Briefly:
Does a book have a right to its own life? A right to liberty, property and pursuit of happiness? Is its ownership a form of slavery? Is it morally just for it to leap for freedom?
Last week I finally bought a book by Ayn Rand. Though I had been vaguely familiar with her philosophy, I had never read anything besides a few articles in magazines. The Virtue of Selfishness looked like a good, succinct introduction to objectivism. I was nearly done with it when accidentally I left it on a couch in the base area of the Big Sky ski resort this afternoon. Too bad.
I cannot say my views are often aligned with Rand’s, particularly on the subject of societal rights, but it sure as been an enlightening read.
The book is a collection of essays of Rand and Nathaniel Branden and it’s Branden’s writings that are closer to me. A trained psychotherapist, he approaches philosophical questions with self-esteem serving as determinant of values. I recommend On Pleasure.
