Samantha Watkins“The Founding Fathers would be shocked by the power that is now concentrated in the hands of the American government at the expense of the individual.”
“Can you imagine Thomas Jefferson,” Onkar Ghate ponders, “submitting to building inspectors, who decide if Monticello is up to government code? . . . Patiently watching the tax collectors take his money and pour it down the aid drains of the Middle East and Africa . . . Prostrating himself before the FCC, which would determine whether or not his broadcast content is obscene?”
It’s hard to imagine any of the other giants of the American founding reduced to such meek acceptance of government authority over their lives. When the founders declared that all men are endowed with certain unalienable rights, “that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” these were no idle words. It was the rally cry behind which they staked their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
But why has the achievement of the founders eroded? Why haven’t their ideas of individual liberty taken full root?
Moreover, how is the increasing push to defend and restore the American vision on the basis of nationalism and cultural heritage such a threat to true liberty?
Why, when we need Ayn Rand’s clarifying ideas more desperately than ever, do professional philosophers and philosophy departments continue to dismiss and misinterpret her?
These crucial issues are addressed in three new short works from ARU Press, which were released at ARI’s Objectivist summer conference, OCON, on July 5. Copies of these mini books were distributed at a private event to ARI Benefactors and members of our planned giving program, Atlantis Legacy.
ARU Press has released:
- Atlas Shrugged: America’s Second Declaration of Independence by Onkar Ghate, which explores the meaning of Rand’s magnum opus as a declaration of moral independence — and how this is the idea America desperately needs in order to fully achieve and defend liberty.
- Why Nationalism Is Hostile to America by Elan Journo and Yaron Brook, which examines the National Conservative movement’s attraction to nationalism — and how the core tenets of nationalism are at fundamental odds with the American vision of individual rights and liberty.
- Why Can’t Professional Philosophers Get Rand Right? by Mike Mazza, which analyzes the treatment of Rand’s arguments by professional philosophers — whether hostile, neutral, or sympathetic — and the roadblocks preventing them from interpreting and understanding her.
The Institute’s ARU is the premier place worldwide for education in the philosophy of Objectivism and its applications. ARU Press publishes works by faculty and affiliated scholars, including writings from our journal, New Ideal.
“Each of these essays offers a sustained, powerful argument on a vital issue,” said Elan Journo, vice president of content at ARI. “Releasing them in paperback not only gives each added permanence, but also boosts visibility and reach — both on Amazon, the global marketplace for books, and in person at ARI events.”
These short works are available for purchase in paperback and Kindle; audiobooks will follow.
Dan Schwartz
