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Comment by JTon | Hacker News Reader

A good friend of mine recommended Atlas Shrugged a while back. I couldn't finish it. I just couldn't swallow the "better than you" venom Dagny spewed everywhere. Maybe I'm missing something

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You're not missing anything. There's a reason John Rogers wrote “There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old’s life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs."

Can anyone explain to me why so many intelligent people love hating on this book?

Do you disagree with her philosophy? If so - can you tell me about which things exactly made you dislike it and why?

Everyone repeats this quote, and everyone generally says bad things about this book, but never anything concrete, never a clear reason what exactly is so bad about it.

I'd also like a clear refutation of that book. I've only read two Rand books: Anthem and Capitalism. I loved Anthem in spite of its anti-government bullshit because of my libertarian side but my socialist side overrides all of it and that's where my criticism of her lies.

I'm sorry I can't offer anything with regard to Atlas since I haven't read it but it's clearly rooted in her ridiculous philosophy of capitalist moralism. It doesn't stand up to even the most elementary scrutiny and once you apply any of it to real life you find that society would collapse in less than a year.

Here is a good reddit thread that addresses your question:

http://www.reddit.com/r/askphilosophy/comments/1js239/why_do...

Yes, I disagree with her philosophy. Rand believed that a person had no further moral duty than to pursue their own happiness, and that you are solely responsible for your success or failure. If you succeed, you should be applauded and be given the deference to do what you want. Those who point out that the government, by and for the people, provides for the schools that educate the workers, the roads that are use to deliver products, the police who keep the country safe, etc., are parasites and moochers for wanting the wealthy to acknowledge this and contribute to paying for the services the government provides. The same goes for unions who want recognition and fair wages for the workers.

If you reject her philosophy, it's very hard to identify with the characters she positions as the good guys. And why else do you read fiction if not so that you can root for the good guys?

It's been more than 10 years since I read Atlas Shrugged, but what is often interpreted as disdain or arrogance in the characters, I took to be Arete. That is, the characters sought excellence in themselves and appreciated it in others, while holding those who were leeches on their achievements with disdain. I didn't read Atlas Shrugged as disdainful toward the common man (IE: those of us somewhere beneath excellence) but rather a kind of call to pursue perfection and greatness in whatever you might do.

I appreciate your interpretation, thanks.

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