Jordan Peterson and Ayn Rand Compared

        Jordan Peterson and Ayn Rand both speak directly to people who feel the world has gone soft on personal responsibility. They attract similar crowds—young men especially, but plenty of others too—who are tired of being told that success is mostly luck, privilege, or exploitation. Rand, through novels like Atlas Shrugged, painted a vivid picture of creators and doers standing up against a society that punishes achievement and rewards mediocrity. Her heroes walk away rather than carry the weight of the incompetent. Peterson, in his lectures and books, tells people to stand up straight, clean their room (get their lives in order before trying to change the world), and voluntarily shoulder the heaviest burden they can bear. Both deliver a message that cuts through the haze: life is hard, but you can make something noble of it by refusing to drift or make excuses. That core appeal—take charge of yourself, produce value, live with purpose—explains why fans of one often find something familiar in the other.

Yet the two part ways when you look closer at what they actually value. Rand was uncompromising in her celebration of rational self-interest and individual happiness; she saw joy, achievement, and personal pride as the proper aim of life, and she regarded sacrifice for others as immoral. Peterson speaks of meaning coming from bearing burdens (often for family, community, or something larger than yourself), and he warns against a shallow pursuit of mere happiness. Where Rand’s ideal is the heroic individual pursuing his own rational values without apology, Peterson’s is the responsible individual who finds order and purpose by confronting chaos and accepting limits. Objectivists often criticize Peterson for slipping toward collectivism or mysticism; Peterson has called Rand’s philosophy overly simplistic and her characters one-dimensional. Still, both have shaken people awake, given them a moral compass in confusing times, and left a mark that lingers long after the lectures and books are closed.

Ayn Rand

 

Ayn Rand was a Russian-American novelist, philosopher, and political thinker, born Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum on February 2, 1905, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Rand's family was well-educated and financially successful, but they lost their wealth and status after the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. Rand studied philosophy and history at Petrograd State University but was forced to leave after her father's business was seized by the Soviet government.

In 1926, Rand emigrated to the United States, where she began her career as a screenwriter in Hollywood. She later turned to writing novels and became famous for her works of fiction, including "The Fountainhead" and "Atlas Shrugged." Her philosophy of Objectivism, which emphasized individualism, reason, and laissez-faire capitalism, had a significant impact on conservative and libertarian thought in the United States.

Throughout her life, Rand was an outspoken critic of collectivism and totalitarianism, and she believed that individual rights were paramount. She also believed that artistic and intellectual pursuits were essential to the human experience, and she celebrated the virtues of individualism, rationality, and self-interest.

We the Living, by Ayn Rand

"We the Living" is a novel by Ayn Rand, published in 1936, that explores the struggles and hardships faced by individuals living under Soviet communism in post-revolutionary Russia.

The novel centers around the life of Kira Argounova, a young woman who, despite her intelligence and independent spirit, is unable to escape the oppressive regime that dominates her life. Throughout the novel, Rand portrays the Soviet system as a suffocating force that crushes the individual spirit and ambition of its citizens.

Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand

Atlas Shrugged is a sprawling epic that can be viewed through many lenses, one of which is that of a mystery novel. Ayn Rand's magnum opus follows the story of Dagny Taggart, a savvy and successful railroad executive who becomes embroiled in a mystery that threatens the very fabric of her world.

The novel begins with a series of inexplicable events: important industrialists and inventors are disappearing without a trace, leaving their businesses to falter and collapse. Dagny finds herself at the center of this mystery as she attempts to keep her railroad running amidst the chaos.

As the novel progresses, Dagny begins to uncover a complex conspiracy that reaches to the highest levels of government and industry. She discovers that the disappearances are not random, but rather a deliberate plan orchestrated by a secretive group of brilliant minds who have gone on strike against a society that they see as unjust.

Ayn Rand and Objectivism

Ayn Rand was a Russian-American philosopher, novelist, and playwright who is best known for her philosophy of Objectivism. Her ideas have had a profound impact on the political and economic landscape of the United States, influencing the conservative movement and inspiring libertarians around the world. In this blog post, we will explore the key tenets of Rand's philosophy and the implications of her ideas.

Power is the Opiate of the Left

I have been told a few times that I should be tolerant of opposing points of view. Such tolerance is hardly appropriate when the opposing point of view is designed to enslave, plunder, or kill you. There should be no tolerance of leftism in any form, for it is a murderous, evil doctrine that at best reduces all of humanity (except the ruling class) to mediocrity, and at worst, kills us by government.

 Much has been said about how the Leftist allegedly begins his career: he sees poverty and human misery, and wants to help. He can't afford to help on his own, because he dreams of ending all human suffering. The thought of finding just one man and helping him directly apparently never occurs to him. Instead, he gets the idea that the government, with it's enormous treasury, can do the job. Ending all poverty is difficult for one man to accomplish.  Well, why take the weight of the world on your shoulders? Just go out on the street, find someone in dire need, and help that person directly, with your own money, and with your own compassion. Why force others to do so?