At Daylight Atheism, [1] Ebonmuse puts Rand’s theory of objectivism under a bright analytical light and finds it wanting:
Since Objectivists reject all notions of a social safety net, it’s natural to ask what would happen to the poor and needy in an Objectivist society. This is Ayn Rand’s answer: “If you want to help them, you will not be stopped” (p.80).
This chilling response, which carries with it the unmistakable implication that she will not be participating in any such effort, illustrates Objectivist philosophy’s cruel, heartless ethic of social Darwinism. Its guiding principle is not “we’re all in this together”, but rather “every man for himself” – and whatever misery strikes the worthless and the inferior as a result ought not to trouble the brave, heroic, superior souls whom Rand imagines are mankind’s salvation. The parallels between this doctrine and the beliefs of tyrants throughout history should be too obvious to need pointing out.
Rand based many of her conclusions on her unwarranted belief in the allegedly perfect wisdom of the “free market,” [2] an (unfortunately) common belief that I have repeatedly criticized at this site.
As a teenager, I was briefly enchanted with Rand’s writings. I pulled away, though, for many of the reasons Ebonmuse eloquently raises in his detailed post.
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