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Is conservative ideology selfish? It seems to be based on self-reliance and the freedom of the individual. Collective cooperation is seen as something to be feared and avoided.
A lot of conservatives like Paul Ryan and Rand Paul (named after her) love Ayn Rand. But her philosophy is that "selfishness is a virtue." So, at its heart is conservatism a selfish ideology?
US Republican leaders love Ayn Rand’s controversial philosophy—and are increasingly misinterpreting it
more Ayn Rand...
A lot of conservatives like Paul Ryan and Rand Paul (named after her) love Ayn Rand. But her philosophy is that "selfishness is a virtue." So, at its heart is conservatism a selfish ideology?
Though philosophers have never taken her seriously, Rand’s controversial “objectivist” ideas have been invoked by generations of conservatives, from Reaganites to the Tea Party, and now Donald Trump.
“Selfishness is a virtue.”
The US president-elect has only ever mentioned liking three works of fiction. The Fountainhead, Rand’s 1943 novel about an embattled architect, is one: “It relates to business (and) beauty (and) life and inner emotions. That book relates to … everything,” Trump told USA Today last April. Meanwhile, his pick for labor secretary, Andy Puzder, reportedly told his six children to read The Fountainhead. (Puzder is also the CEO of CKE Restaurants, a group ownedby Roarke Capital—named after the novel’s hero.) And rival Republican leader and house speaker Paul Ryan has credited Rand for inspiring him to go into public service.
US Republican leaders love Ayn Rand’s controversial philosophy—and are increasingly misinterpreting it
more Ayn Rand...