What ideas, beliefs and philosophies does ayn rand preach in her writing. Recommendations are listed alphabetically by the authors last names. Roarks meaning of life differed from the others he associated with, which left him isolated toward them, but benefited his remarkable success in architecture. Ayn rand was a russianamerican philosopher and novelist. In all of her major novels, ayn rand presents heroes and heroines who are brilliant thinkers opposed to either societys pressure to conform or a dictatorial governments commands to obey. The fountainhead mass market paperback september 1, 1996. I have read the fountainhead and atlas shrugged another ayn rand novel several times. Her notable works included the fountainhead 1943 and atlas shrugged 1957. Objectivism is ayn rands pet philosophy, and it urges people to act in a way that is according to the ayn rand institute, so it must be true selfish if you work hard and with absolute selfinterest, youll eventually succeed, states objectivism. The fundamentals of her philosophy are put forth in three nonfiction books, introduction.
A core tenet of ayn rands philosophy, objectivism, is the importance of a central, productive purpose in an individuals life. Rand first expressed objectivism in her fiction, most notably the fountainhead 1943 and atlas shrugged 1957, and later in nonfiction essays and books. The fountainhead, which became one of the most influential and widely read philosophical novels of the twentieth century, made ayn rand famous. Here, he tells his hapless niece katie to abandon her ego and merge with the collective, meaning the crowd or mob. More than any other work, the fountainhead reawakened popular enthusiasm for a way of thinking, and a way of life, that in 1943 was regarded by virtually every sector of. The fountainhead originally provided, and continues to provide, a powerful inspiration to the individualist movement in america and throughout the world. Books similar to the fountainhead the fountainhead.
When rand set out to write the fountainhead, she decided to write a book where she could explore her views on individualism and explore her own philosophy. It is taught in college literature and philosophy courses, as well as in high school english classes. This is a philosophical theme and the book could reasonably be classified as a novel of ideas, but the fountainhead is not a tract and is not a vehicle for communicating rands philosophical beliefs. The fountainhead is a 1949 american, blackandwhite drama film from warner bros. There is no collective mind so each individual needs to use hisher own mind to understand the world. Essay on ayn rands the fountainhead 700 words bartleby. The fountainhead was written in 1943 by ayn rand who has to be one of my top 5 authors. There are several key characters in this novel, but the most notable is howard roark who is an architect. My good friend marcelo has decided to read ayn rands fiction, to see what all the hype is about. I can understand how you feel, and thats why it would be hard to understand her novels without first knowing her philosophy and on top of that most of what she says in the fountainhead is contextual, which makes it even more confusing.
She is credited for developing a philosophical system called. That is great because we can observe a new perspective and whether we decide to agree. What philosophy does the book the fountainhead preach. The fountainhead serves as an excellent introduction to both ayn rands writing and her philosophy of objectivism. Buy a cheap copy of the fountainhead book by ayn rand.
The revolutionary literary vision that sowed the seeds of objectivism, ayn rands groundbreaking philosophy, and brought her immediate worldwide acclaim. The film is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by ayn rand, who also wrote the screenplay adaptation. Dec 03, 2019 the fountainhead was written in 1943 by ayn rand who has to be one of my top 5 authors. Although rands screenplay was used with minimal alterations. Despite continuing intellectual opposition to ayn rands ideas, the fountainhead has gained recognition as one of the great novels of american literature. Polarizing, because they offer a new set of ideas to look at things. It is an emotion that a fewa very fewmen experience consistently.
But that i knew it over twentyfive years agothat i knew it while the 1. Rich in layers of philosophical insight, at one level the. Fountainhead and ayn rands ideology are, as rightly pointed out by many, pretty polarizing. Ayn rand, 1905 1982 novelist and philosopher ayn rand was born alice rosenbaum on february 2, 1905 in st. This becomes even clearer when we look at the chapter division. But, that night, i told frank that i would dedicate the fountainhead to him because he had saved it. I do not mean to imply that i knew, when i wrote it, that the fountainhead would remain in print for twentyfive years. Find books like the fountainhead from the worlds largest community of readers. Born february 2, 1905, ayn rand published her first novel, we the living, in 1936. Rather, is a means of creating an experience for the reader. Their depth of philosophical insight impressed ayn rand, and she decided that random house was the company to publish her book. Fountainhead definition and meaning collins english dictionary. Structural integration in the fountainhead and atlas shrugged. And one of my happiest moments, about two years later, was given to me by the look.
An impassioned proponent of reason, rational selfinterest, individualism, and laissezfaire capitalism, she expressed her unique views in numerous works of fiction and nonfiction that have been brought together for the first. The 18 best philosophical movies of all time taste of. More than any other work, the fountainhead reawakened popular enthusiasm for a way of thinking, and a way of life, that in. Ayn rands novelette, anthem whats the philosophic meaning. In the fountainhead, she shows by means of its hero, the innovative architect howard roark, that the independent mind is responsible for all human progress and prosperity. You should also read her book the fountainhead to supplement your understanding of the author and her philosophy. The book is about the conflict between those who think for themselves and those who allow others to dominate their lives. Easiest to specify is the book s political and ideological significance.
In rands own words, her first and greatest love, her life purpose, was the creation of the kind of world that represents human perfection, while her interest in philosophical knowledge was only for the sake of this purpose journal entry for 4 may 1946. Yalom, rebecca goldstein and daniel quinn, here is a roundup of the 105 best. Easiest to specify is the books political and ideological significance. It was with the publication of the fountainhead 1943 and atlas shrugged 1957 that she achieved her spectacular success. Atlas shrugged shows that rational thinking is mankinds survival instrument, just as the ability to fly is the survival tool for birds. Objectivism is a philosophical system developed by russianamerican writer ayn rand. On the surface, it is a story of one man, howard roark.
The story is supposed to be about sticking to yourself and doing things for yourself. The fountainhead 1949, king vidor this is an adaptation of ayn rands novel, a melodrama about individualism, shot in a fascinating german expressionist style. Since its publication in 1957 atlas shrugged, the philosophical and artistic climax of ayn rands novels, has never been out of print and has received enormous critical attention becoming one of the most influential books ever published, impacting on a variety of disciplines including philosophy, literature, economics, business, and political science among others. The fountainhead has become an enduring piece of literature, more popular now than when published in 1943. January 20 1905 march 6, 1982 was a russianamerican writer and philosopher.
The fountainhead can be difficult to follow and one has to be patient to get to the very meat and bones of ayn rands objectivist philosophy. The fountainhead continues to be an example of its own theme. It is in this sense, with this meaning and intention, that i would identify the sense of life dramatized in the fountainhead as manworship. The fountainhead is a 1943 novel by russianamerican author ayn rand, her first major literary success. That rand is able to demonstrate her fascinating philosophical views in such a wellwritten and welltold story should be recognized as a tremendous feat. The fountainhead, published in 1943, was ayn rands first great success. The 105 best philosophical novels april 17, 2020 february 14, 2017 based on curated lists from the guardian, flavorwire and more, suggestions from readers on goodreads, quora and reddit, and picks from philosophical fiction authors like khaled hosseini, irvin d. The novels protagonist, howard roark, is an individualistic young architect who designs modernist buildings and refuses to compromise with an architectural establishment unwilling to accept innovation. When rand explained that, at one level, atlas shrugged was to provide a moral defense of capitalism, the editorial staff responded, but that would mean challenging 3,000 years of judeochristian tradition. Howard roarke stands as the embodiment of ayn rands objectivist philosophy, or at least the individualist idea. She graduated with highest honors in history from the university of petrograd in 1924, and she came to the united states in 1926 with dreams of becoming a screenwriter. Man and nature in the fountainhead the atlas society. What does ayn rand mean by individualism, and why are the founding. Excerpts from rands most famous and philosophical novels, atlas shrugged and the fountainhead,provide glimpses of rands dramatic literary style and introductions and insights into some of her most beloved characters.
The fountainhead has achieved the status of a modern classic because it dramatically concretizes the theme of independence versus dependence, between a penguin group usa teachers guide to ayn rands the fountainhead. Review this list of popular examples to help you get a better understanding of the philosophical fiction genre. Ayn rands the fountainhead presented an egoist character, howard roark, and portrayed him to what society needs, but unwilling to admit the necessitate. But this doesnt make the novels disguised sermons or conference talks. Her famous works include atlas shrugged, anthem, and the fountainhead. The original was written in urdu for the conference of great religions held at lahore on december 2629, 1896. I dont get her reasoning and i dont entirely agree with her definition of love. To defer to others the power of your individual mind is to give them a mortgage over your soul. Rands fiction, particularly anthem, the fountainhead and atlas shrugged, is unique. Comprised of actual customer comments posted on, an internet bookseller. The fountainhead by ayn rand serves as a fantastic introduction to authors inane philosophy objectivism more about this in bit. Eleven authors whose books were included on my list of the 105 best philosophical novels share their favorite works of philosophical fiction. Starring gary cooper as an independent architect who struggles to maintain his integrity, this movie portrays a metaphysical statement, an aesthetic manifesto, and a commentary on.
Ayn rand, russianborn american writer whose commercially successful novels promoting individualism and laissezfaire capitalism were influential among conservatives and libertarians. The philosophical meaning is that all progress, joy, and success is found by the individual. More recently i have both books available on audible. Rands unique philosophy, objectivism, has gained a worldwide audience. For me, i got a little low and started reading philosophy when i was about 18, and now that im 28, the way i am right now, all i do with my time is halfassedly study am still a student, eat, sleep, and play computer games, plus some video games, and if i have spare time then also electronic recreational activities of a gaming variety. For readers who know little or nothing about ayn rand, this anthology of her fiction and nonfiction offers an introduction to her thought. The novels are essentially stories, rife with conflict, in which the protagonists discovery and. Leonard peikoff, a professional philosopher and rands designated intellectual heir, later gave it a more formal structure. But, in principle and in the long run, truth wins out. Dec 02, 2014 the fountainhead 1949, king vidor this is an adaptation of ayn rands novel, a melodrama about individualism, shot in a fascinating german expressionist style.
About the fountainhead cliffsnotes study guides book. Atlas shrugged furthers the theme of individualism that ayn rand developed in the fountainhead. As in the fountainhead, we must infer philosophical meaning not only from the unfolding events as ordered into a causally significant plot but also as ordered into an artistic whole where every element is combined in symbolic and structural relationships. Fountainhead definition and meaning collins english. Jun 30, 2010 the fountainhead is a story about characters set in more or less realistic social contexts. An impassioned proponent of reason, rational selfinterest, individualism, and laissezfaire capitalism, she expressed her unique views in numerous. Apr 04, 2018 rands fiction, particularly anthem, the fountainhead and atlas shrugged, is unique. I had been opposed to the practice of dedicating books. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the fountainhead. Today, the fountainhead has achieved the status of a modern classic. Roark embodies what rand believed to be the ideal man, and his struggle reflects rands. The fountainhead is a masterpiece, integrating theme and plot. Like any great work of art, the fountainhead has its subordinate themes. But ayn rand always takes that to a dangerous extreme.
Feb 05, 2009 ayn rand is famous for her philosophical belief which is objectivism, which is what all her books are about. She is known for her two bestselling novels, the fountainhead and atlas shrugged, and for developing a philosophical system she named objectivism. About atlas shrugged cliffsnotes study guides book. The fundamentals of her philosophy are put forth in three nonfiction books, introduction to. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. The philosophy of the teachings of islam is the translation of a wellknown essay on islam by hadrat mirza ghulam ahmad, the promised messiah and mahdias, the founder of the ahmadiyya muslim jam aat community. Educated in russia, she moved to the united states in 1926. Ayn rand addresses these questions through her portrayal of howard roark. I had held that a book is addressed to any reader who proves worthy of it. Goodreads members who liked the fountainhead also liked. Furthermore, for all the controversy rands philosophy may inspire, the fountainhead is undeniably an entertaining and wellwritten book.
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