Atlas Shrugged

[BigRedJed]

Has anyone read that book? It's an interesting read.

[BigRedJed]

Srsly ppl. It's an interesting read (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_Shrugged).

[proud gonzo]

I've been meaning to. I read The Fountainhead and enjoyed it.

summer reading, perhaps. right now i'm in the middle of "Harry Potter y las Reliquias de la Muerte"

[Frozen Sooner]

Where is John Galt?

Does he have my aardvark?

[SicEmBaylor]

Read it. Loved it.

[12thmanSoonerfan]

Ayen is a bit preachy for me. I've read worse, though.

[royalfan5]

I've read it and the Fountainhead. I enjoy the fact that Rand pounds you over the head with her point.

[BigRedJed]

From Wikipedia:



The theme of Atlas Shrugged is the role of the mind in man's existence and, consequently, presentation of the morality of rational self-interest.[2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_Shrugged#_note-1)
The main conflicts of the book surrounds the decision of the "individuals of the mind" to go on strike (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strike_action), refusing to contribute their inventions, art, business leadership, scientific research, or new ideas of any kind to the rest of the world. Society, they believe, hampers them by interfering with their work and underpays them by confiscating the profits and dignity they have rightfully earned. The peaceful cohesiveness of the world disintegrates, lacking those individuals whose productive work comes from mental effort. The strikers believe that they are crucial to a society that exploits them, denying them freedom or acknowledging their right to self-interest, and the gradual collapse of civilization triggered by their strike.
The novel's title is an allusion to the Greek Titan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titan_%28mythology%29) Atlas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_%28mythology%29) who was described as literally holding the world on his shoulders, discussing what might happen if those holding up civilization suddenly decided to stop doing so. In the novel, the mythological analogy comes during a conversation between two protagonists, Francisco d'Anconia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_d%27Anconia) and Hank Rearden (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_Rearden), near the end of part two, chapter three, where Francisco (convincing Rearden that he is under-appreciated) tells Rearden that if he could suggest to Atlas that he do one thing, it would be to shrug.
In the world of Atlas Shrugged, society stagnates when independent productive achievers began to be socially demonized and even punished for their accomplishments, even though society had been far more healthy and prosperous by allowing, encouraging and rewarding self-reliance and individual achievement. Independence and personal happiness flourished to the extent that people were free, and achievement was rewarded to the extent that individual ownership of private property (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_property) was strictly respected. The hero, John Galt (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Galt_%28Atlas_Shrugged%29), lives a life of laissez-faire capitalism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laissez-faire) as the only way to live consistent with his beliefs.
In addition to the plot's more obvious statements about the significance of industrialists and mental work to society, this explicit conflict is used by Rand to draw wider philosophical conclusions, both implicit in the plot and via the character's own statements. Positions are expressed on a variety of topics, including sex, politics, friendship, charity, childhood, and many others. Part of this is the theme that its broad array of ideas are in fact interrelated by their basic philosophy, and the significance of ideas to society and to one's life.
Atlas Shrugged portrays fascism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism), socialism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialism) and communism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communism) – any form of state intervention in society – as systemically and fatally flawed. However, Rand claimed that it is not a fundamentally political book, but that the politics portrayed in the novel are a result of her attempt to display her image of the ideal person and the individual mind's position and value in society.[3] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_Shrugged#_note-2)
Rand argues that independence and individual achievement enable society to survive and thrive, and should be embraced. But this requires a "rational (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rationality)" moral code (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_code). She argues that, over time, coerced self-sacrifice (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altruism) causes any society to self-destruct.
She is similarly dismissive of faith beyond empirical reason, in a god (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divinity) or higher being, or anything else as an authority over one's own mind. The book positions itself against religion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion) specifically, often directly within the characters' dialogue.

[OCUDad]

Admit it - you understand about one in ten of those words, don't you?

[BigRedJed]

Pretty much.

[SoonerAtKU]

No, really...it's the best philosophical and literary masturbation I've ever read.

Ever.

[whatsername]

I read it and enjoyed it.