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Atlas Shrugged

by Johanna

Whether I was riding the subway, in an elevator, or even standing in line at the grocery store, the sight of Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged peeking out of my bag incited more comments from complete strangers than I'd ever experienced. Whether it was positive or negative, the sight of the title and distinctive graphic on the book cover received strong reactions from people who had read the book.

Whether or not you agree with Ayn Rand's philosophy, Objectivism, chances are that if you've read one of her novels (the two most famous are Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead), she's made you reconsider your view of how society should work.

Most of the Objectivist theory flows from the idea that "man is an end in himself, not the means to the ends of others." In Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand rejects the idea of "charity," and posits that societies who force individuals to give to the needy will ultimately fail. Objectivism rejects government policy that results in wealth redistribution, because it "punishes" individuals who have worked hard for what they've earned, thus draining the life from society's most productive members.

This book sparked an interesting discussion at kasina because most of us had already read and formed opinions about Ayn Rand's philosophy. The kasina culture is one that is very pro-giving, pro-charity, pro-assistance; however, we also operate in the private sector that benefits from many capitalistic freedoms. While no one fully agreed or fully rejected her theories, Ayn Rand's ideas provided good fodder for philosophical debate.