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I read "Fountainhead" and "Atlas Shrugged" when I was a young teen. Her philosophy of self-reliance and unbounded focus on individual goal attainment struck a mighty chord.
However, when I began reading the writings of serious scholarly philosophers as opposed to fiction novelists (in philosophical circles Ayn Rand is considered a fringe lightweight), it became apparent that her worldview worked better as fiction, which it was, than as academic philosophy, which it wasn't.
Basically, I consider that Ayn Rand is to philosophy, what L.Ron Hubbard is to religion.
There are some grand elements to her writing that carry some appeal, especially when she argues with herself (and her own superior ideas always win), but there are also major flaws in her thought process (unless you support rascism and discrimination based upon sexual preference, etc).
I'm happy to see that Bill Gates does not adhere to Ayn Rand's selfish view of the world.
ADG Webmaster
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