Started reading Atlas Shrugged a while ago, but have been too busy with other things to properly finish it. Started back up again today, forgot how fantastically written it was. What are your thoughts on Ayn Rand's philosophical movement of Objectivism?
Objectivism
- Thread starter mattles
- Start date
Ayn Rand perception of capitalism and its central role to the objectivist goal is deeply flawed and fails for the same reason that all purist philosophies fail; it takes one person to not follow the doctrine to fuck it up royally and there are enough humans that some one is bound to do it.
- Nov 12, 2008
- 14,153
- 1,334
- 0
- MBTI
- INFJ
- Enneagram
- 1w2 sx/so/sp
I love the depth that the book goes into. The power and emotion that she pulls from all of her characters is amazing. Other than that, the imagery, though it contains amazing logical connections and overturns taken-for-granted socially assumed values, can get dry sometimes when I read through it. I listened to the audio books of both The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, and oh. my. god. how much better it was after reading through half of Atlas Shrugged.
Personally, I liked The Fountainhead more. While most characters in Atlas Shrugged are either black or white (morally), the characters in The Fountainhead are on a sliding scale between the two poles, which makes for some really profound dynamics. The Fountainhead is the best book I've ever read (I mean listened to).
I was an objectivist for a while, especially after reading The Virtue of Selfishness
Personally, I liked The Fountainhead more. While most characters in Atlas Shrugged are either black or white (morally), the characters in The Fountainhead are on a sliding scale between the two poles, which makes for some really profound dynamics. The Fountainhead is the best book I've ever read (I mean listened to).
I was an objectivist for a while, especially after reading The Virtue of Selfishness
Last edited:
Wait, is this the Twilight discussion thread? (readies for incoming hateful rep comments)
Indeed, "Objectivism" does seem a minor religion and Ayn Rand a very minor prophet.
I'm a fan of Aristotle... so in a sense I agree with her agreement with Aristotle...
I also throughly enjoyed reading the Fountainhead. I've listened to a speech she made to the cadets at west point and enjoyed that as well. I like Ayn Rand.
I used to like Objectivism, but I found that I've outgrown it.
While I believe there are good lessons that can be learned from the philosophy, but there are also many pitfalls. It encourages one to perceive the views not founded in logic as evil because they compromise self perceptions which is the cause of hardship.
This view makes it almost impossible for one to acknowledge your own mistakes
Not to mention it's rather wishy washy... I mean so reality is based in perception... but reality exists independent of perception. wait what?
Smells like hipster to me.
Perhaps, I've just been eaten by the blob and forced into conformity.
I, for the first time in a long time, had considered the finer points of my life and had tried to discern what it was that I found to be the basis for how I live. I do agree that the book can get pretty dry, but the depth of the characters and their unwillingness to compromise for something they wanted or believed in was something I really liked.
That being said, I can't say that Ayn Rand didn't have some good points in her philosophical views, however I don't feel as if I could completely become an objectivist. I read a lot of existentialist pieces in high school and I did also find some interesting points in that.
That also being said I would like to think that I'm some sort of amassing mess of many things and can't help but wonder others peoples feelings about this stuff.
(By the way, Doc, I really enjoyed reading what you had to contribute)
That being said, I can't say that Ayn Rand didn't have some good points in her philosophical views, however I don't feel as if I could completely become an objectivist. I read a lot of existentialist pieces in high school and I did also find some interesting points in that.
That also being said I would like to think that I'm some sort of amassing mess of many things and can't help but wonder others peoples feelings about this stuff.
(By the way, Doc, I really enjoyed reading what you had to contribute)