Emily Spaide Eleni Katelari

Ayn RandCapitalsim bred from Communism

Biography

Born in St. Petersburg, Russia on February 2, 1905

Taught herself to read at age six Witnessed the Kerensky Revolution and

Bolshevik Revolution during her teenage years The communist victory of the Bolshevik

Revolution resulted in her father’s pharmacy being closed, and her family starving

Fled to Crimea (Ukraine)

Biography University of Petrograd to

study history and philosophy State Institute for Cinema Arts

in 1924 to study screenwriting Publishes a pamphlet on

actress Pola Negri entitled “Hollywood: An American Movie City”

1925, leaves Soviet Union Tells Soviet Union officials her

stay will be short, then renews her visa and travels to Hollywood to be a screenwriter

In Hollywood, she pursues a career as a screen writer

Marries, releases her first successful screenplay, then begins publishing novels We the Living – Published 1936 Anthem – Published 1937 The Fountainhead – Published in 1943 Atlas Shrugged – Published in 1957• Most of her works were rejected several times

prior to publishing

Her works pertain to the era she lived in Communism vs. Capitalism → The well

being of others vs. The well being of yourself

Influences on Ayn Rand: Russian Revolution  Communism Rand and her family were affected by the social

riots and civil war Dislike of socialism in Russia University of Petrograd, she found that she was

strongly opposed to communism and its suppressive ways 

Childhood: Russia’s political program leads family to move to Crimea to escape hardship of revolution in St. Petersburg

Adulthood: understood the negative effects of communism; admirer of American culture

Influences on Ayn Rand: Aristotle

metaphysical naturalism empiricism in epistemology self-realization man has a purpose rationality

Philosophies Rand Opposed Disliked “mysticism of Plato” Disagreed with Nietzsche’s

philosophy of the purpose of mankind

While he believed man’s motive in life was to do better than his fellow man, she believed man’s “central purpose” related with industriousness

Objectivism controversial philosophy individualism rational-self interest seeking one’s own self-interest and happiness is

man’s purpose and their highest virtue  man must live for himself “a man who places others first, above his own

creative work, is an emotional parasite” One’s self-interest should be placed before others ▪ metaphysics: objective reality▪ epistemology: reason▪ ethics: self-interest ▪ politics: capitalism

Capitalism and Humanity Capitalism – An economic system

based on private ownership of capital

There is no obligation to share capital

According to Ayn Rand, capitalism allows humans to be the individual creatures they are by nature

The goal of life is to be happy, and capitalism allows for the pursuit of happiness

Capitalism and Humanity Individual freedom is directly

equated to a capitalist society

Classical Liberalism

Classical Liberalism – a set of ideals that promote limited government and liberty of individuals For example, freedom of speech,

freedom of religion etc.

Ayn Rand and Human Nature Do you think that humans should be

selfish? “The Virtue of Selfishness” Believes that the self’s interest should be placed

above that of others Do you think a human can make decisions

based off of their decisions? Rand states that emotions may be correct or

incorrect Reason allows us to understand and acquire

knowledge, helping us make the right decision

Ayn Rand Text Analysis

“Man –every man – is an end in himself, not the means to the ends of others. He must exist for his own sake […] the pursuit of his own rational self-interest and of his own happiness is the highest moral purpose of life.”

Rand’s Description of Objectivism

exemplifies individualism connects reason with the self by stating that

humanity must care for their own “rational self-interest”

stating that selfishness should be man’s path

Ayn Rand Text Analysis“Do you believe in God, Andrei?” “ No.” “Neither do I. But that's a favorite question of mine. An upside-down

question, you know.” “What do you mean?”“Well, if I asked people whether they believed in life, they'd never

understand what I meant. It's a bad question. It can mean so much that it really means nothing. So I ask them if they believe in God. And if they say they do—then, I know they don't believe in life. Why? Because, you see, God—whatever anyone chooses to call God—is one's highest conception of the highest possible. And whoever places his highest conception above his own possibility thinks very little of himself and his life. It's a rare gift, you know, to feel reverence for your own life and to want the best, the greatest, the highest possible, here, now, for your very own. To imagine a heaven and then not to dream of it, but to demand it.”

Excerpt from We the Living, Chapter 9 In Ayn Rand’s work, We the Living, the main character Kyrie, shares

many of the same beliefs of Rand herself. Kyrie, much like Rand, is an atheist. Rand believes that blind belief in a religion prevents individuals from reason. Religion is a primitive form of philosophy, according to Rand. Religion is not necessary to human nature, while philosophy is

Ayn Rand Text Analysis

“The man without a purpose is a man who drifts at the mercy of random feelings or unidentified urges and is capable of any evil, because he is totally out of control of his own life. In order to be in control of your life, you have to have a purpose – a productive purpose.”

Excerpt from Playboy Interview

Virtues act as a moral compass.  Without this guidance, people are without a mission in life and are wandering in the world – unproductive to society

Ayn Rand Text Analysis“Thanksgiving is a typically American holiday... The

lavish meal is a symbol of the fact that abundant consumption is the result and reward of production.”- The Ayn Rand Letter

Rand admires the American social and economic system. Her view of Thanksgiving as a reward for production is another example of her denunciation of communism. Human nature is to provide for oneself and reap the benefits, not provide for the masses without personal benefit.

Ayn Rand Text Analysis

“Reason is man’s only means of perceiving reality, his only source of knowledge, his only guide to action, and his basic means of survival.”

Rand’s Description of Objectivism

States that through reason we will allow ourselves to have an understanding of everything

Parallels with Aristotle’s philosophy that human beings have reason and this reason is our way of gaining knowledge

Ayn Rand Text Analysis“Before you can identify anything as gray, as middle of the road,

you have to know what is black and what is white, because gray is merely a mixture of the two. And when you have established that one alternative is good and the other is evil, there is no justification for the choice of a mixture. There is no justification for choosing any part of what you know to be evil.”

Excerpt from Playboy Interview

when one can differentiate right from wrong, there is no justification to do anything in the middle

if your ability to reason helps you understand that something is evil, you know not to do anything that associates back to evil

Questions for Class Discussion Is a capitalistic philosophy natural for

humankind? Communistic?

VS.

Questions for Class Discussion What would Ayn Rand do if she was

present today?

Works Cited Baker, James Thomas. Ayn Rand. Boston: Twayne, 1987. Print. Hicks, Stephen R.C. "Ayn Alissa Rand." Internet Encyclopedia of

Philosophy. 28 Jan. 2002. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://www.iep.utm.edu/rand/>.

Rand, Ayn. "Introducing Objectivism." Ayn Rand Institute. Web. 5 Dec. 2010.

Rand, Ayn. We the Living. New York: Random House, 1959. 1-35. Print.

Rand, Ayn. “Why Philosophy?” Ayn Rand Institute. Web. 5 Dec. 2010.

Reason, By. "Ayn Rand - Playboy, Interview, Exclusive, Author." Web. 05 Dec. 2010. <http://www.playboy.com/articles/ayn-rand-playboy-        

    interview/>.