Objectivism

art.” Ayn Rand uses science and reasoning as the basis for her own belief system that she created called Objectivism; she uses her philosophy to create works of literature such as Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead that have long stood the test of time. In The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand uses pivotal points throughout the novel to illustrate Objectivism. The first major theme in The Fountainhead is the importance of the individual. Rand uses an exchange between main character Howard Roark and main antagonist Ellsworth Toohey to typify this: “Mr. Roak, we’re alone here. Why don’t you tell me what you think of me? In any…

Teaching Objectivism to the courtroom, Rearden is attacking Collectivism and Altruism by accepting reality; that one must produce for their own self-interest in order to pursue their own happiness and prosperity; anything outside those motives are illogical and immoral. This moral code he is condemning breaks the law of existence: “A is A (1038)”. If A is not A, a person’s sole motive to live is not for himself, rather, to live for others. This premise denies reality, reason, and logic in place…

Ayn Rand’s “Objectivism” emphasizes individual achievement and rejection of responsibility to others, a philosophy that aligns rather well with the ideas of many of today’s emerging adults, as described by Christian Smith, but would certainly face significant scrutiny by Robert Bellah for its near-anarchism. While Rand’s proposals are somewhat radical in comparison with modern American society, the similar views of today’s youth may indicate an imminent change, or in the least emphasize the…

While The Fountainhead provides an insight to Rand’s perspective regarding individualism, Atlas Shrugged is the novel where she defined her school of Objectivism which holds individualism as one of its major tenets. Individualism is the driving force which keeps the intellectuals of Atlas Shrugged committed to making their ideas work for them rather than being drawn into a system of collectivism which effectively destroys their progress and spreads it equally across the masses. The two main…

To future philosophy student, There are four keys of Objectivism that Ayn Rand explained; Reality, Reason, Self-interest, and Capitalism. To understand her philosophy about Objectivism, you must understand them. First, let’s define the theory of Objectivism. Objectivism, according to Ayn Rand, “is the guide to your life, how to achieve things, and how to be happy. It is the fundamental, principle by which you can make your own choices” This theory is contentious due to its support of…

leads to the downfall of the second-hander like the downfall of Peter Keatings and Gail Wynand- who valued and believed that society should have a discussion in their careers. Moreover, Rand's illustration of Roark’s honest morals, decision, and self-dedications of his mind led to his accomplishments of building his own dreams in his buildings, having a triumphant win over society, and remaining the same throughout the world of “socialism” while Toohey’s immoral collectivism of controlling a…

desire to stay true to himself and build in his own style costs him many a job and opportunity, but he is happy as long as he is building. In the face of criticism and close-mindedness, Roark sticks to his beliefs, saying that “[t]here are some things” that Roark just refuses to do (96). Although Roark struggles with breaking away from the past, it eventually pays off. He is able to regain his status as an architect after two scandalous court cases, and the books concludes with Roark standing…

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” This quote was written by George Orwell in his book Animal Farm, one of Orwell’s most famous novels. Throughout history the subject of a distant dystopia has always been explored in many works of literature. The possibility of humanity falling into a bleak and totalitarian society has always fascinated readers. These stories and themes can come to define an author and their legacy as a writer. There is no greater example of…

The difference between Roark’s path to success and Keating’s path to failure is their independence. Well, In Keating’s case his dependence. In Rand’s eyes, Keating is a completely dependent person. Keating lives not for himself, but for other people in his life. The most notable of which being his mother. Roark, however, is completely independent from others. Roark lives for himself and only himself. He does not let anyone get in the way of what he wants and never settles for less. This is why…

To put it simply, I have always been good at school. The benefits of school can be seen in how I just used school as a verb. Performing well in school has always come naturally to me, about as naturally as me crying every time the shark eats the seal in Planet Earth. However, I have learned over my years in education, that my so called “natural ability” to learn is not so natural, and that I have, in actuality, worked hard to be the bright student I am today. I have completed hundreds of…