Ayn Rand

Ayn Rand (February 2 1905–March 6 1982; first name pronounced (IPA) {{IPA|/aɪn/}} (rhymes with 'mine')), born Alissa "Alice" Zinovievna Rosenbaum, was best known for her philosophy of Objectivism and her novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. Her philosophy and her fiction both emphasize, above all, her concepts of individualism, rational egoism ("rational self-interest"), and capitalism. Believing government has a legitimate but relatively minimal role in a free society, she was not an anarchist, but a minarchist. Her novels were based upon the archetype of the Randian hero, a man whose ability and independence causes conflict with the masses, but who perseveres nevertheless to achieve his values. Rand viewed this hero as the ideal and made it the express goal of her literature to showcase such heroes. She believed:

External links

General information

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• Ayn Rand FAQ
• Ayn Rand FAQ-notes
• Frequently Asked Questions on Ayn Rand
• "Ayn Rand" entry from the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
• Rand's biography
• Objectivism Reference Center

Organizations promoting Ayn Rand's philosophy

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• The Ayn Rand Institute
• The Objectivist Center
• The Center for the Advancement of Capitalism
• ARI Watch

Articles

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• Ayn Rand Has Finally Caught the Attention of Scholars by Jeff Sharplet
• The Heirs of Ayn Rand by Scott McLemee An article published in Lingua Franca which covers the arc of her publishing career, while alive and posthomous, as well as the continuing scholarship.

Articles critical of Ayn Rand

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• The Sociology of the Ayn Rand Cult by Murray Rothbard Written in 1972, this was the first piece of Rand revisionism from the libertarian standpoint.
• The Unlikeliest Cult in History by Michael Shermer

Rand's associates

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• Leonard Peikoff's website
• Barbara Branden's website
• Nathaniel Branden's website

Online groups and blogs

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• TIA Daily — Daily news and commentary from the Objectivist perspective by e-mail
• ObjectivismOnline.Net — Contains forums, blogs, essays, chat room, and a wiki on Objectivism
• Sense Of Life Objectivists — Online columns and discussion, by and for Objectivists
• The Forum for Ayn Rand Fans
• The Atlasphere — Rand-related news, columns, discussions, member directory, and dating service
• Objectivist Blogs — A list of Rand-influenced bloggers
• Harry Binswanger List — E-mail-based discussion group
• Randex — Index of online media references to Ayn Rand and Objectivism
• Objectivism.net — Ayn Rand on CD-ROM, and good links
• The Objectivism Wiki
• Ayn Rand 100 Tribute — includes reference to a tribute album, "Concerto of Deliverance", inspired by Rand's words describing such music.

Rand's writing and speeches

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• Anthem — The complete text of the novel, which has fallen into the public domain
• Atlas Shrugged — Book outline
• The Fountainhead — Book outline
• We The Living — Book outline
• "Philosophy: Who Needs It?" — Address To The Graduating Class Of The United States Military Academy at West Point, New York - March 6, 1974
• Rand's HUAC testimony — Transcript
• We the Living — Video outline
• Rand featured on C-Span's "American Writers" — RealVideo discussions on Rand's writing