Objectivism and Randian Philosophy

 “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.