Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand
Born	February 2, 1905(1905-02-02) Saint Petersburg, Russia
Died	March 6, 1982 (aged 77) New York City, United States
Occupation	novelist, philosopher, playwright, screenwriter
Notable work(s)	The Fountainhead Atlas Shrugged
Influences Aristotle, John Locke, Thomas Aquinas, Friedrich Nietzsche, Victor Hugo, Henryk Sienkiewicz, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Ludwig von Mises, Isabel Paterson, Adam Smith
Influenced Harry Binswanger, Nathaniel Branden, Barbara Branden, Allan Gotthelf, Henry Hazlitt, John Hospers, David Kelley, Leonard Peikoff, George Reisman, John Ridpath, Tara Smith

Ayn Rand (IPA: /ˈaɪn ˈrænd/, February 2 [O.S. January 20] 1905 – March 6, 1982), born Alisa Zinov'yevna Rosenbaum (Russian: Алиса Зиновьевна Розенбаум), was a Russian-born American novelist, philosopher,^[1] playwright, and screenwriter. Events 962 - Translatio imperii: Pope John XII crowns Otto I Holy Roman Emperor, the first Holy Roman Emperor Year 1905 ( MCMV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Events 1079 - Omar Khayyám completes the Iranian calendar. 1454 - Thirteen Years' War: Delegates of Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) The City of New York The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Employment is a Contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language A playwright, also known as a dramatist, is a person who writes dramatic literature or Drama. Screenwriters or scenarists are Scriptwriters who write the Screenplays from which Films and Television programs are made The Fountainhead is a 1943 Novel by Ayn Rand. It was Rand's first major literary success and its Royalties and movie rights Atlas Shrugged is a novel by Ayn Rand, first published in 1957 in the United States Aristotle (Greek Aristotélēs) (384 BC – 322 BC was a Greek philosopher a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. John Locke (29 August 1632 – 28 October 1704 was an English Philosopher. Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15 1844 August 25 1900 ( was a nineteenth-century German philosopher and classical philologist Victor-Marie Hugo ( ( February 26, 1802 – May 22, 1885) was a French Poet, Playwright, Novelist Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (Фёдор Миха́йлович Достое́вский, sometimes transliterated Dostoyevsky, Dostoievsky, Ludwig Heinrich Edler von Mises (ˈluːtvɪç fɔn ˈmiːzəs ( September 29, 1881 – October 10, 1973) was an Austrian Isabel Paterson (b January 22 1886, - d January 10, 1961) was a Canadian-American journalist author political philosopher and Adam Smith ( baptised 16 June 1723 – 17 July 1790) was a Scottish moral philosopher and a pioneer of Political economy. Harry Binswanger (born in Richmond Virginia, in 1944 is an American Philosopher and writer Nathaniel Branden, né Nathan Blumenthal (born 9 April 1930 in Brampton, Ontario, Canada) is a psychotherapist Barbara Branden (born Barbara Weidman 14 May 1929, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) is a Canadian writer Allan Gotthelf (born Brooklyn NY 1942 is Emeritus professor of Philosophy at The College of New Jersey and visiting professor of history and Henry Hazlitt ( November 28, 1894 – July 8, 1993) was a libertarian Philosopher, Economist, and Journalist John Hospers (born 9 June 1918) is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Southern California. David Kelley (born 1949 in Cleveland Ohio) is an American Philosopher and Author. Leonard S Peikoff (born October 15, 1933) is an Objectivist philosopher George Gerald Reisman (born January 13 1937) is Professor Emeritus of Economics at Pepperdine University and author of Capitalism John B Ridpath, PhD (born 1936 is a Canadian Objectivist Intellectual historian and retired Associate professor of Economics Tara Smith (born 1961 is a professor of Philosophy and holder of the BB&T Chair for the Study of Objectivism and holder of the Anthem Events 962 - Translatio imperii: Pope John XII crowns Otto I Holy Roman Emperor, the first Holy Roman Emperor Old Style (or OS) and New Style (or NS) are used in English language historical studies either to indicate that the start of the Julian year Year 1905 ( MCMV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Events 1079 - Omar Khayyám completes the Iranian calendar. 1454 - Thirteen Years' War: Delegates of Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language A playwright, also known as a dramatist, is a person who writes dramatic literature or Drama. Screenwriters or scenarists are Scriptwriters who write the Screenplays from which Films and Television programs are made She is widely known for her best-selling novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, and for developing a philosophical system she called Objectivism. The Fountainhead is a 1943 Novel by Ayn Rand. It was Rand's first major literary success and its Royalties and movie rights Atlas Shrugged is a novel by Ayn Rand, first published in 1957 in the United States Objectivism is a Philosophy developed by Ayn Rand in the 20th century that encompasses positions on Metaphysics, Epistemology,

Rand advocated rational individualism and laissez-faire capitalism, categorically rejecting socialism, altruism, and religion. Laissez-faire ( pronunciation: French,; English,) is a French phrase literally meaning Let do (“allow to do” Capitalism is the Economic system in which the Means of production are owned by private Persons and operated for Profit and where Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution Altruism is an ethical doctrine that holds that individuals have a moral Obligation to help serve or benefit others if necessary at the sacrifice A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos Her ideas continue to remain influential and controversial.

Contents 1 Early life 1.1 Childhood and education 1.2 Immigration and marriage 2 Fiction 2.1 Early works 2.2 The Fountainhead 2.3 Atlas Shrugged 3 Philosophy: Objectivism 4 Objectivist movement 5 Political and social views 5.1 Wars 5.2 Economics 5.3 Charity 5.4 Gender and sex 5.5 Homosexuality 5.6 Race 5.7 HUAC testimony 6 Later years 6.1 Visiting lecturer 6.2 Declining health and death 7 Legacy 7.1 Ayn Rand Institute 7.2 The Objectivist Center and The Atlas Society 7.3 Popular interest and influence 7.4 Rand's work and academic philosophy 7.5 Student activism 8 Criticism 8.1 Philosophical criticism 8.2 Literary criticism 9 Bibliography 9.1 Fiction 9.2 Nonfiction 9.3 Posthumous works 9.4 Film adaptations 9.5 Screenplays 10 References 11 Further reading 12 External links

Early life

Childhood and education

Rand was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and was the eldest of three daughters (Alisa, Natasha, and Nora)^[2] of Zinovy Zacharovich Rosenbaum and Anna Borisovna Rosenbaum, agnostic and largely non-observant ethnic Jews. Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Agnosticism ( Greek: α- a-, without + γνώσις gnōsis, knowledge after Gnosticism) is the philosophical view that the PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Her father was a chemist and a successful pharmaceutical entrepreneur who earned the privilege of living outside the Pale. A chemist is a Scientist trained in the Science of Chemistry. The Pale of Settlement (Черта́ осе́длости cherta osedlosti) was the term given to a region of Imperial Russia, along its western border in which ^[3]

From an early age, Alisa displayed an interest in literature and film. Throughout her youth, Rand read the novels of Sir Walter Scott, Alexandre Dumas, père and other Romantic writers, of whom Victor Hugo was her favorite. Sir Walter Scott 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 &ndash 21 September 1832 was a prolific Scottish Historical novelist and Poet popular throughout Victor-Marie Hugo ( ( February 26, 1802 – May 22, 1885) was a French Poet, Playwright, Novelist ^[4]

Rand was twelve at the time of the Russian revolution of 1917, and her family life was disrupted by the rise of the Bolshevik party. See also Russian Revolution (1905 The Russian Revolution of 1916 refers to a series of popular revolutions in Russia, and the events surrounding them The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists ( Большевик Большевист (singular, derived from bolshe, "more" were a faction Her father's pharmacy was confiscated by the Soviets, and the family fled to Crimea to recover financially. Crimea (kraɪˈmiːə or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Крим Автономна Республіка Крим Avtonomna Respublika Krym; Крым Rand then returned to Saint Petersburg to attend the University of Petrograd,^[5] where she majored in history and also studied philosophy,^[6] discovering the literary works of Edmond Rostand, Friedrich Schiller, and Fyodor Dostoevsky as well as the philosophical works of Friedrich Nietzsche, admiring his depiction of a heroic and independent individual in Thus Spake Zarathustra. Saint Petersburg State University ( Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет) is a Russian federal state-owned higher Edmond Eugène Alexis Rostand ( April 1, 1868 &ndash December 2, 1918) was a French Poet and Dramatist. Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller krɪstɔf friːtʁɪç fɔn ʃɪləʁ/ʃɪlɐ (10 November 1759 9 May 1805 was a German Poet, Philosopher Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (Фёдор Миха́йлович Достое́вский, sometimes transliterated Dostoyevsky, Dostoievsky, Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15 1844 August 25 1900 ( was a nineteenth-century German philosopher and classical philologist Thus Spoke Zarathustra (German Also sprach Zarathustra, sometimes translated Thus Spake Zarathustra) subtitled A Book for All and None She completed a three-year program in the department of Social Pedagogy that included history, philology and law, graduating in 1924. Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[7]

Rand continued to write short stories and screenplays. She entered the State Institute for Cinema Arts in 1924 to study screenwriting; in late 1925, however, she was granted a visa to visit American relatives. A visa (short for the Latin carta visa, lit "a document that has been seen" is a document issued by a Country giving an individual

Immigration and marriage

In February 1926, she arrived in the United States at the age of 21, entering by ship through New York City, which would ultimately become her home. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The City of New York After a brief stay with her relatives in Chicago, she resolved never to return to the Soviet Union, and set out for Hollywood to become a screenwriter. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Screenwriters or scenarists are Scriptwriters who write the Screenplays from which Films and Television programs are made Already using Rand as a Cyrillic contraction^[8] of her surname, she then adopted the name Ayn, of disputed origin. The Cyrillic alphabet (səˈrɪlɪk also called azbuka, from the old name of the first two letters is actually a family of Alphabets, subsets of which are used by In Traditional grammar, a contraction is the formation of a new Word from one or more individual words ^[8]

Initially, Rand struggled in Hollywood and took odd jobs to pay her basic living expenses. United States cinema has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century A chance face-to-face meeting with famed director Cecil B. DeMille led to a job as an extra in his film The King of Kings, and subsequent work as a script reader. Cecil Blount DeMille ( August 12, 1881 – January 21, 1959) was an Academy Award -winning American Film director An extra is a Performer in a Film, Television show, stage musical opera or ballet production who appears in a nonspeaking nonsinging or nondancing capacity The King of Kings ( 1927) is a Silent film directed by Cecil B ^[9] She also worked as the head of the costume department at RKO Studios. ^[10] While working on the film, she intentionally bumped into an aspiring young actor, Frank O'Connor, who caught her eye. Frank O'Connor ( September 22, 1897 &mdash November 9, 1979) was an American actor and later floral arranger and representationalist painter The two married on April 15, 1929, and remained married for fifty years, until O'Connor's death in 1979 at the age of 82. Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Rand became a naturalized American citizen in 1931. Naturalization is the acquisition of Citizenship or Nationality by somebody who was not a citizen or national of that country when he or she was born

Fiction

Rand explained in a 1963 essay titled "The Goal of My Writing" that the goal of her fiction was to project her vision of an ideal man, and she developed her philosophy largely to support that goal.

In an article about Rand that appeared in The Economist in 1991, it is stated that "Rand’s novels sell some 300,000 copies a year, exhorting readers to think big about themselves, build big and earn big. The Economist is an English-language weekly news and International affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd and edited in London New editions of all her books carry postcards for readers who might be inclined to learn more about Objectivism, the author’s credo, a blending of free markets, reason and individualism. "^[11]

Early works

Her first literary success came with the sale of her screenplay Red Pawn in 1932 to Universal Studios: "Von Sternberg later considered it for Dietrich, but Russian scenarios were out of favour and the project was dropped. Universal Studios (sometimes called Universal Pictures or Universal City Studios) a subsidiary of NBC Universal, is a major Global American Josef von Sternberg aka Jonas Sternberg ( 29 May 1894, Vienna, Austria &ndash 22 December 1969, Los Marlene Dietrich maɐˈleːnə ˈdiːtrɪç (December 27 &ndashMay 6) was a German -born American Actress, Singer and Entertainer "^[12] Rand then wrote the play The Night of January 16th in 1934, which was produced on Broadway. Night of January 16 is a play written by Ayn Rand, inspired by the death of the "Match King" Ivar Kreuger. Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located The play was a courtroom drama in which a jury chosen from the audience decided the verdict, leading to one of two possible endings. A legal drama is a work of dramatic Fiction about crime and civil litigation A jury a sworn body of persons convened to render a rational, impartial Verdict (a finding of fact on a question officially submitted to them ^[13]

Rand then published the novel We the Living in 1936, which focused on life in Communist Russia. We the Living is Ayn Rand 's first novel It was also Rand's first expression against Communism (though she stated that like her other novels political Rand described it as "the most autobiographical of her novels"^[14] Its harsh anti-communist tone met with mixed reviews in the U. S. , where the period of The Great Depression was sometimes known as "The Red Decade" in reference to the high-water mark of sympathy for socialist ideals. The Red Decade is a term coined by Journalist and Historian Eugene Lyons to describe a period in American history in the 1930s characterized Stephen Cox, at The Objectivist Center, observed that We the Living "was published at the height of Russian socialism's popularity among leaders of American opinion. The Atlas Society — of which The Objectivist Center (TOC is a part — is a research and advocacy organization promoting "a culture that affirms the core Objectivist values of reason It failed to attract an audience. "^[15] We the Living was first completed in 1934, but was rejected by several publishers, until 1936, when George Platt Brett of Macmillan Publishing agreed to publish her book. George Platt Brett Jr (1893-1984 served at Chairman of the American division of Macmillan Publishing and secured publishing rights to Gone With the Wind Macmillan Publishers Ltd, also known as The Macmillan Group, is a privately-held International Publishing company owned by Georg von Holtzbrinck ^[16]

Rand then wrote the novella Anthem, a dystopian vision of a futuristic society where collectivism has triumphed. Anthem is a Dystopian fiction Novella by Ayn Rand, first published in 1938 A dystopia (from the Greek δυσ- and τόπος alternatively cacotopia, kakotopia, cackotopia, or anti-utopia) is the vision of a society Anthem did not find a publisher in the United States and was first published in England in 1938. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland

The Fountainhead

Main article: The Fountainhead

Rand's first major professional success came with her best-selling novel The Fountainhead (1943), which she wrote over a period of seven years. The Fountainhead is a 1943 Novel by Ayn Rand. It was Rand's first major literary success and its Royalties and movie rights Its plot centered on a young architect named Howard Roark and revolved around the conflict between independent thinkers and "second-handers. The Fountainhead is a 1943 Novel by Ayn Rand. It was Rand's first major literary success and its Royalties and movie rights " The novel was rejected by twelve publishers before finally being accepted by the Bobbs-Merrill Company publishing house, upon the insistence of editorial board member Archibald Ogden. The Bobbs-Merrill Company was a book Publisher located in Indianapolis, Indiana. ^[17]

The Fountainhead eventually became a worldwide success, bringing Rand fame and financial security. In the sixty years since it was published, it has sold six million copies, and continues to sell about 100,000 copies per year. ^[17]

In 1949 Rand's novel was made into a major motion picture by Warner Brothers with Gary Cooper and Patricia Neal; Rand wrote the screenplay. The Fountainhead is a 1949 American Drama film based on the book of the same name by Ayn Rand. Warner Bros Entertainment Inc (or Warner Bros, Warner Bros Pictures) is one of the world's largest producers of Film and Frank James “Gary” Cooper (May 7 &ndashMay 13) was an American film actor and iconic star Patricia Neal (born January 20 1926) is an American award-winning Actress of stage and screen Following the success of The Fountainhead, she wrote screenplays for two other movies, Love Letters and You Came Along. Love Letters is a 1945 film adapted by Ayn Rand from the novel Pity My Simplicity by Christopher Massie. You Came Along is a 1945 Romance film set in World War II. It starred Robert Cummings and in her film debut Lizabeth Scott

Atlas Shrugged

Main article: Atlas Shrugged

Rand's magnum opus, Atlas Shrugged, was published in 1957. Atlas Shrugged is a novel by Ayn Rand, first published in 1957 in the United States Magnum opus (sometimes Opus magnum, plural magna opera) from the Latin meaning great work, refers to the best the greatest Due to the success of The Fountainhead, the initial printing ran to 100,000 copies,^[18] and the book went on to become an international bestseller. Sales of Atlas Shrugged remained strong in subsequent decades, and it has been cited by many interviewees as the book that most influenced them. (See Popular interest and influence, below. )

The theme of Atlas Shrugged is the role of man's mind in society. Its plot involves a dystopian America in which industrialists and other creative individuals go on strike and retreat to a mountainous hideaway where they build an independent free economy. A dystopia (from the Greek δυσ- and τόπος alternatively cacotopia, kakotopia, cackotopia, or anti-utopia) is the vision of a society Strike action, often simply called a strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal by Employees to perform work. A free market is a Market in which property rights are voluntarily exchanged at a price arranged completely by the mutual consent of sellers and buyers The novel includes elements of mystery and science fiction, and deals with other diverse issues as wide-ranging as sex, music, medicine, politics, philosophy, industry, and human ability. Atlas Shrugged contains Rand's most extensive statement of Objectivism of any in her works of fiction, including a 30 page monologue delivered by the novel's hero, John Galt. A hero (from Greek grc ἥρως hērōs) in Greek mythology and Folklore, was originally a Demigod, the offspring of a mortal and John Galt is one of the main characters in Ayn Rand 's novel Atlas Shrugged.

Philosophy: Objectivism

Main articles: Objectivism (Ayn Rand) and Ayn Rand and the history of philosophy

Rand's philosophical system, Objectivism, encompasses positions on metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, politics and aesthetics. Objectivism is a Philosophy developed by Ayn Rand in the 20th century that encompasses positions on Metaphysics, Epistemology, Ayn Rand was a Russian American Novelist and Philosopher whose relationship with the History of philosophy is Metaphysics is the branch of Philosophy investigating principles of reality transcending those of any particular science Epistemology (from Greek επιστήμη - episteme, "knowledge" + λόγος, " Logos " or theory of knowledge Ethics is a major branch of Philosophy, encompassing right conduct and good life Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions Aesthetics or esthetics ( also spelled æsthetics) is commonly known as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values sometimes called

Objectivism embraces objective reality in metaphysics, reason in epistemology, and rational egoism in ethics. Objectivity is both an important and very difficult concept to pin down in philosophy Metaphysics is the branch of Philosophy investigating principles of reality transcending those of any particular science Reason involves the ability to think understand and draw Conclusions in an Abstract way as in Human thinking Epistemology (from Greek επιστήμη - episteme, "knowledge" + λόγος, " Logos " or theory of knowledge Rational egoism is the thesis that the pursuit of one's own Self-interest is always rational. In politics she was a proponent of laissez-faire capitalism and individual rights, believing that the sole function of a proper government is protection of individual rights (including property rights). Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions Individual rights refer to the Rights of Individuals in contrast with Group rights. Property is any physical or virtual entity that is owned by an individual

She believed that individuals should choose their values and actions solely by reason. According to Rand, the individual "must exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself. The pursuit of his own rational self-interest and of his own happiness is the highest moral purpose of his life. "^[19] Because she held that faith is antithetical to reason, Rand opposed religion. Faith is a Belief in the trustworthiness of an Idea. Formal usage of the word "faith" is usually reserved for concepts of Religion, as in

Rand considered the initiation of force or fraud to be immoral, and held that government action should consist only in protecting citizens from criminal aggression (via the police), foreign aggression (via the military), and in maintaining a system of courts to decide guilt or innocence for objectively defined crimes and to resolve disputes. The initiation of force is the start or beginning of the use of physical and/or legal Coercion, Violence, or Restraint. Her politics are generally described as minarchist and libertarian, though she did not use the first term and disavowed any connection to the second. In Civics, minarchism, sometimes called minimal Statism, small government, or limited-government Libertarianism Libertarianism is a term used by a broad spectrum of political philosophies which prioritize individual Liberty and seek to minimize or even abolish the ^[20]

Rand, a self-described hero-worshiper, stated in her book The Romantic Manifesto that the goal of her writing was "the projection of an ideal man. The Romantic Manifesto A Philosophy of Literature is a Non-fiction work by Ayn Rand, a collection of essays regarding the nature of Art. " In reference to her philosophy, Objectivism, she said: "My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute. "^[21]

Rand was greatly influenced by Aristotle, found early inspiration in Friedrich Nietzsche, and was vociferously opposed to some of the views of Immanuel Kant. Aristotle (Greek Aristotélēs) (384 BC – 322 BC was a Greek philosopher a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15 1844 August 25 1900 ( was a nineteenth-century German philosopher and classical philologist Immanuel Kant (ɪmanuəl kant 22 April 1724 12 February 1804 was an 18th-century German Philosopher from the Prussian city of Königsberg She also had an intellectual kinship with John Locke, who conceptualized the ideas that individuals "own themselves," have a right to the products of their own labor, and have natural rights to life, liberty, and property,^[22] and more generally with the philosophies of the Age of Enlightenment and the Age of Reason. John Locke (29 August 1632 – 28 October 1704 was an English Philosopher. The Age of Enlightenment or The Enlightenment is a term used to describe a phase in Western philosophy and cultural life centered upon the eighteenth century 17th century philosophy in the Western world is generally regarded as being the start of Modern philosophy, and a departure from the medieval approach She occasionally reported her approval of specific philosophical positions, including some of Baruch Spinoza and St. Thomas Aquinas. Baruch or Benedict de Spinoza (ברוך שפינוזה Bento de Espinosa Benedictus de Spinoza ( November 24, 1632 – February 21,

Objectivist movement

Main article: Objectivist movement

In 1950 Rand moved to 120 East 34th Street^[23] in New York City, and formed a group (jokingly designated "The Collective") which included future Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan, a young psychology student named Nathan Blumenthal (later Nathaniel Branden) and his wife Barbara, and Leonard Peikoff, all of whom had been profoundly influenced by The Fountainhead. The Objectivist movement is a movement to study and advance Ayn Rand ’s philosophy Objectivism. The City of New York The Collective was a group of men and women who were close confidants students and proponents of Ayn Rand and her philosophy of Objectivism during the 50's and 60's Alan Greenspan (born March 6 1926 in New York City) is an American Economist and was from 1987 to 2006 the Chairman of the Federal Reserve of Nathaniel Branden, né Nathan Blumenthal (born 9 April 1930 in Brampton, Ontario, Canada) is a psychotherapist Barbara Branden (born Barbara Weidman 14 May 1929, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) is a Canadian writer Leonard S Peikoff (born October 15, 1933) is an Objectivist philosopher According to Branden, "I wrote Miss Rand a letter in 1949 . . . [and] I was invited to her home for a personal meeting in March, 1950, a month before I turned twenty. "^[24] Rand launched the Objectivist movement with this group to promote her philosophy. Objectivism is a Philosophy developed by Ayn Rand in the 20th century that encompasses positions on Metaphysics, Epistemology,

The group originally started out as informal gathering of friends who met with Rand on weekends at her apartment to discuss philosophy; later the Collective would proceed to play a larger, more formal role, helping edit Atlas Shrugged and promoting Rand's philosophy through the Nathaniel Branden Institute (NBI), established by him for that purpose. Nathaniel Branden Institute (originally Nathaniel Branden Lectures was an organization founded by Nathaniel Branden in 1958 to promote Ayn Rand 's philosophy of Many Collective members gave lectures at the NBI and in cities across the United States, while others wrote articles for its sister newsletter, The Objectivist. The Objectivist was a monthly Objectivist magazine published from January 1966 to September 1971 as the successor to The Objectivist Newsletter. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Rand developed and promoted her Objectivist philosophy through both her fiction and non-fiction works, and by giving talks at several east-coast universities, largely through the NBI. "The Objectivist Newsletter, later expanded and renamed simply The Objectivist, contained essays by Rand, Branden, and other associates . The Objectivist Newsletter was an 4-page Objectivist magazine published monthly from January 1962 to December 1965 when it was replaced by The Objectivist. . . that analyzed current political events and applied the principles of Objectivism to everyday life. "^[25] Rand later published some of these in book form.

After several years, Rand's close relationship with the much younger Branden turned into a romantic affair, with the consent of their spouses. ^[26] It lasted until Branden (having separated from Barbara) entered into an affair with the young actress Patrecia Scott, whom he later married. Patrecia Wynand ( January 23 1940 - March 31 1977) was born Patrecia Gullison in Canada and was a successful model and television The Brandens hid the affair from Rand, and when she found out, she abruptly ended her relationship with both Brandens and with the NBI, which closed. She published a letter in The Objectivist repudiating Branden for dishonesty and "irrational behavior",^[27] never disclosing their affair. Both Brandens remain personae non gratae to the mainline Objectivist movement, particularly the group that formed the Ayn Rand Institute. Persona non grata ( Latin, Plural: personae non gratae, also abbreviated PNG literally meaning "an unwelcome person" is a term used The Ayn Rand Institute The Center for the Advancement of Objectivism (ARI is a 501(c(3 nonprofit think tank in Irvine California that promotes Ayn

Several prominent critics of the movement accused it of being a cult,^[28] claiming that it exhibited typical cult traits, including slavish adherence to unprovable doctrine and extreme adulation of the founder. This article does not discuss "cult" in the original sense of "veneration" or "religious practice" for that usage see Cult (religious practice Objectivists counter that even if some of Rand's followers have acted like cultists, this was not intended by Rand, and note that Rand explicitly condemned "blind followers. "^[29]

Political and social views

Rand held that the only moral social system is laissez-faire capitalism. Her political views were strongly individualist and hence anti-statist and anti-Communist. Anti- Statism refers to opposition to state intervention into personal social or economic affairs Anti-communism refers to opposition to Communism. Historically the word "communism" has been used to refer to several types of communal social organization and She exalted what she saw as the heroic American values of rational egoism and individualism. The development of the culture of the United States of America — music, cinema, dance, architecture, literature, poetry Rational egoism is the thesis that the pursuit of one's own Self-interest is always rational. As a champion of rationality, Rand also had a strong opposition to mysticism and religion, which she believed helped foster a crippling culture acting against individual human happiness and success. Mysticism (from the Greek grc μυστικός mystikos, an initiate of a Mystery religion) is the pursuit of communion with identity Rand detested many prominent liberal and conservative politicians of her time, including prominent anti-Communists, such as Harry S. Truman, Ronald Reagan, Hubert Humphrey, and Joseph McCarthy. Liberalism is a broad array of related ideas and theories of Government that consider individual Liberty to be the most important political goal Conservatism in the United States includes a variety of political ideologies including Fiscal conservatism, Supply-side economics, Social conservatism Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr ( May 27, 1911 &ndash January 13, 1978) was the thirty-eighth Vice President of the United States, serving Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14 1908 – May 2 1957 was an American politician who served as a Republican U

Rand is considered one of the three founding mothers (along with Rose Wilder Lane and Isabel Paterson) of modern American libertarianism, although she rejected libertarianism and the libertarian movement. Rose Wilder Lane (b December 5 1886, De Smet, Dakota Territory – d Isabel Paterson (b January 22 1886, - d January 10, 1961) was a Canadian-American journalist author political philosopher and Libertarianism is a term used by a broad spectrum of political philosophies which prioritize individual Liberty and seek to minimize or even abolish the The libertarian movement consists of the various individuals and institutions who expound or promote the ideas and causes of Libertarianism. ^[30] Rand believed that without a proper philosophical base any political movement was doomed to failure.

Wars

Rand opposed U. S. involvement in World War I, World War II,^[31] and the Korean War, although she also strongly denounced pacifism: "When a nation resorts to war, it has some purpose, rightly or wrongly, something to fight for—and the only justifiable purpose is self-defense. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the "^[32]

Rand opposed the stated reasons for U. S. involvement in the Vietnam War,^[32] but also believed that unilateral American withdrawal would be a mistake of appeasement that would embolden communists and the Soviet Union. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia ^[31]

Rand supported Israel during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, which she saw as an attack by a primitive society on a government that supported individual rights. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War (מלחמת יום הכיפורים transliterated: Milkhemet Yom HaKipurim or מלחמת יום ^[33]

Economics

Rand expressed qualified enthusiasm for the economic thought of Ludwig von Mises and Henry Hazlitt, and The Ludwig von Mises Institute notes that "it was largely as a result of Ayn's efforts that the work of von Mises began to reach its potential audience. Ludwig Heinrich Edler von Mises (ˈluːtvɪç fɔn ˈmiːzəs ( September 29, 1881 – October 10, 1973) was an Austrian Henry Hazlitt ( November 28, 1894 – July 8, 1993) was a libertarian Philosopher, Economist, and Journalist The Ludwig von Mises Institute ( LvMI) based in Auburn Alabama, is a Libertarian academic organization engaged in research and scholarship in the fields "^[34] Later Objectivists, such as Richard Salsman, have claimed that Rand's economic theories are implicitly more supportive of the doctrines of Jean-Baptiste Say, though Rand herself was likely not acquainted with his work. Richard M Salsman is an American economist and lecturer His work incorporates Objectivist philosophy and Austrian economics. Jean-Baptiste Say ( January 5, 1767 &ndash November 15, 1832) was a French economist and businessman

Charity

Rand did not see charity as a moral duty or a major virtue and held it to be proper only when the recipient is worthy and when it does not involve sacrifice. ^[35] She opposed all forms of aid given by governments, just as she opposed any other government activity not directed at protecting individual rights.

Gender and sex

See also: Objectivism, Ayn Rand, and homosexuality

Rand's views on gender role are controversial. Objectivism is a Philosophy created by Ayn Rand, which some homosexuals have been interested in for its celebration of personal freedom and individuality A gender role is defined as a set of perceived behavioural norms associated particularly with Males or Females in a given social group or system While her books champion men and women as intellectual equals, she thought that physiological differences between the sexes led to fundamental psychological differences that were the source of gender roles. Rand denied endorsing any kind of power difference between men and women, stating that metaphysical dominance in sexual relations refers to the man's role as the prime mover in sex and the necessity of male arousal for sex to occur. ^[36] According to Rand, "For a woman qua woman, the essence of femininity is hero-worship—the desire to look up to man. "^[37] Rand believed that sex in its highest form is a physical response to intellectual and spiritual values, a mechanism for giving concrete expression to values that could otherwise only be experienced in the abstract.

In a McCall's magazine interview, Rand stated that while women are competent to be President, no rational woman should seek that position; she later explained that it would be psychologically damaging to the woman. McCall's was a monthly American women's Magazine that enjoyed great popularity through much of the 20th century peaking at a readership of six million ^[37] She strongly opposed the modern feminist movement, despite supporting some of its goals. Feminism is a discourse that involves various movements theories, and Philosophies which are concerned with the issue of Gender difference, advocate ^[38] Feminist author Susan Brownmiller called Rand "a traitor to her own sex," while others, including Camille Paglia and the contributors to 1999's Feminist Interpretations of Ayn Rand, have noted Rand's "fiercely independent—and unapologetically sexual" heroines who are unbound by "tradition's chains . Susan Brownmiller (b February 15, 1935) is a radical feminist, journalist and activist Camille Anna Paglia (born 2 April 1947 in Endicott New York) is an American Author, Teacher, Feminist and Social critic . . [and] who had sex because they wanted to. "^[39]

Some of Rand's fiction features sex scenes with stylized erotic combat that some claim borders on rape. Rape, also referred to as Sexual assault, is an Assault by a person involving Sexual intercourse with or Sexual penetration of another person Rand said that if what The Fountainhead depicted was rape it was "rape by engraved invitation. "^[40] In a review of a biography of Rand, writer Jenny Turner opined,

"the sex in Rand’s novels is extraordinarily violent and fetishistic. In The Fountainhead, the first coupling of the heroes, heralded by whips and rock drills and horseback riding and cracks in marble, is ‘an act of scorn . . . not as love, but as defilement’—in other words, a rape. . . In Atlas Shrugged, erotic tension is cleverly increased by having one heroine bound into a plot with lots of spectacularly cruel and handsome men. ^[12]

Homosexuality

Another source of controversy is Rand's view of homosexuality. Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. Rand stated at the Ford Hall Forum at Northeastern University in 1971, that homosexuality is "immoral" and "disgusting. The Ford Hall Forum is the oldest free public lecture series in the United States. Northeastern University, abbreviated NU or NEU, is a private University in Boston Massachusetts. "^[41] Specifically, she stated that "there is a psychological immorality at the root of homosexuality" because "it involves psychological flaws, corruptions, errors, or unfortunate premises. "^[42] A number of noted current and former Objectivists have been highly critical of Rand for her views on homosexuality. ^[43] Others, such as Kurt Keefner, have argued that "Rand’s views were in line with the views at the time of the general public and the psychiatric community," though he asserts that "she never provided the slightest argument for her position, . . . because she regarded the matter as self-evident, like the woman president issue,"^[44] although in her article "About a Woman President" Rand said that that issue was not self-evident.

In the same appearance, Rand noted, "I do not believe that the government has the right to prohibit homosexual behavior. Human sexual behavior or different human sexual practices encompass a wide range of activities such as strategies to find or attract partners ( Mating and display It is the privilege of any individual to use his sex life in whichever way he wants it. "^[41]

Race

Rand opposed ethnic and racial prejudice on moral grounds, in essays like "Racism" and "Global Balkanization," while still arguing for the right of individuals and businesses to act on such prejudice without government intervention. Balkanization is a geopolitical term originally used to describe the process of fragmentation or division of a region or state into smaller regions or states that are often She wrote, "Racism is the lowest, most crudely primitive form of collectivism . List of racism-related topics|Racism by country Racism, by its simplest definition is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that Collectivism is a term used to describe any moral political or social outlook that stresses human Interdependence and the importance of a Collective, rather than . . [the notion] that a man is to be judged, not by his own character and actions, but by the characters and actions of a collective of ancestors,"^[45] but opposed governmental remedies for this problem: "Private racism is not a legal, but a moral issue—and can be fought only by private means, such as economic boycott or social ostracism. A boycott is a form of Consumer activism involving the act of voluntarily abstaining from using buying or dealing with someone or some other organization as an expression of "^[46]

HUAC testimony

In 1947, during the Second Red Scare, Rand testified as a "friendly witness" before the United States House Un-American Activities Committee. McCarthyism is a term describing the intense anti-communist suspicion in the United States in a period that lasted roughly from the late 1940s to the late 1950s The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The House Committee on Un-American Activities ( HUAC or HCUA 1938–1975 was an investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives. Her testimony regarded the disparity between her personal experiences in the Soviet Union and the fanciful portrayal of it in the 1943 film Song of Russia. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Song of Russia is an 1944 American War film made and distributed by MGM Studios. Rand argued that the film grossly misrepresented the socioeconomic conditions in the Soviet Union and portrayed life in the USSR as being much better than it actually was. Furthermore, she believed that even if a temporary alliance with the USSR was necessary to defeat the Nazis, the case for this should not have been made by portraying what she believed were falsely positive images of Soviet life:

If we had good reason, if that is what you believe, all right, then why not tell the truth? Say it is a dictatorship, but we want to be associated with it. Say it is worthwhile being associated with the devil, as Churchill said, in order to defeat another evil which is Hitler. There might be some good argument made for that. But why pretend that Russia was not what it was?"^[47]

After the hearings, when Rand was asked about her feelings on the effectiveness of their investigations, she described the process as "futile". ^[47]

Later years

Visiting lecturer

Beginning in 1960, Rand was a visiting lecturer at several universities such as Yale University, Princeton University and Columbia University. Princeton University is a private Coeducational research university located in Princeton, New Jersey. Columbia University is a private University in the United States and a member of the Ivy League. In subsequent years, she went on to lecture at University of Wisconsin, Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University and MIT. ^[48] She received an honorary doctorate from Lewis & Clark College in 1963. Lewis & Clark College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in Portland Oregon, United States. ^[49]

For many years, she gave an annual lecture at the Ford Hall Forum, answering questions from the audience afterward. The Ford Hall Forum is the oldest free public lecture series in the United States.

Declining health and death

In 1973, she was briefly reunited with her youngest sister, Nora, who still lived in the Soviet Union. ^[25] Although Rand had written 1,200 letters to her family in the Soviet Union, and had attempted to bring them to the United States, she had ceased contacting them in 1937 after reading a notice in the post office that letters from Americans might imperil Russians at risk from Stalinist repression. Joseph Stalin ( ნამდვილი გვარი ჯუღაშვილი|Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili; March 5 1953 was General Secretary of the Communist Party ^[50] Rand received a letter from Nora in 1973 and invited her and her husband to America; but her sister's views had changed, and to Rand's disappointment Nora voluntarily returned to the USSR. ^[51]

Rand underwent surgery for lung cancer in 1974, and conflicts continued in the wake of the break with Branden and the subsequent collapse of the NBI. Lung cancer is a Disease of uncontrolled Cell growth in tissues of the Lung. Many of her closest "Collective" friends parted company, and during the late 1970s her activities within the Objectivist movement declined, especially after the death of her husband on November 9, 1979. Events 694 - Egica, a king of the Visigoths of Hispania, accuses Jews of aiding Muslims sentencing all Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) ^[52] One of her final projects was work on a television adaptation of Atlas Shrugged. She had also planned to write another novel, To Lorne Dieterling, but did not get far in her notes. ^[53]

Rand died of heart failure on March 6, 1982 at her 34th Street home in New York City,^[54] years after having successfully battled cancer, and was interred in the Kensico Cemetery, Valhalla, New York. Heart failure is a Cardiac condition that occurs when a problem with the structure or function of the Heart impairs its ability to supply Events 1079 - Omar Khayyám completes the Iranian calendar. 1454 - Thirteen Years' War: Delegates of Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) The City of New York Towerkensicojpg|thumb|The Tower at the upper entrance to Kensico Cemetery]] Kensico Cemetery, located in Valhalla, Westchester County New York, was founded Valhalla is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP located in the town of Mount Pleasant in Westchester County New York, Rand's funeral was attended by some of her prominent followers, including Alan Greenspan. Alan Greenspan (born March 6 1926 in New York City) is an American Economist and was from 1987 to 2006 the Chairman of the Federal Reserve of A six-foot floral arrangement in the shape of a dollar sign was placed near her casket. ^[10]

Legacy

Rand's books continue to be widely sold and read, with 25 million copies sold (as of 2007), and 800,000 more being sold each year. ^[55] While in general Rand's work has had little effect on academic philosophy, there has been an increased scholarly interest in her work in recent years. Following Rand's death, continued conflict within the Objectivist movement led to establishment of independent organizations claiming to be her intellectual heirs.

Ayn Rand Institute

Main article: Ayn Rand Institute

In 1985, Leonard Peikoff, a surviving member of "The Collective" and Ayn Rand's designated heir, established "The Ayn Rand Institute: The Center for the Advancement of Objectivism" (ARI). The Ayn Rand Institute The Center for the Advancement of Objectivism (ARI is a 501(c(3 nonprofit think tank in Irvine California that promotes Ayn Leonard S Peikoff (born October 15, 1933) is an Objectivist philosopher The Collective was a group of men and women who were close confidants students and proponents of Ayn Rand and her philosophy of Objectivism during the 50's and 60's The Ayn Rand Institute The Center for the Advancement of Objectivism (ARI is a 501(c(3 nonprofit think tank in Irvine California that promotes Ayn The Ayn Rand Institute "works to introduce young people to Ayn Rand's novels, to support scholarship and research based on her ideas, and to promote the principles of reason, rational self-interest, individual rights and laissez-faire capitalism to the widest possible audience. "

The Objectivist Center and The Atlas Society

Main article: The Atlas Society

Another schism in the movement occurred in 1989, when Objectivist David Kelley wrote "A Question of Sanction," in which he defended his choice to speak to non-Objectivist libertarian groups: "It was a response to an article by Peter Schwartz in The Intellectual Activist, demanding that those who speak to libertarians be ostracized from the movement. The Atlas Society — of which The Objectivist Center (TOC is a part — is a research and advocacy organization promoting "a culture that affirms the core Objectivist values of reason David Kelley (born 1949 in Cleveland Ohio) is an American Philosopher and Author. Libertarianism is a term used by a broad spectrum of political philosophies which prioritize individual Liberty and seek to minimize or even abolish the Peter Schwartz is a writer and journalist who follows the Objectivist philosophy of Ayn Rand. . . [I] observed that Objectivism is not a closed system of belief; and that we might actually learn something by talking to people we disagree with. "^[56] Kelley's description of the reasons behind the break is disputed by the Ayn Rand Institute. Peikoff, in an article for The Intellectual Activist called "Fact and Value" argued that Objectivism is, indeed, a closed system, and that truth and morality are directly related. The Intellectual Activist is a monthly Objectivist magazine based in Charlottesville Virginia. ^[57] Peikoff expelled Kelley from his organization, whereupon Kelley founded The Institute for Objectivist Studies, now known as The Atlas Society, which has its own web site that is focused on attracting readers of Ayn Rand's fiction, downplaying her role as a philosopher. The Atlas Society — of which The Objectivist Center (TOC is a part — is a research and advocacy organization promoting "a culture that affirms the core Objectivist values of reason The associated Objectivist Center division deals with more academic ventures. The Atlas Society/Objectivist Center also publishes The New Individualist (formerly Navigator).

Popular interest and influence

Although Rand's influence has been greatest in the United States, she has a growing international following. ^[58] Her books were international best sellers, and they continue to sell in large numbers. ^[59] For example, Atlas Shrugged is consistently in the top few hundred best sellers at Amazon. com;^[60] 185,000 copies were sold in 2007, fifty years after it was first published. ^[61]

When asked in a 1991 survey by the Library of Congress and the Book-of-the-Month Club what the most influential book in the respondent's life was, Rand's Atlas Shrugged was the second most popular choice, after the Bible. The Library of Congress is the De facto National library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress The Book of the Month Club (founded 1926) is a United States Mail-order business customers of which are offered a new Book each month Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin ^[62] Readers polled in 1998 and 1999 by Modern Library placed four of her books on the 100 Best Novels list (Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead, Anthem, and We the Living were in first, second, seventh, and eighth place, respectively) and one on the 100 Best Nonfiction list (The Virtue of Selfishness, in first place), with books about Rand and her philosophy in third and sixth place. Anthem is a Dystopian fiction Novella by Ayn Rand, first published in 1938 The Virtue of Selfishness A New Concept of Egoism is a 1964 collection of Essays and papers by Ayn Rand and Nathaniel Branden. ^[63] However, the validity of such polls has been disputed. ^[64][65] A Freestar Media/Zogby poll conducted in 2007 found that around 8 percent of American adults have read Atlas Shrugged. ^[66]

Many notable individuals have acknowledged that Rand significantly influenced their lives, including: Sinan Çetin, Roy A. Childs, James Clavell, Edward Cline, Chris Cox, Mark Cuban, Paul DePodesta, Steve Ditko, Terry Goodkind, Alan Greenspan, Hugh Hefner, Erika Holzer, Angelina Jolie, Billie Jean King, Anton LaVey, Rush Limbaugh, Frank Miller, Ron Paul, Neil Peart, Robert Ringer, Tracey Ross, Kay Nolte Smith, John Stossel, Clarence Thomas, Vince Vaughn, and Jimmy Wales. Sinan Çetin (born March 1 1953 in Bahçesaray, Turkey) is a Turkish Actor, Film director, and producer Roy A Childs Jr ( April 1, 1949 - May 1992 was an American libertarian essayist and critic James Clavell, born Charles Edmund Dumaresq Clavell ( 10 October, 1924 – 7 September, 1994) was a British (later Edward Cline is a novelist and essayist born in 1946 best known for his Sparrowhawk series of novels which take place in England and Virginia before the Charles Christopher Cox (born October 16, 1952, in St Paul Minnesota, USA has served as Chairman of the U Mark Cuban (born July 31, 1958 in Pittsburgh). He is the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, an NBA Basketball team, Paul DePodesta (born December 16, 1972) is a baseball front-office assistant for the San Diego Padres. Steve Ditko (born 2 November 1927) is an American Comic book Artist and Writer best known as the co-creator of the Terry Goodkind (born 1948 in Omaha Nebraska USA is a contemporary American writer and Author of the best-selling Epic fantasy series The Alan Greenspan (born March 6 1926 in New York City) is an American Economist and was from 1987 to 2006 the Chairman of the Federal Reserve of Hugh Marston Hefner (born April 9 1926 is an American Magazine Publisher, and best known as the editor-in-chief of Playboy magazine Erika Holzer 19XX)--> is an American Novelist and essayist who was a member of Ayn Angelina Jolie (born Angelina Jolie Voight on June 4 1975 is an American film actor Billie Jean King ( née Moffitt) (born November 22, 1943, in Long Beach, California) is a retired Tennis Anton Szandor LaVey, (April 11 1930 &ndash October 24 1997 born Howard Stanton Levey, was the American Founder and High Priest of the Rush Hudson Limbaugh III (born January 12, 1951) is an American radio host and conservative Political commentator. Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American Writer, Artist and Film director best known for his dark Neil Peart (ˈpɪərt OC, (born Neil Ellwood Peart, September 12, 1952, Hamilton, Ontario) is a Canadian Musician Robert Ringer is an American Entrepreneur, Motivational speaker, and author of several best-selling Self-help books Linda Tracey Ross (born February 27, 1959 in Brooklyn New York, U Kay Nolte Smith (1932-1993 was an American writer She published seven novels before her death from cancer at age 61 John F Stossel (born March 6 1947 is a Consumer Reporter, investigative journalist, author Libertarian columnist and co-anchor Clarence Thomas (born June 23, 1948) is an American Jurist. He has been serving as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Vincent Anthony "Vince" Vaughn (born March 28, 1970) is an American Film actor. Jimmy Donal "Jimbo" Wales (born August 7 1966 is an American Internet entrepreneur known ^[67] Rand's philosophy of Objectivism continues to influence workers in the arts, business, and science. The "Randex" Web site updates a list of recent media references to Rand or her work. ^[68]

BioShock, an award-winning video game released in the summer of 2007, is built around a story influenced by Rand's philosophy and Atlas Shrugged. BioShock is a video game by 2K Boston/2K Australia —previously known as Irrational Games A video game is a Game that involves interaction with a User interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. ^[69]

Rand appears on a 33 cent U.S. postage stamp,^[70] which debuted 22 April 1999 in New York City. This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of the United States of America (USA. Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar)

Rand's work and academic philosophy

During Rand's lifetime her work was not given much attention by academic philosophers, and currently only a few universities consider Rand or Objectivism to be a philosophical specialty or research area. Many adherents and practitioners of continental philosophy criticize her celebration of self-interest, and as a result there has been little focus on her work in this intellectual discipline. Continental philosophy, in contemporary usage refers to a set of traditions of 19th and 20th century philosophy from mainland Europe However, since her death in 1982, there has been an increase in academic interest in Ayn Rand's work. ^[71] In a 1999 interview in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Rand scholar Chris Matthew Sciabarra said, "I know they laugh at Rand," while also noting a growing interest in her work in the academic community. ^[72]

Fellowships for the study of Ayn Rand's ideas have been established by the Anthem Foundation for Objectivist Scholarship at academic institutions such as the University of Texas at Austin. ^[73] Courses of the Ayn Rand Institute's Objectivist Academic Center now earn university credits. ^[74]

The nonpartisan Journal of Ayn Rand Studies (JARS), a scholarly, peer reviewed journal dedicated to the study of Ayn Rand—principally her philosophic work—is published twice yearly. ^[75]

The Ayn Rand Society, founded in 1987 and affiliated with the American Philosophical Association, has been active in sponsoring seminars. The American Philosophical Association is the main professional organization for Philosophers in the United States. ^[76] A 2006 conference at the University of Pittsburgh, "Concepts and Objectivity: Knowledge, Science, and Values," featured presentations by Objectivists Onkar Ghate, Allan Gotthelf, James Lennox, and Darryl Wright alongside non-Objectivist academics such as A. Allan Gotthelf (born Brooklyn NY 1942 is Emeritus professor of Philosophy at The College of New Jersey and visiting professor of history and P. Martinich and Peter Railton. Peter Albert Railton (born 23 May 1950) is John Stephenson Perrin Professor of Philosophy at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor. ^[77]

In 2006, Cambridge University Press published Ayn Rand's Normative Ethics: The Virtuous Egoist, a volume on Rand's ethical theory written by ARI-affiliated scholar Tara Smith, a philosophy professor at the University of Texas at Austin. Cambridge University Press (known colloquially as CUP is a Publisher given a Royal Charter by Henry VIII in 1534 Tara Smith (born 1961 is a professor of Philosophy and holder of the BB&T Chair for the Study of Objectivism and holder of the Anthem A review of Smith's book by Helen Cullyer of the University of Pittsburgh, published in Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews, ends with the following:

"It should be stressed in conclusion that whether one is a fan or a detractor of Ayn Rand, the issues raised by this book are manifold and provocative. This book should force a debate of renewed vigor about what we mean by egoism, whether and how the egoism/altruism dichotomy should be applied within eudaemonistic ethical theories, and what our ethical theories imply about our political outlook. Smith provides us with a version of egoism that will need to be argued against by those who find it distasteful or misguided, rather than simply dismissed. "^[78]

Student activism

Objectivism has remained popular on college campuses, with dozens of student groups dedicated to promoting and studying the philosophy of Objectivism^[79][80][81] spread across the U. S. , Australia, Canada, Israel, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Norway. ^[82] These clubs often present controversial speakers on topics such as abortion, religion, and foreign policy, often allying with controversial conservative (and sometimes liberal) organizations to organize their events. For example the NYU Objectivism Club hosted a joint panel^[83] on the Muhammad cartoons that received nationwide coverage for NYU's censorship of the cartoons. ^[84] There are several dozen speakers sponsored by the Ayn Rand Institute^[85] and other organizations who give nationwide tours each year speaking about Objectivism.

The Ayn Rand Institute has spent more than $5M on educational programs advancing Objectivism, including scholarships and clubs. The Ayn Rand Institute The Center for the Advancement of Objectivism (ARI is a 501(c(3 nonprofit think tank in Irvine California that promotes Ayn These clubs often obtain educational materials and speakers from the ARI. The Objectivist Club Association and ObjectivismOnline provide free hosting and organizational resources for Objectivist clubs. There are also several conferences organized by various organizations, such as the Objectivist Conferences, which draw several hundred attendees each summer and feature philosophy courses and presentations of new publications and research.

Criticism

Philosophical criticism

Main article: Criticism of Objectivism (Ayn Rand)

Academic philosophers have generally dismissed Rand's ideas, and Atlas Shrugged in particular, as sophomoric, preachy, and unoriginal. ^[86]

A notable exception to the general lack of attention paid to Rand in academic philosophy is the essay "On the Randian Argument" by Harvard University philosopher Robert Nozick, which appears in his collection, Socratic Puzzles. Robert Nozick ( November 16, 1938  &ndash January 23, 2002) was an American Philosopher and Pellegrino University Nozick is sympathetic to Rand's political conclusions, but does not think her arguments justify them. In particular, his essay criticizes her foundational argument in ethics—laid out most explicitly in her book The Virtue of Selfishness—which claims that one's own life is, for each individual, the ultimate value because it makes all other values possible. Nozick says that to make this argument sound one needs to explain why someone could not rationally prefer dying and thus having no values. Thus, he argues, her attempt to defend the morality of selfishness is essentially an instance of begging the question. In Logic, begging the question has traditionally described a type of Logical fallacy (also called petitio principii) in which the proposition Nozick also argues that Rand's solution to David Hume's famous is-ought problem is unsatisfactory. David Hume (26 April 1711 25 August 1776 Scottish Philosopher, Economist, and Historian is an important figure in Western philosophy In Meta-ethics, the is-ought problem was raised by David Hume ( Scottish Philosopher and Historian, 1711 &ndash

Rand has also been accused of misinterpreting the works of many of the philosophers that she criticized in her writing. According to Fred Seddon, author of Ayn Rand, Objectivists, and the History of Philosophy (2003), Nathaniel Branden has stated that she never read any of Kant's works. ^[87]

In addition, Raymond Boisvert, a philosophy professor at Siena College in Loudonville, has opined that Rand's theories are out of sync with the complex interrelationships and interconnected systems of modern life. ^[88]

Literary criticism

Rand's novels, when they were first published, "received almost unanimously terrible reviews"^[12] and were derided by some critics as long and melodramatic. ^[89] However, they became bestsellers due largely to word of mouth. ^[12] Scholars of English and American literature have largely ignored her work, although Rand has received occasional positive reviews from the literary establishment. Literature is the Art of written works Literally translated the word means "acquaintance with letters" (from Latin littera letter . "^[90] For example, in the Literary Encyclopedia John Lewis of Ashland University calls her works "the most intellectually challenging fiction of her generation. "^[91]

The most famous review of Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged was written by the conservative author Whittaker Chambers and appeared in National Review in 1957. Whittaker Chambers ( April 1, 1901 &ndash July 9, 1961) born Jay Vivian Chambers and also known as David Whittaker National Review ( NR) is a biweekly Magazine and Web site, founded by the late author William F It was unrelentingly scathing. Chambers called the book "sophomoric"; and "remarkably silly," and said it "can be called a novel only by devaluing the term. " He described the tone of the book as "shrillness without reprieve". Chambers accused Rand of supporting the same godless system as the Soviets, claiming "From almost any page of Atlas Shrugged, a voice can be heard, from painful necessity, commanding: 'To the gas chambers—go!'"^[92] Five decades later, The Intellectual Activist published a reply, arguing that Chambers had not actually read the book, as he misspelled the names of two major characters and used no quotations from the novel in his critique. The Soviet Union was an Atheist state, in which religion was largely discouraged and heavily persecuted ^[93]

Another critic, Mimi Gladstein (author of The New Ayn Rand Companion), called Rand's characters flat and uninteresting, and her heroes implausibly wealthy, intelligent, physically attractive and free of doubt while arrayed against antagonists who are weak, pathetic, full of uncertainty, and lacking in imagination and talent. ^[94]

Rand stated in a 1963 essay, titled "The Goal of My Writing", that her fiction was intentionally different in that its goal was to project a vision of an ideal man: not man as he is, but man as he might be and ought to be. Rand, who described herself as a "romantic realist", presented her theory of aesthetics more fully in her 1969 book, The Romantic Manifesto: A Philosophy of Literature. Romantic Realism is an aesthetic term that usually refers to Art that deals with the themes of volition and value while also acknowledging

Bibliography

Fiction

• Night of January 16th (1934) ISBN 0-452-26486-3
• We the Living (1936) ISBN 0-451-18784-9
• Anthem (1938) ISBN 0-451-19113-7
• The Fountainhead (1943) ISBN 0-451-19115-3
• Atlas Shrugged (1957) ISBN 0-451-19114-5

Nonfiction

• For the New Intellectual (1961) ISBN 0-451-16308-7
• The Virtue of Selfishness (with Nathaniel Branden) (1964) ISBN 0-451-16393-1
• Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal (with Nathaniel Branden, Alan Greenspan, and Robert Hessen) (1966) ISBN 0-451-14795-2
• Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology (1967) ISBN 0-452-01030-6 (expanded second edition)
• The Romantic Manifesto (1969) ISBN 0-451-14916-5
• The New Left: The Anti-Industrial Revolution (1971) ISBN 0-452-01184-1
• Philosophy: Who Needs It posthumously edited by Leonard Peikoff (1982) ISBN 0-451-13893-7. Night of January 16 is a play written by Ayn Rand, inspired by the death of the "Match King" Ivar Kreuger. We the Living is Ayn Rand 's first novel It was also Rand's first expression against Communism (though she stated that like her other novels political Anthem is a Dystopian fiction Novella by Ayn Rand, first published in 1938 The Fountainhead is a 1943 Novel by Ayn Rand. It was Rand's first major literary success and its Royalties and movie rights Atlas Shrugged is a novel by Ayn Rand, first published in 1957 in the United States For the New Intellectual The Philosophy of Ayn Rand is a 1961 book by Ayn Rand. The Virtue of Selfishness A New Concept of Egoism is a 1964 collection of Essays and papers by Ayn Rand and Nathaniel Branden. Nathaniel Branden, né Nathan Blumenthal (born 9 April 1930 in Brampton, Ontario, Canada) is a psychotherapist Capitalism The Unknown Ideal is one of Ayn Rand 's Non-fiction work a collection of essays regarding the moral nature of Laissez-faire Nathaniel Branden, né Nathan Blumenthal (born 9 April 1930 in Brampton, Ontario, Canada) is a psychotherapist Alan Greenspan (born March 6 1926 in New York City) is an American Economist and was from 1987 to 2006 the Chairman of the Federal Reserve of Robert Hessen, PhD, is an American economic and business historian, a widely published author a Professor in the Graduate Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology, published in 1979, was Ayn Rand 's attempt to summarize Objectivist epistemology and the Objectivist The Romantic Manifesto A Philosophy of Literature is a Non-fiction work by Ayn Rand, a collection of essays regarding the nature of Art. The New Left The Anti-Industrial Revolution is a collection of essays by Ayn Rand. Philosophy Who Needs It is a posthumous collection of essays by Ayn Rand, published in 1982 that deal with the subject of philosophy in general The title essay was originally an address to the 1974 graduating class of the United States Military Academy. "USMA" redirects here For other uses see USMA (disambiguation The United States Military Academy (also known as USMA, [2]

Posthumous works

• The Early Ayn Rand (edited and with commentary by Leonard Peikoff) (1984)
• The Voice of Reason: Essays in Objectivist Thought (edited by Leonard Peikoff; additional essays by Leonard Peikoff and Peter Schwartz) (1989)
• Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology second edition (edited by Harry Binswanger; additional material by Leonard Peikoff) (1990)
• Letters of Ayn Rand (edited by Michael S. The Early Ayn Rand is a collection of unpublished early short stories plays and excerpts from We the Living and The Fountainhead Leonard S Peikoff (born October 15, 1933) is an Objectivist philosopher For the episode of The Outer Limits see The Voice of Reason (The Outer Limits. Leonard S Peikoff (born October 15, 1933) is an Objectivist philosopher Leonard S Peikoff (born October 15, 1933) is an Objectivist philosopher Peter Schwartz is a writer and journalist who follows the Objectivist philosophy of Ayn Rand. Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology, published in 1979, was Ayn Rand 's attempt to summarize Objectivist epistemology and the Objectivist Harry Binswanger (born in Richmond Virginia, in 1944 is an American Philosopher and writer Leonard S Peikoff (born October 15, 1933) is an Objectivist philosopher Berliner) (1995)
• Journals of Ayn Rand (edited by David Harriman) (1997)
• Ayn Rand's Marginalia: Her Critical Comments on the Writings of over Twenty Authors (edited by Robert Mayhew) (1998)
• The Ayn Rand Column: Written for the Los Angeles Times (edited by Peter Schwartz) (1998)
• Russian Writings on Hollywood (edited by Michael S. The Ayn Rand Column Written for the Los Angeles Times is a collection of the Newspaper columns that Ayn Rand wrote for the Los Angeles Times Peter Schwartz is a writer and journalist who follows the Objectivist philosophy of Ayn Rand. Berliner) (1999)
• Return of the Primitive: The Anti-Industrial Revolution (expanded edition of The New Left; edited and with additional essays by Peter Schwartz) (1999)
• The Art of Fiction (edited by Tore Boeckmann) (2000)
• The Art of Nonfiction (edited by Robert Mayhew) (2001)
• The Objectivism Research CD-ROM (collection of most of Rand's works in CD-ROM format) (2001)
• Three Plays (2005)
• Ayn Rand Answers (edited by Robert Mayhew) (2005)

Film adaptations

Without Rand's knowledge or permission, We the Living was made into a pair of films, Noi vivi and Addio, Kira in 1942 by Scalara Films, Rome. The New Left The Anti-Industrial Revolution is a collection of essays by Ayn Rand. Peter Schwartz is a writer and journalist who follows the Objectivist philosophy of Ayn Rand. The Art of Fiction A Guide for Writers and Readers is a Nonfiction book by Ayn Rand, published posthumously. We the Living is Ayn Rand 's first novel It was also Rand's first expression against Communism (though she stated that like her other novels political Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 They were nearly censored by the Italian government under Benito Mussolini, but they were permitted because the novel upon which they were based was anti-Soviet. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The films were successful, and the public easily realized that they were as much against Fascism as Communism. These films were re-edited into a new version which was approved by Rand and re-released as We the Living in 1986.

The Fountainhead^[95] was a Hollywood film (1949, Warner Bros. The Fountainhead is a 1949 American Drama film based on the book of the same name by Ayn Rand. ) starring Gary Cooper, for which Rand wrote the screen-play. Frank James “Gary” Cooper (May 7 &ndashMay 13) was an American film actor and iconic star Rand initially insisted that Frank Lloyd Wright design the architectural models used in the film, but relented when his fee was too high. Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8 1867 &ndash April 9 1959 was an American (of Welsh descent Architect, Interior designer, Writer, and educator who ^[96]

A film adaptation of Atlas Shrugged is in pre-production as of early 2008, with production possibly starting in December if the script can be revised in time. Atlas Shrugged is a film in active development by Baldwin Entertainment Group and Lions Gate Entertainment. ^[97] In September 2007, Lions Gate Films reported that it had hired Vadim Perelman to revise Randall Wallace's script and to direct the film, with screen star Angelina Jolie cast in the role of Dagny Taggart. Vadim Perelman is an American Film director of Ukrainian origin Randall Wallace (born July 28, 1949, Jackson Tennessee) is an American Screenwriter, producer, and director who wrote Angelina Jolie (born Angelina Jolie Voight on June 4 1975 is an American film actor ^[98]

The Passion of Ayn Rand,^[99] an independent film about her life, was made in 1999, starring Helen Mirren as Ayn Rand, Eric Stoltz, Julie Delpy and Peter Fonda. The Passion of Ayn Rand is a 1999 Film directed by Christopher Menaul. Dame Helen Mirren, DBE (born 26 July 1945 is an English stage, Film and Television actress. Eric Cameron Stoltz (born September 30, 1961) is a Golden Globe-nominated American actor Julie Delpy (born December 21 1969 is a French and American actress, Academy Award -nominated Screenwriter, and occasional Peter Henry Fonda (born February 23[[ 940]] is an American actor The film was based on the book by Barbara Branden, one of her former associates, and won several awards including an Emmy for Helen Mirren and a Golden Globe for Peter Fonda. Barbara Branden (born Barbara Weidman 14 May 1929, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) is a Canadian writer

Screenplays

In addition to the screenplay of The Fountainhead, Rand also collaborated on screenplays of You Came Along and Love Letters both filmed in 1945. Love Letters is a 1945 film adapted by Ayn Rand from the novel Pity My Simplicity by Christopher Massie.

References

Further reading

External links

• Ayn Rand FAQ
• Frequently Asked Questions on Ayn Rand
• Ayn Rand entry at the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
• Ayn Rand in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Works by Ayn Rand at Project Gutenberg
• Rand's papers at The Library of Congress
• Ayn Rand at the Internet Movie Database
• Ayn Rand at Find A Grave

Persondata
NAME	Rand, Ayn
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Rosenbaum, Alisa Zinov'yevna; Алиса Зиновьевна Розенбаум (Russian)
SHORT DESCRIPTION	novelist, philosopher, playwright, screenwriter
DATE OF BIRTH	February 2, 1905(1905-02-02)
PLACE OF BIRTH	Saint Petersburg, Russia
DATE OF DEATH	March 6, 1982
PLACE OF DEATH	New York City

The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (IEP is a free Online encyclopedia on philosophical topics and philosophers founded by James Fieser in 1995 WorldCat is a Union catalog which itemizes the collections of more than 10000 libraries which participate in the OCLC global cooperative Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to Digitize, archive and distribute Cultural works Find A Grave is a Website allowing its users to access maintain and expand an online Database of Burial records Events 962 - Translatio imperii: Pope John XII crowns Otto I Holy Roman Emperor, the first Holy Roman Emperor Year 1905 ( MCMV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River Events 1079 - Omar Khayyám completes the Iranian calendar. 1454 - Thirteen Years' War: Delegates of Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) The City of New York

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