Jump to content
Objectivism Online Forum

Why Rand Made Things Difficult For Herself?

Rate this topic


Recommended Posts

In Atlas Shrugged, Rand gives the example of Taggart Transcontinental, built without government subsidy. However, nowhere she mentions the case of the Great Northern which was built by James Hill, also without government subsidy. It was one of the few railroads which got through the Panic of the late 19th century. Similarly, when critisizing Christianity, she fails to mention Thomas Paine whose Age of Reason on religion, revelation and deism is commendable though far from perfect.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I believe it was because she valued logical absolutes over historical precedents and found them much more substantial in constructing an irrefutable argument.

Although much of her fiction is, well, ultimately that it is built around a sound philosophical construct that is very real and very relevant to any man.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In Atlas Shrugged, Rand gives the example of Taggart Transcontinental, built without government subsidy. However, nowhere she mentions the case of the Great Northern which was built by James Hill, also without government subsidy. It was one of the few railroads which got through the Panic of the late 19th century. Similarly, when critisizing Christianity, she fails to mention Thomas Paine whose Age of Reason on religion, revelation and deism is commendable though far from perfect.

Atlas Shrugged takes place in a fictional world with no real, actual businesses or real, actual people being named.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In Atlas Shrugged, Rand gives the example of Taggart Transcontinental

Gives the example? Taggart Transcontinental is a work of fiction. She doesn't need to choose specific historical examples in her works. If you want examples and mentions of historical figures and events in general then you should pursue her non-fiction works or the writings of others. Why would she talk about Thomas Paine in Atlas Shrugged? I can't see any case where that would have made the book better. Would her argument be stronger because someone famous agreed with her in some criticisms of Christianity? I don't think so.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

She does mention Aristotle explicitly. And she mentions Plato. As for Founding Fathers, she only mentions Patrick Henry as in Patrick Henry University. That she never names a man such as Thomas Jefferson but dedicates the greatest university in the world to Henry, is fascinating. It seems that she admires Henry more than Jefferson.

In fiction writing it is better not to name actual living people or historical figures so as to keep the work universal and timeless. To include actual names is a great honor to the man because the writer believes that those people deserve timelessness.

Fictional figures may be inspired by actual people but what is inspiring is not the details and idiosyncrasies but the essence of the man. Thus an Ayn Rand hero is an archetype of a certain moral type.

It would be wrong though to copy a man from real life with detailed precision and then call him merely a different name in the fiction work.

How many Peter Keatings have you met in your life?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
In Atlas Shrugged, Rand gives the example of Taggart Transcontinental, built without government subsidy. However, nowhere she mentions the case of the Great Northern which was built by James Hill, also without government subsidy. It was one of the few railroads which got through the Panic of the late 19th century. Similarly, when critisizing Christianity, she fails to mention Thomas Paine whose Age of Reason on religion, revelation and deism is commendable though far from perfect.

She cited him and his business in Capitalism: An Unknown Ethic on the chapter discussing....railroads, no less!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He was, second last page ("Ragner Danneskjold lay stretched on a couch, reading a volume of the works of Aristotle"). Plato was mentioned somewhere in the Fountainhead I think.

Yes, but Plato is also mentioned in Atlas Shrugged (p. 519):

"It was not to Dr. Ferris that Rearden was speaking. He was seeing a long line of men stretched through the centuries from Plato onward, whose heir and final product was an incompetent little professor with the appearance of a gigolo and the soul of a thug."

There are other famous philosophers mentioned too, like Francis Bacon (p. 658):

"She watched him as he stood at the stove, toasting bread, frying eggs and bacon." :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are other famous philosophers mentioned too, like Francis Bacon (p. 658):

"She watched him as he stood at the stove, toasting bread, frying eggs and bacon."  :)

Here's a couple more of the others:

Henry James:

"James, you ought to discover some day that words have an exact meaning." (pg. 94)

John Dewey:

"John! I'm not to blame for it!" (pg. 838) :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's a couple more of the others:

Henry James:

"James, you ought to discover some day that words have an exact meaning." (pg. 94)

John Dewey:

"John! I'm not to blame for it!" (pg. 838) :D

I'll accept Henry James, but I think John Dewey should be disqualified based on first name reference only. However, one good "John" reference is John Stuart Mill (p. 86):

"Far in the distance, beyond the mill structures ..."

The "mill structures" obviously refers to the philosophic structures of John Stuart Mill! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...