In 'Atlas Shrugged,' Rand discusses the foundations and concepts behind Objectivism, her philosophy that emphasizes philosophical individualism and economic freedom, with minimal state interference. However, her magnum opus is 'Atlas Shrugged' (1957), which vehemently defends the capitalist system and the clash between State and Private Sector. In 'The Fountainhead' (1943), her central thought is the belief that individualism is superior to collectivism. The author is an American writer, playwright, screenwriter, and philosopher of Jewish-Russian origin.Īfter fleeing the socialism of the Soviet Union and immigrating to the United States at age 21, she became particularly famous for being the creator of the Objectivist.Įach of her works addresses ideas from her philosophy, in 'We the Living' (1936), she addresses the conflict between the individual and the State, showing how totalitarianism has created an environment of destruction of the best individuals in society. About the author Ayn RandĪyn Rand was the pseudonym of Alissa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum, also known as Alice O'Connor after her marriage to actor and painter Frank O'Connor. Moreover, the work has been an international bestseller for over 50 years and is considered the second most influential book in the United States, second only to the Bible.Īn interesting curiosity is that the title is a reference to a conversation between two characters, in which one asks what advice the other would give to Atlas, when he sees that 'the harder he tries, the heavier the world gets on his shoulders'. The book 'Atlas Shrugged' was originally published in 1957 and it has 1168 pages divided into three parts, with 10 chapters each. Therefore, read this summary to get the best out of the book in a simple and objective way. Since it is a philosophical novel, the interpretation of her ideas can only be read between the lines. Her goal was to 'show how desperately the world needs pioneers and how badly it treats them,' as well as to portray 'what happens to the world without them.'įor her, the pioneers would be those who understood the power and value of a market economy and a less bureaucratic State. In the book 'Atlas Shrugged', author Ayn Rand philosophically portrays the pains of people who are the Atlas of the world. This is known as the Atlas complex, one of the stress-related illnesses of modern life. In today's world, where everything is changing all the time, we believe that we can and should carry the world on our shoulders, which can cause physical and psychological damage. Atlas was a titan punished to bear the weight of the world on his shoulders until the end of time, his punishment is a penalty for trying to usurp the power of the king of the skies, the god Zeus.īut in a more modern and less mythological view, this myth represents the weight of everyday difficulties that weigh on Atlas, the first vertebra of the cervical spine, and on our heads.

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