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Just recently, meaning last month, I read the book Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. And, I must say, by the time I finished it.. I was absolutely in love with Ayn Rand. The book itself was amazing, not to mention the views expressed.

True, there were parts in there that I didn't like, but all in all. It is an amazing book.

Anyone else out there read it? And if so, how did you feel/what did you like or dislike about it?

Ayn Rand should be required reading in school. Much more educational than Lord of the Flies or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Objectivism goes against everything they believe in--why is firefox's spellchecker telling me objectivism isn't a word? gonk --so it'll never happen though.

I haven't gotten around to reading it, but my dad and stepmom did and they both loved it. My grandma was required to read it in college, and I think she enjoyed it, too. I intend to read "Atlas Shrugged" at some point.

Has anyone here read Anthem? Because I read it a week ago and it absolutely amazed me. Such a profound novella.

Really? Wow. Well, I'll have to check that out! biggrin

I've read much of her fiction and non-fiction and I consider myself a student of Objectivism (a student because, as yet, I can't claim to have a complete understanding of the philosophy, although I know the key points. It's a fully integrated system of a philosophy, so everything is related, so it takes a while to completely understand it.)

The best thing that could happen to the Libertarian movement is a greater following of Ayn Rand. She's one of the few philosophers who have actually defended liberty on both a moral and logical ground, and who can hold the principles of a free market to be true without contradicting other ideas in her philosophy.

I'm curious though, what parts didn't you like?



What attitude towards giving? She outright states that she has no problem with giving, and that it is often in line with proper, rational, values to be charitable. What she doesn't stand for is being coerced by force to give, nor does she stand for giving selflessly, meaning, giving when it goes against your own self interest. For example, giving to a charity that you don't support or that you have no concern for is against your self interest, because you're giving but not gaining a value in return.

As for pity, she despised pity. Why shouldn't you? Pity is a feeling that stems from seeing someone below one's self, acknowledging that you can't do anything, and being upset by the fact that someone can be in such a way. It's not a good emotion. It's an emotion of suffering. It's an emotion that no one should have to feel.
You ought to have read The Fountainhead before Atlas Shrugged. She has a scene in The Fountainhead where the main protagonist feels pity for his first time, and it is for a man named Peter Keating who "never could have been [great], but didn't know it." Peter Keating was a second hander who was always extremely indecisive and relied on others to make him feel great. When all others deserted him, he came to Howard Roark, finally realizing his mistakes, and not asking for pity. He showed Roark a few paintings he had made, as his original aspiration in life was to paint, and Roark said "It's too late, Peter." (or something along those lines.) Peter had literally sold his soul to the masses, he had given up painting on the whims of another, and there was no way he could get it back. Howard Roark felt pity because Keating was such a low creature, who never could have helped it, who realized his mistakes too late.
Why should one want to feel pity more often than one has to? Again, it's a feeling of suffering, not of joy.