John Galt's Speech from 'Atlas Shrugged' by Ayn Rand

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The theme of Atlas Shrugged, as Rand described it, is "the role of man's mind in existence". The book explores a number of philosophical themes that Rand would subsequently develop into the philosophy of Objectivism. It advocates the core tenets of Rand's philosophy of Objectivism and expresses her concept of human achievement. In doing so it expresses many facets of Rand's philosophy, such as the advocacy of reason, individualism, the market economy and the failure of government coercion.

Ayn Rand born Alisa Zinov'yevna Rosenbaum, February 2 1905 -- March 6, 1982), was a Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. She is known for her two best-selling novels and for developing a philosophical system she called Objectivism. Born and educated in Russia, Rand migrated to the United States in 1926. She worked as a screenwriter in Hollywood and had a play produced on Broadway in 1935--1936. She first achieved fame with her 1943 novel The Fountainhead. Over a decade later, she published her magnum opus, the philosophical novel Atlas Shrugged, in 1957.

Rand's political views, reflected in both her fiction and nonfiction work, emphasize individual rights (including property rights) and laissez-faire capitalism, enforced by a constitutionally limited government. She was a fierce opponent of all forms of collectivism and statism, including fascism, communism, socialism, and the welfare state, and promoted ethical egoism while rejecting the ethic of altruism. She considered reason to be the only means of acquiring knowledge and its advocacy the most important aspect of her philosophy, stating, "I am not primarily an advocate of capitalism, but of egoism; and I am not primarily an advocate of egoism, but of reason. If one recognizes the supremacy of reason and applies it consistently, all the rest follows."

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[terrygus1]

winning

[AudibleSuperfan]

@terrygus1 John Galt probably has tiger blood too.

[ShrugMeSilly245]

I swear by my life and my love of it, I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine!

[coachmw83]

...love how I get an ad asking me to support Obama while I look at this video.

[SwordOfApollo]

@mrktjobs Clearly then, you never understood Ayn Rand's philosophy.

[SwordOfApollo]

I find that most who dismiss Ayn Rand’s morality don’t really understand it. Her “selfishness” is long-term, principled self-interest. People are a combination of the physical and mental, and your self-interest includes psychological values. Self-interest is not to be reduced to only the physical, such as money. Other people can be of tremendous psychological value (i.e. friends, lovers, children.) Rand recognized that benevolence toward strangers is in one’s own interest, in a free country.

[Canadianloyalist123]

@PostgodAfterbirth What do you mean?

[PostgodAfterbirth]

I wonder when Ayn Rand fans will figure out that Atlas was holding up the heavens, not the weight of the world. And the whole Atlas shrugging motif is, just as Ayn Rand's belief system, based on a misapprehension of reality.

[PostgodAfterbirth]

@Canadianloyalist123 I hope you realize there is more than just socialism out there, bud. Check it out.

[mrktjobs]

This John Galt fantasy speech reminds me of the obnoxious, self-centered, myopic, sophomoric lectures I started delivering to my parents around the time I turned 14. I was good at this type of juvenile, self-obsessed, "logical" blather, whenever I wanted something that they refused to deliver.

It was all about ME, ME, ME, 24/7 and anyone who disagreed was trying to inhibit my "Freedom" and "Choice" through "irrational" and "bureaucratic" nonsense.

This was also my favorite book back then...

[Canadianloyalist123]

socialism is a tool for the parasites to leech off of the body of the strong.

-Andrew Ryan

[C4War10r]

@forenough I'm pretty sure I misunderstood your first comment, then. I lay no claim to anyone's life, liberty, or property, through any agency. You gotta admit, though, your first comment does sound like something a socialist would say if taken out of context.

[forenough]

@sharkattacksteve lol , caught me