“Man was forced to accept masochism as his ideal—under the threat that sadism was his only alternative,” wrote Ayn Rand.

“This was the greatest fraud ever perpetrated on mankind. This was the device by which dependence and suffering were perpetuated as fundamentals of life.”

“The choice is not self-sacrifice or domination” (For the New Intellectual, 81).

Ayn Rand does a good job summarizing how people tend to think about morality today. Unfortunately, even Christians have accepted the idea that life requires human sacrifices.

They imagine a dog-eat-dog world, where it is impossible for men to avoid being in conflict with one another. That would mean it is impossible to be at peace with other men. My interests would somehow end up in conflict with your interests.

On this view, life is a zero-sum game. My happiness might require others to suffer, and my success might require others to fail. And visa versa.

Ayn Rand argues that this need not be the case—not in our personal lives, not among the members of a society, and not between one nation and another. Rand shows what a rational and self-interested policy can actually look like in all these areas.

This leads to an uncommonly wise vision for peace and prosperity.

That is our topic for this closing session of the 9-part Americanism Book Study.

Thank you for continuing to follow our work as we engage with the philosophical thought of Ayn Rand and as we search for the truth, wherever it is to be found.

Listen to the podcast in the player below, or view the video here.

ABOUT THE BOOK STUDY:

The Americanism Book Study met from October 23rd to December 19th, 2021 to discuss A New Textbook of Americanism.

The goals of the group were to help our viewers:

-Meet Christians who care about individual rights and capitalism.
-Sharpen skills in defending America’s unique principles.
-Explore connections between Christianity and Ayn Rand’s political work.

This series of meetings laid the foundation for a larger discussion series, called the Objectivism Book Study. This latter project aims to provide a robust Christian response to Ayn Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Why Christians Should Reconsider Ayn Rand

About Us (For the New Christian Intellectual)

Ayn Rand and Christianity?

Christianity + Western Civilization

The Plunder of the Egyptians

Americanism Book Study (Sign Up Page and Replays)

Objectivism Book Study (Sign Up Page and Replays)

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