If I had a dollar for every mention of Atlas Shrugged on YA, could I retire?

Question

Thanks Annie, phew! There was me resting my financial future on something with such negative returns!

I do belive in reality of course, just not second-rate literature masquerading as philosophy.

I already did quit it! Before returning to medical school I taught philosophy at a well-known university.

Yaoi, you seem to think that anything NOT Ayn Rand is Plato etc, and that she is the legitimate heir to Aristotle. Thomism is the worst and most laughable corruption of Aristotle to come out of the middle ages. Aquinas' most lasting contribution was his proofs for the existence of God, all of them demolished to within an inch of their lives.

Also, it's: 'Aristotleanisn and Thomism AREN'T dead'. Not 'isn't'.

Ragdefender, we meet at last. My objection to Rand (among many others) is that she is a classic empty denunciator. She reminds me of Carlyle in that her doctrines are simple-minded and ridiculous, but her denunciations are entertaining. In young people (sometimes old) this appears as ultimate wisdom.

Also, denouncing Marx does not refute or rebut him. I can stomach Nietzsche because as well as being a supreme scholar, he actually says something.

Ragdefender, I've always thought that when a 'philosophy' speaks to a lot of people, that society must be quite 'herd-like'. The more unconditional influence one person or idea has, the more homogenous and low the following herd is. An example being religions.
Where there is heterogeneity and individual thought, this influence fails. Ayn Rand is the expression of low-herd instincts, just as much as she would claim Marxism is. Except that Marx could actually write and reason.

Answer 1

Hey I liked that novel. I may disagree strongly with objectivist epistemology, but I loved it for its emphatic rebuttal of communism.

BTW, when I read Fountainhead, I was very dismissive of Rand. I thought it was pure BS (and yes I guess I still think that it is). She would never be able to explain why "Achievement" should be man's most noble goal, though I love the fact that she chose it to be.

Edit: As to Rand being simple-minded, my first observation is that her epistemology is what most people would instinctively believe. The characters in her novels are all about people who stand up for what they believe is correct despite the disapproval of the rest of humanity. In that way she spoke to a lot of people who all want to break free. Its simple and cliche but it speaks to the person who would say "Philosophy, who needs it?"

Answer 2

Even if the Ayn Rand novel has been mentioned a thousand times I doubt if you, unless you're extremely low maintenance, could retire on a thousand dollars.

Or two thousand or five thousand dollars. Unless you're already extremely old and near death or live in a country where you can live on a hundred dollars or yen a year it won't happen.

But you're right, some subject matters and name-dropping is ad nausea in Yahoo Answers.

Answer 3

Doubtful. Let's say there are 10,000 mentions. The safe withdrawal rate in retirement is considered to be 4% aaccording to the Trinity Study (and several other studies have backed that up). 4% of $10,000 would be $400 per year. Now, you may believe in a subjective reality and in that case perhaps you could 'create' a reality where you didn't need food, shelter or clothing...

Answer 4

Well, it just goes to show that Aristotileanism and Thomism isn't dead.

Answer 5

nope. not in this country.

$161 won't get you into that retirement home as far as I can tell.

Answer 6

Don't quit your day job!! ;->