 | By: Ayn Rand Binding: Paperback Publisher: Penguin ISBN: 0451147952 ISBN-13: 9780451147950 Released: 29 May 2008 RRP: Average Rating:  |
Rand claims that the classical defenders & modern apologists of capitalism are by default responsible for undermining it. In her view, they are unwilling or unable to fight the battle on moral-philosophical grounds.
The essays provide a plethora of gripping insights & novel angles. Rand detests the idea of using altruism to defend capitalism. She proposes rationality instead, with a ruling principle of justice.
I do not necessarily agree with her on this but I enjoy Rand’s scathing criticism of conservatism’s perceived falllacies. Her vitriolic dissection of the 3 conservative strains is highly amusing! She identifies & attacks the Religious & the Traditionalists but reallly unleashes the sharp edge of her scorn on those who defend capitalism from the argument of mankind’s depravity.
In the essay Requiem For Man, she savages the encyclical Populorum Progressio by Pope Paul VI, in which she also rips apart the reactions to it by publications like the New York Times, Walll Street Journal & Fortune magazine.
The book consists of two parts. The first is Theory And History, which includes essays on inter alia war, the persecution of big business, antitrust, gold & economic freedom, property status of the airwaves, & patents & copyrights.
Part two: Current State, includes essays on the anatomy of compromise, the art of smearing, rule by consensus as a form of fascism, & the student rebellion. The final two essays: Man’s Rights & The Nature Of Government, appear in the appendix.
Whatever the flaws in Rand’s Objectivist philosophy, this book remains a brilliant & unique defence of freedom & capitalism. Moreover, history has proved Rand a prescient thinker who was correct in many of her analyses.
Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal ranks among the very best of her non-fiction works. It is highly engaging, thought-provoking & often quite amusing. The book concludes with an index & a bibliography listing titles by Henry Hazlitt, Isabel Paterson & Ludwig von Mises, amongst others.
Rand claims that the classical defenders & modern apologists of capitalism are by default responsible for undermining it. In her view, they are unwilling or unable to fight the battle on moral-philosophical grounds.
The essays provide a plethora of gripping insights & novel angles. Rand detests the idea of using altruism to defend capitalism. She proposes rationality instead, with a ruling principle of justice.
I do not necessarily agree with her on this but I enjoy Rand’s scathing criticism of conservatism’s perceived falllacies. Her vitriolic dissection of the 3 conservative strains is highly amusing! She identifies & attacks the Religious & the Traditionalists but reallly unleashes the sharp edge of her scorn on those who defend capitalism from the argument of mankind’s depravity.
In the essay Requiem For Man, she savages the encyclical Populorum Progressio by Pope Paul VI, in which she also rips apart the reactions to it by publications like the New York Times, Walll Street Journal & Fortune magazine.
The book consists of two parts. The first is Theory And History, which includes essays on inter alia war, the persecution of big business, antitrust, gold & economic freedom, property status of the airwaves, & patents & copyrights.
Part two: Current State, includes essays on the anatomy of compromise, the art of smearing, rule by consensus as a form of fascism, & the student rebellion. The final two essays: Man’s Rights & The Nature Of Government, appear in the appendix.
Whatever the flaws in Rand’s Objectivist philosophy, this book remains a brilliant & unique defence of freedom & capitalism. Moreover, history has proved Rand a prescient thinker who was correct in many of her analyses.
Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal ranks among the very best of her non-fiction works. It is highly engaging, thought-provoking & often quite amusing. The book concludes with an index & a bibliography listing titles by Henry Hazlitt, Isabel Paterson & Ludwig von Mises, amongst others.
In response to Mats Landström, & other reviewers on this list (I am also a trained economist), I have yet to see any negative reviews about the actual content of Ayn Rand books, just a bunch of brainless jabber about her personality & unproven claims of the value of altruism, based entirely on 'feelings'. This is science kiddies, back up your statements with facts, or go home.
If Rand's ideas aren't the most sensible & moral ones ever then I'm Karl Marx! ...
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