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Ayn Rand (1905–1982), the Russian-born American writer and philosopher best known for her novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, has influenced politics and popular culture, despite a lack of acceptance for her work in academic circles.

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Dust jacket from Atlas Shrugged depicting railroad tracks
Atlas Shrugged has sold more than 10 million copies.[1]

With over 37 million copies sold as of 2020, Rand's books continue to be read widely.[1][a] A survey conducted for the Library of Congress and the Book-of-the-Month Club in 1991 asked club members to name the most influential book in their lives. Rand's Atlas Shrugged was the second most popular choice, after the Bible.[3] Although Rand's influence has been greatest in the United States, there has been international interest in her work.[4][5]

Rand's works, most commonly Anthem or The Fountainhead, are sometimes assigned as secondary school reading.[6] Since 2002, the Ayn Rand Institute has provided free copies of Rand's novels to teachers who promise to include the books in their curriculum.[7] The Institute had distributed 4.5 million copies in the U.S. and Canada by the end of 2020.[2] In 2017, Rand was added to the required reading list for the A Level Politics exam in the United Kingdom.[8]

Literary influence

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Rand's contemporary admirers included fellow novelists, like Ira Levin, Kay Nolte Smith[9] and L. Neil Smith;[10] she has influenced later writers like Erika Holzer (American novelist and essayist, whose books include Double Crossing, Eye for an Eye, and Ayn Rand: My Fiction-writing Teacher),[11][10] Terry Goodkind (American novelist best known for his series of fantasy novels, The Sword of Truth),[10][12] Kira Peikoff, (an American journalist and novelist)[13] and J. Neil Schulman (an American writer and filmmaker whose novels include Alongside Night and The Rainbow Cadenza);[14] and comic book artists Steve Ditko (American comic book artist and writer who created or co-created a number of characters, including Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Question, the Creeper, and Mr. A)[15][16] and Frank Miller (American writer, artist, and film director whose works include Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and Sin City).[16]

Business admirers

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Photo of Jimmy Wales
Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales ran an email list for discussion of Rand's philosophy.[17]

Rand provided a positive view of business and subsequently many business executives and entrepreneurs have admired and promoted her work.[18] Businessmen such as John Allison (former CEO of BB&T) and Ed Snider (former chairman of Comcast Spectacor) have funded the promotion of Rand's ideas.[19][20] Other notable business executives who have acknowledged Rand's influence include former Cybex International chairman John Aglialoro,[21] Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban,[21] Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick,[22] former Gillette Company CEO James M. Kilts,[23] Whole Foods Market co-founder John Mackey,[21] Craigslist founder Craig Newmark,[22] hedge fund manager Victor Niederhoffer,[24] PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel,[22] former hedge fund manager Monroe Trout,[25] and Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales.[22]

Cultural depictions

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Television shows, movies, songs, and video games have referred to Rand and her works.[26][27] Throughout her life she was the subject of many articles in popular magazines,[28] as well as book-length critiques by authors such as the psychologist Albert Ellis[29] and Trinity Foundation president John W. Robbins.[30] Rand or characters based on her figure prominently in novels by American authors,[31] including Kay Nolte Smith, Mary Gaitskill, Matt Ruff, and Tobias Wolff.[32] Nick Gillespie, former editor-in-chief of Reason, remarked that, "Rand's is a tortured immortality, one in which she's as likely to be a punch line as a protagonist. Jibes at Rand as cold and inhuman run through the popular culture."[33] Two movies have been made about Rand's life. A 1997 documentary film, Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.[34] The Passion of Ayn Rand, a 1999 television adaptation of the book of the same name, won several awards.[35] Rand's image also appears on a 1999 U.S. postage stamp illustrated by artist Nick Gaetano.[36]

Political influence

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Although she rejected the labels "conservative" and "libertarian",[37][38] Rand has had a continuing influence on right-wing politics and libertarianism.[39][40] Historian Jennifer Burns referred to her as "the ultimate gateway drug to life on the right".[39]

Rand is often considered one of the three most important women (along with Rose Wilder Lane and Isabel Paterson) in the early development of modern American libertarianism.[41][42] David Nolan, one founder of the Libertarian Party, said that "without Ayn Rand, the libertarian movement would not exist".[43] In his history of that movement, journalist Brian Doherty described her as "the most influential libertarian of the twentieth century to the public at large".[3] Political scientist Andrew Koppelman called her "the most widely read libertarian".[44] Several Libertarian presidential candidates have cited her as an influence, including 1972 nominee John Hospers,[14][45] 1984 nominee David Bergland,[46] 1988 nominee Ron Paul,[14][47] and 2008 nominee Bob Barr.[48]

Other political figures who cite Rand as an influence are usually conservatives (often members of the Republican Party),[49] despite Rand taking some atypical positions for a conservative, like being pro-choice and an atheist.[50] She faced intense opposition from William F. Buckley Jr. and other contributors to the conservative National Review magazine, which published numerous criticisms of her writings and ideas.[51] Nevertheless, a 1987 article in The New York Times referred to her as the Reagan administration's "novelist laureate".[52] Republican congressmen and conservative pundits have acknowledged her influence on their lives and have recommended her novels.[53][54][55] She has influenced some conservative politicians outside the U.S., such as Malcom Fraser in Australia,[56] Sajid Javid in the United Kingdom, Siv Jensen in Norway, and Ayelet Shaked in Israel.[57][58]

Man holding a poster that says "I am John Galt"
A protester's sign at a 2009 Tea Party rally refers to John Galt, the hero of Rand's Atlas Shrugged.

The financial crisis of 2007–2008 spurred renewed interest in her works, especially Atlas Shrugged, which some saw as foreshadowing the crisis.[59][60] Opinion articles compared real-world events with the novel's plot.[49][61] Signs mentioning Rand and her fictional hero John Galt appeared at Tea Party protests.[60] There was increased criticism of her ideas, especially from the political left. Critics blamed the economic crisis on her support of selfishness and free markets, particularly through her influence on Alan Greenspan.[55] In 2015, Adam Weiner said that through Greenspan, "Rand had effectively chucked a ticking time bomb into the boiler room of the US economy".[62] Lisa Duggan said that Rand's novels had "incalculable impact" in encouraging the spread of neoliberal political ideas.[63] In 2021, Cass Sunstein said Rand's ideas could be seen in the tax and regulatory policies of the Trump administration, which he attributed to the "enduring influence" of Rand's fiction.[64]

Objectivist movement

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Photo of Leonard Peikoff
Rand's heir Leonard Peikoff co-founded the Ayn Rand Institute.

After the closure of the Nathaniel Branden Institute, the Objectivist movement continued in other forms. In the 1970s, Peikoff began delivering courses on Objectivism.[65] In 1979, Peter Schwartz started a newsletter called The Intellectual Activist, which Rand endorsed.[66][67] She also endorsed The Objectivist Forum, a bimonthly magazine founded by Objectivist philosopher Harry Binswanger, which ran from 1980 to 1987.[68]

In 1985, Peikoff worked with businessman Ed Snider to establish the Ayn Rand Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting Rand's ideas and works. In 1990, after an ideological disagreement with Peikoff, David Kelley founded the Institute for Objectivist Studies, now known as The Atlas Society.[69][70] In 2001, historian John McCaskey organized the Anthem Foundation for Objectivist Scholarship, which provides grants for scholarly work on Objectivism in academia.[71]

Working lists of people for possible mention

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Politics and economics people

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Philosophy people and other intellectuals

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Objectivists/ish

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Philosopher Tibor R. Machan discovered Rand's works while serving in the United States Air Force.[93]

Others

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Arts and literature people

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Novelists

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Actors and filmmakers

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Other artists

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Musician Neil Peart wrote lyrics for several songs that were influenced by Rand's ideas.

Notes

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  1. ^ This total includes 4.5 million copies purchased for free distribution to schools by the Ayn Rand Institute (ARI).[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b Offord 2022, p. 12.
  2. ^ a b "Ayn Rand Institute Annual Report 2020". Ayn Rand Institute. December 20, 2020. p. 17 – via Issuu.
  3. ^ a b Doherty 2007, p. 11.
  4. ^ Gladstein 2003, pp. 384–386.
  5. ^ Murnane 2018, pp. 2–3.
  6. ^ Salmieri, Gregory. "An Introduction to the Study of Ayn Rand". In Gotthelf & Salmieri 2016, p. 4.
  7. ^ Duffy 2012.
  8. ^ Wang 2017.
  9. ^ Branden 1986, p. 310.
  10. ^ a b c Riggenbach 2004, pp. 91–144.
  11. ^ Branden 1986, pp. 310, 420.
  12. ^ Gelder, Ken (2004). Popular Fiction: The Logics and Practices of a Literary Field. New York: Routledge. p. 157n2. ISBN 0-415-35646-6.
  13. ^ "Book Brahmin: Kira Peikoff". Shelf Awareness. March 30, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Branden 1986, p. 416.
  15. ^ Sciabarra 2004, pp. 8–11.
  16. ^ a b Gladstein 2009, p. 113.
  17. ^ Runciman 2009.
  18. ^ Burns 2009, pp. 168–171.
  19. ^ Burns 2009, p. 298.
  20. ^ Heller 2009, p. 412.
  21. ^ a b c d Merrill 2013, p. 3.
  22. ^ a b c d Murnane 2018, p. 46.
  23. ^ Merrill 2013, p. 13.
  24. ^ Weiss 2012, p. 99.
  25. ^ Walker 1999, p. 333.
  26. ^ Sciabarra 2004, pp. 4–5.
  27. ^ Burns 2009, p. 282.
  28. ^ Gladstein 1999, p. 110–111.
  29. ^ Gladstein 1999, p. 98.
  30. ^ Gladstein 1999, p. 101.
  31. ^ Sciabarra 2004, p. 3.
  32. ^ Brühwiler 2021, pp. 15–22.
  33. ^ Chadwick & Gillespie 2005, at 1:55.
  34. ^ Gladstein 1999, p. 128.
  35. ^ Gladstein 2009, p. 122.
  36. ^ Wozniak 2001, p. 380.
  37. ^ Burns 2009, p. 258.
  38. ^ Weiss 2012, p. 55.
  39. ^ a b Burns 2009, p. 4.
  40. ^ Gladstein 2009, pp. 107–108, 124.
  41. ^ Burns 2015, p. 746.
  42. ^ Brühwiler 2021, p. 88.
  43. ^ Branden 1986, p. 414.
  44. ^ Koppelman 2022, p. 17.
  45. ^ Block 2010, p. 161.
  46. ^ Block 2010, p. 45.
  47. ^ Block 2010, p. 259.
  48. ^ Gladstein 2009, p. 124.
  49. ^ a b Doherty 2009, p. 54.
  50. ^ Weiss 2012, p. 155.
  51. ^ Burns 2004, pp. 139, 243.
  52. ^ Burns 2009, p. 279.
  53. ^ Heller 2009, p. xii.
  54. ^ Doherty 2009, p. 51.
  55. ^ a b Burns 2009, p. 283.
  56. ^ Gladstein 2009, p. 108.
  57. ^ Brühwiler 2021, pp. 174–184.
  58. ^ Rudoren 2015.
  59. ^ Burns 2009, pp. 283–284.
  60. ^ a b Doherty 2009, pp. 51–52.
  61. ^ Gladstein 2009, p. 125.
  62. ^ Weiner 2020, p. 2.
  63. ^ Duggan 2019, p. xiii.
  64. ^ Sunstein 2021, pp. 145–146.
  65. ^ Burns 2009, p. 249.
  66. ^ Sciabarra 2013, p. 402 n5.
  67. ^ Burns 2009, p. 276.
  68. ^ Gladstein 1999, p. 79.
  69. ^ Burns 2009, pp. 280–281.
  70. ^ Gladstein 2009, pp. 19, 114.
  71. ^ Gladstein 2009, p. 117.
  72. ^ Merrill 2013, p. 5
  73. ^ Thomas, Clarence (2007). My Grandfather's Son: A Memoir. New York: Harper Perennial. pp. 62, 187. ISBN 978-0-06-056556-5. OCLC 191930033.
  74. ^ Branden 1986, p. 310
  75. ^ Block 2010, p. 52
  76. ^ Block 2010, p. 61
  77. ^ Block 2010, p. 73
  78. ^ Block 2010, p. 92
  79. ^ Weiss 2012, p. 130
  80. ^ Block 2010, p. 167
  81. ^ Weiss 2012, p. 148
  82. ^ Block 2010, p. 305
  83. ^ Block 2010, pp. 307, 309
  84. ^ Block 2010, p. 331
  85. ^ Block 2010, p. 341
  86. ^ Gladstein 2009, p. 112
  87. ^ Block 2010, p. 349
  88. ^ "Andrew Bernstein: Bio". Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  89. ^ McConnell, Scott (2010). 100 Voices:An Oral History of Ayn Rand. New York: New American Library. pp. 575–611. ISBN 978-0-451-23130-7. OCLC 555642813.
  90. ^ Merrill 2013, p. 196
  91. ^ Lennox, James. "Curriculum Vitae" (PDF). Retrieved January 3, 2013.
  92. ^ "In Memoriam: John David Lewis, 1955–2012". January 5, 2012. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
  93. ^ Block 2010, p. 216
  94. ^ Block 2010, p. 217
  95. ^ Peikoff, Amy. "Amy". Don't Let It Go Unheard. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
  96. ^ Cite error: The named reference Gladstein-p95 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  97. ^ Block 2010, p. 327
  98. ^ Merrill 2013, p. 49
  99. ^ Ellis, Bill (2000). Raising the Devil: Satanism, New Religions, and the Media. Lexington, KY: The University Press of Kentucky. pp. 172, 180. ISBN 0-8131-2170-1. As for his 'religion,' he called it 'just Ayn Rand's philosophy, with ceremony and ritual added'...
  100. ^ "Liu Junning". Archived from the original on May 31, 2009. Retrieved January 6, 2011.
  101. ^ Block 2010, p. 197
  102. ^ Da Cunha, Mark (June 30, 2011). "Capitalism Magazine Interview with Edward Cline". Capitalism Magazine. Archived from the original on February 15, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
  103. ^ Kline, Edward. "Edward Cline, American Novelist". Retrieved April 19, 2018.
  104. ^ Thompson, Hunter S. (April 7, 1998). The Proud Highway: Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman, 1955–1967 (The Fear and Loathing Letters, Vol. 1). Ballantine Books. pp. 69–70. ISBN 0345377966.
  105. ^ "Jeff Britting". Ayn Rand Institute. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  106. ^ Keck, William (May 30, 2007). "Amber Heard Will be Heard". USA Today. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  107. ^ Walker 1999, p. 193.
  108. ^ Fully Filmy (December 3, 2016), "I don't want interference in my life" – Fully Frank with Selvaraghavan | Part 1 | Fully Filmy, retrieved December 24, 2016
  109. ^ "Mark Pellegrino on the American Capitalist Party". The Objective Standard. August 13, 2018. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  110. ^ Merrill 2013, p. 9.
  111. ^ "An Interview with Vince Vaughn". Judd Handler. 1999. Archived from the original on January 26, 2013. The last book I read was the book I've been rereading most of my life, The Fountainhead.
  112. ^ Jones, Robert. "Bosch Fawstin: Infidel Artist". The Atlas Society. Retrieved 10 May 2019.

Works cited

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More works cited

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Rand, Ayn