Appreciate your comments. Rand insisted that principles like "individualism" and "selfishness" were incompatible with their opposites, and why any attempt to mix the two would be disastrous eventually. Her fiction tried to illustrate that in great detail, as did her non-fiction essays. Nevertheless, many have found her fiction to be inspiring and thought-provoking, even if they disagree. I am glad you have given her a fair and honest assessment, instead of the usual smears.
Oh...I'm not scared of getting controversial! I have some things to say about this video. Your orange shirt (which I like very much) makes all the orange on your bookshelves really pop. Yeah, I said it and I'm not sorry.
When I see the name Ayn Rand I recall a discussion I had in my 20s (50 years ago!) with a guy who said, "I subscribe to the philosophy of Ayn Rand." He then looked at me as if I should understand where he's coming from. I didn't. I can't say I do now. I read "Atlas Shrugged" but ... well ... picked up little on her philosophy. Your review helped me pick up on more of her perspectives. I'm not moved by them, but thanks for some bit of clarity.
I couldn't have said it any better. You certainly hit the nail on the head with me. First time to listen to your channel, and I was prepared to listened to another pro Ayn Rand rant. Ryn's experience in Russia during her childhood certainly made an impact on her beliefs, and I can understand why. Her family, as I understand, were middle class Russians and were run out of the country by the Bolsheviks after the Russian Civil War,
I'm going to disagree. While the future that Rand paints is one where the low caste is treated "equally" (as in forced into a mold and stripped equally of their freedoms, will, and agency) the ruling class sits above them free from toil. Now, this might look like any number of failed socialist states in our history so you could argue that this is indeed NOT a straw man argument, no more than Animal Farm was. Except the exaggerated conditions of this future state were outlandish and did not draw parallels to history like Orwell did. But the big difference that stood out to me was that the entire society was content to live a life of subjugation, which does not accurately reflect history. Without such opposition, there never would have been a united White Army in the Russian Revolution. It is the total buy-in of being subdued by the World Council by every character, even the protagonist (until the very end), that makes me dubious of this world as believable. It's not a realistic scenario, it could never get that bad, so it's not fair to set your philosophy up around an allegory that requires the mechanics of that false front. My two cents!
Anthem and The Fountainhead are the strongest introductions to Rand. I generally don’t recommend Atlas Shrugged as a starting point, it’s way too dense, whereas The Fountainhead focuses on fewer characters and one man’s particular worldview. Shes not the horrible writer that some people claim, at all.
If she were a young person today, Ayn Rand would surely have been placed on the autism spectrum. Her writing and her public appearances essentially screams it. I think the real value in her work is in the detailed, robustly realized examination of her own specific neurodiversity. Anthem was part of her early "Communism is bad, m'kay?" period, but still showcases this discomfort with group dynamics. In her middle period, The Fountainhead, this discomfort is raised to the level of heroism, and in her final stage, Atlas Shrugged, she imagined a science fiction world in which people like her (in a bizarre form of the collectivism she claimed to loathe) punished everyone else for not recognizing that heroism and gathering as a collective in service to the Masters of Deep Work. A complex and fascinating woman, for sure, but also a highly dysfunctional cult leader in the last part of her life.
Looking at what Soviet socialism did to her family and her way of life, I can understand why she wrote this one and, "Atlas Shrugged". I enjoyed reading, "Anthem", "Atlas Shrugged", was a bit long and hard to get through, but I'm glad that I read it. I believe my biggest take from, "Atlas Shrugged", was how equity over equality is complete folly. "Atlas Shrugged", is really a sort of prophecy and this prophecy is unfolding all across the world today.
I didn't know she felt the same as me about the Libertarian party, lol. She is an icon as she thought for herself, when so many ppl are echo chambers of others nonsense.
In Salt Lake City, in the 70s, this was high school reading. I hated it, and didn't understand it (then again neither did the teachers). I read Atlas Shrugged while in college and found it to be very simplistic drivel, with a view of wester society colored by Soviet ideology; as if she could never get past seeing the west as it was portrayed to her in her early life. Remembering it now I believe that f her philosophy in the novel were followed, the person she would have running the world would be Elon Musk as a bizarre version of Plato's philosopher king.
This story (as you describe it) reminds me of Harrison Bergenon by the great Kurt Vonnegut. Though he's, without a doubt, my favorite author, I've come to really dislike that story.
I'ma huge Vonnegut fan as well. Harrison Bergeron is almost certainly his most famous short story, but, yeah, not even close to my favorite. The major similarity with Anthem is in the extreme oppression by the government. but where Vonnegut's story is more compelling, is that even though it's shorter and fairly cold, it packs a more substantial emotional punch than Rand's work, which just makes Harrison Bergeron more successful as a piece of fiction. Anthem does more heavy lifting as an allegory, so I think Rand accomplished what she set out to do.
I tried giving 'the virture of selfishness' a try and perversion she plays on altruism is laughable. She says to provide for one self is inherently evil for an altruist, for that sustenance should have gone to another. Disregarding the contrast in providing for yourself so that you may better provide for others.
@@gronskeibooks My first comment may have been slightly confusing. she critiques altruism by saying that living for one self would be considered evil since you're not providing that food for somebody other than yourself. Its one hell of a strawman if I ever saw one.
I'm convinced you misunderstood objectivism, you can do badly call "' sacrifices " if you value the relationship or the recipient and life for your children if that is what you value. And if you think the society portrait is a straw man I encourage you to check collectivist societies in more detail
My hardest part with the Anthem was the hypocrisy of the main character inventing the lightbulb as a symbol of individual achievements when the lightbulb was invented and built upon by a number of people. Personally this book was fascinating but it went too far.
Are you going to post any videos critiquing the laughable state of modern left/liberalism, or are all your opinions totally safe and status quo? I'm not a Randian by the way
Was he critiquing the modern state of conservatism? I'm a really conservative dude but I didn't see anything wrong with what he said. He made some very valid points. Some I agree with and some I don't. But that orange shirt....that is a different story altogether.
@@SaltyVetAdventures The only thing wrong with what he said was that it was utterly safe and predictable. I was just hoping for something a little more original and risky from BookTube... my search continues
Appreciate your comments. Rand insisted that principles like "individualism" and "selfishness" were incompatible with their opposites, and why any attempt to mix the two would be disastrous eventually. Her fiction tried to illustrate that in great detail, as did her non-fiction essays. Nevertheless, many have found her fiction to be inspiring and thought-provoking, even if they disagree. I am glad you have given her a fair and honest assessment, instead of the usual smears.
Oh...I'm not scared of getting controversial! I have some things to say about this video.
Your orange shirt (which I like very much) makes all the orange on your bookshelves really pop. Yeah, I said it and I'm not sorry.
When I see the name Ayn Rand I recall a discussion I had in my 20s (50 years ago!) with a guy who said, "I subscribe to the philosophy of Ayn Rand." He then looked at me as if I should understand where he's coming from.
I didn't. I can't say I do now.
I read "Atlas Shrugged" but ... well ... picked up little on her philosophy.
Your review helped me pick up on more of her perspectives. I'm not moved by them, but thanks for some bit of clarity.
I couldn't have said it any better. You certainly hit the nail on the head with me. First time to listen to your channel, and I was prepared to listened to another pro Ayn Rand rant. Ryn's experience in Russia during her childhood certainly made an impact on her beliefs, and I can understand why. Her family, as I understand, were middle class Russians and were run out of the country by the Bolsheviks after the Russian Civil War,
That's not a straw man, thats the ideas of equality being applied consistently throughout a society.
I'm going to disagree. While the future that Rand paints is one where the low caste is treated "equally" (as in forced into a mold and stripped equally of their freedoms, will, and agency) the ruling class sits above them free from toil. Now, this might look like any number of failed socialist states in our history so you could argue that this is indeed NOT a straw man argument, no more than Animal Farm was. Except the exaggerated conditions of this future state were outlandish and did not draw parallels to history like Orwell did. But the big difference that stood out to me was that the entire society was content to live a life of subjugation, which does not accurately reflect history. Without such opposition, there never would have been a united White Army in the Russian Revolution. It is the total buy-in of being subdued by the World Council by every character, even the protagonist (until the very end), that makes me dubious of this world as believable. It's not a realistic scenario, it could never get that bad, so it's not fair to set your philosophy up around an allegory that requires the mechanics of that false front. My two cents!
Anthem and The Fountainhead are the strongest introductions to Rand. I generally don’t recommend Atlas Shrugged as a starting point, it’s way too dense, whereas The Fountainhead focuses on fewer characters and one man’s particular worldview. Shes not the horrible writer that some people claim, at all.
She’s a good fiction author, but her personal philosophy is extreme and it’s ridiculous that a person should call their personal views “objectivism”
If she were a young person today, Ayn Rand would surely have been placed on the autism spectrum. Her writing and her public appearances essentially screams it. I think the real value in her work is in the detailed, robustly realized examination of her own specific neurodiversity. Anthem was part of her early "Communism is bad, m'kay?" period, but still showcases this discomfort with group dynamics. In her middle period, The Fountainhead, this discomfort is raised to the level of heroism, and in her final stage, Atlas Shrugged, she imagined a science fiction world in which people like her (in a bizarre form of the collectivism she claimed to loathe) punished everyone else for not recognizing that heroism and gathering as a collective in service to the Masters of Deep Work. A complex and fascinating woman, for sure, but also a highly dysfunctional cult leader in the last part of her life.
Good presentation!
Looking at what Soviet socialism did to her family and her way of life, I can understand why she wrote this one and, "Atlas Shrugged". I enjoyed reading, "Anthem", "Atlas Shrugged", was a bit long and hard to get through, but I'm glad that I read it. I believe my biggest take from, "Atlas Shrugged", was how equity over equality is complete folly. "Atlas Shrugged", is really a sort of prophecy and this prophecy is unfolding all across the world today.
What are her reasons for sidelining equity? i haven't read Atlas Shrugged in it's entirety
I didn't know she felt the same as me about the Libertarian party, lol.
She is an icon as she thought for herself, when so many ppl are echo chambers of others nonsense.
So, I was watching your last video about you rereading the books you read when you were a kid, and *poof* the video disappeared. What happened?
Yeah, I wasn't happy with that video; I rushed it, so I took it down. I'm going to reshoot it soon. Sorry about that!
In Salt Lake City, in the 70s, this was high school reading. I hated it, and didn't understand it (then again neither did the teachers). I read Atlas Shrugged while in college and found it to be very simplistic drivel, with a view of wester society colored by Soviet ideology; as if she could never get past seeing the west as it was portrayed to her in her early life. Remembering it now I believe that f her philosophy in the novel were followed, the person she would have running the world would be Elon Musk as a bizarre version of Plato's philosopher king.
This story (as you describe it) reminds me of Harrison Bergenon by the great Kurt Vonnegut. Though he's, without a doubt, my favorite author, I've come to really dislike that story.
I'ma huge Vonnegut fan as well. Harrison Bergeron is almost certainly his most famous short story, but, yeah, not even close to my favorite. The major similarity with Anthem is in the extreme oppression by the government. but where Vonnegut's story is more compelling, is that even though it's shorter and fairly cold, it packs a more substantial emotional punch than Rand's work, which just makes Harrison Bergeron more successful as a piece of fiction. Anthem does more heavy lifting as an allegory, so I think Rand accomplished what she set out to do.
I tried giving 'the virture of selfishness' a try and perversion she plays on altruism is laughable.
She says to provide for one self is inherently evil for an altruist, for that sustenance should have gone to another. Disregarding the contrast in providing for yourself so that you may better provide for others.
I'll have to give that one a read one day, i'm not familiar. i'm surprised Rand would ever write about helping others to the exclusion of the self
@@gronskeibooks My first comment may have been slightly confusing. she critiques altruism by saying that living for one self would be considered evil since you're not providing that food for somebody other than yourself.
Its one hell of a strawman if I ever saw one.
It was bare, dry
The candle as god
I'm convinced you misunderstood objectivism, you can do badly call "' sacrifices " if you value the relationship or the recipient and life for your children if that is what you value.
And if you think the society portrait is a straw man I encourage you to check collectivist societies in more detail
I Love Ayn Rand!!
My hardest part with the Anthem was the hypocrisy of the main character inventing the lightbulb as a symbol of individual achievements when the lightbulb was invented and built upon by a number of people. Personally this book was fascinating but it went too far.
Are you going to post any videos critiquing the laughable state of modern left/liberalism, or are all your opinions totally safe and status quo? I'm not a Randian by the way
Was he critiquing the modern state of conservatism? I'm a really conservative dude but I didn't see anything wrong with what he said. He made some very valid points. Some I agree with and some I don't.
But that orange shirt....that is a different story altogether.
@@SaltyVetAdventures The only thing wrong with what he said was that it was utterly safe and predictable. I was just hoping for something a little more original and risky from BookTube... my search continues
@@flutebasket4294 Be the change. I couldn't find a book stand large enough for my textbooks so I made one myself.