Ayn Rand: Prophet or Scapegoat?

Jennifer Burns talks about how Ayn Rand's best-selling novels have shaped our understanding of capitalism, markets and the government's role in the economy.

Rand's ideas have been front and center in recent debates over the financial crisis. Some blame Rand's celebration of free markets for the catastrophe, pointing to -- among other things -- her long relationship with Alan Greenspan. Others claim her works provide a compelling case against bank bailouts and the dire consequences sure to follow.

A professor of history at the University of Virginia, Burns visited Columbia Business School to talk about her new book, Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right (Oxford University Press). Ray Horton, the Frank R.
Lautenberg Professor of Ethics and Corporate Governance, introduced Burns, whose talk was followed by a Q&A session.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• ayn rand
• objectivism
• Jennifer Burns
• goddess of the market
• alan greenspan
• the fountainhead
• atlas shrugged
• Ray Horton
• capitalism
• Social Enterprise Program
• Columbia Business School

[emanonami]

@whoo689: This is not what Ayn Rand was talking about, at all. I don't know how people always pull the wrong generalisation from her work. Everything she was about comes from a simple premise: That every man has a right to pursue his own happiness so long as he does not use force against another man to achieve his ends. The assumed corollary is that no man has the right to use physical force against you either. Putting a gun to someone's head in order to force a morality is not going to work...

[f252863]

It was the "concern" that religion taught that impoverished millions and condemned many to their death. Thanks to rational thought we had the Renaissance and broke the stranglehold of religion on the people.

[exenrontexas]

@StudentOfObjectivism Well, I think you missed the point from the other view. ANY regulation which has gone through Congress is simply the will of the PEOPLE through their representatives. Now you CAN make a case for legislative reform but NEVER for the unrighteous standing of a regulation. America does NOT need deregulation as that would lead to rampant crime and abuseI (think Dickensian England or lawless China right after WWII). Free markets are chaos of the worst sort.

[StudentOfObjectivism]

@exenrontexas You've missed the point. Regulations - non-Onjective laws - are a corrupting influence. It doesn't really matter whom you choose to be a regulator, though some might be more intentionally corrupt, even the most scrupulously honest regulator will be forced -by the nature of regulatory power- to exercise arbitrary power.

[StudentOfObjectivism]

@bobbygnosis D. Philosophical Genius

[hagbard72]

this is hilarious on so many levels. Just take a look at her.

[AnubisEye009]

If someone is going to read Atlas Shrugged, I highly recommend reading "The Romantic Manifesto" as well, to understand her and yourself in a clearer sense.

[ValueForValue1965]

@jlwade3 Where Greenspan rejected Objectivism is where he failed us all

[ValueForValue1965]

@Svperstarr If Ayn and "her people" had their way there would be no social programs entitling weakness as a higher value than productivity, effectively leaching the public money endlessly. Educate yourself before making a moronic comment. Yes, letting people starve of their own design is far less evil than turning everyone into a sacrificial lamb at the whim of the next political leader. Your lack of understanding of this fact is a prime example of why the USA is staring to fail.

[NecessaryTruths]

@bweazel No, it was a small pun... very small.

[bobbygnosis]

@bweazel If you couldn't care less -

then why would you want me to answer the question?