Ayn rand quotes ayn rand biography book

The oldest daughter of Jewish parents and eventually an avowed atheistshe spent her early years in comfort thanks to her dad's success as a pharmacist, proving a brilliant student. Inher father's shop was suddenly seized by Bolshevik soldiers, forcing the family to resume life in poverty in the Crimea. The situation profoundly impacted young Alissa, who developed strong feelings toward government intrusion into individual livelihood.

She returned to her city of birth to attend the University of Petrograd, graduating inand then enrolled at the State Institute for Cinema Arts to study screenwriting. Granted a visa to visit relatives in Chicago, Alissa left for the United States in earlynever to look back. She took on her soon-to-be-famous pen name and, after a few months in Chicago, moved to Hollywood to become a screenwriter.

Following a chance encounter with Hollywood titan Cecil B. They married inand she became an American citizen in Rand landed a job as a clerk at RKO Pictures, eventually rising to head of the wardrobe department, and continued developing her craft as a writer. She soon completed a courtroom drama called Penthouse Legendwhich featured the gimmick of audience members serving as the jury.

Around this time, Rand also completed her first novel, We the Living. Published in after several rejections, We the Living championed the moral authority of the individual through its heroine's battles with a Soviet totalitarian state. But to love her for her vices is a real gift, unearned and undeserved. To love her for her vices is to defile all virtue for her sake - and that is a real tribute of love, because you sacrifice your conscience, your reason, your integrity and your invaluable self-esteem.

Whenever you think that you are facing a contradiction, check your premises. You will find that one of them is wrong. It is the end. It is its own goal. It is its own purpose. Reality is an absolute, existence is an absolute, a speck of dust is an absolute and so is a human life. Whether you live or die is an absolute.

Ayn rand quotes ayn rand biography book

Whether you have a piece of bread or not, is an absolute. Whether you eat your bread or see it vanish into a looter's stomach, is an absolute. There are two sides to every issue: one side is right and the other is wrong, but the middle is always evil. The man who is wrong still retains some respect for truth, if only by accepting the responsibility of choice.

But the man in the middle is the knave who blanks out the truth in order to pretend that no choice or values exist, who is willing to sit out the course of any battle, willing to cash in on the blood of the innocent or to crawl on his belly to the guilty, who dispenses justice by condemning both the robber and the robbed to jail, who solves conflicts by ordering the thinker and the fool to meet each other halfway.

In any compromise between food and poison, it is only death that can win. In any compromise between good and evil, it is only evil that can profit. In that transfusion of blood which drains the good to feed the evil, the compromise is the transmitting rubber tube. There have been things I missed, but I ask no questions, because I have loved it, such as it has been, even the moments of emptiness, even the unanswered-and that I loved it, that is the unanswered in my life.

And if you make an error, you retain the means and the frame of reference necessary to correct it. But what ayn rand quotes ayn rand biography book you accomplish if you advocate honesty in ethics, while telling men that there is no such thing as truth, fact or reality? What will you do if you advocate political freedom on the grounds that you feel it is good, and find yourself confronting an ambitious thug who declares that he feels quite differently?

Philosophy provides man with a comprehensive view of life. In order to evaluate it properly, ask yourself what a given theory, if accepted, would do to a human life, starting with your own. Man came into his own in Greece, some two-and-a-half thousand years ago. Philosophy is the goal toward which religion was only a helplessly blind groping.

The grandeur, the reverence, the exalted purity, the austere dedication to the pursuit of truth, which are commonly associated with religion, should properly belong to the field of philosophy. Aristotle lived up to it and, in part, so did Plato, Aquinas, Spinoza—but how many others? DeMille led to work as an extra in his film The King of Kings and a subsequent job as a junior screenwriter.

She became a permanent American resident in July and an American citizen on March 3, Rand's first literary success was the sale of her screenplay Red Pawn to Universal Studios inalthough it was never produced. Each night, a jury was selected from members of the audience; based on its vote, one of two different endings would be performed. Her first novel, the semi-autobiographical [ 44 ] We the Livingwas published in Set in Soviet Russiait focuses on the struggle between the individual and the state.

Initial sales were slow, and the American publisher let it go out of print, [ 45 ] although European editions continued to sell. Rand started her next major novel, The Fountainheadin December[ 50 ] but took a break from it in to write her novella Anthem. As with We the LivingRand's later success allowed her to get a revised version published inand this sold over 3.

During the s, Rand became politically active. She and her husband were full-time volunteers for Republican Wendell Willkie 's presidential campaign. She became friends with journalist Henry Hazlittwho introduced her to the Austrian School economist Ludwig von Mises. Despite philosophical differences with them, Rand strongly endorsed the writings of both men, and they expressed admiration for her.

Mises once called her "the most courageous man in America", a compliment that particularly pleased her because he said "man" instead of "woman". Rand questioned her about American history and politics during their many meetings, and gave Paterson ideas for her only non-fiction book, The God of the Machine. Rand's first major success as a writer came in with The Fountainhead[ 62 ] a novel about an uncompromising architect named Howard Roark and his struggle against what Rand described as "second-handers" who attempt to live through others, placing others above themselves.

Twelve publishers rejected it before Bobbs-Merrill Company accepted it at the insistence of editor Archibald Ogden, who threatened to quit if his employer did not publish it. The success of The Fountainhead brought Rand fame and financial security. Producer Hal B. Wallis then hired her as a screenwriter and script-doctor for screenplays including Love Letters and You Came Along.

After several delays, the film version of The Fountainhead was released in Although it used Rand's screenplay with minimal alterations, she "disliked the movie from beginning to end" and complained about its editing, the acting and other elements. Following the publication of The FountainheadRand received many letters from readers, some of whom the book had influenced profoundly.

Later, Rand began allowing them to read the manuscript drafts of her new novel, Atlas Shrugged. They informed both their spouses, who briefly objected, until Rand "sp[u]n out a deductive chain from which you just couldn't escape", in Barbara Branden's words, resulting in her and O'Connor's assent. Published inAtlas Shrugged is considered Rand's magnum opus.

The plot involves a dystopian United States in which the most creative industrialists, scientists, and artists respond to a welfare state government by going on strike and retreating to a hidden valley where they build an independent free economy. The novel's hero and leader of the strike, John Galtdescribes it as stopping "the motor of the world" by withdrawing the minds of individuals contributing most to the nation's wealth and achievements.

Despite many negative reviews, Atlas Shrugged became an international bestseller, [ 85 ] but the reaction of intellectuals to the novel discouraged and depressed Rand. He and Rand co-founded The Objectivist Newsletter later renamed The Objectivist in to circulate articles about her ideas; [ 88 ] she later republished some of these articles in book form.

Rand was unimpressed by many of the NBI students [ 89 ] and held them to strict standards, sometimes reacting coldly or angrily to those who disagreed with her. Some described the NBI or the Objectivist movement as a cult or religion. Some of her followers mimicked her preferences, wearing clothes to match characters from her novels and buying furniture like hers.

Throughout the s and 70s, Rand developed and promoted her Objectivist philosophy through nonfiction and speeches, [ 97 ] [ 98 ] including annual lectures at the Ford Hall Forum. These included supporting abortion rights, [ ] opposing the Vietnam War and the military draft but condemning many draft dodgers as "bums"[ ] [ ] supporting Israel in the Yom Kippur War of against a coalition of Arab nations as "civilized men fighting savages", [ ] [ ] claiming European colonists had the right to invade and take land inhabited by American Indians[ ] [ ] and calling homosexuality "immoral" and "disgusting", despite advocating the repeal of all laws concerning it.

InNathaniel Branden began an affair with the young actress Patrecia Scottwhom he later married. Nathaniel and Barbara Branden kept the affair hidden from Rand. As her relationship with Nathaniel Branden deteriorated, Rand had her husband be present for difficult conversations between her and Branden. Though her romantic involvement with Nathaniel Branden was already over, [ ] Rand ended her relationship with both Brandens, and the NBI closed.

She subsequently returned to the Soviet Union and spent the rest of her life in Leningrad later Saint Petersburg. Rand had surgery for lung cancer in after decades of heavy smoking. Rand described her approach to literature as " romantic realism ". Her fiction typically has protagonists who are heroic individualists, depicted as fit and attractive.

Rand often describes them as unattractive, and some have names that suggest negative traits, such as Wesley Mouch in Atlas Shrugged. Rand considered plot a critical element of literature, [ ] and her stories typically have what biographer Anne Heller described as "tight, elaborate, fast-paced plotting". In the introduction she wrote for an English-language edition of his novel Ninety-ThreeRand called him "the greatest novelist in world literature".

Although Rand disliked most Russian literature, her depictions of her heroes show the influence of the Russian Symbolists [ ] and other nineteenth-century Russian writing, most notably the novel What Is to Be Done? Rand's experience of the Russian Revolution and early Communist Russia influenced the portrayal of her villains. Beyond We the Livingwhich is set in Russia, this influence can be seen in the ideas and rhetoric of Ellsworth Toohey in The Fountainhead[ ] and in the destruction of the economy in Atlas Shrugged.

Rand's descriptive style echoes her early career writing scenarios and scripts for movies; her novels have many narrative descriptions that resemble early Hollywood movie scenarios. They often follow common film editing conventions, such as having a broad establishing shot description of a scene followed by close-up details, and her descriptions of women characters often take a " male gaze " perspective.

The first reviews Rand received were for Night of January 16th. Reviews of the Broadway production were largely positive, but Rand considered even positive reviews to be embarrassing because of significant changes made to her script by the producer. Overall, they were more positive than those she received for her later work. Rand's first bestseller, The Fountainheadreceived far fewer reviews than We the Livingand reviewers' opinions were mixed.

Atlas Shrugged was widely reviewed, and many of the reviews were strongly negative. He accused Rand of supporting a godless system which he related to that of the Sovietsclaiming, "From almost any page of Atlas Shruggeda voice can be heard Rand's nonfiction received far fewer reviews than her novels. The tenor of the criticism for her first nonfiction book, For the New Intellectualwas similar to that for Atlas Shrugged.

Academic consideration of Rand as a literary figure during her life was limited. Mimi Reisel Gladstein could not find any scholarly articles about Rand's novels when she began researching her inand only three such articles appeared during the rest of the s. Rand called her philosophy "Objectivism", describing its essence as "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".

In metaphysics, Rand supported philosophical realism and opposed anything she regarded as mysticism or supernaturalism, including all forms of religion. Rand also related her aesthetics to metaphysics by defining art as a "selective re-creation of reality according to an artist's metaphysical value-judgments". In works such as The Romantic Manifesto and The Art of Fictionshe described Romanticism as the approach that most accurately reflects the existence of human free will.

In epistemology, Rand considered all knowledge to be based on forming higher levels of understanding from sense perception, the validity of which she considered axiomatic. Barnes and Ellis said Rand was too dismissive of emotion and failed to recognize its importance in human life. Branden said Rand's emphasis on reason led her to denigrate emotions and create unrealistic expectations of how consistently rational human beings should be.

In ethics, Rand argued for rational and ethical egoism rational self-interestas the guiding moral principle. She said the individual should "exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself". Rand's ethics and politics are the most criticized areas of her philosophy. O'Neill in two of the earliest academic critiques of her ideas, [ ] said she failed in her attempt to solve the is—ought problem.

Rand's political philosophy emphasized individual rightsincluding property rights. She considered laissez-faire capitalism the only moral social system because in her view it was the only system based on protecting those rights. She worked with conservatives on political projects but disagreed with them over issues such as religion and ethics.

Several critics, including Nozick, have said her attempt to justify individual rights based on egoism fails. Except for Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas and classical liberalsRand was sharply critical [ ] of most philosophers and philosophical traditions known to her. In an article for the Claremont Review of Bookspolitical scientist Charles Murray criticized Rand's claim that her only "philosophical debt" was to Aristotle.

He asserted her ideas were derivative of previous thinkers such as John Locke and Friedrich Nietzsche. Inshe alluded to his idea of the " superman " in notes for an unwritten novel whose protagonist was inspired by the murderer William Edward Hickman. Rand considered Immanuel Kant her philosophical opposite and "the most evil man in mankind's history"; [ ] she believed his epistemology undermined reason and his ethics opposed self-interest.

Rand's relationship with contemporary philosophers was mostly antagonistic. She was not an ayn rand quotes ayn rand biography book and did not participate in academic discourse. During Rand's lifetime, her work received little attention from academic scholars. Rasmussen defended her positions, but described her style as "literary, hyperbolic and emotional".

After her death, interest in Rand's ideas increased gradually. Heyl described a divergence in how different academic specialties viewed Rand. She said that Rand's philosophy "is regularly omitted from academic philosophy. Yet, throughout literary academia, Ayn Rand is considered a philosopher. He said most commentators view her ethical argument as an unconvincing variant of Aristotle's ethics, and her political theory "is of little interest" because it is marred by an "ill-thought out and unsystematic" effort to reconcile her hostility to the state with her rejection of anarchism.

Inhistorian Jennifer Burns identified "an explosion of scholarship" about Rand since[ ] although as of that year, few universities included Rand or Objectivism as a philosophical specialty or research area. In a essay for the Cato InstituteHuemer argued very few people find Rand's ideas convincing, especially her ethics. He attributed the attention she receives to her being a "compelling writer", especially as a novelist.

Cleary wrote: "Philosophers love to hate Ayn Rand. It's trendy to scoff at any mention of her. Media critic Eric Burns said in that "Rand is surely the most engaging philosopher of my lifetime", [ ] but "nobody in the academe pays any attention to her, neither as an author nor a philosopher". With over 37 million copies sold as of [update]Rand's books continue to be read widely.

Rand's Atlas Shrugged was the second most popular choice, after the Bible. Television shows, movies, songs, and video games have referred to Rand and her works. Jibes at Rand as cold and inhuman run through the popular culture. Rand's works, most commonly Anthem or The Fountainheadare sometimes assigned as secondary school reading. Although she rejected the labels "conservative" and "libertarian", [ ] [ ] Rand has had a continuing influence on right-wing politics and libertarianism.

The political figures who cite Rand as an influence are usually conservatives often members of the Republican Party[ ] despite Rand taking some atypical positions for a conservative, like being pro-choice and an atheist.