Ayn Rand Flashcards
What was Rand’s famous novel?
‘Atlas Shrugged’ (1957)
What was the theme of Rand’s famous novel?
That talented individuals, rather than ambitious governments, lay at the heart of any successful society
What is Rand’s famous non-fiction work?
‘The Virtue Of Selfishness’ (1964)
What was the term ‘‘objectivism’, that Rand described in her non-fiction work, mean?
That we should all be guided by self-interest and ‘rational self-fulfilment’
What did Rand for her views on ‘objectivism’ become associated with?
Atomism (the term for a society defined by millions of autonomous individuals)
What idea did Rand’s work provide a philosophical justification for?
The idea that society did not exist in any practical form, it was ideally just a loose collection of indecent individuals
What justification on the New Right did Rand’s ‘objectivism’ become linked?
‘rolling back the frontiers of the state’
What did Rand call herself politically?
A libertarian, both for individual and economic rights
Why did Rand reject anarchism?
Because she though both the free market and cultural laissez-faire needed the parameters of a small state
Why was Rand a conservative and not an anarchist?
She stated her connection with conservatism by claiming liberty was impossible without order and security
Who did Rand support in the 1964 US presidential election?
The ultra-conservative Republican Barry Goldwater
