Who is Ayn Rand? |
Born 1905 in Russia, Ayn Rand witnessed the Communist
Revolution and the pillaging of her father's business in the name of
the people. Fleeing her homeland in 1926, she came to America to begin
her career that she choose at 10, to become a writer. Her
first novel, We the Living, followed a young woman in Russia shortly
after the Revolution in her struggle to live and love in a world
filled with death.
In Rand's next novel, The Fountainhead, she grabs national recognition. Her hero Howard Roark is a budding architect that refuses to build anything but the best that a building can be. He is ridiculed and shunned for his buildings because they don't look like every other building. This novel explores the meaning of individuality and to value the best within you. Rand's magnum opus is Atlas Shrugged. This is the first novel to fully integrate an entire philosophic framework within the plot. The story and philosophy are so compelling that millions have read and been moved. This story spans a generation of men who develop and run the world by their decisions and actions. When these men quit, what happens? The impact of this story started a movement to change the world and actualize Rand's vision of man. Atlas was her last novel. Since then, hundreds of articles and several books about her philosophy have been published in her name, among these, The Virtue of Selfishness, The Romantic Manifesto, Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal, and Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology. She continued to lecture and write until she died in 1982, capturing the hearts and minds of many young people seeking truth and rationality in a world void of both. |
What is Objectivism? |
In a nutshell, Objectivism holds that:
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Resources |
The Objectivist
Center
- Formally known as the Institute for Objectivist Studies,
TOC conducts research on the application of Rand's philosophy to
public policy as well as daily life. They also sponsor annual
summer seminars and a variety of other events of interest to
Objectivists.
Ayn Rand Institute - This institute, founded by Ayn Rand's legal heir, promotes Rand's legacy. Conferences, resources, and scholarships are just some of the activities that the institute uses to promote Rand. We the Living - The home to a variety of moderated and unmoderated e-mail discussion lists for admirers of Ayn Rand's works. Enlightenment - A new organization dedicated to making Objectivism possible through encouraging original scholarship and networking among Objectivists. Contains a useful database of scholarship on Objectivism. The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies - The first-of-its-kind scholarly publication examining the life and work of Ayn Rand. Edited by Chris Matthew Sciabarra, it will feature new and original applications of Objectivist philosophy and scholarship. Reason Magazine - More influenced by Ayn Rand's ideas than any other mass-market magazine, Reason consistently analyzes political and cultural issues from a rational perspective, and has won a number of prestigious journalism awards. Full Context - This newsletter has made a name for itself by publishing intriguing interviews with public figures in and around the Objectivist movement. The Cato Institute - Along with Reason Foundation, the Cato Institute is a leading political think-tank for libertarian ideas. They have had a notable influence in Washington in recent years and sponsor a wide variety of useful research. Free-Market.net - Free-Market.Net's entire purpose is to use the Internet to encourage communication, cooperation, and positive action for freedom. The Atlasphere - A site for admirers of Ayn Rand that features a weekly column, a networking center, and a dating service. |