[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Ayn Rand (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 1/25/2005 9:10:35 PM EDT
|
I am investigating the writings of Ayn Rand, considering reading some of her works. What do those of you who have read any of her books think of them? What did you get out of them? They seem to be quite long - is it worth the time to read them? Which books of hers are the best? I was reading reviews of The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged on Amazon, and there are others too. Should her books be read in any particluar order? |
|
I think they are complete crap, with a juvenile "philosophy" (I laugh even using that word to describe her drivel) that one would normally expect from a pretentious high-school teenager. I know I'm in a minority here, and a lot of people like her writing - so I just wanted to get my inflammatory opinion in early!  (I'm off to bed before the flaming begins)
|
Three Stooges poke to the eyes>>>>>>>>>>>> 
|
To think you are a doctorate..... 
|
|
She's the one philosopher that doesn't apologize about freedom. She ususes reason, and can support every claim that she makes. In her fiction, she shows completely realistic instances of corruption and evil, and can explain why. I'd recommend her to anyone that can read her. And if they're young, I'd recommend Anthem. Those naysayers, are people who don't believe that people can truely be free, or be truely happy. They believe that philosophy is made up of compromising evil and goodness. This is not the case. |
Regardless of what everyone else says, you're 100% dead on. She writes at a 5th grade level and uses philosophical ideas collected from the first day of Philosophy 101, which (it seems) she then promptly dropped. |
|
I wish I was 14 years younger. I met this nursing student (age 19) who had a strong opinion about freedoms, firearm ownership, and was a fan of that author. She was B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L! I had a lot of difficulty paying attention to her at times. I kept getting that dazed feeling just staring at her. Wow! Whomever lands that woman will be one lucky SOB! |
She at least makes one consider the ramifications of socialism.  |
|
I read them all years ago and appreciate the fact that she NAILED the true basis of (What is known today as..) libralism and the hard-core left at a time (40's, 50's and 60's) when they were still able to parade their horseshit under the guise of "Caring" and "Unselfishness". What's best these days in when I hear lib/dim leaders parroting the lines of characters (The "Socially aware", "Caring" ones) she birthed decades ago in her novels. |
|
Read "Anthem" first. A short novel that you can find online. Atlas and Fountainhead could have used SERIOUS editing. Rand's characters don't speak to each other: they give speeches to each other, which makes the books a chore to read at times. Academics criticized Rand for writting fiction. Writers criticized Rand for dabbling in academia. Yes, her writing skills are poor, but keep in mind that english was not her native tongue. We cannot all be Nabakov. CKMorley |
That was my point. Nabakov was a russian imigrant, but his novels are so replete with pop-culture references that you'd guess he was America born. IIRC, Nabakov also wrote his novels in Russian and translated it into English, but you'd never know it. ckmorley |
|
They are "must reads." Keep in mind that she's a philosopher, not a writer. The central ideas of her philosophy are sound, but taken to their extremes become absurd. One of her essays about religion as a control mechanism is a great read, but would go over like a turd here. Another interesting point - Rush (the band) were big Objectivists:
and
|
|
2112 was ripped straight from Anthem...and Peart gives credit to her in the liner notes. It was his reference to her that got me interested and subsequently read her work. Yeah, she can run at the mouth, but after reading The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged you will notice things people say that seem to come straight from the mouths of the evildoers in her books.
|
|
It never hurts to read something new and overall, I say she is worth a read. Although her writing skills are not very good, you will certainly get more out of her work than most popular science fiction or thriller novels. And, Zippy's comment about recognizing things that people say that seem pulled from these books is right on! |
God DAMN!!!!!!!!!!! FrdmFighter was RIGHT!!!!!! You ARE a psychpolitician!!!!! IMO, Ayn Rand was the greatest thinker and promoter of individual liberties of the 20th Century. PERIOD. I highly recommend starting with Anthem ( a very simple, early "sci fi" novel ) and the progressing to Fountainhead.....then, if you think you can do it, Atlas Shrugged. If you can't read Tolstoy or Solzheinitzen you may not want to bother with Atlas Shrugged but I consider the philisopical content of the novel ESSENTIAL reading. Her non fiction work "The Virtue of Selfishness" is also a must read. |
|
|
As an all-encompassing philosophy, Objectivism is untenable. Ayn tried to apply logic and self-interest to all human actions, including love. However, there are a great many people who could use a little more rational thought in their day to day lives. Just go over to DU, as they continually rip the conservatives to shreds, because the conservatives would like to lower taxes and privatize nonessential government functions. The newest political slur is "Repriviteans".  Anybody who dares put forth the idea that maybe something can be done better by a nongovernmental org is met with shrieks of "ENRON! ENRON!"No wonder they all hate Atlas Shrugged 
|
"Anthem" (wonder where that title came from...) Know your place in life is where you want to be Don't let them tell you that you owe it all to me Keep on looking forward...no use in looking 'round Hold your head above the ground and they won't bring you down Anthem of the heart and anthem of the mind A funeral dirge for eyes gone blind We marvel after those who sought The wonders of the world, wonders of the world Wonders of the world they wrought Live for yourself...there's no one else More worth living for Begging hands and bleeding hearts will only cry out for more Well, I know they've always told you Selfishness was wrong Yet it was for me, not you, I came to write this song |
|
If you want to read someone who believes deeply in human freedom, and can construct a rational philosphical basis for it, skip Ayn Rand and go straight to Friedrich A. von Hayek. Read his Constitution of Liberty, and Road to Serfdom. Both of these are far better than anything Rand ever put to print. Hayek writes better, is far easier to follow, and avoids many of Rand's sophomoric errors. He also won a Nobel Prize in economics, back when the Nobel Proze actually meant something. |
It was already happening in her day, but no one else dared to speak against it. As a screenwriter in 1940-50's Hollywood, she saw the socialist/communist trends underway. CKMorley |
|
I liked her books, and will agree she is a bit long winded in her fiction. For me, Fountainhead was a little more interesting at the time (I work with architects). Another book was "Philosophy: Who Needs It" a series of essays which was her last book. Since they are short, I find them easier to read. The title piece is from a speech she gave to the graduation class at West Point in 1974. |
|
Never read her novels. I've read Capitalism and The Virtue of Selfishness, which I liked, especially about how the idea of altruism is complete horseshit. Rand hated communism and collectivism so much, she figured the extreme opposite must be what's good and right. |
His native tongue wasn't English, either. |
 |
|
Wow, another Goodkind fan, my wife got me hooked on him, although I think it's starting to drag on, the first four or five were really good. Rand, Hayak, Mises, objectivism, libertarianism, they're all essentially right, and yes it is a workable system. The problem lies in getting from here to there, there are many problems. Power is only granted to those who seek it, and only pursued by those who would exercise it. As a result positions of power and influence are primarily held by collectivists regardless of popular opinion, and popular opinion is shaped by those in positions of power. This is the real reason why there's a liberal/authoritarian bias in the media, education, and politics. Objectivists, libertarians, and the austrian school consider coersion not only a crime but the essense of sin, so they do not tend to seek positions which provide them the power to coerce, or the opportunity to influence. The other broad problem with the philosophy as political action is unwinding all the structures erected by collectivism throughout history, particularly in a democracy where the people have been promised large benefits in exchange for their freedom, and have been indoctrinated by the aforementioned education and media systems. Rand may clue you in to just how difficult the fight, how dire the current situation, how slim the chances, and how drastic the dislocations must be if liberty is to win the day. You may live a happier life sticking with cable news, sheep always seem happy to me. |
Please explain why her philosophy is "crap" and complete "drivel". You cannot make an assertion about something without defending you position. |