Ayn Rand's birthday

Chris Grieb

By Chris Grieb
in Objectivist Living Room

 Share

Recommended Posts

Chris Grieb Newbie

Chris Grieb

Posted
Posted

The topic says it all. We need her now more than ever and we have her in her novels and writings. Let's left a glass and then work to make the best of her novels come through in our lives.

Happy Birthday Ayn Rand.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 11 months later...
9thdoctor Newbie

9thdoctor

Posted
Posted

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="

name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="
type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Jerry Biggers Newbie

Jerry Biggers

Posted
Posted (edited)

The imperishable achievement of Ayn Rand -

"Just as Ayn Rand presents a new code of morality, so, emerging from the pages of Atlas Shrugged, is a new concept of man, a new concept of the human potential -- of the human ideal. And if one wishes to understand the cause of the great enthusiasm that Atlas Shrugged has inspired --as well as the cause of the virulent hatred -- one will find the key in the nature of the ideal man that Ayn Rand projects....

No one can predict the speed with which new ideas will be grasped and accepted by men, most particularly ideas that oppose a tradition thousands of years old. But in Atlas Shrugged, the mystic-altruist-collectivist ethics has received an analysis from which that ethics will not recover.

Some of those who read Atlas Shrugged will recognize that they are being offered that which had never existed before: a rational morality proper to man's nature and to his life on earth. Some of those who read Atlas Shrugged will cry -- as James Taggert cries, after hearing Galt's speech -- "We don't have to believe it! Nobody's ever said it before! We don't have to believe it!" No, they don't have to believe it. They are free to hold life -- or death -- as their standard of value.

But the moral revolution in Atlas Shrugged is not to be stopped. The mystics' monopoly on morality has been broken. Man the rational being has found his spokesman and defender, and has been released from his moral underground. That is the imperishable achievement of Ayn Rand.

- excerpted from -

Nathaniel Branden, "The Moral Revolution in Atlas Shrugged," Who is Ayn Rand? (1962)

(emphases added).

Edited by Jerry Biggers
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Jerry Biggers Newbie

Jerry Biggers

Posted
Posted

...and in case anyone has missed this:

A Tribute to Ayn Rand on her 105th Birthday, from The Atlas Society -

-a series of essays and statements on the significance of the achievements of Ayn Rand, by

Congress Ed Royce, Robert Poole, Michelle Marder Kamhi, Charles Murray, and eight academicians:

Professors Tibor Machan, Stephan Cox, Alan Charles Kors, Anne Wortham, Chris Matthew Sciabarra, Marion L. Tupy, and Eric Mack. Plus others.

http://www.atlassociety.org/cth--1583-Honoring_Ayn_Rand_Centenary_Tributes_for_the_Philosopher_and_Novelist.aspx

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Selene Newbie

Selene

Posted
Posted (edited)

Oh hell!

I forgot, again!

Now I have to cut down that historic Dutch Elm tree in the center of the Rotary by City Hall that was purchased with my productive labor at the point of a statist gun.

Damn, do I have those gold dollar tree ornaments that light up without using electricity.

What goes at the top of the tree again is it the Wyatt's Torch mobile, or the Rearden steel furnace erupting with spurts of red hot productive energy...

Damn rituals.

Adam

Edited by Selene
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Jerry Biggers Newbie

Jerry Biggers

Posted
Posted (edited)

In the late 1940s, describing the success of The Fountainhead, Ayn said: "I did not know that I was predicting my own future when I described the process of Roark's success: 'It was as if an underground stream flowed though the country and broke out in sudden springs that shot to the surface at random, in unpredictable places.'" The stream has become a tidal wave, shooting out in every direction and to every continent in the world. The story of the influence of a series of novels on philosophic thought is unprecedented in literary history; it is a saga worthy of an Ayn Rand novel. It is Ayn's best statement of the power of the lone individual.

As one observes the bright sparks of thought that emanated from one mind and one ferocious will continuing to send out their lengthening rays, perhaps one can also see a small, passionately stalwart figure marching steadfastly forward into history.

- the conclusion of Barbara Branden's The Passion of Ayn Rand (1986)

And more celebratory commemorations, ReasonTV's series of video essays, "Radicals for Capitalism: Celebrating the Legacy of Ayn Rand" on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/ReasonTV#g/c/5DD8AB31C88BE88D

Yes, I know they have been mentioned before, but they are so appropriate for Rand's birthday!

Edited by Jerry Biggers
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Jerry Biggers Newbie

Jerry Biggers

Posted
Posted

Congressman Ed Royce (#9) . . . on abortion

Ayn Rand on abortion

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PS

I expect Rand would and should spit on a tribute from such a legislator.

I believe that Rand opposed Ronald Reagan for similar reasons. She backed Wilkie and also supported Goldwater, even though their views did not coincide on some policy issues with her's.

However, no one running as an Objectivist has been elected to Congress. Probably, no one openly advocating an explicitly Objectivist platform has ever been elected to....anything, period.

For that matter, I do not know of any elected official to state or federal office that openly advocated a consistent libertarian platform. (I think a few libertarians have been elected to minor local offices - but whether they adhered to libertarian principles, I cannot say).

I have a vague recollection that someone ran for the gubernatorial (?) position in California on an "Objectivist Party" ticket. Or was it the presidential primary in California? Does anyone know what his vote tally was? I doubt that the "mainstream" politicians felt threatened, or even noticed.

It would be interesting to see what would happen if someone did campaign for a major national political office from an Objectivist platform. My guess is that he or she would be buried under a deluge of attacks from the right and from the left. Maybe the candidate could mount a "Roark-like" defense and be swept into office. Or does that sort of thing only occur in novels?

Any volunteers for this experiment?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Chris Grieb Newbie

Chris Grieb

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Congressman Ed Royce (#9) . . . on abortion

Ayn Rand on abortion

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PS

I expect Rand would and should spit on a tribute from such a legislator.

I believe that Rand opposed Ronald Reagan for similar reasons. She backed Wilkie and also supported Goldwater, even though their views did not coincide on some policy issues with her's.

However, no one running as an Objectivist has been elected to Congress. Probably, no one openly advocating an explicitly Objectivist platform has ever been elected to....anything, period.

For that matter, I do not know of any elected official to state or federal office that openly advocated a consistent libertarian platform. (I think a few libertarians have been elected to minor local offices - but whether they adhered to libertarian principles, I cannot say).

I have a vague recollection that someone ran for the gubernatorial (?) position in California on an "Objectivist Party" ticket. Or was it the presidential primary in California? Does anyone know what his vote tally was? I doubt that the "mainstream" politicians felt threatened, or even noticed.

It would be interesting to see what would happen if someone did campaign for a major national political office from an Objectivist platform. My guess is that he or she would be buried under a deluge of attacks from the right and from the left. Maybe the candidate could mount a "Roark-like" defense and be swept into office. Or does that sort of thing only occur in novels?

Any volunteers for this experiment?

Jerry; The name is Logan Darrow Clements. He ran in the recall election when Gray Davis was turned out of office. He did not do very well. He didn't run last.

LP candidates have been in the Alaska and New Hampshire state legislation although I believe it has been more than ten years since that has happened.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 1 year later...
9thdoctor Newbie

9thdoctor

Posted
Posted

Actually, Russia was on the Julian calendar when she was born.

So is this going to be like the early Catholic Church controversy over when Easter should be celebrated? I say it’s February 2, and if you go on celebrating AR’s birthday on any other day, you will be excommunicated!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Reidy Newbie

Reidy

Posted
Posted

I believe February 2 is a conversion to our calendar. On the one that prevailed in Russia at the time it would be about 2 weeks earlier. Stravinsky (from the same hometown) was born on June 5th locally, but biographers convert this to the 17th or 18th.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
9thdoctor Newbie

9thdoctor

Posted
Posted

I believe February 2 is a conversion to our calendar. On the one that prevailed in Russia at the time it would be about 2 weeks earlier. Stravinsky (from the same hometown) was born on June 5th locally, but biographers convert this to the 17th or 18th.

Indeed, so I think the big question ought to be: on what date did she actually celebrate it? Does anyone know? The choices ought to be January 20 or February 2; either way her sign was Aquarius:

http://en.wikipedia....rius_(astrology)

You put a lot of energy into forming opinions and hold to them strongly. Driven by two planets, each representing opposite principles you frequently display a ‘wild’ side, linked to planet Uranus and prompting eccentric leanings, as well as a structured ambitious hard working Saturnian side. You are most happy when you are doing something different in a big ambitious way. You are the thinker of the zodiac, your key phrase: “I serve humanity”.

Yeah. Uh-huh. Nailed it.

Maybe someone can look up what her Chinese animal was. For example, this is the year of the Dragon, last year was year of the Rabbit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
caroljane Contributor

caroljane

Posted
Posted

I believe February 2 is a conversion to our calendar. On the one that prevailed in Russia at the time it would be about 2 weeks earlier. Stravinsky (from the same hometown) was born on June 5th locally, but biographers convert this to the 17th or 18th.

Indeed, so I think the big question ought to be: on what date did she actually celebrate it? Does anyone know? The choices ought to be January 20 or February 2; either way her sign was Aquarius:

http://en.wikipedia....rius_(astrology)

You put a lot of energy into forming opinions and hold to them strongly. Driven by two planets, each representing opposite principles you frequently display a ‘wild’ side, linked to planet Uranus and prompting eccentric leanings, as well as a structured ambitious hard working Saturnian side. You are most happy when you are doing something different in a big ambitious way. You are the thinker of the zodiac, your key phrase: “I serve humanity”.

Yeah. Uh-huh. Nailed it.

Maybe someone can look up what her Chinese animal was. For example, this is the year of the Dragon, last year was year of the Rabbit.

Obviously, it was the Groundhog.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 3 weeks later...
seymourblogger Newbie

seymourblogger

Posted
Posted

I believe February 2 is a conversion to our calendar. On the one that prevailed in Russia at the time it would be about 2 weeks earlier. Stravinsky (from the same hometown) was born on June 5th locally, but biographers convert this to the 17th or 18th.

Indeed, so I think the big question ought to be: on what date did she actually celebrate it? Does anyone know? The choices ought to be January 20 or February 2; either way her sign was Aquarius:

http://en.wikipedia....rius_(astrology)

You put a lot of energy into forming opinions and hold to them strongly. Driven by two planets, each representing opposite principles you frequently display a ‘wild’ side, linked to planet Uranus and prompting eccentric leanings, as well as a structured ambitious hard working Saturnian side. You are most happy when you are doing something different in a big ambitious way. You are the thinker of the zodiac, your key phrase: “I serve humanity”.

Yeah. Uh-huh. Nailed it.

Maybe someone can look up what her Chinese animal was. For example, this is the year of the Dragon, last year was year of the Rabbit.

Obviously, it was the Groundhog.

What a fascinatingly interesting post. i can hardly wait to read your next one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing