Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

[7ontheline]

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1. The books are not about how the world works. We all realize this isn't how the world works. The books are about how the world should work.

2. Atlas shrugged is not about getting out of anybody's way and letting them run things. And a major point, if not the major point, is that these people should look out for their own self interest. Everyone should. This is not a problem that is ignored by the philosophy. It is the cornerstone of it.

I'm not arguing the validity of the philosophy, just your take on the books seemed a little off. Maybe it was just the way you communicated it, or maybe I misunderstood what you were saying.

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Well, I realize that Ayn Rand was espousing her view of how the world ought to be. I didn't communicate it that well, and I wrote the wrong title in there somewhere. Anyway, I just felt that the whole philosophy was terribly elitist and somewhat juvenile. The Fountainhead seemed much more tolerable to me because it seemed to describe what she thought people should aspire to. That's fine. Atlas Shrugged just seemed far too absolute to me and I really didn't think her views worked in a larger, cultural/social sense. They seemed better applied on a smaller, more personal level.

To me, it was the same problem that communism had - sure it would be nice if everyone worked for the state and the whole of society functioned together. Obviously, not going to happen. It would be nice also if people all apsired to be great in the way Howard Roark is so that everyone's self-interest summed up to benefit the collective group - also, not going to happen.