Buddy Reading: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

[K.D.]

Hello everyone.

Berto and I will read Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged starting Wednesday, May 1st. There are 30 chapters so this will end on May 30th.

Come join us before the summer vacation ends.

[K.D.]

Yay! This should be fun. :) Can't wait hahaha!

[☼Marian☼, loves book-o]

I love this book! I'd love to reread! Her philosophies speaks to me especially about love. Though, I'm still hunting who borrowed it. I'll eavesdrop na lang.

[K.D.]

Marian, sure. No prob. You can kibitz anytime. I read her The Fountainhead and We the Living when I was in college. Then last year, I read the comics version of Anthem. So, when Berto said that he would read all of her books, I thought why not read Atlas Shrugged with him. So, here we go. :)

[☼Marian☼, loves book-o]

I hope they still make this a required reading in colleges.

[K.D.]

In my case at DLSU, Ayn Rand was a required author and it was up to us (the students) to choose which of her books to read and review. I picked "The Fountainhead" because it seemed back then to be the thickest (for me to impress the professor). I liked it and so I bought "We the Living" and "Atlas Shrugged" also because I wanted to ask questions when my fellow students made their presentations. But I was only able to read "We the Living." Anyway, I got a 4 in that class. The other books we read were: "The Little Prince" (required); "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" (required) and a book of my choice. For that one, I proposed "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck but she disapproved it (up to now I still don't know why). So, again to impress that professor, I read and presented in class "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy hahaha. That's why I was not able to read "Atlas Shrugged" anymore. That's why I got a 4. My presentation was voted as one of the best in the class at the end of the trimester. Hay, memories. But reading "War and Peace" when I was still in college earned me a bragging right (I think) hahaha.

[K.D.]

Berto, thank you for deciding to read this Ayn Rand. If not because of you, I do not know when I will have the motivation to read my edition of this book that I bought when I was in college. 20+ years ago?



In the introduction of the book, somebody asked Ayn Rand whether she was mainly a philosopher first or a fiction novelist? She said the later and being a philosopher was secondary to it.

[K.D.]

The long reading of the book starts today!!!

One chapter a day makes Ayn Rand go away hahaha. :)

Oh just don't mind me. Let's do this.

[K.D.]

Berto, one chapter a day. We will finish reading and discussing this book before the end of this month. At the end of each day/chapter, you tell me what you think of it (no need summarizing unless you want to) and the story so far.

Yes, we can incorporate her philosophy. I will read Wiki for this. For one, the preface says that "Fountainhead" is basically her collectivism/individualism philosophies (intrinsic) while the philosophy in "Atlas Shrugged" is the relationship of man to his surroundings (extrinsic). But of course, I still don't know what that is in relation to "Atlas Shrugged" because I am just on page 18. I always find it harder to read the first few chapters as they set the plot of the book. :)

[☼Marian☼, loves book-o]

Pasingit po. It was harder for me to read The Fountainhead probably because of what you said "intrinsic",embodied by Roark. While on Atlas Shrugged, for me, it was more of an individual's response to her philosophy and their reaction towards society, and in turn, the society's expectation towards the characters.

[K.D.]

Marian, that's right. So, I guess "Atlas Shrugged" will be a more interesting read than "The Fountainhead."

Berto, I will be reading the rest of Chapter 1 today and will post my thoughts tonight.

Thanks! :)

[K.D.]

Day 1: Chapter 1 - The Theme

We meet Dagny Taggart who is the Vice President in Charge of Operations in Taggart Transcontinental. She seems to be practical and direct in her way of runing the business. This is somehow different from the way her brother James "Jim" Taggart wants to run it: by taking into consideration the human relations factor in his decisions. However, this human relations factor is not made clear yet in this chapter.

We also meet Eddie Willers who is this young boy who stares on a big oak tree and thinks that it is a magnificent and undestructible tree until it is cracked down by a lightning. Fast forward present time, he stands in front of the Taggart Building that reminds him of that oak tree.

"Who is John Galt?" is uttered at least 3 times in this chapter and I am not sure what is its meaning.

What I think

Very interesting. The one-by-one introduction of characters slowed down my reading but Ayn Rand right away gives us a glimpse of who these characters are. "Who is John Galt?" does not make sense at all (yet). But, for me at this point, it is like "the name that must not be mentioned" (is that how it goes?) in Harry Potter hahaha. Suspense! :)

[K.D.]

Thank you, Berto. All I remember from my reading of "The Fountainhead" when I was in college was the individualism. Howard Roark, the novel's main protagonist, is able to achieve his glory all by himself. I did not know anything about Ayn Rand's principle on ethics. It's nice to know that there is a philosophical term for that. :)

Day 2: Chapter 2 - The Chain

We meet Henry "Hank" Rearden who is the owner/founder of Rearden Steel, the company that will manufacture the railways ordered by Taggard Transcontinental (see the previous chapter). Hank Rearden is a workaholic man who does not have time anymore for his family: wife Lillian, mother, brother Phillip (I think he and Lillian have no children yet). On that day, Hank is being reminded by his friend Paul Larkin about the negative publicity that his critics are releasing in the press. Hank Rearden does not care.

Now, let's see Ayn Rand's Objectivism

Her philosophy on ethics can obviously be seen in the character of Hank Rearden. He is absolutely self-centered as he is totally focused on his job: running his company. He has turned it around from bankruptcy, has discovered a new type of steel (alloy), etc. He does not listen to his mother, he forgets his wedding anniversary, he gives a huge amount of money to his brother "to make him happy." He is a successful businessman and he does not depend on anyone but himself to run his business.

We can glimpse traces of Epistemology also in Hank Rearden's character. There are many passages that can be interpreted as sample of this kind of thinking but this is my favorite:

"He (Hank) paced the room, his energy returning. He looked at his family. They were bewildered, unhappy children - he thought - all of them, even his mother, and he was foolish to resent their ineptitude; it came from their helplessness, not from malice. It was he who had to make himself learn to understand them, since he had so much to give, since they could never share his sense of joyous, boundless power.

Going back to what you wrote above, Berto: "Reason (the faculty which identifies and integrates the material provided by man’s senses) is man’s only means of perceiving reality, his only source of knowledge, his only guide to action, and his basic means of survival." Hark Rearden's means of perceiving reality is his power of having money and he is the only source of knowledge (he does not listen to anyone even to his mother, wife, brother or friend). He has survived (bankruptcy) only by believing that he can survive and it all depends on nobody but him.

[☼Marian☼, loves book-o]

Hank is only listening to the people who he thinks shared his own view or whom he treats like an equal. Like Dagny and D'Anconia. His family made him a milking cow. Like his brother, who hates everything about Hank except his money. His wife adored him only because Hank secures her position in the society's elite. His family hates him but they can't do without him.

What do you think about Hank's indifference to his wife, in view of Rand's philosophy about love?

[☼Marian☼, loves book-o]

Sorry if I'm already jumping into other characters. I don't have my book with me and I'm just guessing. Hehe..

I understand. Even I have a hard time thinking how it will apply. There's nothing compassionate about "The Virtue of Selfishness". The ideal is almost non-human. But then, I see my family as an extension of myself. Whatever actions I take, it is for my benefit, which in effect,is also for my family's benefit. But as to one's relation to your family members, as an individual, you have to detach yourself from the concept of family, which is almost impossible given how we were brought up.

[☼Marian☼, loves book-o]

Okay. I'm going to tweak on Rand's philosophy. Using the concept of a mother.

[Man must exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself.]

A mother does not need to sacrifice, which means, she does not think that it is a "sacrifice" but an act of love towards her child. She does not think of it as a burden but instead, it is her happiness, seeing her child reap all the love she is capable to give. The inconvenience brought by child birth is something natural and is but the nature's course of things, which a mother has full knowledge and is willing to accept wholeheartedly that this is necessary for her to achieve her highest moral purpose.

[The pursuit of his own rational self-interest and of his own happiness is the highest moral purpose of his life.]

A mothers happiness is singular to her child's happiness. Her highest moral purpose is to devote her love to the child. There is no more sacrifice needed since, in the first place, a mother's capacity to love brings her happiness and her moral purpose is to love the life she brought.

Of course, that's not how she puts it since Rand is pro-abortion. ;) But its fun going around her Philosophy inserting my own standard of belief and interpretation.

[K.D.]

Very good conversation, Marian and Berto. There are so many thoughts that came into my mind while reading but I'll pick only two so as not to make this very long.

From Marian:

[What do you think about Hank's indifference to his wife, in view of Rand's philosophy about love?]

Hank is selfish (in Ayn Rand's definition of virtue of selfishness). He does not understand his wife; she's like stranger to him. He sees and values only himself. I am not yet clear, just like Berto, what exactly is Ayn Rand's philosophy of love but I can base it on Howard Roark in The Fountainhead it, too, is selfish, i.e., selfish love.

[But then, I see my family as an extension of myself.]

I tend to agree on this. We Filipinos, or maybe other races in the world, say that we have strong family bond and that we (especially responsible parents) work hard to earn a living to support our family and we lovingly call ourselves selfless. But then, it is only our family that we support and we ignore the people outside our homes. Is that not selfishness? Especially if you can afford to extend your kindness?

From Berto:

[Full knowledge and willingness is out of question because sacrifice is not sacrifice without one's full knowledge and willingness of it.]

I agree. Sacrifice is an abstract term like love. The person doing the sacrifice is the only one who can tell that it is a sacrifice. Mothers who have born children in their wombs may or may not call the childbearing and child rearing days a sacrifice because these things, even how hard to bear, make them (generally speaking) happy and fulfilled. When they learned that they are pregnant again and they have already an idea how hard the 9 months will be and the many years of raising the child, they chose to go on and have another child. There is full knowledge but is it a sacrifice?

Day 3: Chapter 3 - The Top and the Bottom

This chapter is basically about the back story of Dagny Taggart that starts with the founder of Taggart Transcontinental, Nathaniel Taggart. Then the story jumps to the assumption of James Taggart as the president of the company at the age of 21 while his sister, Dagny assumes the head of operations at the age of 16. Then it finishes to the present time when Dagny phones Hark Rearden to order the steel to build the Rio Norte Line.

Francisco d'Anconia, the copper king, is mentioned here. He is another successful businessman and he comes into Dagny's mind when she think of the San Sebastian Line (the first line that James Taggart developed when he assumed the presidency of the company).

Dagny is another Ayn Rand "characters." She seems to me as somebody who is also selfish by Ayn Rand's definition of it (p. 63):

"Dagny regretted at times that Nat Taggart was her ancestor. What she felt for him did not belong in the category of unchosen family affections. She did not want her feeling to be the thing one was supposed to owe an uncle of a grandfather. She was incapable of love ofr any object not of her own choice and she resented anyone's demand for it."

So, I guess there is the philosophy of self-choice or of not being dependent on other people? Even in deciding which ones to love or not love? Very Ayn Rand. :)

[☼Marian☼, loves book-o]

I think on Dagny's point, she hates that feeling of "utang na loob" or indebtedness to Nat. She does not want that "unchosen" family affections, which is what Hank think for his family. If she thinks she owed it all to Nat, then her actions are a response to being indebted, in spite of her pure love to railways.

Rand thinks about love as a person's highest response to one's value. This is one of Rand's strong points that made a good dent on me. That people are attracted to the person who reflects the deepest vision of themselves. I understand her point that love is the most selfish thing. Not because of all the selfish conditions. But because being loved and to love makes a person feel secured and happy. If you observe those people whose loved ones are on death bed, what do they say? "I" can't make it without you, "I" will be destroyed if you die, Please, don't die, "I" need you, Hindi "ko" kakayanin pagmawala ka.....See, as much as we say that it is unselfish, at the point where we are threatened of a loss of the person we love...We are worried about what will happened to "I".

[K.D.]

Marian, so in other words, love is a selfish emotion?

Day 4: Chapter 4 - The Immovable Movers

Still about Dagny. Here she has separate discussions with the seemingly main male characters in the story: (1) James Taggart, his brother, who has a plan to ditch her from the company until this plan turns kaput because of the nationalization of the San Sebastian Line; (2)Dan Conway, President of Phoenix Durango, a competitor of the Taggart Transcontinental, who does not want to collaborate with Dagny because of the Anti-dog-eat-dog rule; and (3) Hank Rearden, who seems to share Dagnuy's propensity to value material things (steel, railways, railroads, etc) rather than material things, e.g., feelings. The last conversation is a bit scary if all people on earth will be like them. Yes, they are the creators of wonderful things but what will we do here on earth if we don't have feelings?

[☼Marian☼, loves book-o]

Love, in so many ways, is motivated selfishly. It is not an emotion but a conviction of oneself. The feeling of "contentment and happiness" brought by this conviction is a reward by loving a person whom you think (by your own personal standards)reflects your value of self-esteem. As much as Rand qualifies love as an objective matter, one still cannot deduce its subjective aspects where one acts unselfishly.

[☼Marian☼, loves book-o]

K.D. wrote: "Yes, they are the creators of wonderful things but what will we do here on earth if we don't have feelings?"

We'll be all like androids. I think Rand can write a perfect dystopian/utopian novel.

[☼Marian☼, loves book-o]

That's where conflict arise. Sacrifice varies from different people. Like some thinks, not watching TV is a sacrifice, but for some, it hardly matters. Say,

I am not going to eat so my kids can eat.
Do I think it is a sacrifice?
No. because watching them eat gives me contentment. I take pride in being able to feed them. It is my own selfish way of protecting them against sickness, which in turn, can save me from worrying and inconvenciences and hassles of medication brought by sickness.

Things were no longer seen as a sacrifice but a natural response to those who you value as your own.

[K.D.]

Marian and Berto, so in the end, does it all boil down to man being selfish, i.e., that man only thinks of his/her own happiness?

Day 5: Chapter 5 - The Climax of d'Anconias

The chapter starts with the story of 3 childhood friends: Dagny, Eddie and Francisco (Frisco) d'Anconia. Then Dagny (Slug) and Frisco fall in love and they make love. Dagny of course runs Taggart Transcontinental as operations manager and Frisco runs the d'Anconias Copper. But Frisco's father dies in Buenos Aires, so he has to stay in that city for three years. When Frisco comes back, Dagny is at the brink of saying that she loves him: "I..." but Frisco interrupts her.

That scene is something that I do not understand. Francisco seems to be more selfish than Dagny (actually Dagny looks up at him and loves him precisely for this reason) but the only endearing term Frisco has managed to tell so far is when he addresses Dagny as "my dearest."

So this whole thing is part of Ayn Rand's tenet of "man must exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself." That they all turn into cold-blooded animals?

[☼Marian☼, loves book-o]

K.D. wrote: "Marian and Berto, so in the end, does it all boil down to man being selfish, i.e., that man only thinks of his/her own happiness?
"

Yes. Man by nature is selfish. Yes, we prioritize our happiness over others. As Rand puts it "If you want to say, I love you, one must learn first to say the "I"". "But" its is not justification of wrongful things done to others just because we think of ourselves first. Man must recognize and respect other peoples individual rights. That the pursuit of happiness is also their right. Thus, she is against complusion,the use of force to attain.

Business men in Atlas Shrugged are the minority. Just as how Rand views it that an individual is the smallest minority on Earth. Yes, they are unfeeling, emotionless. Just as how Rand thinks about how an individual must stand. That human is beyond the whims of emotion.

[K.D.]

Marian, that's what turning me off from reading this book. Those cold emotionless bastards. Well, some people might be amazed by them and I have to accept that this is what keeps me going but I am just not as amazed as when I read other fictional characters. I guess it has something to do with the fact that I have not seen a person like them. I was born to a very warm family and I think that I am surrounded by equally warm friends.

Day 6: Chapter 6 - The Non-Commercial

Hark and Lillian Rearden's wedding anniversary. All of the major selfish characters are there: Dagny, Francisco and Hark. There are also seemingly minor ones who have their say about the strange characters of people like Dr. Pritchett and Balph Eubank but I don't think what they say are important. Anyway, two things struck me: (1) "Who is John Galt?" is answered (p. 147) and (2) Lillian exchanged the metal bracelet with Dagny's diamond. Hark Readen was watching and he said to himself why looking at his wife: "What did she want from me?"

[K.D.]

Berto, haha. Sorry for the strong language.
I am stopping here. I will wait for you. Please tell me once you are in Chapter 6 so I can proceed with Chapter 7. Good morning my friend! :)

[K.D.]

So, we will call this buddy reading off? :)

I will not force you to continue because it is important that you also enjoy what you are reading (it is your time you are using anyway). Although of course I will go on reading because I have this commitment to myself to finish what I start in whatever undertaking I have in life and it includes books or movies hahaha.

[K.D.]

Thanks, Berto. :) I'll continue reading Chapter 7 today and will post tomorrow hehe. Good morning, my friend.