“I started my life with a single absolute:
that the world was mine to shape in the image of my highest values and never to
be given up to a lesser standard, no matter how long or hard the struggle.”
This inspiring quote is one of many by the great Ayn Rand (Author of Atlas
Shugged). Though this quote may sound arrogant in the sense that she is
stating the “world was mine to shape in
the image of my highest values,” what she means by this is her life is hers
to shape, hence her personal world is
hers to shape. This is considered to be an “objectivist” idea, a life
philosophy that Ayn Rand herself created. Objectivism states that reality exists as an objective absolute—facts are facts, independent of man’s feelings,
wishes, hopes or fears. This means that we cannot change the way things are,
but only shape them and fit them to our own ideas of a perfect society. Though
the word “Objectivism” is not mentioned once in Atlas Shrugged, the
novel itself is basically one massive Objectivist manifesto. The novel follows
the story of Dagny Taggart (The protagonist) the Operating Vice President of
Taggart Transcontinental, a massive rail road corporation founded by her
grandfather. Throughout the novel, the storyline follows her and her attempts
to keep the family company afloat during difficult economic times. As Dagny
struggles in her life to balance her love life and the company, the objectivist
themes in the story are prominent throughout the novel.
One of the key components of Objectivism
seen throughout is a concept known as “rational selfishness” (a.k.a. “ethical
egoism”). The idea behind this “rational selfishness” is that no matter what we
do in life, everything we do is done in our own self interest, and this means
that all that we do, even charity work, is done to give ourselves a feeling of
joy and accomplishment. Dagney herself as mentioned above is struggling to keep
her grandfather’s rail road corporation from going under. She tries to keep the
business afloat not only for others, but for herself as well, so that she may
either have that sense of accomplishment, or to keep her fortune inherited from
her grandfather. The thought of losing her fortune is the perfect incentive for
her actually trying to keep the family business from failing.
Though she is struggling to keep the family
business afloat, Dagney still finds the ability to have a person, what is more
love life. However, romance is a funny thing; it comes to us when we least
expect it. Dagney has three romantic relationships within the novel, each of
which is with a man of great ability: Francisco d’Anconia, Hank Rearden, and
John Galt. Francisco, being her first love in life and a childhood friend, is a
wealthy CEO of a Copper Mining corporation. However, he has become a worthless
playboy who is destroying his family’s international coppery company which made
him into the wealthy tycoon he is fast fading from. A pity to Dagny, because
she still remembers him as the childhood and young adult genius that she knew
when she was young. On the other hand, Hank Rearden is the opposite of
Francisco. Not only is he much more respectable, but he has much more integrity
than Francisco. Rearden is self made as well, whereas Reancisco was born into
wealth, and inherited the copper corperation. He is the CEO of a steel corporation
known as Rearden Steel. Not only is he CEO of the company, but he is also the
inventor of a metal alloy called “Rearden Metal.”
The many differences between these two men
are also covered in Rand’s Objectivism and “Ethical Egoism.” She states that if
you don’t earn your fortune yourself, meaning you did not inherit your wealth
or win it, then you don’t deserve it. Francisco is the man who did not earn his
fortune, and merely inherited it does not deserve it, and because he is lost
his fortune and company because of the way he acts as a playboy, he deserves to
lose everything. Hank on the other hand, is a self made man. Having earned
everything himself, and being the respectable man he is deserves having his
fortune. Through Rand’s logic, it is almost a warped karma system. It tells us
that if you didn’t earn it, you don’t deserve it, and it will be taken from you
if you didn’t earn it yourself.
As Rand had said, “the world was mine to shape in the image of my
highest values.” As stated in this quote, she strives to express
her values through her characters in her immortal novel Atlas Shrugged. Through
her expression of Objectivism and ethical egoism, you can see how her values
are portrayed throughout the novel without once mentioning Objectivism or
Rational Selfishness. The Rational Selfishness is portrayed through Dagney when
she tries to save her family’s company, so that she may not only save her own
fortune, but so that she may give herself a sense of accomplishment.
Objectivism is portrayed by Rand showing us that we cannot change the world,
but merely alter it to fit ourselves better. It is also shown through the
differences between Rearden and Francisco, and how one deserves their fortune
because they earned it, and how the other does not deserve their fortune,
because they did not earn it. As Dagny struggles in her life to balance her
love life and the company, the objectivist themes in the story are prominent
throughout the novel.
