Individualism in The Fountainhead Individualism, the doctrine of free thought and action of the individual, forms the basis of Ayn Rand's novel The Fountainhead. The major theme of her fiction is the primacy of the individual, the unique and precious individual life. That which sustains and enriches life is good, that which negates and impoverishes the individual's pursuit of happiness is evil. The Fountainhead is Rand's fullest explication of the primacy of the individual. As she worked
Letters of Ayn Rand. By Ayn Rand. New York: Dutton, 1995. Branden, Barbara. The Passion of Ayn Rand: A biography. New York: Doubleday, 1986a Branden, Nathaniel. My Years with Ayn Rand. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1999. Garmong, Dina. Personal interview. 2 Nov. 1999. Peikoff, Leonard. The Philosophy of Objectivism, A Brief Summary. Stein and Day, 1982. Rand, Ayn. The Fountainhead. New York: Plume, 1994. The Ayn Rand Institute. "A Brief Biography of Ayn Rand" [Online] available
Ayn Rand was born on February 2nd, 1905 as Alisa Zinov’yevna Rosenbaum to a Russian Jewish family in St. Petersburg, Russia (http://aynrandlexicon.com/about-ayn-rand/bio.html). As a child, Rand was always a person of character (http://aynrandlexicon.com/about-ayn-rand/bio.html). When she was two, she taught herself how to read, and by the time she was nine, she decided that she wanted to become a fictional writer (Hall 450-455). Even though she had aspiring dreams, Rand’s life was not so great. At
Ayn Rand was a woman who went through a lot of hard times that shaped her view of the world. Atlas Shrugged at its heart is about how any socialist society will ultimately fail because of the government involvement. Ayn Rand is also credited with the founding of the ideas of Objectivism, or rational individualism (Thomas). These ideals are shown throughout this entire book quite well. The reader even gets an idea of what a perfect society would be to Rand when John Galt, one of the most important
The Ideal Man Defined in The Fountainhead Ayn Rand has based her novel, The Fountainhead on the projection of an ideal man. It is the portrayal of a moral ideal as an end in itself. She has placed 'man-worship' above all and has brought out the significance of the heroic in man. Man-worshippers are those who see man's highest potential and strive to actualize it. They are dedicated to the exaltation of man's self esteem and the sacredness of his happiness on earth. The Fountainhead has
thought had achieved the simplicity. No laws had dictated a single detail. The buildings were not Classical, they were not Gothic, they were not Renaissance. They were only Howard Roark." This dialogue in the powerful book The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, set in the early 1920's in the city of skyscrapers, New York, describes the unique building style of the architect, Howard Roark which parallels his uncompromising and individualistic personality. Roark is forced to overcome collectivism in a society
movement in America, and throughout the world. More than any other single work, The Fountainhead revived popular enthusiasm for a way of thinking, and a way of life, that in 1943 was regarded by virtually every sector of intellectual opinion as outmoded. Ayn Rand's courageous challenge to accepted ideas was rendered still more courageous by her willingness to state her individualist premises in the clearest terms and to defend the most radical implications that could be drawn from them. The romantic
Ayn Rand propagated her philosophy of Objectivism through her book The Fountainhead, and Howard Roark, the hero of the novel, is seen as a personification of her ideals. The idea of selfishness being a vice is refuted, and altruism is seen as a device to reduce humanity into collective mediocrity. The essential difference between the heroes and the villains in the novel is that, as opposed to the villains, the heroes possess self-esteem; because of this, they retain their individuality, and do
this case. BIBLIOGRAPHY The Microsoft Defense Site, “Microsoft Trial is fueled by Envy” The Ayn Rand Institute, January 25, 2004. <http://microsoft.aynrand.org/envy.html> The Microsoft Defense Site, Edwin A Locke The Ayn Rand Institute, January 25, 2004 http://microsoft.aynrand.org/letter.html The Microsoft Defense Site, “Antitrust assault on Microsoft is Immoral” The Ayn Rand Institute, January 25, 2004 http://microsoft.aynrand.org/pr1.html Statement by Ralph Nader, and James Love
goals, to end conflict, to pursue peace, compromise has been utilized to agree on terms that equally benefit both parties. Ayn Rand, creator of Objectivism and author of the philosophical novel, The Fountainhead, views compromise differently than it’s face value definition. Society says that compromise is generally a settlement of a dispute by both sides making concessions; Rand reaffirms this ideal, though only in situations with “ regard to concretes, or particulars, implementing a mutually accepted
Ayn Rand’s controversial views and opinions on ethical egoism have paved the way in liberating and absolving society’s conservative elite from feeling guilt or compassion towards those who are less fortunate in society - including those from the middle-class, the working poor and minorities. Though Rand penned her theory decades ago, her brand of ethical egoism is still touted as gospel by some politicians and those in the upper echelons of society, creating gridlock in the government and a deep
Fountainhead Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead is a story of the struggle between men of greatness and men of mediocrity. An individualist to the core, Rand defines a man of greatness as one who is independent and uncompromising, one who derives his self-respect from his accomplishments and integrity rather than the approval of others. Rand defines a man of mediocrity, by contrast, as one who doesn't care about actually being competent and upright so long as he appears that way to others. Rand refers to these
men take in order to prevent it?” In her 1957 Magnum Opus, Atlas Shrugged, the American novelist Ayn Rand put forward the next step in that line of thinking; “The evil of the world is made possible by nothing but the sanction you give it.” (Rand 1066). Through Hank Rearden’s familial relationships, his struggles against the government, and John Galt’s final exposition of his philosophical discoveries, Rand explains the nature of good and evil; good can only lose if it presents itself to be negated,
Ayn Rand and We the Living "We the Living is not a story about Soviet Russia in 1925. It is a story about Dictatorship, any dictatorship, anywhere, at any time, whether it be Soviet Russia, Nazi Germany, or - which this novel might do its share in helping to prevent - a socialist America." These words, written by Ayn Rand herself for the foreword to the 1959 printing of her 1936 novel We the Living, convey not only Rand's direction to the reader to keep in mind the universality of the
connoted with being a genuine individual that plays as a role model for others, but an egotistic person is synonymous with an evil beast that squashes over anything to attain his own end. However, the views of Ayn Rand heavily collide with these mainstream perceptions of Altruism and Egoism. Rand believes that the basic principle of altruism "is that man has no right to exist for his own sake, his service to others is the only justification of his existence, and that self-sacrifice is his highest moral
Atlas Shrugged. Although her career was initially interrupted when a play was unsuccessful and her first book sold inadequately, she quickly recovered with encouragement from close friends to continue her career. Alyssa Robinchaud, later known as Ayn Rand, was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, on February 2nd, 1905 as a Jew. Raised with her two younger siblings, Natasha and Nora, she grimly witnessed severe poverty, the Russian Revolution, and Communists seize her father’s shop, forcing her mother
In Ayn Rand’s writings, the character of Howard Roark in The Fountainhead represented her first complete presentation of a moral ideal. In this novel, Howard Roark was more than an architect who formulated his own style; he was the epitome of objectivism. To give insight to this ideal, it is imperative to know that objectivism, founded by Ayn Rand herself, is the philosophy that a human being’s happiness is the only real purpose in life. The heroes that Ayn Rand created upheld the value that
The Powerful Message of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged Capitalism, according to John Galt, is "mutual trade to mutual advantage," (Rand Atlas Shrugged 989) or as Adam Smith put it: "[trade] by mutual consent and to mutual advantage." In true capitalism, the economy is strictly separated from the state, just as there is a separation between church and state in the USA. This basic tenet of capitalism describes the only economic system that can be morally justifiable. Communism, fascism, socialism
Ethan Gates 28 September 2014 ENGWR 300 Final Draft 1 Professor O’Brien The Outlaw Hero: John Galt of Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand "Who is John Galt?" has become a question that has been engraved into the conservative's mind. But who exactly is he? John Galt is the main protagonist of the book (made movie) “Atlas Shrugged”. He is "the man who loves his life (923).” John Galt is a character that defies the moral code that has been established by the oppressive government regime that has sought
"National School Safety and Security Services." School Uniforms, Dress Codes & Book Bags. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2013. "Americapedia." Bill of Rights Institute Individual Rights Bill of Rights Institute Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2013. “Man’s Rights,” from Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal by Ayn Rand. Copyright (c) 1946, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1966 by Ayn Rand. used by permission of Dutton Signet, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. "Martin Luther King, Jr : His Accomplishments, Biography, Legacy, Impact