Ayn Rand
Russian-American writer and philosopher who created Objectivism.
Ayn Rand was a Russian-American writer and philosopher who created the philosophical system Objectivism.[1] According to the cited sources, Rand's publications have collectively sold more than 37 million copies.[2]
Last updated 2026-10-02 from the source article.
Quick Facts
- Born
- 2 February 1905
- Birthplace
- Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Died
- 6 March 1982
- Place of death
- New York City, U.S.
- Occupation
- Author, philosopher
- Language
- English, Russian
- Education
- Leningrad State University
Facts from the source article.
Life and work
She arrived in New York City on February 19, 1926, intent on staying in the United States to become a screenwriter.[3] Her first major success as a writer came in 1943 with The Fountainhead.[4] Rand died of heart failure on March 6, 1982.[5] On April 15, 1929, she married Frank O'Connor, an aspiring actor she had met while working on The King of Kings.[4][6]
The semi-autobiographical novel We the Living, her first, was published in 1936.[7] Atlas Shrugged, which came out in 1957, is regarded as Rand's most important work.[8]
What the cited sources add
Hunt states that Rand's relation to Nietzsche changes considerably over the years.[9] In a 1964 radio interview, Rand said she was "very anxious to separate Objectivism from Nietzsche altogether"[9] Hunt describes that Rand's early notes for an unwritten novel featured a hero who is a murderer, superior to the mob.[9] Hunt explains that Rand defended free will in a 1934 journal entry, separating her from Nietzsche's determinism.[9]
Hunt concludes that Rand's ethics became a diametrically opposed alternative to Nietzsche's after she completed The Fountainhead.[9]
References
- Wikipedia, "Ayn Rand" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Badhwar Long 2020 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Ayn Rand" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Gladstein 1999, p. 121; Cocks 2020, p. 15; Badhwar Long 2020 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Ayn Rand" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Burns 2009, p. 15; Heller 2009, p. 65; Hicks; Heller 2009, p. 65 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Ayn Rand" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Britting 2004, p. 24 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Ayn Rand" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Heller 2009, p. 65; Gladstein 2010, p. 7; Heller 2009, p. 65 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Ayn Rand" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Britting 2004, p. 24; Heller 2009, p. 65; Heller 2009, p. 65; Britting 2004, p. 24 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Ayn Rand" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Rand 1995, p. xviii (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Ayn Rand" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Sciabarra 2013, p. 86–87; Mayhew 2005b, p. 91–93, 188–189; Salmieri, Gregory. "Atlas Shrugged on the Role of the Mind in Man's Existence". In . (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Hunt, Lester. "Ayn Rand's Evolving View of Friedrich Nietzsche". In .. facts only, no text reused. lesterhunt.philosophy.wisc.edu
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Ayn Rand (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Scientists & Inventors
Elsewhere in Historical Figures
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced