How to identify the basics of the Theory of Objectivism

“My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.” – Ayn Rand (Atlas Shrugged)

The line quoted above by Ayn Rand explains the Theory of Objectivism. This concept is illustrated in Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead. The Fountainhead sketches Howard Roark as the epitome of individuality with immense talent and confidence. As depicted in the book, he is a gifted and aspiring architect who would rather struggle to attain his vision than be part of the herd mentality. He has aspirations and he will not compromise on his principles despite the many obstacles that he has to encounter. His passion to practice architecture that the prevalent society termed as ‘modern architecture’ leads him to a lot of turbulence with the external world. Not an individual to believe in sycophancy, he believes in the individual being a ‘prime mover’ and not succumb to committees and other bodies that are steeped in mediocrity, a ‘watering down’ of one’s vision.  This belief is completely contrary to the idea of collectivism. 

The Theory of Objectivism revolves around three axioms: existence, identity, and consciousness. Ayn Rand said that to be something, ‘that existence is identity’. Further she stressed on the free will of man – ‘to think or not to think’. She also mentioned, "Man's mind is his basic tool of survival. Life is given to him, survival is not. His body is given to him, its sustenance is not. His mind is given to him, its content is not. To remain alive he must act and before he can act he must know the nature and purpose of his action. He cannot obtain his food without knowledge of food and of the way to obtain it. He cannot dig a ditch - or build a cyclotron - without knowledge of his aim and the means to achieve it. To remain alive, he must think.” This set the foundation of the Theory of Objectivism. It also set the tone for individual aspirations and that one could achieve the zenith of all one’s aspirations. It is anti-anarchism and anti-taxation. 

Ayn Rand was vehemently opposed to racism and believed that affirmative action was a form of legal racism. She disagreed with compulsory conscription and opposed censorship including pornography. The Theory of Objectivism also suggests that only societies with the desire to promote and establish freedom have the right to self-determination. Atlas Shrugged is an illustration of the man’s spirit. The struggle against socialism is evident and it is also a tale of love and passion.  It echoes of ethical egoism, individualistic aspirations, and rational selfishness. Against the backdrop, one must read about Rand’s support for laissez-faire capitalism and complete disdain towards any initiation of force and statism. Her other works such as We the Living, Night of January 16th, Anthem, The Virtue of Selfishness,  The Romantic Manifesto, The New Left: The Anti-Industrial Revolution, and Philosophy: Who Needs It also run along similar lines of her beliefs and philosophy.