Atlas Shrugged, Part 1 Chapter 6: The Non-Commercial
Summary: Rearden ponders his marriage, the general bias against his industriousness, and the “Equalization of Opportunity Bill,” which would limit a person to one business. At his anniversary party, he observed numerous inane conversations. He displayed remarkable formality toward Dagny. d'Anconia sometimes offered profound critiques of various views, and sometimes played the play boy. Then d’Anconia introduced himself to Rearden, and commanded immediate respect, and they discussed how Rearden is producing for ungrateful moochers. Back to the party, they talk about John Galt and Atlantis, and then Dagny trades her diamond bracelet for Lillian’s bracelet of Rearden Metal. Rearden ponders his marriage, wondering what she wanted from him.
Start by reading the first-tier comments, which are all quotes of Ayn Rand (some of my favorites, some just important for other reasons). Comment on your favorite ones, or others' comments. Don't see your favorite quote? Post it in a new comment. Please reserve new comments for Ayn Rand, and your non-Rand quotes for "replies" to the quotes or discussion. (Otherwise Rand's quotes will get crowded out and pushed down into oblivion. You can help avoid this by "voting up" the Rand quotes, or at least the ones you especially like, and voting down first-tier comments that are not quotes of the featured book.)
Atlas Shrugged was written by Ayn Rand in 1957.
My idea for this post is discussed here:
http://www.galtsgulchonline.com/posts...
Start by reading the first-tier comments, which are all quotes of Ayn Rand (some of my favorites, some just important for other reasons). Comment on your favorite ones, or others' comments. Don't see your favorite quote? Post it in a new comment. Please reserve new comments for Ayn Rand, and your non-Rand quotes for "replies" to the quotes or discussion. (Otherwise Rand's quotes will get crowded out and pushed down into oblivion. You can help avoid this by "voting up" the Rand quotes, or at least the ones you especially like, and voting down first-tier comments that are not quotes of the featured book.)
Atlas Shrugged was written by Ayn Rand in 1957.
My idea for this post is discussed here:
http://www.galtsgulchonline.com/posts...
“Because it’s – a battle in which one must make one’s stand clear.”
“A battle? What battle? I hold the whip hand. I don’t fight the disarmed.”
“Are they? They have a weapon against you. It’s their only weapon, but it’s a terrible one. Ask yourself what it is, some time.”
For the first time, he saw the look of a personal reaction in Francisco’s eyes, the look of something eager and young. “The only thing that’s wrong in what you said,” Francisco answered, “is that you permit anyone to call it evil.” In Rearden’s pause of incredulous silence, he pointed at the crowd in the drawing room. “Why are you willing to carry them?”
“I have not said you needed it. But of all those whom you are saving from the storm tonight, I am the only one who will offer it.”
After a moment’s silence, Rearden asked, his voice low with a sound which was almost a threat, “What are you trying to do?”
“I am calling your attention to the nature of those for whom you are working.”
Rearden did not answer for a moment; then he said, as if in answer to himself, a tone of wonder in his voice, “Funny…”
“What?”
“You told me what I was thinking just a while ago…”
“You were?”
“…only I didn’t have the words for it.”
“Shall I tell you the rest of the words?”
“Go ahead.”
“You stood here and watched the storm with the greatest pride one can ever feel – because you are able to have summer flowers and half-naked women in your house on a night like this, in demonstration of your victory over that storm. And if it weren’t for you, most of those who are here would be left helpless at the mercy of that wind in the middle of some such plain.”
“How did you know that?”
“He should, undoubtedly, know more than anyone else about that,” Francisco answered gravely.
… A young man said, astonished, “I thought that Hugh Akston was one of those classics that nobody studied any more, except in histories of philosophy. I read an article recently which referred to him as the last of the great advocates of reason.”
“Just what did Hugh Akston teach?” asked the earned matron.
Francisco answered, “He taught that everything is something.”
“Not in the higher philosophical sense. You must learn to see beyond the static definitions of old-fashioned thinking.”
“But it stands to reason that if –”
“Reason, my dear fellow, is the most naïve of all superstitions. That, at least, has been generally conceded in our age.”
“Oh, that?” said Dr. Pritchett. “But I believe I made it clear that I am in favor of it, because I am in favor of a free economy. A free economy cannot exist without competition. Therefore, men must be forced to compete. Therefore, we must control men in order to force them to be free.”
…. A young man asked hesitantly, “But if we haven’t any good concepts, how do we know that the ones we’ve got are ugly? I mean, by what standard?”
“There aren’t any standards.”
This silenced his audience.
“It is against the sin of forgiveness that I wanted to warn you.”