I completed reading Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" last week. Her ideas, her philosophy and the characters in the book set my head wondering... Here goes something what I felt about this book...
Overall, Atlas Shrugged is a good read. Unlike other novels, I took a lot of time to read the book. And it was not just because it's a huge book, but because, I felt there is something to think about in every sentence in the book.
In the book, one point that Ayn Rand has tried to convey is that a man's mind is very valuable. Infact the book suggests that if people with a "great mind" go on strike, the whole world collapses!
In the book, there are 2 sections of people: people with great mind (Atlas) and people with no mind and no purpose. The people with no purpose in their life are the cause of evil. But hey, are'nt there people in this world who fall under a third category: people who desire to have a purpose in their life, but who do not possess the great brains that will tell them what their purpose is? Such people want to be good, but cannot think on their own. Such people need guidance in thinking. Such people think what they are told to think!
What happens to such people who later realise that they were under evil influence throughout? This is answered by what happened to Cheryl Taggart, Jim taggart's wife.
Unfortunately, the book doesnt answer how these "normal" people are expected to live. It made me believe that the people who are not clever will always lie at the mercy of their rulers, who can be good or bad. And since the normal people are not clever, they will not be able to choose their leaders rightly.
Another point that Ayn Rand conveyed was John Galt's declaration: "I swear - by my life and my love of it - that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine." It means, you must not sacrifice yourself or your mind for others.
If I have a great mind and I can invent something that can benefit the whole world; The world has bad people, good people and the normal people. But if I feel that the world is currently under the influence of bad people, then what should I do? Since I have the great mind and the brain, I SHOULD be able to fight against the bad people, right? It is like the war between the Gods and the Devils. God has to win. But how? By destroying the whole world (the world which consisted of some poor guys who could not think) and then re-building the world again?
I feel, in such practical cases, the good guy needs to "sacrifice" something in order to gain that eternal happiness. One should not be forced to sacrifice himself - thats murder. But sometimes sacrifice gives immense pleasure. Sometimes it feels good to give away your food to someone else, to see him happy while you starve, doesnt it?
You cannot eliminate emotions from a man. You cannot seperate out reason and emotions. They are inter-linked. In the book, Dagny, Fransisco, Hank and John Galt too were shown to have emotions. Dagny decided to join the strike very late - after she "felt" anger due to what was being done to John. Her decision was coupled with emotions and it was not just reason. The book itself was contradicting it philosophy...
At the end of the book, what I felt was, Wesley Mouch and his lot tried to murder a man's mind. And Johh Galt and others killed the whole world by deciding not to use their minds!
And even after reading the book what I felt was, the book was "good in theory", but practically this is not possible. If one has the great brains, then he should use them and help those who cannot think. And I was talking just like those mentioned as "evils" in the book!! :)
I did not agree with Ayn rand's philosophy in the book. And yet, I liked the book!!
What I took from the book was: A country depends largely on its leaders. And most of the leaders do not have those great minds. But they know politics. They have their selfish ideas, which result into doom. Our country is in such a devastating situation. And we need some good theory and some great minds who can come up & get our country into good hands!
