Ayn Rand

An Introduction

Eamonn Butler

• Publisher: London Publishing Partnership
• Year: 2018
• eBook ISBN:
  9780255367660
• Edition: 1

Few 20th century intellectuals have been as influential – and controversial – as the novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand. Her thinking still has a profound impact, particularly on those who come to it through her novels, Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead – with their core messages of individualism, self-worth, and the right to live without the impositions of others. Even though ignored or scorned by some academics, traditionalists, progressives, and public intellectuals, she remains a major influence on many of the world's leading legislators, policy advisers, economists, entrepreneurs and investors. Why does Rand's work remain so influential? Ayn Rand: An Introduction illuminates Rand's importance, detailing her understanding of reality and human nature, and explores the ongoing fascination with and debates about her conclusions on knowledge, morality, politics, economics, government, public issues, aesthetics and literature. The book also places these in the context of her life and times, showing how revolutionary they were, and how they have influenced and continue to impact public policy debates.

Table of contents

• The author
• Acknowledgements
• 1 Introduction
• 2 Why Ayn Rand is important
• 3 Rand’s life and writings
• 4 Outline of Rand’s worldview
• 5 Rand on the nature of reality
• 6 How we understand the world
• 7 Rand on morality
• 8 Politics and economics
• 9 Rand on public issues
• 10 The nature and importance of art
• 11 Rand’s novels
• 12 Rand’s critics
• 13 Quotations by and about Rand
• 14 Further reading
• About the IEA
• Index