The Revolutionary Political Philosophy of Ayn Rand

Sławomir Drelich

doi:10.36280/afpifs.2018.2.35

Research article

The Revolutionary Political Philosophy of Ayn Rand

Sławomir Drelich

Rewolucyjna filozofia polityczna Ayn Rand

Archiwum Filozofii Prawa i Filozofii Społecznej, nr 2(17)/2018, s. 35-46

DOI 10.36280/afpifs.2018.2.35 ↗

Issue: nr 2(17)/2018
Pages: 35-46
Published: 2018
Article language: English

Polish

Translated abstract

Ayn Rand jest powszechnie uznawana za libertariankę, chociaż nigdy wprost nie orzekła o swojej przynależności do tego ruchu. Niewątpliwie była ona najbardziej znana jako propagatorka idei liberalnych i kapitalistycznych. Autor artykułu dowodzi, że koncepcje filozoficzne i polityczne Randa mogą być uznawane za rewolucyjne. Celem nieniejszego tekstu jest udowodnienie tego poprzez wskazanie na przejawy rewolucyjności w dziełach, ideach i pojęciach Rand. Autor wyróżnia pięć aspektów, poprzez które wyraża się ów swoisty rewolucjonizm. Są to: (1) aspekt antropologiczny, (2) aspekt społeczny, (3) aspekt polityczny, (4) aspekt ekonomiczny, (5) aspekt anty-mistyczny. Tak szeroki uchwytywany rewolucjonizm sprawia, że niektórzy badacze i komentatorzy uznają myśl Randa za przejaw utopijnego myślenia.

Translated keywords

obiektywizm
libertarianizm
filozofia polityki
liberalizm
rewolucjonizm

English

Abstract

Ayn Rand is generally considered a libertarian, although she never claimed to belong to this movement. Undoubtedly, she was best known for promoting liberal and capitalist ideas. The author of this paper argues that Rand’s philosophical and political concepts can be described as revolutionary. The purpose of this text is to prove it by pointing to the manifestations of revolutionism in Rand’s works, ideas and concepts. The author distinguishes five different aspects through which her revolutionism is expressed. These are: (1) the antimystical aspect; (2) the anthropological aspect; (3) the social aspect; (4) the political aspect, and (5) the economic aspect. Such wide-ranging revolutionism makes some researchers and commentators recognize Rand’s thought as a manifestation of utopian thinking.

Keywords

objectivism
libertarianism
philosophy of politics
liberalism
revolutionism

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References

32 reference entries

References

Bartyzel, J. (2012). W gąszczu liberalizmów. Próba periodyzacji i klasyfikacji. Lublin: Instytut Edukacji Narodowej Fundacja Servire Veritati.
Branden, B. (1986). The Passion of Ayn Rand. Garden City: Doubleday.
Burns, J. (2004). Godless capitalism: Ayn Rand and the conservative movement. Modern Intellectual History 1, 359–385.
Burns, J. (2009). Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Calvert, P.A.R. (1967). Revolution: the Politics of Violence. Political Studies 1, 1–11.
Campbell, R.L. (2006). Altruism in August Comte and Ayn Rand. The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies 2, 357–369.
Gladstein, M.R. (1999). The New Ayn Rand Companion. Westport: Greenwood.
Gotthelf, J., Salmieri, G. (2016). A Campanion to Ayn Rand. Hoboken: Wiley Blackwell.
Harriman, D. (ed.). (1999). Journals of Ayn Rand. New York: Dutton.
Kukathas, C. (2003). The Liberal Archipelago: A Theory o f Diversity and Freedom. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Lasswell, H., Kaplan, A. (1950). Power and Society. New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Legutko, R. (1994). Spory o kapitalizm. Kraków: Znak.
Maurone, J. (2002). The Trickster Icon and Objectivism. The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies 2, 229–258.
Merill, R.E., Familaro Enright, M. (2013). Ayn Rand Explained. Chicago: Open Court.
Miklaszewska, J. (1989). The Libertarian Utopia: Robert Nozick and Aleksander Świętochowski. Reports on Philosophy 13, 51–60.
Nozick, R. (1971). On the Randian Argument. The Personalist 52, 282–304.
Peikoff, L. (1993). Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand. New York: Meridian.
Rand, A. (1996). Atlas Shrugged. New York: Random House.
Rand, A. (1967). Capitalism. The Unknown Ideal. New York: New American Library.
Rand, A. (1968). For the New Intellectual. New York: Random House.
Rand, A. (1984). Philosophy: Who Needs It. New York: Bobbs-Merrill.
Rand, A. (1999). Return of Primitive. The Anti -Industrial Revolution. New York: New American Library.
Rand, A. (1971). The Fountainhead. New York: Bobbs Merrill.
Rand, A. (1975). The Romantic Manifesto. A Philosophy of Literatur e. New York: New American Library.
Rand, A. (1964). The Virtue of Selfishness. A New Concept of Egoism. New York: New American Library.
Rau, Z. (2000). Liberalizm. Zarys myśli politycznej XIX i XX wieku. Warszawa: Fundacja Aletheia.
Sciabarra, C.M. (1995). Ayn Rand: The Russian Radical. University Park: Penn State University Press.
Seddon, F. (2003). Ayn Rand, Objectivists, and the History of Philosophy. Lanham: UPA.
Teluk, T. (2006). Libertarianizm. Teoria państwa. Warszawa: Biblioteka Wolności.
Teluk, T. (2009). Libertarianizm. Krytyka. Gliwice-Warszawa: Instytut Globalizacji.
de Tocqueville, A. (1955). The Old Regime and the French Revolution. New York: Anchor Books.
Weiss, G. (2012). Ayn Rand Nation: The Hidden Struggle for America’s Soul. New York: St. Martin's Press.

Publication information

Author and affiliation

Sławomir Drelich

Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń

Issue data

Issue nr 2(17)/2018

Pages: 35-46
Published: 2018
DOI: 10.36280/afpifs.2018.2.35
PDF: Full text PDF

AccessOpen LicenceCC BY 4.0 ↗

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S. Drelich, The Revolutionary Political Philosophy of Ayn Rand, „Archiwum Filozofii Prawa i Filozofii Społecznej” nr 2(17)/2018, s. 35–46, DOI: 10.36280/afpifs.2018.2.35

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[ref-001] Bartyzel, J. (2012). W gąszczu liberalizmów. Próba periodyzacji i klasyfikacji. Lublin: Instytut Edukacji Narodowej Fundacja Servire Veritati.

[ref-002] Branden, B. (1986). The Passion of Ayn Rand. Garden City: Doubleday.

[ref-003] Burns, J. (2004). Godless capitalism: Ayn Rand and the conservative movement. Modern Intellectual History 1, 359–385.

[ref-004] Burns, J. (2009). Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

[ref-005] Calvert, P.A.R. (1967). Revolution: the Politics of Violence. Political Studies 1, 1–11.

[ref-006] Campbell, R.L. (2006). Altruism in August Comte and Ayn Rand. The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies 2, 357–369.

[ref-007] Gladstein, M.R. (1999). The New Ayn Rand Companion. Westport: Greenwood.

[ref-008] Gotthelf, J., Salmieri, G. (2016). A Campanion to Ayn Rand. Hoboken: Wiley Blackwell.

[ref-009] Harriman, D. (ed.). (1999). Journals of Ayn Rand. New York: Dutton.

[ref-010] Kukathas, C. (2003). The Liberal Archipelago: A Theory o f Diversity and Freedom. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

[ref-011] Lasswell, H., Kaplan, A. (1950). Power and Society. New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul.

[ref-012] Legutko, R. (1994). Spory o kapitalizm. Kraków: Znak.

[ref-013] Maurone, J. (2002). The Trickster Icon and Objectivism. The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies 2, 229–258.

[ref-014] Merill, R.E., Familaro Enright, M. (2013). Ayn Rand Explained. Chicago: Open Court.

[ref-015] Miklaszewska, J. (1989). The Libertarian Utopia: Robert Nozick and Aleksander Świętochowski. Reports on Philosophy 13, 51–60.

[ref-016] Nozick, R. (1971). On the Randian Argument. The Personalist 52, 282–304.

[ref-017] Peikoff, L. (1993). Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand. New York: Meridian.

[ref-018] Rand, A. (1996). Atlas Shrugged. New York: Random House.

[ref-019] Rand, A. (1967). Capitalism. The Unknown Ideal. New York: New American Library.

[ref-020] Rand, A. (1968). For the New Intellectual. New York: Random House.

[ref-021] Rand, A. (1984). Philosophy: Who Needs It. New York: Bobbs-Merrill.

[ref-022] Rand, A. (1999). Return of Primitive. The Anti -Industrial Revolution. New York: New American Library.

[ref-023] Rand, A. (1971). The Fountainhead. New York: Bobbs Merrill.

[ref-024] Rand, A. (1975). The Romantic Manifesto. A Philosophy of Literatur e. New York: New American Library.

[ref-025] Rand, A. (1964). The Virtue of Selfishness. A New Concept of Egoism. New York: New American Library.

[ref-026] Rau, Z. (2000). Liberalizm. Zarys myśli politycznej XIX i XX wieku. Warszawa: Fundacja Aletheia.

[ref-027] Sciabarra, C.M. (1995). Ayn Rand: The Russian Radical. University Park: Penn State University Press.

[ref-028] Seddon, F. (2003). Ayn Rand, Objectivists, and the History of Philosophy. Lanham: UPA.

[ref-029] Teluk, T. (2006). Libertarianizm. Teoria państwa. Warszawa: Biblioteka Wolności.

[ref-030] Teluk, T. (2009). Libertarianizm. Krytyka. Gliwice-Warszawa: Instytut Globalizacji.

[ref-031] de Tocqueville, A. (1955). The Old Regime and the French Revolution. New York: Anchor Books.

[ref-032] Weiss, G. (2012). Ayn Rand Nation: The Hidden Struggle for America’s Soul. New York: St. Martin's Press.

The Revolutionary Political Philosophy of Ayn Rand

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Sławomir Drelich

Issue nr 2(17)/2018

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