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41. What Art Is: The Esthetic Theory of Ayn Rand by Louis Torres, Michelle Marder Kamhi | |
Paperback: 523
Pages
(2000-06)
list price: US$21.95 -- used & new: US$14.16 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0812693736 Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Editorial Review Product Description Customer Reviews (14)
Ayn Rand walks into a gallery, the abstract horse says, "...
Ayn or Mine?
This book should be called "What Art ISN'T"
WOW!
Surprisingly good, despite some flaws Nevertheless, despite these criticisms, I urge all those who are interested in art to read the book, regardless of what they think of Rand.The book is written on a much higher level than most pro-Rand books that are published nowadays.Torres and Kamhi, unlike Rand's orthodox disciples, at least are sound scholars with an appreciation for empirical evidence and close logical analysis.They are fair to opposing viewpoints (unlike Rand herself, who treated opponents as if they were sub-human), and they provide an excellent overview of the excesses of modern and post-modern art.Merely as a phillipic against bad art (or, as the authors would insist, "non-art"), I would give this book a five star rating.But because of the methodological essentialism, I have to drop it down to four.The emphasis on definitions really can get annoying. ... Read more |
42. Ayn Rand Reader by Ayn Rand | |
Paperback: 512
Pages
(1999-01-01)
list price: US$23.00 -- used & new: US$5.00 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0452280400 Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Editorial Review Product Description Customer Reviews (10)
Reading Ayn Rand
This book should be read by ALL.
Wanted to read more
Must Read clarifies Barry Obama,s strategy
Excellent Synopsis of the Wisdom of Ayn Rand. |
43. Judgment Day: My Years With Ayn Rand by Nathaniel Branden | |
Paperback:
Pages
(1991-02)
list price: US$12.95 -- used & new: US$99.99 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0380711273 Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Customer Reviews (4)
A sadly mistitled book
Not a Gentleman
Finally, someone with guts
Stinks! |
44. The Virtue of Selfishness (Signet) by Ayn Rand | |
Paperback: 144
Pages
(1964-11-01)
list price: US$2.95 -- used & new: US$4.86 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0451129318 Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Customer Reviews (7)
Excellent book
the hobo philosopher
Sense of self.
The Virtue of Selfishness
A fantastic collection of essays about the human condition |
45. Ayn Rand: The Russian Radical by Chris Matthew Sciabarra | |
Paperback: 477
Pages
(1995-06-01)
list price: US$37.95 -- used & new: US$16.49 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0271014415 Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Editorial Review Product Description Customer Reviews (19)
A much needed book The author sees the problem for Randian scholarship as predominantly arising from her public persona, and thus scholars need to differentiate Rand's personality from her philosophy. Her intransigence, intolerance, and general mean-spiritedness must be ignored if one is not to collapse into psychologism, argues the author. Scholars must also he argues, attempt to find out what actually defines her philosophy and makes it distinctive. This has been a source of contention in recent years, with different "schools of thought" established, each claiming to represent exclusively her philosophy. Another virtue of this book is the author's insistence on using a hermeneutical approach when analyzing Randian philosophy.The information content of an idea, he argues, includes myriads of unforeseeable non-trivial statements, this being similar to what happens in mathematics. It is well known to those who practice mathematics that a large number of problems and concepts can be generated from a particular area of it. These problems can go way beyond the intent of the mathematicians who created this particular area. Many advocates of Randian philosophy, as the author points out, like to think of her philosophy as a "closed system". Without actually defining it, one can only make educated guesses as to what this really means. If it means a deductive system where each statement can be derived from others within the system, and no further development is necessary, then this is problematic. The example of mathematics again shows that a deductive system can be extended greatly depending on the ingenuity of the researcher. Rand herself was a poor scholar, only infrequently quoting works of philosophy that she deemed worthy of inclusion. Considering her confidence in the originality of her ideas this is not surprising. However every claim about another scholar's ideas should be given textual support. Indeed, Rand's criticism of Immanuel Kant is unrelenting, but her analysis of his philosophy lacks the depth needed to judge his philosophy from her vantage point. Luckily the author assists the reader in the understanding of just why Rand objected to Kant so vociferously. Hopefully this book will be the first in many that will put Rand in the historical context of twentieth century philosophy. Rand is a fairly good example of what can be produced outside the academy if one has the cognitive discipline and the large amounts of time needed to develop systematic philosophical systems. The information age has brought publishing strategies that Rand did not have when she was alive. The doors are thus open for most anyone to express their ideas and have them accessible to a world-wide audience. Critical works of philosophy can thus be produced both inside and outside the academy.
A useful and serious interpretation Sciabarra has to work hard to accomplish this task, and in the process resorts self-consciously to describing Rand's work in terms very different than she or most of her proponents would use.The author clearly recognizes that this will quite predictably alienate Rand fans.The book isn't neccessarily written, or most useful, for them. By opening up the terminology a bit, and finding reasonably hypothesized general influences on Rand's life and thought, Sciabarra is able to reveal aspects of Objectivist reasoning and assumptions that those more familiar with other philosophers can now appreciate.This is not a small matter, because the ideas are potentially very profound. With Sciabarra's efforts, Objectivist ideas may begin to be placed more realistically in an intellectual and historical context, rather than being treated as an isolated phenomenon that began and ended with Ayn Rand.Her work can be appreciated for its good ideas, as well as criticized for its potential mistakes. This book is most fascinating for its unique and accessible description of the currents of often difficult Russian philosophy, its exposition of dialectic method, and its potential to translate Rand's own idiom into a form that can be compared with other philosophers in a clarifying way.It is also, as far as I can tell, quite true to what I have always felt was the "spirit" of Objectivist thinking, the passionate and broadly inclusive defense of the individual mind. At the same time, Sciabarra almost manages the extraordinarily difficult task of separating out Objectivism from the foundationalist tendency it instills in its most passionate adherents to certify itself as infallibly true.Without that aura of insufferably dogmatic adherence, the ideas take on a new life. One of the things that has traditionally left Rand scholarship out in the cold has been its isolationism from academic philosophy, an attitude that seems to be mutual.Sciabarra makes a serious effort to bring Rand scholarship into academic respectability, and to me he does a very credible job. This book has three sections dealing with (1) historical context in Russian and European philosophy showing what aspects of her Russian heritage she absorbed and what she vehemently rejected and giving some possible insight into why, (2) the structure and content of Objectivism in terms of realism, individualism, and libertarianism combined with a radical dialectical method, and (3) Rand's approach to social criticism, Rand as a "Russian radical for capitalism." I think it could easily be argued by both Rand critics and Rand proponents that this book is reading far more into Objectivism than it actually contains, but to me that is what made it so interesting.It deals with the implications of the ideas themselves rather than the individuals involved and their own personal interpretations, and that is what makes for lasting philosophical significance. I'd characterize this book as a thorough non-critical analysis by someone not specifically part of Objectivist thinking but interested in its potential value.It serves as a very good translation guide to understanding Rand's ideas and their implications, but in many places it does not examine them quite as critically as I personally would have preferred.
This book is Meta-Rand. It is applied Objectivism. Chris Sciabarra makes a strong case for the dialectical nature of Rand's philosophy. He looks at how her work might have been informed by her Russian roots and the early experiences of her life and how she developed a philosophy that attempted to integrate all aspects of Objective Reality. Objective Reality as Rand saw it is not inherently fragmented. A philosophy based on Objective Reality would of necessity integrate all aspects into a cohesive whole. Apparently, some who regard Rand as a mystical goddess, take offense at the sharp focus that Sciabarra puts on her work. This seems odd, given that this book demonstrates a profound respect for her intellectual accomplishments. My only criticism was that this book does not critique her failures or attempt to explain her tyranny toward those closest to her. But that subject has been covered in other books by those who knew her personally and is well beyond the scope of this book. Sciabarra's thoroughly researched RUSSIAN RADICAL will remain an important contribution to Rand scholarship for many years to come.
Major Virtue Overlooked
"Along Came a Spider..."' Took a bold stand, By defining her morals andways..."
For decades, philosophers have tried to dismiss thephilosophy of Ayn Rand as being superficial and unworthy of attention. Andfor decades, philosophy professors have been continually consternated bystudents who insist that Rand's philosophy of Objectivism is unique andmeaningful. Try as they might, "professional" philosophers justcannot convince the "common man philosopher" that Ayn Rand shouldbe excluded from the pantheon of "serious" philosophers... "But along came a spider..., (Oops, I meant Sciabarra!) Who satdown beside her... To trick her young fledglings away!"
Thespider said, "Since we cannot extinguish Ms. Rand as a philosopher whostands OUT from the crowd, we will embrace and smother her as a philosopherwho cannot be distinguished FROM the crowd."
And thusSciabarra's book was born.
On the bad side, Sciabarra's book takesseveral hundred pages to "prove" nothing. This is several hundredpages of TEDIOUS details, side-issues, tangents, and irrelevancies... On the good side, he uncovers some specific details about her life inRussia before she came to the United States. But these details are merelysmall curiosities, and do nothing to diminish the originality and value ofher work.
Bottom line: this ponderous tome can be mind-numbing inits pretentious (and vain) complexity, but it does not succeed indiminishing the stature of Rand's works, except for those who disliked heralready. If you have digested Objectivist philosophy for a few years, youmight read this book to sharpen your critical reading "teeth."But unless you're a devoted "hater" of Rand, or a seriousObjectivist with the time and money to wade through gratuitous andpretentious philosophical "muck," you shouldn't waste your moneyon "Ayn Rand: The Russian Radical." If your reading comprehensionskills (and your emotional discipline) are above average, then by allmeans, take the time to sit down in a bookstore and spend a couple hoursskimming through it. But that's all it's worth. A good skim. Nothingmore. ... Read more |
46. The New Ayn Rand Companion, Revised and Expanded Edition by Mimi Reisel Gladstein | |
Hardcover: 176
Pages
(1999-08-30)
list price: US$69.95 -- used & new: US$62.95 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0313303215 Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Editorial Review Product Description Customer Reviews (3)
SCHOLARLY?I THINK NOT
A "must" for all serious Ayn Rand fans and scholars.
The Definitive Guide to Things Randian and Objectivist What's covered here? Let Gladstein answer: "Theorganization of this Companion follows a logical heuristic: Who? What? andSo what? 'Who is Ayn Rand?' is the question answered partly by the briefbiographical chapter. The main body of this book, however, responds to thequestion, 'What has she written?' That is covered in the chapters on herfiction, her nonfiction, and in the compendium of characters. 'So what?' isthe question that calls for critical reaction and that is provided in thechapter on criticism." The author also provides a comprehensivebibliography of works by and about Rand. Even such obscure pieces as DavidM. Brown's hitherto unheralded survey of "The Critics of BarbaraBranden" (published in the May 1988 issue of Liberty magazine) areincluded. Gladstein has much that is both positive and on-point to sayabout Rand's character, her fiction, her nonfiction, and the variouscritical assessments of her work. She doesn't shy away from negativejudgments when such are appropriate, either. On Rand Herself:"Regardless of what pressures were brought to bear, regardless of howmany of those in power told her that she must change her style, regardlessof what obstacles she found to 'doing it her way,' Rand remained true toher purposes in writing." "Intellectually, she could best anyonein argument.... Bennett Cerf concurred, 'You can't argue with Ayn Rand.She's so clever at it, she makes a fool out of you.' " Rand's personalshortcomings are mentioned, as well as the troubling circumstances thatsurrounded the Objectivist Crackup in 1968; but Gladstein does not dwell onsuch matters. Of course the works cited, the most important of which is ThePassion of Ayn Rand, tell the whole story of Ayn Rand's often triumphant,sometimes tragic life. On Rand's Fiction: "Rand's major literaryworks follow similar plot patterns. In each, an exceptionally able andindividualistic protagonist battles the forces of collectivism andmediocrity that are threatening or have destroyed the nation or theworld." "Rand's heroes are tall, straight and strong. As withtheir feminine counterparts, defiance is a keystone to theircharacters." "The major theme of Rand's fiction is the primacy ofthe individual. The unique and precious individual human life is thestandard by which good is judged." Mention is also made of suchleitmotifs as "recurring whip imagery" and "romanticizedrapes" that are "symbolic of the head-on clash of two strongpersonalities." (Gladstein is quick to add that readers of"raised consciousness about the nature of rape might find thissymbolism unpalatable," but neglects to state clearly that thevigorous sexual encounters in Rand's fiction cannot be taken as actualrape-not if the text itself is to be admitted in evidence.) Gladstein'ssummaries of Rand's stories are uniformly excellent. On Rand'sNonfiction: "Montaigne, author of the book Essais which created thegenre of the essay, defined the essay as 'an attempt,' a brief discussionas opposed to a thesis or dissertation. [The essays of The Virtue ofSelfishness] are just that-compressed discussions, forays into theirsubjects. As such, they are appealing to interested nonacademic ornonspecialist readers as well as to the more serious student ofObjectivism." "Rand says capitalism is the only moralpolitico-economic system in history, a system that has been a great boon tohumankind [TDO thinks Gladstein means "mankind" here].... Herpurpose [in Capitalism: the Unknown Ideal] is to clearly identify thebenefits of capitalism while also exposing the nature of its arch enemy,altruism." "One of Rand's greatest gifts is her ability to cut tothe heart of a contemporary event or issue and analyze its philosophicalimplications." "The specific referencts of [The ObjectivistNewsletter] were events of the early sixties. What makes themintellectually satisfying today is that the basic premises Rand uses tocriticize government, education, or literature apply now as they didthen." The chapter on "Criticism of Rand's Works"includes a summary of every work about Rand that has been published, andmentions a great many of the critical articles. As you can imagine, thecriticism is a very mixed bag, as assessments of Rand run the gamut in toneand objectivity. To her great credit, Gladstein's sensibility incriticizing the criticism is almost infallible. Any palpable blunders inThe New Ayn Rand Companion? One or two.In the introduction the authorstates that Rand "presented herself as representative of her fictionalideal: rational, objective, uncompromising, unswerving. Her followers canfind no imperfections. This tends to create a situation in which all whoare not fully in accord with Rand are seen as part of the opposition."The gist of the observation is correct, but some qualification should havebeen made. Elsewhere in the book Gladstein herself documents the growth ofmore tolerant wings of the Objectivist movement, including the birth of TheInstitute for Objectivist Studies (now The Objectivist Center) and thepublication of David Kelley's Truth and Toleration. (Alas, the Companionwent to press just around the time The Daily Objectivist was being founded,so TDO's rapid ascendancy as the premier arbiter of non-orthodoxObjectivist thought, displacing Kelley's organization, is not mentioned atall. Hopefully this omission will be rectified in the thirdedition.) Another little glitch we could mention appears in thedescription of Hank Rearden. "Although [Rearden's] feelings forFrancisco d'Anconia are strained by Francisco's superficial public image,their friendship grows until Rearden finds out that Francisco had beenDagny's lover." But in fact the great breach in the friendship occursearlier in the novel, when Rearden realizes that Francisco had had themeans to prevent a disaster from befalling Rearden Steel but chose not toprevent it. The discovery of Francisco and Dagny's past romance onlyincreases but does not inaugurate the tension between the two men when theyfinally next encounter each other in Dagny's apartment. Anyone who has readAtlas Shrugged a million times cover to cover would be familiar with thissequence of events. However, these points are trivia. Ninety nine pointnine nine percent of the time Gladstein is completely accurate, not tomention astonishingly concise given the wealth of information she presents.She acknowledges the assistance of a number of major figures in theObjectivist movement, including Chris Matthew Sciabarra, Nathaniel Brandenand Barbara Branden, Peter Saint Andre, Michelle Marder Kamhi and LouTorres. Anyone with any serious interest in the work of Ayn Rand and itsgrowing influence on our culture should own a copy of The New Ayn RandCompanion.--David M. Brown, Editor, The Daily Objectivist(www.dailyobjectivist.com) ... Read more |
47. Ayn Rand by Tibor R. Machan | |
Paperback: 163
Pages
(2000-03)
list price: US$24.95 -- used & new: US$67.50 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0820441449 Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Editorial Review Product Description Customer Reviews (3)
Not very informative
Hastily put together but rather friendly and interesting Unlike most independent Ayn Rand scholars, who tend to consider themselves as superiorprofessionals correcting the childish blunders of an incompetent amateur,Tibor Machan, as the above quote suggests, is a respectful commentator whocorrectly recognizes that Ayn Rand was a major philosopher and that most ofwhat Randian scholars today can hope to accomplish is to polish up someaspects of her philosophical system, develop new applications of it andconfront the latest batch of criticisms from academia. As far as hispersonal philosophy is concerned, he seems to have accepted most of thefundamentals of Objectivism, and in most contemporary philosophicalbattles, he is generally on the right side, defending free-will againstdeterminism, ethical cognitivism vs. non-cognitivism, the free society vs.welfare statism and marxism, and the morality of business against leftistand conservative smears. I would therefore consider him an estranged friendof Objectivism, to be distinguished from the self-styled "sympatheticobservers" of the philosophy who in the next breath call Rand apseudo-philosopher. Unfortunately, Machan tends to suffer from a lack ofsystem and hierarchy in his writings, and nowhere is this clearer than inthe present book. Compared to Peikoff's *Objectivism: The Philosophy of AynRand* or even Gotthelf's *On Ayn Rand*, which are beautifully structuredand clearly distinguish fundamentals from derivatives, Machan's *Ayn Rand*is much less integrated and systematic. This lack of system of courseneed not be a reflection of Machan's own mental functioning, even though hedoes have a penchant for pluralism and eclecticism, but is probably due tothe way the book was put together: *Ayn Rand* is essentially a disjointedcollection of articles previously published in various reviews, newslettersand books. Chapter 4, "Rand's Rational Individualism", forinstance, is a slightly edited copy of chapter 10 of *The PhilosophicalThought of Ayn Rand*. Machan's lack of enthusiasm for philosophicalhierarchy does sometimes affect his conclusions, though. For instance, whenhe states that "in some parts of his moral philosophy and in politics,Kant was closer to [Rand's] own ideas than are most otherphilosophers" (p117), he clearly shows his rejection of theObjectivist tenet that one cannot understand a statement out of the wholehierarchy of a man's philosophical ideas. This may also explain why hefeels sympathetic to the libertarians and leans to the "moraltolerationist" wing of Objectivism. Anyway, I do recommend this bookas a good overview of Objectivism, and perhaps as a better *introduction*to this philosophy than Gotthelf's very compact volume (though the latteris a more reliable statement of the content of the philosophy). Machan makes interesting comments on the distinction between derivation anddeduction and he identifies a few contemporary philosophers whose views arevery similar to Objectivism. His more haphazard reflections on"Problems Left for Objectivism" however suffer from a lack offamiliarity with the more recent taped material and simplemisinterpretations of Objectivist tenets. (For instance, though he has read*We The Living*, he asks: "Cannot a work of art be quite excellent,yet... sad? Tragic?", perpetuating a common caricature of theObjectivist esthetics.) Finally, I must say I found some of the statementsin the book cryptic or highly dubious: "Rand's foundationalism can becharacterized as post-epistemological" or "Rand's approach isalso consistent with... an (almost) anything-goes, (almost) Feyerabendianlaissez-faire attitude towards the methods of factual investigation".
Best Book on Rand There are a number of merits to this book: (1) Prof.Machan provides a clear overview of Rand's position on most philosophicalquestions, placing prominence on Rand's axiomatic concepts; (2) the bookcontains a solid discussion of Rand's works; and (3) chapter 7 - on variousquestions that Rand failed to consider - is excellent. There are someweaknesses to the work as well. First, Prof. Machan doesn't spend enoughtime on Rand's theory of concept formation, which her followers consider hegreatest contribution to philosophy.Second, he is too kind to Rand whenit comes to her often unfair and inaccurate attacks on other philosophers. While he says that Rand caricatures other thinkers, the fact is that Randhad little knowledge of the history of philosophy and her discussion ofother philosophers is simply pathetic.Anyone who doubts this should readher essay, "For the New Intellectual." Third, like many of Rand'sadmirers, Prof. Machan overestimates Rand's originality.The fact is thatmost of Rand's ideas can be found in other writers. In spite of itsflaws, this is generally an outstanding book.I recommend it highly. ... Read more |
48. The World of Atlas Shrugged: The Essential Companion to Ayn Rand's Masterpiece by Robert Bidinotto/The Objectivist Center, Edward Herrmann, Lynn Redgrave | |
Audio CD:
Pages
(2001-04-23)
list price: US$22.95 -- used & new: US$11.73 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 156511471X Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Editorial Review Product Description Customer Reviews (7)
Changed my life.
Great Addition to book
Uncritical companion
Refresher of principles of Atlas Shrugged This CD would be useful for the Objectivist that can not reread Rand's book but wants to be able to discuss it in detail again.
Outstanding Supplement to "Atlas Shrugged" This is a good audio CD that accomplishes its task very efficiently.It is a great summary of "Atlas Shrugged" with just the right amount of additional detail. ... Read more |
49. Atheism, Ayn Rand, and Other Heresies by George H. Smith | |
Hardcover: 324
Pages
(1991-04)
list price: US$36.98 -- used & new: US$15.00 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0879755776 Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Editorial Review Product Description Customer Reviews (8)
The Precuror of God's Delusions by Atheists Today.
Lucid, thoughtful, sometimes way off.
Interesting collection of essays Smith is unapologetically atheist; belief in God for Smith is simply unreasonable and irrational. Asked to prove the nonexistence of God, Smith's answer is simply that one cannot prove a negative and that the person who asserts the existence of something bears the burden of proof. He asserts that to believe in faith or to rely on faith is to "defy and abandon the judgment of one's mind. Faith conflicts with reason.It cannot give you knowledge; it can only delude you into believing that you know more than you really do.Faith is intellectually dishonest, and it should be rejected by every person of integrity. The book is a loosely connected series of essays that discuss a variety of Christian and social heresies. He begins with his own philosophic journey to atheism.He is certainly a libertarian, and the essays on public education and the War on Drugs reflect that philosophy. But the reason I began this book was to discover his writing about Ayn Rand. He devotes two substantial chapters to her and the Objectivist philosophy. Rand evokes fierce passions, both pro and con."Accounts of Objectivism written by Rand's admirers are frequently eulogistic and uncritical, whereas accounts written by her antagonists are often hostile and what is worse, embarrassingly inaccurate." The situation has been made worse by her appointed heir to the throne, Leonard Peikoff, who has declared Objectivism to be a "closed" philosophy, i.e., no critical analysis will be tolerated;one must accept it as he says it is and that's that. Whether Objectivism will survive such narrow-mindedness remains to be seen.It's a classic case of the true believer "unwilling to criticize the deity.Thinking for oneself is hard work so true believers recite catechisms and denounce heretics instead."Typically, this was contrary to Rand's philosophy of individualism and critical, rational thinking where "truth or falsehood must be one's sole concern and the sole criterion ofjudgment -- not anyone's approval or disapproval."
A dissenter's mind Smith's discussion of Deism is the highlight of thisbook.As a philosophy accepting a godwithout a structured religiousorganization, Deism was a major theme among critics ofChristianity. Abolishment of church hierarchies, with their inevitable moral and monetary corruption, led many thinkers to leave Christianity in favour of apersonal relationship with adeity.Many of the Founding Fathers of theUnited States adhered to this view, a product ofthe EuropeanEnlightenment of the 18th Century.Arising coincidentally with many philosophies of personal freedom, it was almost inevitable that a nationexperimenting withdemocratic ideals would espouse it.Smith's essay onthe writings of Deists is enlightening. Smith's discussion of Ayn Rand'sideas came as a bit of a shock.It's difficult to find anyone,apart froma few feminists, in this era who knows who she was.Smith's account of herlifeincludes a smattering of choice quotations, but the brevity of theentries demonstrates thepaucity of adherents.There is an Ayn RandInstitute site on the 'Net, but seems hardly worththe bother. The twoessays on public education and the War on Drugs are heartfelt expressionsof a truelibertarian.Neither will add to Smith's popularity in a nationwhere 'Christian virtues' reignwith such strength, but they're requiredreading for anyone who wishes to understand viewsother than the accepted'norm'.Smith appears to forget that public education in the United States, even given its Puritan foundation, was furthered by a desire tofree education from thethrall of an Established Church.The strugglingeconomy of a growing nation would have ledmore children into hazardousand fatiguing work situations from which they would neverrecovered. Extending the years of compulsory education freed many children and openedjobopportunities.The result put more women into the work force,ultimately leading toimproving their role in society. Smith confesseshis lack of a formal education, but he's certainly managed a wealth of research to produce this book.Not a deep study of the challenges toestablished thinking, thisbook is a valid starting point for thoseseeking further knowledge of libertarian thinking.
Worthy follow-up to "Atheism: The Case Against God" I wish I could give the book five stars, but there doesn't seemto be much of an underlying theme, as the title suggests. I would've likedto have seen something where the chapters lead to an inevitable conclusion,as in A:TCAG. ... Read more |
50. Himno/ Anthem (Spanish Edition) by Ayn Rand | |
Paperback: 119
Pages
(2006-06-30)
list price: US$16.95 -- used & new: US$31.44 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 987123905X Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
51. Anthem: With a Foreword by Ayn Rand by Ayn Rand | |
Kindle Edition:
Pages
(2009-12-07)
list price: US$0.99 Asin: B0030T1J5I Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Editorial Review Product Description Customer Reviews (1)
We Are Lemmings Being Led By the Least of Us |
52. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand | |
Hardcover: 1168
Pages
(1957-10-12)
list price: US$35.00 -- used & new: US$36.84 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0394415760 Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Customer Reviews (44)
near collectable quality
Awesome Book, a must for any business person!
Not the conservative anthem it appears
A literary and philosophic masterpiece
Objectivism at its finest |
53. El Manantial (Spanish Edition) by Ayn Rand | |
Paperback:
Pages
(2006-01)
list price: US$26.65 -- used & new: US$24.99 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 9872095167 Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Customer Reviews (1)
El Manantial |
54. With Charity Toward None: An Analysis of Ayn Rand's Philosophy by William F. O'Neill | |
Paperback: 233
Pages
(1977-06)
list price: US$7.95 Isbn: 0822601796 Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Customer Reviews (6)
Dated O'Neill's discussion of Rand's thought is informative and more or less accurate.On the other hand, he doesn't make enough of an effort to integrate Rand's thought into a coherent whole (granted, this isn't easy to do).So I don't think that someone new to Ayn Rand would understand why Rand has influenced so many people.Yet O'Neill does do a good job at bringing to light of some of the contradictions in Rand's work.For example, Rand preached that compromise was evil; yet she supported candidates for president who were anything but Objectivists.However, some of the alleged contradictions Prof. O'Neill finds would disappear if he had used a bit more "charity" in interpreting Rand. If you want to read a sympathetic integration of Rand's thought, I recommend Chris Sciabarra's AYN RAND: THE RUSSIAN RADICAL.
A balanced, well-researched, well-organized analysis His work was informed by an exhaustive survey of objectivist literature. He left no stone unturned either in giving Rand the benefit of the doubt or in pinning down the definitions Rand herself or other Objectivists gave to the terms they used. He makes no extreme claims about objectivism. The book is an analysis, not a polemic. Albert Ellis' book, _Is Objectivism a Religion?_ is a good companion to this book. Both books have ramifications for libertarianism and even for the somewhat reified and theological capitalism that dominates America politically. This is because the same inconsistencies and factual errors that the objectivists are guilty of permeate libertarianism and the debunked but still influential economic theories like supply-side or Austrian economics that have political power long after working economists despaired of finding any practical use for them.
Sigh...
Well-meaning, but dull, critique of Rand's philosophistry O'Neill's critique suffers from the usual flaws of a pioneering effort. He is unable to grasp precisely what Rand is all about, and consequently ends up critiquing distortions of her philosophy rather than the actual doctrines Rand propagated. This defect is not helped by Mr. O'Neill's dryasdust style, which makes "Charity Toward None" a very difficult read. Dullness is the number one defect of academic philosophy. If philosophy is to make any difference in the world, it cannot be written as if it were meant to be a soporific. During Rand's life, her admirers could boast that no one had yet been able to refute the philosophy of their idol. The publication of Professor O'Neill's book did little to change this state of affairs. While he makes a few good points along the way, O'Neill's inability to understand the terms Rand uses to express her ideas renders his critique largely verbal and semantic. Unable, for instance, to fathom what Rand means by the term "objective," our intrepid Professor ends up going off on all kinds of irrelevant tangents, demolishing in systematic effusion a number of arguments which Rand herself would never have been caught dead advocating. Those who wish to refute Rand should avoid trying to get at her through verbal analysis. No one cares whether Rand's use of philosophical terms corresponds to the way academic philosophers use those same terms. What is important is whether Rand's views correspond to empirical reality. It is on the empirical side that Rand is most vulnerable. If you want to demolish Rand's system, simply compare her philosophy to the facts. It will not compare favorably.
Minor corrections |
55. Ayn Rand's Anthem: The Graphic Novel by Charles Santino, Ayn Rand | |
Paperback: 144
Pages
(2011-02-01)
list price: US$15.00 -- used & new: US$10.12 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0451232178 Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Editorial Review Product Description |
56. Objectively Speaking: Ayn Rand Interviewed by Marlene Podritske | |
Hardcover: 282
Pages
(2009-01-16)
list price: US$34.95 -- used & new: US$28.59 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 073913194X Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Editorial Review Product Description Customer Reviews (4)
Ayn Rand's Answers to Today's Problems
This Is Ayn Rand Speaking
Intellectual tour de force
A fine Introduction to Rand's thought |
57. Ayn Rand's Normative Ethics: The Virtuous Egoist by Tara Smith | |
Hardcover: 328
Pages
(2006-05-01)
list price: US$95.00 -- used & new: US$65.99 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0521860504 Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Editorial Review Product Description Customer Reviews (3)
Definitive Work on Clarifying Rational Egoism
an important work, well worth every penny and minute
The Price of Virtue |
58. Ayn Rand and Song of Russia: Communism and Anti-Communism in 1940s Hollywood by Robert Mayhew | |
Paperback: 232
Pages
(2004-12-08)
list price: US$38.45 Isbn: 0810852764 Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Editorial Review Product Description Customer Reviews (4)
Communists in Hollywood? Yes.
One San Franciscan's Response
Ayn Rand on Communism in Hollywood
Naming Facts - The Truth about Hollywood Communism |
59. The Ideas of Ayn Rand by Ronald Merrill | |
Paperback: 191
Pages
(1998-12-31)
list price: US$17.95 -- used & new: US$4.69 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 081269158X Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Editorial Review Product Description Customer Reviews (6)
An excellent overview
Comprehensive, But Not Deep
An excellent compact overview of Rand's views
Objective Book of Objectivism's founder
Nice book |
60. Anthem by Ayn Rand | |
Audio CD:
Pages
(2004-11-01)
list price: US$17.95 -- used & new: US$11.29 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0786182296 Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Editorial Review Product Description Customer Reviews (3)
A for book, C+ for narration,B+ for addition of a forward
Great book - terrible narrator (go with the other Anthem audio)
We Are Lemmings Being Led By the Least of Us |
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