Essays on Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged

by Robert Mayhew (Editor), Michael S. Berliner (Contribution by), Andrew Bernstein author of The Capitalist (Contribution by), Harry Binswanger (Contribution by), Tore Boeckmann (Contribution by)

Overview

While the fiction of novelist-philosopher Ayn Rand is extremely popular and enduring, little has been written on it so far. This book consists of essays, most of which are new, by top Rand scholars on Atlas Shrugged, her magnum opus. The essays deal with historical, literary, and philosophical topics, surpassing related writings in breadth and depth of analysis. The historical essays cover the writing of Atlas Shrugged, its publication history, and its reception. The literary essays cover analysis of the novel's plot, theme, and characterization; comparisons with other works, such as the novels of Hugo, Dostoyevsky, and Joyce; and the proper approach to adapting Atlas Shrugged to film. The philosophical essays cover a vast range of topics, including the place of Galt's speech in the novel, the role of the mind in human life, and the evil of non-objective law. Some of the essays make use of previously unpublished material from the Ayn Rand Archives.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780739127797
Publisher:	Lexington Books
Publication date:	05/16/2009
Pages:	532
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.70(d)

About the Author

Robert Mayhew is professor of philosophy at Seton Hall University. His authored books include Ayn Rand and Song of Russia: Communism and Anti-Communism in 1940s Hollywood, The Female in Aristotle's Biology: Reason or Rationalization, and Aristotle's Critique of Plato's Republic; his edited collections include Essays on Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead and Ayn Rand Answers: The Best of her Q&A.

Table of Contents

1 Preface Chapter 2 Chapter 1. The Part and Chapter Headings of Atlas Shrugged Chapter 3 Chapter 2. Who Was John Galt? The Creation of Ayn Rand's Ultimate Ideal Man Chapter 4 Chapter 3. The Spirit of Francisco d'Anconia: The Development of His Characterization Chapter 5 Chapter 4. A Note on Francisco's Ancestry Chapter 6 Chapter 5. Working for Ayn Rand: Selections from Facets of Ayn Rand Chapter 7 Chapter 6 Publishing Atlas Shrugged Chapter 8 Chapter 7. The Atlas Shrugged Reviews Chapter 9 Chapter 8. Reply to Whittaker Chambers Chapter 10 Chapter 9. Atlas Shrugged and the Metaphysics of Values Chapter 11 Chapter 10. Atlas Shrugged as the Culmination of the Romantic Novel Chapter 12 Chapter 11. A Tale of Two Novels Chapter 13 Chapter 12. Adapting Atlas Shrugged to Film Chapter 14 Chapter 13. Atlas Shrugged on the Role of the Mind in Man's Existence Chapter 15 Chapter 14. Ayn Rand's Ethics: From The Fountainhead to Atlas Shrugged Chapter 16 Chapter 15. No Tributes to Caesar: Good or Evil in Atlas Shrugged Chapter 17 Chapter 16. The Businessmen's Crucial Role: Material Men of the Mind Chapter 18 Chapter 17. The Traits of Business Heroes in Atlas Shrugged Chapter 19 Chapter 18. "Humanity's Darkest Evil": The Lethal Destructiveness of Non-Objective Law Chapter 20 Chapter 19. The Role of Galt's Speech in Atlas Shrugged Chapter 21 Chapter 20. Galt's Speech in Five Sentences (and Forty Questions) Chapter 22 Chapter 21. Discovering Atlantis: Atlas Shrugged's Demonstration of a New Moral Philosophy Chapter 23 Chapter 22. A Note on Dagny's "Final Choice"

Editorial Reviews

Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged is unprecedented: a literary masterwork that presents a startlingly new philosophical system in the form of a mystery novel. In his latest collection of essays, Robert Mayhew has assembled an impressive group of scholars who explore Rand's last and most ambitious novel as a work of literature and of philosophy and place it in its historical and cultural context. This is at once a guide for new readers and a source of fresh insights for devotees.

James G. Lennox

Ayn Rand's magnum opus has long warranted analyses that are scholarly but accessible, sympathetic but not fawning, useful to readers new to Rand and rewarding to those who have long studied her. Readers have also needed an account of the book's development, publication, and reception. This outstanding collection meets these needs and more. It is the novel's definitive companion....

John P. McCaskey

In Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand presented a revolutionary new philosophy in the form of a gripping and inspiring novel. Dr. Mayhew's remarkable new collection will help readers gain an even deeper appreciation of Rand's esthetic and philosophical achievement. For anyone interested in understanding one of the most celebrated books of the 20th century, Essays on Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged is a must-read.

Yaron Brook

In Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand presented a revolutionary new philosophy in the form of a gripping and inspiring novel. Dr. Mayhew's remarkable new collection will help readers gain an even deeper appreciation of Rand's esthetic and philosophical achievement. For anyone interested in understanding one of the most celebrated books of the 20th century, Essays on Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged is a must-read.--Yaron Brook, President and Executive Director, The Ayn Rand Institute

Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged is unprecedented: a literary masterwork that presents a startlingly new philosophical system in the form of a mystery novel. In his latest collection of essays, Robert Mayhew has assembled an impressive group of scholars who explore Rand's last and most ambitious novel as a work of literature and of philosophy and place it in its historical and cultural context. This is at once a guide for new readers and a source of fresh insights for devotees.--James G. Lennox, University of Pittsburgh

Ayn Rand's magnum opus has long warranted analyses that are scholarly but accessible, sympathetic but not fawning, useful to readers new to Rand and rewarding to those who have long studied her. Readers have also needed an account of the book's development, publication, and reception. This outstanding collection meets these needs and more. It is the novel's definitive companion.--John P. McCaskey, Stanford University

From the Publisher