• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • CommentGo Back
 
The Lamar University Electronic Journal of Student ResearchSummer 2008
Atlas Shrugged but Stumbled: A Layman’s Look atRand’s Objectivism
 
Donna Charlton
PhD Student in Educational Leadership
The Whitlowe R. Green College of EducationPrairie View A&M UniversityPrairie View, Texas
Assistant Principal
Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School DistrictHouston, Texas
William Allan Kritsonis, PhD
Professor and Faculty Mentor
PhD Program in Educational LeadershipThe Whitlowe R. Green College of EducationPrairie View A&M UniversityMember of the Texas A&M University SystemPrairie View, Texas
Visiting Lecturer (2005)
Oxford Round TableUniversity of Oxford, Oxford, England
Distinguished Alumnus (2004)
College of Education and Professional StudiesCentral Washington University_____________________________________________________________
Abstract
 Atlas Shrugged 
(1964)
 
is Ayn Rand’s commentary on the rational, thinking man’sreaction to societal ills. Rand’s solution is Objectivism; she uses the characters
andplot to expound on its tenets, which are grounded in epistemology, metaphysics,ethics and axiology (aesthetics). Her arguments work to advance the plot but fail inpractical application.________________________________________________________________________
 
Introduction
Objectivism, a school of thought realized by Russian immigrant Ayn Rand in thelate 20
th
century, is the product of a mind seeking justice, equality and valuation in thewake of a childhood marred by the enslaving effects of communist Russia. According toBrian Patterson, Rand stated:Even at that age, I could see what was wrong with communism. It meantliving for the State. I realized they were saying that the illiterate and thepoor had to be rulers of the earth
because
they were illiterate and poor.(Communism) was the demand for the sacrifice of the best among men,and for
the enshrinement of the commonplace,
that I saw as theunspeakable evil of communism. (Patterson, n.d., par.5)
Objectivism expresses Rand’s ideal and holds that individuals are responsible for 
their own happiness which they achieve primarily through the actualization of their
rational thoughts. Ideally, man’s rational thoughts should crystallize into tangible,
productive achievement. This, in turn, should motivate his consensual existence bysatisfying his ego, or need for self-esteem, which, according to Rand, f 
uels man’s reason
to live. Objectivism boasts proponents and critics alike who either cloak themselves
completely within her postulates or deride her commentary as more of a “movement”
than a fully credentialed philosophy. To quell the argument over its validity, Rand
herself wrote, “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” (Rand, n.d.).
 Yet, the argument continues, especially in political and financial arenas of democratic societies. Her philosophies are embraced and practiced by such notables asAlan Greenspan, American economist and former Chairman of the Board of Governorsof the Federal Reserve of the United States. Dr. Leonard Peikoff, founder of the Ayn
Rand Institute, is Rand’s anointed legal and intellectual heir (Patterson,
n.d., par.7) and is,
thereby, Objectivism’s “keeper of the flame”. As founding members of “The
Collective
”, a group of intellectuals assembled by Rand to champion her thoughts duringObjectivism’s formative stages, both men have been roundly criticized for the ironies
evinced in their own lives as well as for their inabilities to apply the principles of Objec
tivism consistently. Regardless of the nature of the description, Rand’s writings
evoke thought that one may neither readily dismiss nor reconcile relative to his ownbeliefs.
Purpose of the Article
The purpose of this article is to examine the philosophy of Objectivism asexpressed through the prominent themes in
 Atlas Shrugged 
(Rand, 1964)
 
and to evaluateits plausibility in twenty-first century society.
 
Themes
 Atlas Shrugged 
(Rand)
 
was written in 1957, born of the inner strife created by
Rand’s early experiences under an oppressive communist regime. Its every element is
presented in praise of Objectivism. Character, plot and setting advance the salient themes
that gird Objectivism’s core.The first of these is Rand’s idea of moral obligation. In the traditional sense,
morality involves judgment relative to rules of conduct or behavior and whether an entity
or action is “good” (moral) or “bad” (immoral). Society’s perception of good and ba
dhas historically been based upon the relationship between the entity or action and itsimpact on man. In religious societies, these perceptions are manifest partly in terms of biblical beliefs and teachings. Obligation denotes an irresistible, internal urge to perform
some action and, in terms of man’s relationship to man, usually involves unilateral
sacrifice. The traditional moral paradigm tacitly seeks outside judgment of theinteraction by which the individual then judges himself. In shocking cont
rast, Rand’sidea of moral obligation concerns man’s responsibility to himself and forms the ethicalfoundation for Objectivism. She redefined morality to encompass “…the pursuit of one’s
own happin
ess...” (Rand, n.d.
) without considering how the
individual’s pursuit would
impact anyone or anything else. This idea of moral obligation crystallizes in theobjectivist concept of rational individualism, a theme that plays out through thecharacters of Dagny Taggert, Hank Rearden, and John Galt.To be clear, rational individualism demonstrates the philosophy by which man justifies every decision he makes for himself and can be applied as a two-pronged test: 1)is the decision/action fundamental to the enhancement of his life, and, 2) does thedecision/action encroach upon the rights of another. One could argue that an individualcould use such a test as justification for any action. Rand, however, anticipated thismisinterpretation and offers from
The Fountainhead 
:
Man’s first duty is to himself…pro
vided his wishes do not dependprimarily upon other men. This includes the whole sphere of his creativefaculty, his thinking, his work. But it does not include the sphere of thegangster, the altruist, and the dictator. (Patterson, n.d., par. 20)The characters in
 Atlas Shrugged 
(Rand, 1957) are spirited, intriguing, purpose-driven characters who authentically portray objectivist ideals. Dagny Taggert is the veryembodiment of rational individualism as the vice-president of Taggert Transcontinental.Unlike her brother Jim, she has no pseudo-altruistic motives and navigates everydramatic conflict by using truth, reason and self-interest. She contracts with Hank Rearden because he can deliver what Orren Boyle cannot; she is true to her convictionswhen she unapologetically proclaims that she makes business decisions in order to makemoney, and she publicly and unconventionally revels in her successes by openlyacknowledging them as products of her own talents and by having an affair with themarried Hank Rearden.Unlike Dagny, Rearden struggles to abandon his initial beliefs before he canaccept objectivist reality. He is consumed by his work and it is this passion, in part, thatestranges him from his family who resent his achievements while welcoming their
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...