Architect of Objectivism

Ayn Rand: Architect of Objectivism
A great man once said, "A building is alive, like a man. Its integrity is to follow its own truth, its one single theme, and to serve its own single purpose. A man doesn't borrow pieces of his body. A building doesn't borrow hunks of its soul" (Fountainhead 24). While the man quoted above is a fictional character, Howard Roark and his ilk have had an amazing impact on the literary world. The Fountainhead, the book from which Roark emerged, has been named the second-greatest book ever written by the Modern Library, a division of Random House. In fact, Atlas Shrugged, another book by the same author, was on the very top of the list, and the works  Anthem  and We the Livingwere seventh and eighth, respectively (The Modern Library 1). One may ask who this author is, how they had such clout in the world of literature that every book of fiction they had written was considered among the greatest books of all time. This author is Ayn Rand, an emigré from Russia, and leader of the Objectivist movement that struck the United States, starting in the late 1940s. While it may be said that Ayn Rand was merely an author in the Romantic style, her primary focus was introducing readers to her belief in Objectivism and its merits. Her fiction allowed readers to delve deeper into her passion for Objectivism, while her nonfiction explained the way her philosophy worked and how those who cared for Objectivism could apply it in their own lives. As well as explaining her ways, Rand's nonfiction also explained exactly what Objectivism is and what it stands for.
Along with a book of previously unpublished fiction which was released much later, Rand wrote four works of fiction of note. Atlas Shrugged  is often considered her greatest work, however, "[a]lthough followers of Ayn Rand's philosophy accept Atlas Shrugged as the fullest fictional presentation of her philosophy, from a strictly literary perspective, The Fountainhead is a better novel. Both extol the same individualistic virtues, but The Fountainhead does so in a more concise and unified manner" (Gladstein 40). In addition to these larger novels, Rand also wrote We the Living, her first published novel, and Anthem, the story of an individual man conquering the dystopia he has been borne into. Interestingly enough, Anthem has been immortalized by the Canadian rock band Rush, whose drummer is a noted fan of Ayn Rand's. The song "2112," written by Neil Peart, closely follows the ideas presented in Anthem. Peart's narrator, who remains nameless throughout the entire song, is as individualistic as Equality 7-2521, Rand's hero. While Equality 7-2521 discovered electricity, which had been forgotten by the world, while hidden in an unused sewer drain, the Narrator unveiled a guitar hidden in a cave. Both protagonists presented their finds to their elders, and both were rejected for their deviation from the masses; Equality 7-2521, by the World Council, and the Narrator by the Priests of the Temple of Syrinx. The differentiation lies in what happens after the elders discourage the protagonists' finds. Equality 7-2521 escapes the Palace of Corrective Detention and hides in the Uncharted Forest. He is not pursued, because no-one from the city dares to enter. The Narrator sleeps, and dreams of meeting the men and women who lived in the time before the world devolved. Both end in an unclear manner. Equality 7-2521 plans to bring more people from the city into the forest, to teach them the ways of old, when buildings scraped the sky and cars ran along the ground instead of carriages. The Narrator isn't heard from in the end; rather, a chorus of monotonous voices announces that they have assumed control (Lee track 1; Anthem 17-105). Equality 7-2521 shares many traits with Ayn Rand's other  main characters. He, like other male protagonists, is tall and thin, with piercing, attentive eyes and a mind-set that differs from, seemingly, everyone around him. Female protagonists are lithe, sexual beings, and often are unable to allow themselves to succumb to heroism. In the case of Dominique Francon of The Fountainhead, she aims to destroy Howard Roark, but only because she wants to see him pull through and succeed. Instead of marrying Roark, whom she loves, "Dominique marries men she despises in order to prove to herself that she does not care" (Gladstein 52). Her masochism is the part of her self that hinders her from partaking in the joy that is selfishness. By the end, her heart wins out, and she happily marries Roark, becoming another of Ayn Rand's ideal Objectivists.
Though most of Ayn Rand's nonfiction publications are not well known, their number is far greater than that of her fictional works. Her Romantic Manifesto, possibly the best-known of her nonfiction works, explains her beliefs in romanticism, "a category of art based on the recognition of the principle that man possesses the faculty of volition" (99). Volition, the capability to choose for oneself rather than depending on the opinions of others, is the backbone of Objectivism, Ayn Rand's philosophy and the core subject of all of her novels. The Virtue of Selfishness can be considered a primer for those entering into the philosophy of Objectivism. Though most of the essays are written by Rand, The Virtue of Selfishness also includes sections written by Nathaniel Branden, a man with whom Rand had an ongoing affair, and who shared her deep love of philosophy. Ayn Rand's belief in Objectivism may be linked to her former life in Russia. Johnny Carson of The Tonight Show brought up the topic of Rand's motherland during an interview in 1967. "Now you were born in Russia. ...Obviously, your personal background makes you extremely opposed to Communism and what it stands for." To this, she replied, "Not for that reason, but because of the evil of the idea of Communism. I've never been particularly patriotic about Russia. ...I'm much more American, in fundamental principles, than I am Russian" (Podritske and Schwartz 196). From this faith in the American belief of prosperity was begotten the unique philosophy known as Objectivism.
To understand the concept of Objectivism, one must learn to redefine the words "selfish" and "selfless".Rather than seeing selflessness as positive and selfishness as negative, the Objectivist thinks in ways quite the opposite. Selflessness is seen as giving all of oneself to the masses, while selfishness is keeping the self away from the rest. Instead of befriending those who have little appeal, in order to gain status or further business or social prospects, Objectivists give themselves the freedom to choose who will be a friend, and who will be a foe. An Objectivist uses his or her own unique ideas, unlike second-handers who steal the creations of others and rework them as their own. Instead of feeling the need to serve all mankind as if it is owed to them, an Objectivist chooses who they will help or harm. As Ayn Rand explains it:

To claim that you value services to others as a primary, above your own interests, is a logical contradiction. You cannot claim values if you do not value the valuer. If you attach no importance to yourself and your own judgment, you have denied the base from which your capacity to value comes. To value anything other than your own life as a primary is a contradiction in terms. (Podritske and Schwartz 160)

Objectivism centers on capitalism and free trade, with the idea that what a man or woman   produces is his or hers alone; the creator is not obliged to share their wealth or knowledge with the world if they do not wish to do so. An Objectivist afford him- or herself pleasure, for "pleasure (in the widest sense of the term) is a metaphysical concomitant of life, the reward and consequence of successful action-just as pain is the insignia of failure, destruction, death" (Virtue 71). Interestingly enough, though it may seem to an onlooker that Objectivists are bigoted and self-centered folk, they are not racists:

Racism claims that the content of a man's mind (not his cognitive apparatus, but its content) is inherited; that a man's convictions, values and character are determined before he is born, by physical factors beyond his control. This is the caveman's version of the doctrine of innate ideas-or of inherited knowledge- which has been thoroughly refuted by science and philosophy. Racism is a doctrine of, by and for brutes. (Virtue 147)

Above all, however, what makes an Objectivist is their ability to make choices for themselves, rather than depending on others to make decisions for them. As an Objectivist, one is free to stand alone.
Though, as it was discussed before, the Rush song "2112"  finds its basis in Ayn Rand's novelette Anthem, there is still one key difference. At the end of "Part I: Overture," Geddy Lee sings, "And the meek shall inherit the earth" (Lee track 1). Ayn Rand never meant for an Objectivist to be meek in any form. She believed that they should be able to think and speak for themselves, to be proud in their ability to stand tall against a horde of selfless second-handers. She speaks through her novels, with characters like Howard Roark, Equality 7-2521, Dominique Francon, and so many others. She relays her message in her many works of nonfiction, just as she once did with the Objectivist Newsletter, her personal publication. Most importantly, though, she gave her message to her followers at college gatherings and personal talks. While she lived, Ayn Rand was the soul of Objectivism, its founder and fountainhead.


Works Cited
Gladstein, Mimi Reisel. The New Ayn Rand Companion, Revised and Expanded Edition.
Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1999. Print.
Lee, Geddy. "2112." By Neil Peart. Rec. 1976. 2112. By Rush. Vinyl recording. Mercury, 1976.
The Modern Library. 100 Best Novels: The Reader's List. 2007. Random House. Print.
27 Apr. 2009 <www.randomhouse.com/modernlibr…>
Podritske, Marlene and Peter Schwartz, ed. Objectively Speaking.
New York: Lexington Books, 2009. Print.
Rand, Ayn. Anthem: Expanded 50th Anniversary Edition. New York: Signet, 1995. Print.
---. The Fountainhead. New York: Signet, 1943. Print.
---. The Romantic Manifesto. New York: Signet, 1975. Print.
---. The Virtue of Selfishness. New York: Signet, 1964. Print.