TKEman]

She certainly doesn't make any efforts to get you to identify with her characters, that's for sure.

[TheLionessRN]

I have read the book Atlas Shrugged three times now. Each time I get something different from it. The first time I read it, my imagination was fired up and suddenly there seemed to be a point to life. I began to really look at my life. The first things that I began to do were to ask myself what I believe and why. Then I began to actually live what I believe instead of floating along. It must have been about 1993 when I read it for the first time. I had never heard of Rush Limbaugh at the time. After finishing the book, I was telling a friend about the ideas that were swirling around in my head, and she handed me Rush's first book from her bookshelf. That was my introduction to logical thought and my being part of this world and paying attention.

Thank you for you post Mark. It is so nice to read that someone understands Rand's work and is able to convey it. I understand, but not deeply enough to convey it in such concise terms.

While I am a practicing Christian and believe what I profess, I do not find any serious conflicts in the ideas of Rand, simply because, when it comes down to it, I have a great pleasure in my relationship with God and do not subscribe to a herd mentality in my belief. I also don't blindly follow all of her ideas. I am sure she would see many different conflicts in my belief and her philosophy, but that is what makes us all special. Our differences.

Hope this made sense. I sometimes have trouble putting my ideas and thoughts on paper.

[what's up]

Rand's greatest contribution was her moral defense of capitalism.

Seems to me her greatest fault was her view on religion. Because she had a revelation about man's promise, I believe she ended up sort of worshipping man.

And something really weird happened when she had that volatile affair with Nathaniel Brandon which sent her husband into the depths of alcoholism.

[uncbob]

Took me three tries to finish the book and then only by skipping many in the last half
Book could have been written in half the space
Ending was goofy
Her basic ideas were good but the book was boring after a while
Same facts and theme repeated AD NAUSEUM

[Prodigal Son]

Remember the time frame when these books were written. Back then, the spectre of world socialism and communist domination loomed all too real and was indeed heralded by many or our country's leftist elite. Communism was put on a pedestal as being "the perfect form of gov't". I even remember my ninth grade English teacher saying those exact words. I think particularly motivating for Rand was the fact that she had just recently managed to emigrate from the Soviet Union only to find the ivory tower intellectuals in the land of the free calling for the same system of gov't she had just escaped. So if it sounded like she was pounding on a lecturn with a shoe- it's because she was. But I can't think of any two people further apart than Marx and Rand.

It isn't hard to look around even today and see how people are demonized for being productive. Bill Gates in particular has been compared with the anti Christ and Satan. We hear it on the television and read it in print everyday. When the left/democrats/greens say the word "corporation" you can just hear the hate dripping from it. What it is they call for is antithetical to the American way- taking from those that have earned it to give to those that have not- social programs/wealth redistribution/unconditional aid to the third world. One disturbing phrase I keep hearing prominent leftists using is: "Access to Capital". Jesse Jackson seems to be very fond of it and we see how he obtains his- extorting it from corporations with the threat of branding them as racists.

It's interesting you should mention John Galt's speech. It took her an entire year to write it. It is basically a summary of her entire philosophy. If one is looking for pure entertainment, clearly Ayn Rand is perhaps not the best choice and maybe Stephen King or Tom Clancy would be better. Ayn Rand, however, did reach a wide audience and continues to do so to this day. I have seen many, many lists of "Top Ten Books That Influenced My Life" and very often Atlas Shrugged is second only to the Bible. Philosophy is a "dry and boring" subject to many and this is why she chose the novel as a platform on which to present her philosophy. Regarding the California power industry fiasco, I cannot think of a single more relevant book than Atlas Shrugged to shed light on the problem.

There are aspects of ordinary human life on which I would have liked to have seen Rand expound further, for instance- child rearing and family life- but she has without doubt left an enduring legacy to philosophy, the justification of our way of life and the human condition in general.

[Nogbad]

Another strange aspect to her writing is her animus toward religion.

Capitalism was her religion. Like all religious fanatics she was intolerant of other religions.

[Fixit]

I sometimes have trouble putting my ideas and thoughts on paper.

Well, today you were trouble free!

Good post.

[bvw]

Yah, theys has been a mighty bunch o' arguments 'bout Mz. Rand, 'round heah in yeahs and months past. I sees as that the core of zealous defenders hasn't made their zealous defense much on this heah thread yet.

But gee-willikers, Ah does wish to know just as how all this "intellectual property" that Mz. Rand was such the fancy for, has 'zactly helped the music industry? When all they all abolished Napster has all they all made much since?

Ah does sees hows CD-ROM's are at bargain basement prices these days.

[gjenkins]

Charity: She never said charity is immoral. She said forced charity is, as well as charity based on a pinciple of duty or sacrifice. Implied in those objections is the rejection that someone else has the right to dictate what is to be done with your life. Each person has the capability to rationally determine the values they want to pursue ... including when they will help others.

[TomSmedley]

I have a great pleasure in my relationship with God and do not subscribe to a herd mentality in my belief.

Ditto. In fact, one of the most creative and energetic Christian movements of my generation, home schooling, is the John Galt way of dealing with public education!

In my MS thesis on home schooling, Ayn Rand was one of my sources. (along with a Marxist Jesuit, and an ArmEnian Calvinist!) It's posted here.

[bvw]

Very interesting observation.

[OWK]

Ditto. In fact, one of the most creative and energetic Christian movements of my generation, home schooling, is the John Galt way of dealing with public education!

You betcha!

Excellent observation.

[Forgiven_Sinner]

I enjoyed Atlas Shrugged for its destruction of socialism and communism. I agree with Ayn Rand up to the point she deduces from "A=A" that God doesn't exist.

For those who agree with her, I ask how can the universe exist? To our best understanding, it started from a point explosion some billions of years ago. But if all the matter of the universe were gathered in one spot, it couldn't explode--it'd be a black hole. And what came before the big bang? And why did it colasce into such pretty galaxies, meta-galaxies, and meta-meta-galaxies? The theory that an intelligent God created the universe answers all of these questions. Combine this with the many fulfilled prophecies in the Bible, and you understand why became a Christian.

[OWK]

The theory that an intelligent God created the universe answers all of these questions.

But fails to address the question of the origins of God.

[Rightwing Conspiratr1]

This should be required reading after Rand, Mark Twain's What is Man?

[corkoman]

EXLNT Points! Good perspective. For the reasons you cite it will be a challenge to do a contemporaneous film. Who has any real apreciation for the US railroads today? Few. But back in the 50s before the jet engine revolutionized transport the railroads were absolutely vital.

I loved Atlas despite Rand's heavy speeches. I liked several characters and found Rand's philosphy about sex provocative.

And she nails the socialists right between the eyes and they HATE HER FOR IT.

[NittanyLion]

Even if you agree with nothing else in the book, you have to admit that Rand had the left pegged. Her description of their tactics is as accurate today as it was at the original writing.

[Rightwing Conspiratr1]

My morality, the morality of reason, is contained in a single axiom: existence exists - and in a single choice: to live.

In other words hers is a philosophy derived from a tautology. 'A' is 'A', therefore whatever advances 'A' is good. Simple crude but dress it up in high verbiage and you have yourself a nice cult.