- Where can I find out about Ayn Rand's life?
-
Documentary movie:
Ayn Rand: A Sense
of Life
Journals of Ayn Rand edited by David Harriman
Letters of Ayn Rand edited by Michael Berliner
"My Thirty Years with Ayn Rand" by Leonard Peikoff in The Voice of Reason
"Ayn Rand's Life: Highlights and Sidelights" by Harry Binswanger (available from Ayn Rand Bookstore )
"Ayn Rand and the Atlas Shrugged Years: Reminiscences and Recollections" by Mary Ann Sures (with Harry Binswanger). (Available from Ayn Rand Bookstore)
ARI's biography section: www.aynrand.org/aynrand/
- Where and when was Ayn Rand born?
-
St. Petersburg, Russia, February 2, 1905.
- How do you pronounce "Ayn"?
- "Ayn" rhymes with "mine."
Excerpted from a letter to a fan, 1937:
"Your letter inquiring about the origin of my name has been forwarded to me. In answer to your question, I must say that 'Ayn' is both a real name and an invention. The original of it is a Finnish feminine name. . . . Its pronunciation, spelled phonetically, would be: 'I-na.' I do not know what its correct spelling should be in English, but I chose to make it 'Ayn,' eliminating the final 'a.' I pronounce it as the letter 'I' with an 'n' added to it." Letters of Ayn Rand, page 40 - What is the origin of "Rand"?
- [From
ARI's monthly newsletter Impact, 06/2000]
"Ayn Rand, born Alisa Rosenbaum, based her professional first name on a Finnish one [see above]. The source of her last name, however, has been a mystery.
"Although its origin is still uncertain, recent biographical research by Drs. Allan Gotthelf and Michael Berliner has eliminated one possible source. An oft-repeated story claims that Ayn Rand took her last name from her Remington Rand typewriter while she was living in Chicago in 1926. This is false and we would like to put the error to rest.
"While still in Russia, c. 1925, and long before Remington-Rand typewriters were produced, Alisa Rosenbaum had adopted the name 'Rand.' Letters written in 1926 from Ayn Rand's family in Russia already refer to the name 'Rand.' These were sent from Russia before Ayn Rand had communicated from America. The Remington and Rand companies did not merge until 1927; 'Rand' did not appear on their (or any) typewriters until the early 1930s.
"One lead to the actual source of the name comes from Ayn Rand herself. In 1936, she told the New York Evening Post that 'Rand is an abbreviation of my Russian surname.' Originally, we thought that this was a red herring in order to protect her family from the Soviet authorities.
"In 1997 Dr. Berliner noted an interesting coincidence when looking at a copy of Miss Rand's 1924 university diploma. On the diploma was the name Rosenbaum in the Cyrillic alphabet:
The last three letters clearly look like the Roman letters 'ayn.' Richard Ralston then noticed that by covering those letters—and dropping out the second and fourth letters—what remains bears a strong resemblance to the Roman letters 'Rand.'
"Although far from certain, it appears that the quote in the New York Evening Post may not have been a decoy." - Did Ayn Rand have any children?
- Miss Rand and her husband, Frank O'Connor, chose not to
have any children.
- Of what did Ayn Rand die? Where is she Buried?
- Ayn Rand died on March 6, 1982, of heart failure. She was
buried in Kenisco Cemetery in Valhalla, N.Y. next to her husband Frank
O'Connor (who died in 1979). See also: "To the Reader" by Harry
Binswanger, The Objectivist Forum Vol. 3, No. 1.
- What university did Ayn Rand attend and what subject did she study?
- Ayn Rand entered the University of Petrograd to study philosophy and history, and graduated in 1924.
- Did Ayn Rand have any siblings?
- Yes, she had two sisters: Natasha and Nora. See ARI's biographical pages on Ayn Rand's life.
- For which film studios did Ayn Rand work?
- She worked for quite a few film companies in Los Angeles and New York
City intermittently (while working on her writing projects) between 1926 to 1951. Here is a partial list.
She worked for Cecil B. DeMille from 1926-27, as an extra, writer and reader; for RKO (1929-32) in the wardrobe department; for Universal (1932) as a writer; Paramount (1934) as a writer; for Hal Wallis at Paramount (1943-48) as a writer. She also worked for Warner Brothers (1943-1949) on the screenplay for The Fountainhead movie. In New York (1935-43) she was a reader for Paramount and MGM.
- Where can I read about Ayn Rand's view on...?
- Please consult The
Ayn Rand Lexicon: Objectivism from A to Z, edited by Harry Binswanger.
This book is a mini-encyclopedia of Objectivism, containing the key passages
from the writings of Ayn Rand and her associates on 400 topics in philosophy
and related fields. From the editor’s preface: "Material by authors
other than Miss Rand is included only if she had given it explicit public
endorsement—as with Leonard Peikoff’s book The Ominous Parallels—and
his lecture course "The Philosophy of Objectivism"—or if it was
originally published under her editorship in The Objectivist Newsletter,
The Objectivist, or The Ayn Rand Letter. I have also made
use of four Objectivist Forum articles that Miss Rand read and approved."
Perform a search using the Online Bibliography. Based on The Ayn Rand Lexicon: Objectivism from A to Z, this search engine offers three ways of searching Miss Rand's corpus. Search for a particular word or phrase, browse a thematically organized list of keywords, or view an alphabetical listing of all the keywords. Whichever option is used, the search engine will list the article (or book, or essay) in which Miss Rand discussed a given topic, along with the page reference.
For key passages of dialog as well as all of the speeches from Miss Rand’s novels, see For the New Intellectual. - Can I purchase recordings of lectures by Ayn Rand and other ARI speakers?
- Recorded lectures may be ordered from local bookstores as well as online
stores such as Amazon.com and
the Ayn Rand Bookstore. The latter
has the most comprehensive range of recordings.
- How can I find out more about Ayn Rand’s intellectual and artistic development?
- The best source is Miss Rand herself: read Journals
of Ayn Rand and Letters of Ayn Rand. The
Early Ayn Rand is a collection of stories and plays written by Ayn
Rand in the 1920s and 1930s, and includes passages cut from The
Fountainhead. See also The
Art of Fiction: A Guide for Writers and Readers.
- I would like to perform Miss Rand’s play Night of January 16th. To whom should I write?
- For professional production rights requests, contact:
Curtis Brown, Ltd.
Ten Astor Place
New York, NY 10003
Telephone 212-473-5400
For amateur production rights requests, contact:
Caryn Burtt
Permissions Dept.
Random House
299 Park Ave., 7th floor
New York, NY 10171
Telephone: 212-572-2784
Also note that the only version that Ayn Rand wanted performed is the one that is in the paperback book of Night of January 16th, published by Plume, reprinted in 1990. Due to many mix-ups, this is likely not the version you will get if you use standard means for obtaining plays. - Where do I send a request for permission to reprint an article/essay by Miss Rand?
- ARI does not own the copyrights to Ayn Rand’s books. Questions concerning
rights or reprint requests should be directed to the Estate of Ayn Rand.
Inquiries and manuscripts may be sent to: The Estate of Ayn Rand, c/o The
Ayn Rand Institute, 2121 Alton Pkwy, Suite 250, Irvine, CA, 92606. Inquiries
will be forwarded to the Estate for consideration.
- Where can I find foreign editions of Miss
Rand’s books?
- The following is a list of recent foreign editions of Ayn Rand's novels.
Some of these titles may no longer be in print. Whatever contact information
we have for a particular publishers is listed next to a given title. Notes:
1. Native speakers have stated that some foreign editions are not faithful
translations. We cannot independently evaluate any of the following editions
and therefore do not recommend any particular book. 2. We are unable to
offer advice on locating any of the titles listed below. (Try searching
the Internet, or contacting a specialist bookseller.) If you know of a foreign
edition not listed here, please write
to us.
Chinese
Anthem
www.eurasian.com.tw
ISBN: 957-679-789-5
Czech
Zdroj (The Fountainhead)
ISBN 0646398326
Pub: Berlet
Danish
Vi Der Lever (We the Living)
Host and Son
Danish
Kun Den Staerke Er Fri (The Fountainhead)
Host and Son
Dutch
De eeuwige bron (The Fountainhead)
Uitgeverij Luitingh~Sijthoff
French
Le Veitu D'Egoisme (collection of essays)
Editions Belles Lettres
French
Nous Les Vivants (We the Living)
Rive Droite
58 Avenue De Wagram
75017 Paris
France
French
La Source Vive (The Fountainhead)
Librarie Plon
German
Wer Ist John Galt? (Atlas Shrugged)
Der Ursprung (The Fountainhead)
GEWIS Verlag
D-20149 Hamburg
Germany
Greek
We the Living
Oceanida
(oceanida@internet.gr)
Greek
The Fountainhead (in 2 parts)
Oceanida
(oceanida@internet.gr)
Hebrew
Mered Hanefilim (transliteration of Hebrew title; Atlas Shrugged)
S. Friedman, Publisher; Tel Aviv, Israel
Hebrew
Kemea'in Hamitgaber (transliteration of Hebrew title; The Fountainhead)
S. Friedman, Publisher; Tel Aviv, Israel
Hebrew
Himnon (transliteration of Hebrew title; Anthem)
Zmora, Bitan--Publishers, Tel Aviv, Israel
ISBN 965-325-038-8
Italian
La Fonte Mervigliosa (The Fountainhead)
Corbaccio
Italian
We the Living
Corbaccio
Italian
Inno (Anthem)
Alfa Edtrice
Korean
The Fountainhead
Norweigan
The Fountainhead
Indfo
ISBN 82-99328-0-9
Polish
Hymn (Anthem)
Kameleon
ISBN: 83-7150-594-9
Polish
Cnota Egoismu (Virtue of Selfishness)
Officyna Liberallow
Portuguese
A Nascente (The Fountainhead) (in Brazil only)
Atenueu Objectivista/Ortiz
Romainian
IMN (Anthem)
Editura Mirador
Russian
Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead, We the Living
Russian
Morality of Individualism (essays)
ISBN: 5-85189-038-3
Out of print
Swedish
Och världen skälvde (Atlas Shrugged)
Swedish
Urkällan (The Fountainhead)
ISBN 91-7268-132-2
Lindfors
Swedish
Hymn (Anthem)
ISBN 91-7268-077-6
Lindfors
Swedish
Lovsång (Anthem)
Förlaget Egoisten
Swedish
Kapitalismen: det okända idealet (Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal)
ISBN 91-7268-067-9
Lindfors
- Is Howard Roark based on Frank Lloyd Wright?
- The characters in Miss Rand’s novels are her own original creations. Miss
Rand explicitly stated that Roark was not based on Frank Lloyd Wright. From
a letter to a fan [Letters of Ayn Rand, p. 468]:
"[The fan asked:] ‘Aren’t some of the character traits and ideals of Howard Roark taken from Frank Lloyd Wright’s life?’ No. There is no similarity between Roark and Mr. Wright as far as personal life, character and basic philosophy are concerned. The only parallel which may be drawn between them is purely architectural--that is, in regard to their stand on modern architecture." - In Atlas Shrugged, a number of major events occur on September 2. What significance, if any, did this date have in Miss Rand’s life?
- Miss Rand selected that date because it was the date on which she started
the actual writing of Atlas Shrugged.
- Have any of Miss Rand’s novels been made into movies?
- We the Living. During World War II, an Italian film of
We the Living was produced without Ayn Rand’s knowledge. Largely faithful
to the book, the film was approved by Italy’s fascist government on the
grounds that it was anti-communist. But the Italian public understood that
the movie was just as anti-fascist as it was anti-communist. People grasped
Ayn Rand’s theme that dictatorship as such is evil, and embraced the movie.
Five months after its release, Mussolini’s government figured out what everyone
else knew, and banned the movie. This is eloquent proof of Miss Rand’s claim
that the book is not "merely about Russia."
After the war, the movie was re-edited under Miss Rand’s supervision. The movie is still played at art-house cinemas, and is now available on videotape. [Excerpt from "Reader’s Guide to Selected Works by Ayn Rand", Penguin 1999]
The Fountainhead was made into a motion picture in 1949, starring Gary Cooper and Patricia Neal, for which Ayn Rand wrote the screenplay. The movie, available on video, often plays on cable TV and at art-house cinemas, where it is always received enthusiastically.
Film of Atlas Shrugged. Crusader Entertainment recently announced plans to produce a film of Atlas Shrugged. Although a screenwriter has been hired, the project is still in the early stages of development. The Estate of Ayn Rand sold the rights to the dramatization years ago to another buyer. But Crusader and the Estate have agreed that Dr. Leonard Peikoff is to have certain consultation rights in regard to the screenplay; the final creative control, however, will remain with Crusader. The Ayn Rand Institute is not involved in the project. Decades ago, Ayn Rand said that, given the state of Hollywood, one must expect the value of any movie of Atlas to be not its quality as art or as philosophy, but its power to call attention to the book, and thereby boost its sales. If and when the present venture comes to fruition (and assuming a certain level of fidelity to the novel), ARI and the Estate will work closely with the publisher Penguin, using this opportunity to maximize the visibility and availability of Atlas Shrugged.
-
- I'm a teacher. May I reproduce one of Ayn Rand's essays for my class?
- The Estate of Ayn Rand, having secured the agreement of Penguin Putnam,
allows the photocopying of a single Ayn Rand essay free of charge, for use
on a one-time basis and only in the teaching of a high-school or college
course, under the following conditions:
1. The essay is reproduced in its entirety with no omissions or alterations.
2. The students are charged no fee.
3. It is understood that all rights to the photocopied material, other than the specific permission granted above--i.e., all rights to its publication or public dissemination in any medium--are retained by the copyright holder.
Teachers who wish to depart from any of these conditions--such as those wishing to reproduce merely excerpts from an essay or novel, or to copy more than a single essay--must forward a specific proposal to the Estate of Ayn Rand, which will consider any request on its merits.For teachers, see also ARI's classroom lesson plans on Anthem and The Fountainhead.
- Who created the cover art on recent editions of Ayn Rand's novels and nonfiction? How can I obtain prints?
- Nicholas Gaetano created the cover art for the following books: Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead, Anthem, We The Living, Virtue of Selfishness, For the New Intellectual, The Early Ayn Rand, Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal, Philosophy: Who Needs It. High-quality prints of the covers of The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged are available from ARI. Other prints are sometimes available from The Paper Tiger, Inc.
- I have finished reading Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead, and I want to learn more about Objectivism; where should I begin?
- Here are some suggestions. Read the introductory
articles on our Objectivism
pages; you might also consider viewing the video
lecture by Dr. Leonard Peikoff. In the same section of
our site, you can find a suggested reading list of
Objectivist works. We have recently added a five-hour
audio seminar on Objectivism: The Philosophy of
Ayn Rand to our Web site. You may also consider
taking one of the university-level courses offered at
ARI's Objectivist
Academic Center.
- Where can I read Ayn Rand's view on ...?
- Please consult the Ayn
Rand Lexicon: Objectivism from A to Z edited by
Harry Binswanger. This book is a mini-encyclopedia
of Objectivism, containing the key passages from the
writings of Ayn Rand and her associates on 400 topics in
philosophy and related fields. From the editor's
preface: "Material by authors other than Miss Rand is
included only if she had given it explicit public
endorsement--as with Leonard Peikoff's book The
Ominous Parallels--and his lecture course "The
Philosophy of Objectivism"--or if it was originally
published under her editorship in The Objectivist
Newsletter, The Objectivist, or The Ayn Rand
Letter. I
have also made use of four Objectivist Forum articles
that Miss Rand read and approved."
Perform a search using the Ayn Rand Bibliographic Search Engine. Based on The Ayn Rand Lexicon: Objectivism from A to Z, this search engine offers three ways of searching Miss Rand's corpus. Search for a particular word or phrase, browse a thematically organized list of keywords, or view an alphabetical listing of all the keywords. W hichever option is used, the search engine will list the article (or book, or essay) in which Miss Rand discussed a given topic, along with the page reference.
See also: For the New Intellectual reproduces key passages of dialog as well as all the speeches from Miss Rand's novels.
- Does Objectivism support Libertarianism?
- "For the record, I shall repeat
what I have said many times before: I do not join or
endorse any political group or movement. More
specifically, I disapprove of, disagree with and have no
connection with, the latest aberration of some
conservatives, the so-called 'hippies of the right,'
who attempt to snare the younger or more careless ones
of my readers by claiming simultaneously to be followers
of my philosophy and advocates of anarchism. Anyone
offering such a combination confesses his inability to
understand either. Anarchism is the most irrational,
anti-intellectual notion ever spun by the
concrete-bound, context-dropping, whim-worshiping fringe
of the collectivist movement, where it properly
belongs."
[Ayn Rand, "Brief Summary," The Objectivist, September 1971]
"Above all, do not join the wrong ideological groups or movements, in order to 'do something.' By 'ideological' (in this context), I mean groups or movements proclaiming some vaguely generalized, undefined (and, usually, contradictory) political goals. (E.g., the Conservative Party, which subordinates reason to faith, and substitutes theocracy for capitalism; or the 'libertarian' hippies, who subordinate reason to whims, and substitute anarchism for capitalism.) To join such groups means to reverse the philosophical hierarchy and to sell out fundamental principles for the sake of some superficial political action which is bound to fail. It means that you help the defeat of your ideas and the victory of your enemies."
[Ayn Rand, "What Can One Do?" Philosophy: Who Needs It]
See also: "Libertarianism: The Perversion of Liberty," by Peter Schwartz in the Ayn Rand collection The Voice of Reason. - What was Ayn Rand's view on capital punishment?
- She thought it was morally just, but legally
dangerous--because of the possibility of jury errors
which could not be rectified after the death of the
innocent man. She had no position on whether there
should be a death penalty or not.
- What was Ayn Rand's view on abortion?
- Excerpt from "Of Living Death" The
Objectivist, October 1968:
"An embryo has no rights. Rights do not pertain to a potential, only to an actual being. A child cannot acquire any rights until it is born. The living take precedence over the not-yet-living (or the unborn).
"Abortion is a moral right--which should be left to the sole discretion of the woman involved; morally, nothing other than her wish in the matter is to be considered. Who can conceivably have the right to dictate to her what disposition she is to make of the functions of her own body?" - Is Objectivism atheistic? What is the Objectivist attitude toward religion?
- "I am an intransigent atheist,
but not a militant one. This means that I am an
uncompromising advocate of reason and that I am fighting
for reason, not against religion. I must
also mention that I do respect religion in its
philosophical aspects, in the sense that it represents
an early form of philosophy." [Ayn Rand, Letters
of Ayn Rand, March 20, 1965]
"They claim that they perceive a mode of being superior to your existence on this earth. The mystics of spirit call it 'another dimension,' which consists of denying dimensions. The mystics of muscle call it 'the future,' which consists of denying the present. To exist is to possess identity. What identity are they able to give to their superior realm? They keep telling you what it is not, but never tell you what it is. All their identifications consist of negating: God is that which no human mind can know, they say--and proceed to demand that you consider it knowledge--God is non-man, heaven is non-earth, soul is non-body, virtue is non-profit, A is non-A, perception is non-sensory, knowledge is non-reason. Their definitions are not acts of defining, but of wiping out." [Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged]
From a 1964 interview in Playboy magazine:
Playboy: "Has no religion, in your estimation, ever offered anything of constructive value to human life?"
Rand: "Qua religion, no--in the sense of blind belief, belief unsupported by, or contrary to, the facts of reality and the conclusions of reason. Faith, as such, is extremely detrimental to human life: it is the negation of reason. But you must remember that religion is an early form of philosophy, that the first attempts to explain the universe, to give a coherent frame of reference to man's life and a code of moral values, were made by religion, before men graduated or developed enough to have philosophy."
- What was Ayn Rand's view on charity?
-
"My views on charity are very simple. I do not
consider it a major virtue and, above all, I do not
consider it a moral duty. There is nothing wrong in
helping other people, if and when they are worthy of the
help and you can afford to help them. I regard charity
as a marginal issue. What I am fighting is the idea that
charity is a moral duty and a primary virtue." [From
"Playboy's 1964 interview with Ayn Rand"]
- Does Objectivism hold that all individuals have something valuable to contribute? What about people who lack creativity or ability? Would they fit into a pure capitalist society?
- "Intelligence is not an exclusive
monopoly of genius; it is an attribute of all men, and
the differences are only a matter of degree. If
conditions of existence are destructive to genius, they
are destructive to every man, each in proportion to his
intelligence. If genius is penalized, so is the faculty
of intelligence in every other man. There is only this
difference: the average man does not possess the
genius's power of self-confident resistance, and will
break much faster; he will give up his mind, in hopeless
bewilderment, under the first touch of pressure."
[Ayn Rand, "Requiem for Man," Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal]
"Look past the range of the moment, you who cry that you fear to compete with men of superior intelligence, that their mind is a threat to your livelihood, that the strong leave no chance to the weak in a market of voluntary trade. What determines the material value of your work? Nothing but the productive effort of your mind--if you lived on a desert island. The less efficient the thinking of your brain, the less your physical labor would bring you--and you could spend your life on a single routine, collecting a precarious harvest or hunting with bow and arrows, unable to think any further. But when you live in a rational society, where men are free to trade, you receive an incalculable bonus: the material value of your work is determined not only by your effort, but by the effort of the best productive minds who exist in the world around you....
"Every man is free to rise as far as he's able or willing, but it's only the degree to which he thinks that determines the degree to which he'll rise. Physical labor as such can extend no further than the range of the moment. The man who does no more than physical labor, consumes the material value-equivalent of his own contribution to the process of production, and leaves no further value, neither for himself nor others. But the man who produces an idea in any field of rational endeavor--the man who discovers new knowledge--is the permanent benefactor of humanity. Material products can't be shared, they belong to some ultimate consumer; it is only the value of an idea that can be shared with unlimited numbers of men, making all sharers richer at no one's sacrifice or loss, raising the productive capacity of whatever labor they perform. It is the value of his own time that the strong of the intellect transfers to the weak, letting them work on the jobs he discovered, while devoting his time to further discoveries. This is mutual trade to mutual advantage; the interests of the mind are one, no matter what the degree of intelligence, among men who desire to work and don't seek or expect the unearned.
"In proportion to the mental energy he spent, the man who creates a new invention receives but a small percentage of his value in terms of material payment, no matter what fortune he makes, no matter what millions he earns. But the man who works as a janitor in the factory producing that invention, receives an enormous payment in proportion to the mental effort that his job requires of him. And the same is true of all men between, on all levels of ambition and ability. The man at the top of the intellectual pyramid contributes the most to all those below him, but gets nothing except his material payment, receiving no intellectual bonus from others to add to the value of his time. The man at the bottom who, left to himself, would starve in his hopeless ineptitude, contributes nothing to those above him, but receives the bonus of all of their brains. Such is the nature of the 'competition' between the strong and the weak of the intellect. Such is the pattern of 'exploitation' for which you have damned the strong."
[Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged] - What is the connection between an individual's moral worth and his intelligence, in the Objectivist view?
-
"Man has a single basic choice:
to think or not, and that is the gauge of his virtue.
Moral perfection is an unbreached rationality--not
the degree of your intelligence, but the full and
relentless use of your mind, not the extent of your
knowledge, but the acceptance of reason as an absolute.
"Learn to distinguish the difference between errors of knowledge and breaches of morality. An error of knowledge is not a moral flaw, provided you are willing to correct it; only a mystic would judge human beings by the standard of an impossible, automatic omniscience. But a breach of morality is the conscious choice of an action you know to be evil, or a willful evasion of knowledge, a suspension of sight and of thought. That which you do not know, is not a moral charge against you; but that which you refuse to know, is an account of infamy growing in your soul."
[Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged] - I am interested in attending lectures on Objectivism. How can I find out if there are any in my area?
- ARI's speakers frequently lecture under the auspices of Objectivist campus clubs, which can be found at universities and colleges throughout the United States and around the world. Such live lectures are open to the public. An up-to-date list of live campus events can be found on our site: www.aynrand.org/campus/.
- I am planning to go to college, and I would like advice on selecting a decent school?
- Although we cannot recommend any particular school, we can offer general advice. Please see the "The Student Survival Guide: Or, How to Get a College Education While Keeping Your Mind Intact."
Launched by ARI as an antidote to the irrationality of many university courses, the Guide is designed to help the rational student make sense of--and counteract--the fundamental problems that are corrupting academia. The Guide includes audio excerpts from interviews conducted on the Leonard Peikoff Radio Show on the state of academia.
- Who is Leonard Peikoff?
- Dr. Leonard Peikoff is Ayn Rand's legal and intellectual heir and the foremost authority on her philosophy. A short biographical essay is available on his Web site: www.peikoff.com.
- What is ARI's legal status?
- ARI is recognized by the U.S. Internal Revenue
Service as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our
continued existence depends entirely on voluntary
contributions. To read about ARI's founding and about
our current projects, please follow this
link.
- Is ARI or anyone else formally vested with the right to speak on behalf of Ayn Rand's Objectivism?
- No. Therefore, as much as possible,
the answers in this FAQ section are quoted from Ayn
Rand's own writings--and material that is not
quoted from her, although written by Objectivist
scholars whom we consider fully qualified, has to be
judged by each reader himself as to its consistency with
Ayn Rand's published writings as well, of course, as
to its validity.
Writing in a similar connection, Ayn Rand stated: "I urge the readers to use their own judgment as to whether a particular article is or is not consonant with Objectivist principles. Remember, it is a fundamental tenet of Objectivism that one must not accept ideas on faith.
"If you wonder why I am so particular about protecting the integrity of the term 'Objectivism,' my reason is that 'Objectivism' is the name I have given to my philosophy--therefore, anyone using that name for some philosophical hodgepodge of his own, without my knowledge or consent, is guilty of the fraudulent presumption of trying to put thoughts into my brain (or of trying to pass his thinking off as mine--an attempt which fails, for obvious reasons). I chose the name 'Objectivism' at a time when my philosophy was beginning to be known and some people were starting to call themselves 'Randists.' I am much too conceited to allow such a use of my name. . . .
"What is the proper policy on this issue? If you agree with some tenets of Objectivism, but disagree with others, do not call yourself an Objectivist; give proper authorship credit for the parts you agree with--and then indulge in any flights of fancy you wish, on your own.”
[Ayn Rand, "To the Readers of The Objectivist Forum,” The Objectivist Forum, Vol. 1, No. 1.] - I'm from the media, how do I get more information or request an interview?
- Please contact ARI's media representative Scott
McConnell at scottm@aynrand.org
or call (949) 222-6550 ext. 208.
See also: ARI's MediaLink Web site: www.aynrand.org/medialink. - How can I give my financial support to ARI?
- To learn about how you can help
support ARI, please follow this
link.
- Whom should I contact about naming ARI as a beneficiary in my will?
- Kathy Cross is our Gift & Estate
Planning Officer. She assists ARI contributors who may
want to name the Institute as a beneficiary in their
will, set up a charitable trust, and/or construct other
deferred gifts that provide tax savings and income to
the donor. She can also answer basic tax questions and
help donors execute outright gifts of appreciated,
non-cash assets. For more information, visit our site's Planned Giving pages.
- I am a contributor and I have recently moved; to whom should I send my change of address/phone number?
- Please e-mail our database manager or call
(949) 222-6550 ext. 204.
- How can I get a job with ARI?
- ARI is always interested in hearing from
enthusiastic, hard-working individuals. Current openings
are listed on the employment opportunities page.
- How can I volunteer at ARI?
- ARI occasionally seeks volunteers for its Irvine offices. Volunteers help to keep ARI's costs
down. Examples of recent activities include: preparing
mailings, cataloging ARI audio- and videotape libraries
and transcribing rare interviews. For more information
about volunteering at ARI, visit the volunteering page.
- Is the Foundation for the New Intellectual still active?
- The Foundation for the New Intellectual, which was established in part by Ayn Rand, has been dissolved. Individuals who have included the Foundation in their estate planning should be aware that, unless it is removed as a beneficiary in wills or insurance policies, money disbursed to it will be returned to the estate of the deceased. Those who wish to make a planned gift toward the long-term spread of Objectivism might want to contact ARI's planned giving manager,
Kathy Cross, for information by e-mail.
- I'm a businessman interested in Ayn Rand's ideas. Do any of ARI's projects specifically address the application of philosophy to business?
- In our continuing effort to defend the virtue of profit, ARI has produced the Capitalist Self-Defense Kit. Offering businessmen the intellectual means to stand up for their rights, the kit is an integrated package of books, pamphlets and tapes that apply Ayn Rand's ideas to the world of business. The kit is part of ARI's Capitalism Defense Project.