RAND, AYN – Philosophy: Who Needs It

Descrizione

Ayn Rand was born in 1905 in Russia and died last March [1982] in New York City. For virtually all of her seventy-six years, she lived a life of unswerving conviction in and brilliant insight into the fight for freedom and reason.

Novelist and philosopher, she achieved lasting fame and controversy with the publication of The Fountainhead (1943) and her magnum opus Atlas Shrugged(1957). These novels, plus the earlier Anthem (1937) and We The Living (1936) established her ability to dramatize a philosophy through taut plot structure and unforgettable characterization.

After the publication of Atlas Shrugged, she turned her pen full time to the task of writing non-fiction. She founded The Objectivist Newsletter (later to become The Objectivist magazine) and then The Ayn Rand Letter, applying her philosophy of Objectivism to important issues of the day, from philosophy to politics. In keeping with her philosophy, Ayn Rand wrote about issues that truly and selfishly interested her; a chief, but not exclusive reason why her works have stood the test of time.

She was in the process of preparing a new collection of previously published essays, when illness overtook her. Dr. Leonard Peikoff, her pupil and author of The Ominous Parallels, completed the task. The result is the posthumous publication of Philosophy: Who Needs It, with an introduction by Dr. Peikoff. The book contains 18 articles, most of which appeared in The Ayn Rand Letter. The book`s title derives from the lead essay, which was an address given to a West Point graduating class.

Whether or not the reader agrees with her ideas (this one emphatically does), he cannot fail to recognize the trademarks of the typical Ayn Rand piece: the first faint gleam of a question mark; the sweeping aside of false alternatives and intellectual package deals; showdown with the heart of the matter; then a final, boldly illuminated answer to the problem. All premises have thus been “checked” by means of the unique forging of logic, passion and economy of language which was Miss Rand`s literary trademark.

Some of these essays help to recall the special excitement generated by Ayn Rand`s public appearances. One remembers the quickness of her mind, the tone of her resolve, the warmth and accuracy of her humor, the autograph sessions, even the booing from a hostile balcony–in short, the general commotion caused by her lifelong clarion call for man`s reason, justice, pride and happiness.

At her funeral, Dr. Peikoff said that Ayn Rand has changed the course of history. She has. But the full sweep of that change is yet to be felt. To anyone, friend or foe, who wonders whether her name and philosophy will live on, the appearance of Philosophy: Who Needs It is a welcome reminder that they will.

The ancient Greeks believed that a person is, in a sense, still alive so long as his memory endures. This latest work by Miss Rand (other posthumous works are likely to follow) helps us to remember her as clearly as day. To anyone encountering Ayn Rand for the first time, this book is a wonderful place to start. You will discover that you can argue for her or against her–but that, in honesty, you must reckon with her, as the fountainhead of luminous thought that she was for all of her remarkable life.