Ayn Rand's Final Public Lecture: "The Sanction of The Victims"

Summary

In Ayn Rand's final public lecture titled "The Sanction of The Victims" hosted by the Ayn Rand Institute, she discusses the philosophical underpinnings that she believes threaten capitalism and free enterprise. Rand criticizes altruism and collectivism, asserting that these ideologies are detrimental to both individual success and broader societal progress. She particularly points out the self-destructive tendencies of American businessmen who, in her view, have accepted altruistic guilt and have thereby weakened their own positions. Rand also critiques the role of universities in promoting what she sees as anti-business and anti-capitalist philosophies, funded ironically by the businessmen themselves.

Highlights

• Altruism is depicted as a moral theory that preaches self-sacrifice and is criticized as destructive. 🛑
• Rand challenges businessmen to reject public appeasement and embrace their right to profit. 💪
• Universities are accused of being centers of philosophical corruption, supported by business funding. 🎓
• The responsibility of supporting rational ideas lies with businessmen, not the misrepresented altruists. 🤝
• Rand believes that philosophical understanding and spreading capitalist values are crucial for defending capitalism. 📚

Key Takeaways

• Ayn Rand believes altruism and collectivism undermine capitalism and individual success. 🚫
• Businessmen are self-destructing by embracing altruistic guilt. 💼
• Universities are culprits in proliferating anti-capitalist ideologies—ironically funded by businessmen. 🏛️
• She stresses the power of philosophical ideas in shaping society and advocates for spreading capitalist values. 🧠
• Rand advocates for philosophical self-defense and self-esteem among businessmen to protect capitalism. 🛡️

Overview

In her last public lecture, Ayn Rand presents a compelling case against altruism and collectivism, which she claims undermine the very fabric of capitalism and individual achievement. She argues that by embracing these ideologies, American businessmen are unwittingly destroying both capitalism and their own success. Rand emphasizes the importance of recognizing and rejecting the guilt that comes from altruism to preserve one's self-interest and freedom.

Rand further criticizes the role that higher education institutions play in perpetuating anti-business sentiments. She draws attention to the paradox of businessmen funding these institutions, which in turn promote ideas antagonistic to capitalism. Her lecture serves as a call to action for businessmen to support and nurture philosophies that align with capitalism and rational self-interest, instead of contributing to the cultural and intellectual forces that oppose them.

Throughout her talk, Rand underscores the power of ideas in shaping history and society. She urges a reevaluation of philosophical beliefs and an active spread of ideas that champion capitalism and individual success. Her passionate discourse not only challenges the current status quo but also rallies for a united front to preserve and protect capitalist values against the encroaching tide of collectivism and altruism.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction In the introduction chapter, the speaker welcomes the audience and presents Miss A to the attendees.
• 00:30 - 01:30: Investment and Preconditions for Success The chapter introduces the topic of investment, with the speaker clarifying that they are not an economist and will not provide economic advice. Instead, the focus will be on discussing the essential preconditions necessary for gaining and retaining money, which is crucial for investment.
• 01:30 - 02:30: Social Usefulness and the Role of Scientists The chapter begins with a question based on a borrowed premise: what human occupation is the most socially useful? Although the author notes that evaluating things by a social standard is not typically part of their philosophy, they acknowledge that using this metric, which predominates today, can sometimes be enlightening.
• 02:30 - 03:30: Application of Scientific Achievements The chapter discusses the importance of applying scientific achievements to serve social concerns. It explores the idea of determining which human occupation is the most socially useful. By emphasizing the role of the human mind as a tool for survival, the chapter highlights that the discovery of knowledge stands out as a crucially important occupation.
• 03:30 - 06:30: Injustice Against Businessmen This chapter discusses the perception of scientists as individuals who focus solely on knowledge without considering societal issues. It suggests that many scientific and technological discoveries, despite being known before the Industrial Revolution, did not significantly impact human existence. The chapter implies a disconnect between scientific progress and its practical application to society.
• 06:30 - 08:30: Critique of Altruism and Collectivism This chapter delves into the historical background of altruism and collectivism, particularly how these concepts were perceived in ancient Greece, and how their relevance evolved over time. It discusses the exclusive nature of knowledge in ancient times, which was largely confined to scientists and did not permeate the broader society. The chapter also considers a hypothetical scenario where a group of individuals resolves to disseminate scientific achievements for the benefit of mankind, juxtaposing this with the traditional limited access to such knowledge.
• 08:30 - 13:00: Philosophy and Education The chapter 'Philosophy and Education' explores the idea of applying scientific knowledge to enhance human life on Earth. It questions whether individuals who can use science for social benefit are the greatest social benefactors, drawing a parallel to the role of such individuals since the Industrial Revolution. The chapter also includes an interruption where an individual declines to be photographed, emphasizing a desire to be left in their natural state, possibly reflecting a broader theme of authenticity and self-acceptance.
• 13:00 - 17:30: Capitalism and American Businessmen The chapter suggests that businessmen, especially during the Industrial Revolution, should be seen as social benefactors for their contributions to society. It questions why socially concerned humanitarians do not regard these businessmen as heroes, despite their emphasis on social usefulness as a high value.
• 17:30 - 21:30: Support for Young Advocates of Reason The chapter titled 'Support for Young Advocates of Reason' seems to explore the societal criticism and vilification faced by individuals who stand for rationality and reason. Despite their heroism, these individuals are often condemned and blamed in humanitarian societies. The chapter delves into the complexities of such a societal paradox, questioning the rationality of a system that denounces those who advocate for reason.
• 21:30 - 30:00: Observations on Media and Global Politics This chapter discusses the irony of victims of injustice often perpetuating the very injustices they endured upon themselves. It highlights a tendency among certain groups to adopt a public stance characterized by perpetual apology and universal appeasement. These individuals or groups tend to proclaim themselves guilty of an unspecified evil and seek forgiveness from all, including those with no particular authority or merit.
• 30:00 - 52:00: Questions and Answers Session The chapter, titled 'Questions and Answers Session,' involves a politician addressing American businessmen, emphasizing that the issues being discussed are not fictional but rather pertain to the real situation in the United States. The politician accuses the collective group of businessmen of being self-destructive, while also acknowledging that not every individual in the group should be blamed, implying that those who identify with the issues should rethink their actions.

Ayn Rand's Final Public Lecture: "The Sanction of The Victims" Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 ladies and gentlemen I am honored to present to you Miss A ran thank you thank you
• 00:30 - 01:00 ladies and gentlemen since the subject of these seminars is investment I must start by stating that I am not an economist and have no purely economic advice to give you but what I'm anxious to discuss with you are the preconditions that make it possible for you to gain and to keep the money which you can then invest
• 01:00 - 01:30 I shall start by asking you a question on a borrowed premise what human occupation is the most useful socially The Borrowed premise is the concept of social usefulness it is not part of my philosophy to evaluate things by a social standard but this is the predominant standard of our today and sometimes it can be very enlightening to adopt the
• 01:30 - 02:00 enemy's standard so let us borrow the notion of social concern for just a little while just long enough to answer the question what human occupation is the most useful socially since man's basic tool of survival his mind the most crucially important occupation is the discovery of knowledge that is the occupation of of
• 02:00 - 02:30 scientists but scientists are not concerned with Society with social issues or with other men scientists are essentially loners they pursue knowledge for the sake of knowledge a great many scient scientific discoveries and technological discoveries were known before the Industrial Revolution and did not affect human existence the steam engine for
• 02:30 - 03:00 instance was known in ancient Greece but knowledge of that sort remained an exclusive concern that lived and died with the scientists and for Century after Century had no connection to the lives of the rest of mankind now suppose that a group of men decided to make it their job to bring the results of the the achievements of
• 03:00 - 03:30 science within the reach of man to apply scientific knowledge to the Improvement of man's life on Earth wouldn't such men be the greatest social benefactors as they have been since the Industrial Revolution Will you excuse me please I don't want any pictures taken of me please gentlemen don't I am much too old for that just leave me as I am
• 03:30 - 04:00 wouldn't such men be the greatest social benefactors as I have been since the Industrial Revolution shouldn't the socially concerned humanitarians those who hold social usefulness as their highest value regard such men as Heroes if I say no such men are not not regarded as Heroes today they are the
• 04:00 - 04:30 most hated blamed denounced men in the humanitarian society would you believe me or would you think that I'm inventing some sort of irrational fiction and would you say that something is wrong terribly wrong in such a society but this isn't all there is something much worse it isn't merely the fact that these heroic men are the
• 04:30 - 05:00 victim of an unspeakable Injustice it is the fact that they are first to perpetuate the Injustice against themselves that they adopt a public stance of Perpetual apology and Universal appeasement proclaiming themselves guilty of an unspecified evil begging the Forgiveness of every two bit intellectual every unskilled labor every unemployed
• 05:00 - 05:30 politician no this is not fiction that country is the United States of America today that self-destroying group of men is you the American businessmen when I say you I mean the group as a whole I accept the tenant that present company is accepted however if any of you find their shoes at fets wear it with my
• 05:30 - 06:00 compliments Carl Marx predicted that capitalism would commit suicide the American businessmen are carrying out that prediction in destroying themselves they are destroying capitalism of which they are the symbol and product and America which is the greatest and freest example of capitalism man has ever
• 06:00 - 06:30 reached there is no outside power that can destroy such man and such a country only an inner power can do it the power of morality more specifically the power of a contemptibly evil idea accepted as a moral principle altruism remember that altruism does not mean benevolence or consideration for
• 06:30 - 07:00 other men altruism is a moral theory which preaches that man must sacrifice himself for others that he must place the interest of others above his own that he must live for the sake of others altruism is a monstrous notion it is the morality of cannibals devouring
• 07:00 - 07:30 one another it is it is a theory of profound hatred for men I seem to have competition here I'll let you go first okay it is a theory of profound hatred for men for reason for achievement for any form of human success or happiness
• 07:30 - 08:00 on Earth altruism is incompatible with capitalism and with and with businessmen businessmen are a cheerful benevolent optimistic predominantly American phenomenon the essence of their job is the constant struggle to improve human life to satisfy human needs and desires not to practice resignation surrender and worship of suffering
• 08:00 - 08:30 and here is the profound Gulf between businessman and altruism businessmen do not sacrifice themselves to others if they did they would be out of business in a few months or days they profit They Grow Rich they are rewarded as they should be this is what the alist the collectivists and other s humanitarians hate the businessmen for that they pursue a personal goal and
• 08:30 - 09:00 succeed at it do not pull yourself by thinking that altruists are motivated by compassion for the suffering they are motivated by hatred for the successful the evidence is all around [Applause] us thank you
• 09:00 - 09:30 the evidence is all around us but one small example sticks my mind as extremely eloquent in the early 1930s an assistant of Jane Adams the famous social worker went on a visit to Soviet Russia and wrote a book about her experience the sentence I remember is quote how wonderful it was to see
• 09:30 - 10:00 everybody equally shabby close quote if you think that you should try to appease the altruist this is what you are appeasing the great tragedy of capitalism and of America is the fact that most businessmen have accepted the morality of altruism and are trying to live up to it which means that they are doomed before they
• 10:00 - 10:30 start another contributory evil is the philosophical root of altruism which is mysticism the belief in the Supernatural which preaches contempt for matter for wealth wellbe or happiness on Earth the mystics are constantly crying appeals for your pity your compassion your help to the less fortunate yet they are condemning you for all the qualities of character that make you able to help
• 10:30 - 11:00 them evil theories have to rely on evil means in order to hold their victims altruism and collectivism cannot appeal to human virtues they have to appeal to human weaknesses and where there are not enough weaknesses they have to manufacture them it is in the nature of altruism and collectivism that the the more they use need a person or a
• 11:00 - 11:30 group the more they denounce their victims induce guilt and struggle never to let the victims discover their own importance and acquire self-esteem the businessmen are needed most by the so-called humanitarians because the businessmen produce the substance the humanitarians are unable to produce doctors come next in the hierarchy of being needed and observe
• 11:30 - 12:00 the hostility the denunciations and the attempts to enslave the doctors in today's society most businessmen today have accepted the feeling of guilt induced in them by the altruist they are accused of anything and everything for instance ecologist denounced the businessmen for their refusal to sacrifice themselves to the snailed dark and the forish
• 12:00 - 12:30 LW but the businessman's actual guilt is their treason against themselves which is also their treason against their country the statement that arous such Fury among the collectivist quote what's good for General Motors is good for the country was true and their verse is also true what's bad for industry is bad for this
• 12:30 - 13:00 country I am here to ask you a question on my own not on borrowed premises what are you doing to The Advocates of capitalism particularly the young appeasement is a betrayal not only of One's Own values but of all those who share one's values if for whatever misguided reason businessmen are indifferent to and ignorant of philosophy particularly moral and
• 13:00 - 13:30 political philosophy it would be better if they kept silent rather than spread the horrible advertisements that make us cringes embarrassment by us I mean Advocates of capitalism Mobile Oil ran heads in the New York Times which stated the following I quote from memory quote of the expression free private responsible Enterprise we strike out free and private as non-essential
• 13:30 - 14:00 close quote one of the big Industries advertises on television that they are full of quote people working for people close quote and some other big company announces on television that its goal is quote ideas that help people close quote I do not know what the Gastly PR man who came up with these slogans wanted us to
• 14:00 - 14:30 think that the companies worked for free or that they traded with people rather than with animals actually their purpose was to suggest populism in some indirect kind it was actually the desire to give the impression that businessmen work for nothing but others for the people that they are in fact no better than the
• 14:30 - 15:00 politicians thank you the worst of the bunch is some new group in Washington DC called something like me for the American way which puts out a television commercial showing some ugly commonplace people of all kinds each proclaiming that he likes a different kind of of music I like rock
• 15:00 - 15:30 and roll and I like jazz and I like bed Hoven Etc ending on a voice declaring this is the American way with every man entitled to have and express his own opinion I who come from Soviet Russia can assure you that the baates and differences of that kind were and are permitted in Soviet Russia what about political or philosophical issues why
• 15:30 - 16:00 didn't they uh why didn't they show people disagreeing about nuclear weapons or about abortion or about affirmative action if that committee stands for the American way there is no such way any longer observe also that in today's proliferation of pressure groups the laws sort of unskill kill labor is regarded as the public and presents
• 16:00 - 16:30 claims to society in the name of the public interest and is encouraged to assert his right to a livelihood but the businessmen the intelligent the creative the successful men who make the laborers livelihood possible have no rights and no legitimate interest are not entitled to their livelihood their profit and are not part of the
• 16:30 - 17:00 public every kind of ethnic group is enormously sensitive to any slight if one made a derogatory remark about the Kurds of Iran dozens of voices would leap to their defense but no one speaks out for businessmen when they are attacked and insulted by everyone as a matter of routine what causes this overwhelming
• 17:00 - 17:30 Injustice the businessman's own policies their betrayal of their own values their appeasement of enemies their compromise all of which add up to an air of moral cowardice add to it the fact that businessmen are creating and supporting their own destroyers the sources and centers of today's philosophical corruption are the
• 17:30 - 18:00 universities businessmen are both content thank you that is the most important Point businessmen are both contemptuous of and superstitiously frightened by the subject of philosophy there is a vicious circle involved here businessmen have good ground to despise philosophy as as it is taught today but it is thought
• 18:00 - 18:30 that way because businessmen have abandoned the intellect to the lowest R of the unemployables all the conditions and ideas necessary to turn men into abjectly helpless serves of dictatorship rule uh the Institutes of today's higher education as a tight Monopoly with very few and
• 18:30 - 19:00 rare exceptions hatred of reason and worship of blind emotions hatred of the success and worship of self- sacrifice hatred of the individual and worship of the collective these are the fundamental notion that dominate today's universities this notion condition and paralyze the minds of the young if you want want to discover how a
• 19:00 - 19:30 country's philosophy determines its history I urge you to read the ominous parallels by lonard POF to be published this coming Spring by Stein and day This brilliant book presents the philosophical similarities between the state of America's culture today and the state of Germany's culture in the wiar Republic in the Years preced ceeding the rise of
• 19:30 - 20:00 Nazism after you read this book you will know the power of philosophy and you will know that one cannot play with it as irresponsibly as people do today nor can one ignore it it is the businessman's money that supports American universities not merely in the form of taxes and government handouts but much worse in the form of voluntary private contribution utions donations endowments
• 20:00 - 20:30 Etc in preparation for this lecture I try to do some research on the nature and amounts of such contributions I had to give it up it is too complex and too vast a field for the efforts of one person to untangle it now would require a major research project and probably years of work all I can say is only that millions and millions and millions of
• 20:30 - 21:00 dollars are being donated to universities by big business enterprises every year and that the donors have no idea what their money is being spent on or whom it is supporting what is certain is only the fact that some of the worst anti-b business anti- capitalism propaganda has been financed by businessmen in such projects
• 21:00 - 21:30 [Applause] money is a great power because in a free or even a semi free Society it is a frozen form of energy productive energy and therefore the spending of money is a grave responsibility contrary to the altruist and The Advocates of the so-called academic freedom it is a moral crime to
• 21:30 - 22:00 give money to support ideas with which you disagree it means ideas which you consider wrong false and evil it is a moral crime to give money to support your own destroyers yet that is what businessmen are doing with such Reckless irresponsibility on the faculties of most colleges and
• 22:00 - 22:30 universities The Advocates of Reason individualism and capitalism are a very small minority often represented by feeble specimen of window dressing but the Valiant minority of authentic Fighters is struggling against overwhelming odds and growing very slowly the hardships injustices and persecution suffered by these young Advocates of
• 22:30 - 23:00 reason and capitalism are too terrible a story to be told briefly these are the young people whom businessmen should support or if businessmen are too ignorant of academic issues they should leave academic matters alone but to support irrationalist nalist socialists and Communists who form an impenetrable barrier against the young Advocates of capitalist denying them jobs recognition or a mere
• 23:00 - 23:30 healing is an unforgivable outrage on the part of ir responsible businessman who imagine that is morally safe to give money to institutions of Higher [Applause] Learning the lasting influence of the universities is called by the fact that most people question the truth or
• 23:30 - 24:00 falsehood of philosophical ideas only in their use and whatever they learn in college marks them for life if they are given intellectual poison as they are today they carry it into their professions particularly in the humanities observe the lifeless greatness the boring mediocrity of today's culture observe the empty pretentiousness and and moish sentimentality of today's stage
• 24:00 - 24:30 screen and television writing there are no serious dramas any longer and such few as attempt to be serious are of leftist collectivist persuation on this subject I can speak from personal experience for several years a distinguished producer in Hollywood has been attempting to make a television Miner series or a movie of my novel
• 24:30 - 25:00 Atlas shr he was stopped on two counts one he could not find a writer able to write a romantic drama even though there are many good writers in Hollywood Romanticism is completely unknown to them and two he could not raise the money for his project allow me to say even though I do not like to say it that if there existed a novel of the same
• 25:00 - 25:30 value and popularity as atler shed but written to glorify collectivism which would be a contradiction in terms it would have been produced on the screen long ago you're not I hope applauding that fact that there are too many supporters of the left kind of right well I do not believe in giving up and
• 25:30 - 26:00 so in answer to many questions I chose this occasion to make a very special announcement I am writing a nine hour teleplay for atas shr thank you thank you very
• 26:00 - 26:30 much I intend to produce the miniseries myself there is a strong possibility I will be looking for outside financing to produce the atlas shag series I'm not afraid of that in conclusion let me touch briefly on another question often asked of me what do I think of President dragan the best answer to give would be
• 26:30 - 27:00 but I don't think of him and the more I see the less I think I did not vote for him nor for anyone else and events seem to justify me the appalling disgrace of his administration is his connection with socalled moral majority and Sury other TV religionist
• 27:00 - 27:30 thank you who are struggling apparently with his approval to take us back to the Middle Ages via the unconstitutional Union of religion and politics the threat to the future of capitalism is the fact that Reagan might fail so badly that he will become another ghost like Herbert Hoover to be invoked as an ex example of capitalism's failure for the next 50
• 27:30 - 28:00 years observe Ran's futil attempts to arouse the country by some sort of inspirational appeal he is right in thinking that the country needs an inspirational element but he will not find it in the god family tradition swamp the greatest inspirational leadership this country could ever find rest in the hands of the most typically
• 28:00 - 28:30 American group The businessmen but they could provide it only if they acquired philosophical self-defense and self-esteem here is what Young Americans have to say about it I quote from the May 15 1980 issue of the intellectual activist a newsletter published by Peter Schwarz quote feminists threaten to publicize the
• 28:30 - 29:00 names of psychologists who hold their convention in a state which has not yet endorsed the Equal Rights Amendment unionist protest political functions that serve letters not approved by Caesar shabz yet businessmen are willing not simply to tolerate denunciations of free enterprise but to financially sponsors them close
• 29:00 - 29:30 quote and I quote from an article by m northr bner the root of terrorism in the October 1981 issue of the objectivist Forum published by Harry bin swanger quote imagine the effect if some prominent businessmen were to defend publicly their right to their own lives imagine the Earth shaking social
• 29:30 - 30:00 reverberations if they were to assert uh their moral that excuse me if they were to assert their moral right to their own profits not because those profits are necessary for economic progress or the elimination of poverty which are purely collectivist justifications but because a living being has the right to live and progress and do the best he can for his life for
• 30:00 - 30:30 the time he has on this Earth close quote I recommend both these Publications very highly you may write to the intellectual activist at 131 PS Avenue New York New York 13 and to the object activist Forum at box
• 30:30 - 31:00 5311 New York New York 1015 o as for me I will close with a quotation which is probably familiar to you and I will say that the battle for capitalism will be one when we find a president capable of of saying it quote the world you desire can be one it
• 31:00 - 31:30 exists it is real it is possible it's yours but to win it requires your total dedication and a total break with the world of your past with the doctrine that man is a sacrificial animal who exists for the pleasure of others fight for the value of your person fight fight for the virtue of your pride fight for
• 31:30 - 32:00 the essence of that which is man for his Sovereign rational mind fight with the radiant certainty and the absolute rectitude of knowing that yours is the morality of life and that yours is the battle for any achievement any value any Grandeur any goodness any joy that has ever existed on this Earth close quote thank
• 32:00 - 32:30 you what are your feelings about the media well I think I've indicated the media they stand today are practically non-existent as art or even as information they are in a terrible State they are leaning very heavily to the
• 32:30 - 33:00 left but it is not anyone's conspiracy and it is not the fault of the individual reporters they are practicing the only kind of philosophies they've been told they know of nothing better they are the conditioned robots of their college professors but the media as such particularly television is the greatest invention in centuries and
• 33:00 - 33:30 it has the greatest potential I prefer television to the large screen or any other medium of communication and if we remain free we will see some great things on television okay the next question is do you think that the United States should continue to sell grains computers and Technology to the Russians no I don't
• 33:30 - 34:00 think so I I don't think we should have diplomatic relations with Russia and you and if we broke with them you would be surprised what a cowardly appeasing performance they would put up because they are done that every time they knew that the West Was antagonistic they are like bullies and you have to deal with them very very strongly or
• 34:00 - 34:30 not at all which incidently Reagan is not able to do the next question is related is Russia a real threat today Russia as such was never a threat to anyone even to little Finland that uh beat Russia twice during World War too Russia is the weakest and most impotent
• 34:30 - 35:00 country on Earth if they were in a war most of the miserable Russians with [Music] [Applause] defect but Russia has one weapons by default which we have surrendered and that is the morality of altruism so long as people believe that Russia represents a moral ideal they will win over us in every
• 35:00 - 35:30 encounter that is one of the reasons for dropping altruism totally consciously as the kind of evil which it really is at this next question is at this point in time would you please tell me what form the strike by the men of the Mind should take the form is learn philosophy and preach
• 35:30 - 36:00 it and spread it around by every means open to you we are not yet in the stage where we should give up the country we are still free and the way to fight for capitalism is to take very good care of understanding philosophy sorry and then spreading the right ideas as much as you can it is only when if a country establishes a censorship that the men of
• 36:00 - 36:30 the Mind should retire but we're not in that stage and I don't think we will reach it the next question is a more pragmatic business nature where do we sign up to invest in the production company for Atlas Shrug and thank you very much please communicate with Mr Blanchard office he has agreed to send all such Communications to
• 36:30 - 37:00 me I might add that question was from Mr Jerome Smith and Mr Mark tier two familiar names here would you please comment on Poland and solidarity on polish solidarity Poland solidarity oh they have all my sympathy but I don't see them winning anything it is a hopeless undertaking to try and Def F Soviet Russia particularly when what
• 37:00 - 37:30 they're advocating is socialism you don't find communism with socialism they are doomed to lose the next question is please clarify your comment on the Moral Majority I do not understand your position I do not understand your question if you're here at all you must have come because you know something about me and if you know something about
• 37:30 - 38:00 me you know that I'm an advocate of reason that I am not a supporter of religion and that I despise anyone who tries to impose his religious ideas by force on other people that is what the Moral Majority is [Applause] trying the next question is why do you think Reagan is a
• 38:00 - 38:30 failure because I read the newspapers his economic plan barely put through Congress is IM immediately proved to be a failure and he has to try and beg for some more cuts and the statement of uh his prot Mr Stockman which is disgraceful I never trusted that young man in that Prov it uh his statements shows that it is a gang of
• 38:30 - 39:00 men who enjoy parading around as powerful but who have no idea what to use their power on and Mr rean particular is not an advocate of capitalism he's an advocate of a mixed economy with a different kind of mixture so he'll fail like all of them in your opinion where and how would you educate our young
• 39:00 - 39:30 people I have been telling you that for an half an hour or more I have written millions of words about it if you want to know how I would educate them read my books as to where I can't answer you at present inquire which colleges have some objectivist professors some of them have not many but there are some and very
• 39:30 - 40:00 good ones follow those courses next question is when and what events led to the development of your ideas L yes when and what events led to the development of your ideas thank you that's a very good question in one respect I don't develop my ideas from events I developed them from observation I held
• 40:00 - 40:30 the same ideas essentially from the age of about two and a half which is the earliest I remember myself I have learned a great deal in the years since but the essence of the ideas have not changed it is true that some people have to be hit over the head with events before they will connect to souls but I showed you not the sh that I can predict events I can do it because I see the
• 40:30 - 41:00 essential basic premises that dominate certain movements and I know what the results would be the next question is please differentiate between man's happiness and man's life as a standard of value I don't regard this as a legitimate question question I know what kind of movement is behind that sort of junk if
• 41:00 - 41:30 you really don't understand read gold speech in Atlas Shrug which will explain it to you very clearly and I do not Grant anyone the premise that that speech is unclear next question is how can we teach our children not to be ashamed of success that's a good question read ATL sh read
• 41:30 - 42:00 the work of other objectivist read the proper ideas and then learn how to communicate it to a child at the appropriate time uh don't make him recite ideas which are Beyond his understanding and above all do not teach him to be humble praise him when he deserves it permit him to be proud of his success and that will establish the right
• 42:00 - 42:30 [Applause] foundation where will we find a president such as you describe among today's politicians I wish I knew that's why I say it's much too early for philosophical politics among those in uh Power today or if known today I may mention one or two young
• 42:30 - 43:00 ones who have not yet proved themselves and it's much too early to recommend anyone next question is What actors would you cast in Atlas shr do I answer that no my advisor say no it is actually improper to begin casting before you have finished the script and form the company I have some very good ideas on that subject but too
• 43:00 - 43:30 early to mention them publicly thank you next question is Miss Rand you are a woman and we have been downtrodden do you approve of erra and if so why and we are downtrodden yes I just read the questions please no I don't approve the uh the ER because
• 43:30 - 44:00 it's a totally unnecessary uh repetitive uh document which will achieve nothing but give a lot of bad female politicians a a tool to work with and impos on the rest of us as far as the feminist movement is concerned I am a male shist proudly [Applause]
• 44:00 - 44:30 next question is how would you define love I Define it uh as your response to the your own values in the person of another human being and I do not care to buzz with it too much I mean with definitions because actually my best definition of Love Is The Love stories in my novels that is not a
• 44:30 - 45:00 primary but take a very complex identification and Analysis but it's not for me I don't like to argue about that subject next question is is there still hope for salvaging our free system is there what is there still hope for salvaging our free system yes there is hope so long as there is one man left
• 45:00 - 45:30 living on Earth there is hope but it will not be saved automatically it depends on the Free Will and choice of every man who is able to think those who don't want to think don't matter in this issue they're merely social Balan but it depends on the thinking of every human being in this country next question is what do you reply when
• 45:30 - 46:00 someone says to you you hate the poor and disadvantaged don't you nobody has ever come close enough to me to say such a thing I don't hate the poor I just don't think that they're the best thing in life and that one should tailor everything for their convenience and here I'd like to quote a very interesting person if you've heard of
• 46:00 - 46:30 him the Reverend Ike he is a black evangelist and a remarkable one because he preaches not suffering in submission but success and he tells his congregation that every man can succeed in what he understands what he can do Reverend I's statement about the poor is as follows the best way to help the poor is not to be one of
• 46:30 - 47:00 [Applause] them next question is I am a student of business in a university what will become of me if there is no more money in the [Music] universities help them to earn their money honestly and if the left gives them
• 47:00 - 47:30 money don't go into those universities but help the right kind of businessmen provide financial help for the right kind of universities next question is is there any hope for Russia no next question since Congress has
• 47:30 - 48:00 collectivized us through the Internal Revenue Service what can be done to stop them is it time for another tea party it's been time long ago but the only thing one can do is a matter of ideas it is ideas that have brought the Internal Revenue Service H us the public particularly the non intellectual public is very very much with you and it's only ideas that can produce a reform in
• 48:00 - 48:30 government and in that kind of aspects of government the next question is what is the moral justification for a gold standard the fact that those who earn their money keep it and that there is no way for the parasites to get their hands on it [Applause]
• 48:30 - 49:00 next question is who are some of your favorite writers of novels my favorite writers Victor higor dski or Henry that I think is enough next question was Reagan the best choice available no I would have voted for Ford he had his flaws but he was infinitely
• 49:00 - 49:30 Superior to aan somebody just asked you to kindly repeat some of the names I think addresses you mentioned in your talk and specifically here the question is what was the name of the book that you suggested we read that will be published in the spring and who was the author the book's title is the ominous parallels the the author's name is Leonard pikov p e i k o
• 49:30 - 50:00 WF he is a brilliant professor of philosophy and it is the best book omitting pres company that is coming out today if you like my books you will like this one next question is how specifically is r Regan's conservative Pro capitalist government helping destroy capitalism to
• 50:00 - 50:30 try to stay in power to try to stay in power oh for one thing you cannot stand in power today or do anything politically without a well formulated consistent political philosophy because it is by philosophical means that the collectivist have come to power and you can't def de feed them except by philosophical means and if you listen to
• 50:30 - 51:00 Just One of Regan's religionist you can forget the word philosophy a man who claims to defend rights and objects to the right to Hell abortion who wants to dictate to a woman in the most intimate crucial and tragic issue of that kind and he wants to forbid it that's not no defender of Rights and no defender of
• 51:00 - 51:30 capitalism I think this would now have to be the the final question right uh are there any new books forthcoming we'd love to know new books by obor uh by you miss ran by me no not until after I finish the miniseries of Atlas sh that's my project at present after that I have several projects in mind but it's too early to talk about
• 51:30 - 52:00 them thank you for your interest we have thank you all very much I certainly appreciate him goodbye