“The purpose of morality is to teach you, not to suffer and die, but to enjoy yourself and live.”
“I swear, by my life and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.”
“If you saw Atlas, the giant who holds the world on his shoulders, if you saw that he stood, blood running down his chest, his knees buckling, his arms trembling but still trying to hold the world aloft with the last of his strength, and the greater the effort the heavier the world bore down upon his shoulders — what would you tell him to do? I don’t know. What could he do? What would you tell him? To shrug.”
So I’ve been meaning to post this all semester, but never got around to it. Not the #1 blogger here. But these are few words from one of the most amazing authors/philosphers Ayn Rand. Those of you who haven’t heard of her, she’s written such works as Atlas Shrugged, Anthem, The Fountainhead, and a few more strictly on her philosophy Objectivism. I LOVE Rand. I think her thoughts are really interesting. Ever since reading her stuff, I’ve thought of a lot of things.
As in, why does morality preach that being selfish is wrong, and selfless is good? Doesn’t selfless mean…without a self?? And why is it so wrong, such a horrible thing to say: I love myself. And to think that I am better than others? And that not all people are equal? A lot of you are probably hating me right now….but it just doesn’t make sense to me. What makes someone else better than you? And how can anyone see it as rational to put yourself down to make someone else feel better?
Ayn Rand seems like a really interesting writer; I’ll be sure to check her out. I agree that it’s strange that society teaches us to love ourselves – but not too much. Although it makes sense for people to be humble of their abilities, it is just as important to be confident in oneself. It seems that as well as focusing on the concept of objectivism, Rand touches on feminist ideals. The quotation “I swear, by my life and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine” demonstrates this very fact. She basically says that she’s perfectly capable of being independent and doesn’t need a man to “take care” of her. This of course ties to the entire concept of objectivism in that she has a strong self of being and doesn’t need to depend on anybody but herself.
Oh, I’m glad you also know Ayn Rand! The topic of her philosophy of Objectivism is quite controversial, not only among philosophers but also among English majors. I actually read The Founntainhead over the summer and just like you, it also made me rethink everything. Within the copy that I was reading, there was an introduction from Rand herself explaining her thoughts on the book. I usually don’t read intros but I somehow decided to read hers. And by the second page, she completely blew my mind away. I was immediately attracted to her philosophy and agreed with most of what she said. I held that mindset while I continued to read the novel, and it wasn’t until the end of the book when I did a complete 180.
I don’t want to spoil the book for anyone who wants to read it, but the main protagonist, Howard Roark, said some things which I completely disagreed on. One example would be when he said that being altruistic does not make man become a better person nor does it help man find himself. Also, anyone who performs any kind of altruism will never be able to reach his/her best. And I completely thought that that was bullshit. I seriously do not agree that altruism hinders one’s ability to reach his/her highest potential. In fact, it should be able to help. Even though the world is indeed a survival of the fittest, humans for centuries have helped one another for survival. Even the most successful people needed help reaching the top.
Ayn Rand’s Objectivism is definitely ostentatious, and it’s a lifestyle many may try to pursue. However, realistically it’s not possibly. But yes, I do agree that a man’s purpose in life is to reach his highest potential. I completely disagree with the means Rand provides in order to reach that goal. On the other hand, I still think that she’s an amazing author. Even though I only read one of her novels, The Fountainhead was beautifully written. Her language was both colloquial and sophisticated. The plot of the novel was interesting, and her characters range from the hated to the lovable. In the novel, I found my favorite fictional female character, Dominique Francon. I definitely recommend this novel to anyone who wants their mind to be challenged and their morals and values to be tested. Fair warning, this novel is not for the light-hearted.
Oh, I’m glad you also know Ayn Rand! The topic of her philosophy of Objectivism is quite controversial, not only among philosophers but also among English majors. I actually read The Founntainhead over the summer and just like you, it also made me rethink everything. Within the copy that I was reading, there was an introduction from Rand herself explaining her thoughts on the book. I usually don’t read intros but I somehow decided to read hers. And by the second page, she completely blew my mind away. I was immediately attracted to her philosophy and agreed with most of what she said. I held that mindset while I continued to read the novel, and it wasn’t until the end of the book when I did a complete 180.
I don’t want to spoil the book for anyone who wants to read it, but the main protagonist, Howard Roark, said some things which I completely disagreed on. One example would be when he said that being altruistic does not make man become a better person nor does it help man find himself. Also, anyone who performs any kind of altruism will never be able to reach his/her best. And I completely thought that that was bullshit. I seriously do not agree that altruism hinders one’s ability to reach his/her highest potential. In fact, it should be able to help. Even though the world is indeed a survival of the fittest, humans for centuries have helped one another for survival. Even the most successful people needed help reaching the top.
Ayn Rand’s Objectivism is definitely ostentatious, and it’s a lifestyle many may try to pursue. However, realistically it’s not possibly. But yes, I do agree that a man’s purpose in life is to reach his highest potential. I completely disagree with the means Rand provides in order to reach that goal. On the other hand, I still think that she’s an amazing author. Even though I only read one of her novels, The Fountainhead was beautifully written. Her language was both colloquial and sophisticated. The plot of the novel was interesting, and her characters range from the hated to the lovable. In the novel, I found my favorite fictional female character, Dominique Francon. I definitely recommend this novel to anyone who wants their mind to be challenged and their morals and values to be tested. Fair warning, this novel is not for the light-hearted.