Atlas Shrugged: what do you think?

[Norbert]

Please don't necro post the "is objectivism a cult?" here. Just wanted to know what the peeps thought of it: I finished it recently and found it very...interesting. While not exactly persuaded to abandon my faith and start a hidden colony of libertarians, I sympathized with a lot of it's central themes. I guess the question is: what parts do you find plausible (or not) and why?

 

[Masquerouge]

I have to say that I was at first intrigued by this book since I saw it in a lot of places, and was toying with the idea of reading it, then I read more about Ayn Rand and objectivism, and now I'm pretty sure I'll never read it.

At least when Hubbard wrote Battlefield: Earth he didn't do it to promote scientology.

 

[frob2900]

I have to say that I was at first intrigued by this book since I saw it in a lot of places, and was toying with the idea of reading it, then I read more about Ayn Rand and objectivism, and now I'm pretty sure I'll never read it.

At least when Hubbard wrote Battlefield: Earth he didn't do it to promote scientology.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[Mango]

Too verbous. I almost had dinner with Ayn Rand but I decided not to, and by decided not to I mean 3 people from my class of 80 got to have dinner with Ayn Rand but I'm not sure how many of us actually signed up for it because that book was so damn long.

 

[Fifty]

Rand is so utterly devoid of philosophical merit that it's difficult to summon up the desire to read such a large book.

 

[Phlegmak]

I'll read it eventually. Haven't yet.

 

[Norbert]

Rand is so utterly devoid of philosophical merit that it's difficult to summon up the desire to read such a large book.

why? Just out of curiosity: put it in your own words.

 

[Mulholland]

Prophecy....
Or at least I used to think so. After reading the book I was a Randian trying to look at everything with an objectivist lens. The more I read about her philosophy the more I realized she was just a mouthpiece of the 'Capitalism is great' camp. Well, real capitalism doesn't exist and hasn't for along time. I also don't think the 'movers' today are going to go on strike; they are quite contented with their multi billion dollar personal fortunes.

 

[innonimatu]

I also don't think the 'movers' today are going to go on strike

A pity, really. If the psychopaths did that they would quickly slide into irrelevance and starve to death, to the benefit of every decent person in the world.

 

[Atlas14]

I got half-way through, and it was ok. I plan on finishing it, but the philosophical aspects of the book were too artificially presented, and I get the feeling she could say what she wants in about a quarter of the amount of pages she used.

 

[Mulholland]

I got half-way through, and it was ok. I plan on finishing it, but the philosophical aspects of the book were too artificially presented, and I get the feeling she could say what she wants in about a quarter of the amount of pages she used.

If you think it's bad now, I advise you to skip John Galt's speech.

 

[Integral]

Rand is so utterly devoid of philosophical merit that it's difficult to summon up the desire to read such a large book.

You've said that a lot, and I believe you. Can you give a relatively short rebuttal of Rand's philosophy?

I'd just like you to expand on this beyond "it's bunk". I'm curious.

(A list of articles, readings, etc. would suffice as well. I have a lot of time on my hands.)

Integral

 

[aneeshm]

A pity, really. If the psychopaths did that they would quickly slide into irrelevance and starve to death, to the benefit of every decent person in the world.

If we define "mover" to mean all competent or highly competent people, then a "strike" would mean an almost immediate collapse of the society we live in.

But why do you think the word "mover" means "psychopath"?

 

[Perfection]

Will I think Fifty doesn't merely object to her philosophy rather he objects to the notion that her works are real philosophy rather a bunch of obviously false ultimatums, massive flaws, and gross oversimplifications.

 

[Norbert]

If we define "mover" to mean all competent or highly competent people, then a "strike" would mean an almost immediate collapse of the society we live in.

But why do you think the word "mover" means "psychopath"?

...because he's not a capitalist? I'm not giving these people a hard time, I genuinely don't understand the vitriolic reaction to Rand, and this book in general.

 

[downtown]

I couldn't finish it. It was too long, too boring, and too full of horsehockye.

 

[innonimatu]

If we define "mover" to mean all competent or highly competent people, then a "strike" would mean an almost immediate collapse of the society we live in.

But why do you think the word "mover" means "psychopath"?

Read a piece of Rand's works and see for yourself how her "movers" behave! Society would do better without the "movers" she describes, opportunistic, amoral and greedy individuals only concerned with what they believed to be their own immediate material self-interest.

 

[Elrohir]

I'll tell you when I read it. I just finished Anthem, though, and my opinion on that is that it was an interesting read, and there was a lot in there that I agreed with - and a lot I didn't.

Prophecy....
Or at least I used to think so. After reading the book I was a Randian trying to look at everything with an objectivist lens. The more I read about her philosophy the more I realized she was just a mouthpiece of the 'Capitalism is great' camp. Well, real capitalism doesn't exist and hasn't for along time. I also don't think the 'movers' today are going to go on strike; they are quite contented with their multi billion dollar personal fortunes.

I dunno - I think capitalism is pretty cool, but I'm not a fan of Rand's at all.

 

[Chandrasekhar]

Read a piece of Rand's works and see for yourself how her "movers" behave! Society would do better without the "movers" she describes, opportunistic, amoral and greedy individuals only concerned with what they believed to be their own immediate material self-interest.

You say that like it's a bad thing.

 

[Masquerouge]

I'll tell you when I read it. I just finished Anthem, though, and my opinion on that is that it was an interesting read, and there was a lot in there that I agreed with - and a lot I didn't.


I dunno - I think capitalism is pretty cool, but I'm not a fan of Rand's at all.

That's quite the motto, there.

"Capitalism. It's pretty cool!"