Atlas Shrugged is a monumental novel by Ayn Rand, published in 1957. It explores her philosophy of Objectivism through a dystopian United States where individualism, innovation, and free markets are pitted against government control, collectivism, and the breakdown of societal values. The novel follows the story of Dagny Taggart, a brilliant and determined railroad executive, as she battles the ever-growing influence of a corrupt government and an increasingly apathetic society.
Dagny is committed to saving her family’s railroad company, Taggart Transcontinental, amid crippling regulations and economic collapse. She aligns herself with other innovative thinkers and industrialists, such as Hank Rearden, a steel magnate who creates a revolutionary new metal alloy. Together, they resist the oppressive laws aimed at redistributing wealth and controlling production, believing in the power of individual achievement and free enterprise.
As the novel progresses, Dagny becomes increasingly troubled by the mysterious disappearance of the nation’s top industrialists, inventors, and businessmen. One by one, they vanish, leaving behind only cryptic clues pointing to the question: “Who is John Galt?” This phrase, repeated throughout the novel, becomes symbolic of the hopelessness many people feel about the state of the world.
The answer to this question is revealed in the second half of the novel when Dagny crash-lands in a hidden valley, where she meets John Galt, the novel’s hero and Rand’s embodiment of reason, individualism, and free-market principles. Galt has been leading a strike of the mind, persuading the best and brightest to withdraw from society, thereby starving the world of their talents and showing what happens when the mind is no longer valued.
John Galt delivers a lengthy speech explaining the moral and philosophical foundation of Rand’s Objectivism. He argues that self-interest, not self-sacrifice, is the highest moral value. The individual, not the collective, is the key to human progress. The government, which claims to be acting for the common good, is in fact stifling the creative energy and productive potential of individuals by forcing them to act against their own interests.
As the novel approaches its climax, the government enacts its most draconian measures yet, nationalizing industries and plunging the country further into chaos. The remaining industrialists, inspired by Galt, join his strike. Dagny is ultimately persuaded to abandon her fight to save the railroad and join Galt in his vision for a new society based on individual rights, capitalism, and the free market.
The novel ends with the collapse of the old world and the hope that the men and women of the mind will rebuild a new, rational society.
Important Concepts and Principles
| Concept/Principle | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Objectivism | The belief is that the individual is the fundamental unit of society and that personal freedom and autonomy should be prioritized over collective control. |
| Individualism | Rand defends capitalism as the only moral, economic system based on voluntary exchange, mutual benefit, and respect for individual rights. |
| Rational Self-Interest | The idea is that individuals should act in ways that further their interests and happiness, provided they respect the rights of others. |
| The Strike of the Mind | A central theme where the novel’s protagonists, representing the intellectual elite, withdraw from society to demonstrate the importance of creativity and reason. |
| Government vs. Free Markets | The novel portrays government intervention in the economy as destructive, arguing that free-market capitalism is the only system that respects individual freedom. |
| The Role of the Producer | Rand emphasizes the importance of producers—those who create value through their work, inventions, or businesses—who are seen as the backbone of civilization. |
| Morality of Capitalism | Rand defends capitalism as the only moral, economic system based on voluntary exchange, mutual benefit, and respect for individual rights. |
| Altruism as Destruction | The novel critiques altruism, arguing that the expectation of self-sacrifice for others leads to the erosion of personal responsibility and societal collapse. |
| John Galt’s Speech | The belief is that the individual is society’s fundamental unit and that personal freedom and autonomy should be prioritized over collective control. |
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