Goddess of the Market
Encyclopedia
Goddess of the Market is a biography of Ayn Rand
by historian Jennifer Burns. Subtitled "Ayn Rand and the American Right", it explores Rand's intellectual development and her relationship to the conservative
and libertarian
movements. The writing of her books and the development of her philosophy of Objectivism
are also covered.
. When the book was published by Oxford University Press
in September 2009, Burns was an assistant professor of history at the University of Virginia
.
. The second, "From Novelist to Philosopher, 1944–1957" covers the period in which she wrote her last novel, Atlas Shrugged
. The third section, "Who Is John Galt? 1957–1968", discusses the growth of the Objectivist movement
based on Rand's philosophy, and her relationship and eventual break with her protege Nathaniel Branden
. The final section, "Legacies", covers the final years of Rand's life and the continuing reaction to her after her death. Burns also includes an "Essay on Sources" describing the scholarship about Rand and her own use of the Ayn Rand Archives.
described it as a "thoroughly engaging biography" and "eminently readable". In a review for The Washington Times
, libertarian journalist Brian Doherty
said that the book provides "a proper sense of where Rand really stands in American ideological history." However, he says Burns is "less convincing" in showing "the connections between Rand and the American right wing" as indicated in the book's subtitle. A review by Nick Gillespie
in The Wilson Quarterly said, "Burns is particularly sharp at analyzing how Cold War conservatives such as Buckley rejected Rand’s rationalism but eventually benefited from her popularity with college students during the 1960s." The American Thinker
, a conservative website, described Burns as "honest about contradictions that plagued Rand" and said the book shows "the power of Rand's ideas and the hold she maintained over her followers". A brief review from Publishers Weekly
was mixed, calling the book "exasperatingly detailed and slow-going at times", but complimenting Burns for her ability to "explicate the evolution of Rand's individualist worldview".
Several of the reviews compared the book with another biography of Rand, Ayn Rand and the World She Made
by Anne Heller, which focuses on the details of Rand's life, in contrast to the intellectual history focused on by Burns. Johann Hari
, while reviewing both books for Slate
, remarked that they were "thrilling psychological portraits of a horribly damaged woman who deserves the one thing she spent her life raging against: compassion." In a review for The New York Times
, Janet Maslin
said the two books "make many of the same points and touch on many of the same biographical details", although Maslin prefers Heller's book for its greater detail. The two books were also reviewed jointly in The New Republic
and Time
.
On October 15, 2009, Burns was interviewed about the book on The Daily Show
. Host Jon Stewart
said it was "incredible timing" for the book to be released at a time when Rand was experiencing a "resurgence ... in the culture", a reference to the popularity of Rand's writing among contemporary conservatives, including the Tea Party movement
.
Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand was a Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. She is known for her two best-selling novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged and for developing a philosophical system she called Objectivism....
by historian Jennifer Burns. Subtitled "Ayn Rand and the American Right", it explores Rand's intellectual development and her relationship to the conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
and libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
movements. The writing of her books and the development of her philosophy of Objectivism
Objectivism (Ayn Rand)
Objectivism is a philosophy created by the Russian-American philosopher and novelist Ayn Rand . Objectivism holds that reality exists independent of consciousness, that human beings have direct contact with reality through sense perception, that one can attain objective knowledge from perception...
are also covered.
Background
Burns spent eight years working on the book, which began as a dissertation for her doctoral degree from the University of California at Berkeley. In the process of writing the book, Burns became the first independent historian given access to the Ayn Rand Archives, a collection of Rand's personal papers hosted by the Ayn Rand InstituteAyn Rand Institute
The Ayn Rand Institute: The Center for the Advancement of Objectivism is a 501 nonprofit think tank in Irvine, California that promotes Ayn Rand's philosophy, called Objectivism. It was established in 1985, three years after Rand's death, by Leonard Peikoff, Rand's legal heir...
. When the book was published by Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
in September 2009, Burns was an assistant professor of history at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
.
Contents
The book is divided into four main sections. The first, titled "The Education of Ayn Rand, 1905–1943", covers Rand's life and intellectual development from birth until the publication of her novel The FountainheadThe Fountainhead
The Fountainhead is a 1943 novel by Ayn Rand. It was Rand's first major literary success and brought her fame and financial success. More than 6.5 million copies of the book have been sold worldwide....
. The second, "From Novelist to Philosopher, 1944–1957" covers the period in which she wrote her last novel, Atlas Shrugged
Atlas Shrugged
Atlas Shrugged is a novel by Ayn Rand, first published in 1957 in the United States. Rand's fourth and last novel, it was also her longest, and the one she considered to be her magnum opus in the realm of fiction writing...
. The third section, "Who Is John Galt? 1957–1968", discusses the growth of the Objectivist movement
Objectivist movement
The Objectivist movement is a movement to study and advance the philosophy of Objectivism. It was founded by novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand. The movement began informally in the 1950s and consisted of students who were brought together by their mutual interest in Rand’s novel, The Fountainhead...
based on Rand's philosophy, and her relationship and eventual break with her protege Nathaniel Branden
Nathaniel Branden
Nathaniel Branden, né Nathan Blumenthal , is a psychotherapist and writer best known today for his work in the psychology of self-esteem from a humanistic perspective...
. The final section, "Legacies", covers the final years of Rand's life and the continuing reaction to her after her death. Burns also includes an "Essay on Sources" describing the scholarship about Rand and her own use of the Ayn Rand Archives.
Reception
The book has received generally positive reviews. BooklistBooklist
Booklist is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. It is geared toward libraries and booksellers and is available in print or online...
described it as a "thoroughly engaging biography" and "eminently readable". In a review for The Washington Times
The Washington Times
The Washington Times is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. It was founded in 1982 by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, and until 2010 was owned by News World Communications, an international media conglomerate associated with the...
, libertarian journalist Brian Doherty
Brian Doherty (journalist)
Brian Doherty is an American journalist. He is a Senior Editor at Reason magazine. He is the author of This Is Burning Man: The Rise of a New American Underground , Radicals for Capitalism: A Freewheeling History of the Modern American Libertarian Movement and Gun Control on Trial: Inside the...
said that the book provides "a proper sense of where Rand really stands in American ideological history." However, he says Burns is "less convincing" in showing "the connections between Rand and the American right wing" as indicated in the book's subtitle. A review by Nick Gillespie
Nick Gillespie
Nick Gillespie is the editor of Reason.com and Reason.tv and was the editor in chief of Reason magazine from 2000 to 2008...
in The Wilson Quarterly said, "Burns is particularly sharp at analyzing how Cold War conservatives such as Buckley rejected Rand’s rationalism but eventually benefited from her popularity with college students during the 1960s." The American Thinker
The American Thinker
American Thinker is a daily conservative online magazine dealing with American politics, foreign policy, national security, Israel, economics, diplomacy, culture, and military strategy. American Thinker has been mentioned in other media including Le Monde, The Guardian, Inter Press Service, Campus...
, a conservative website, described Burns as "honest about contradictions that plagued Rand" and said the book shows "the power of Rand's ideas and the hold she maintained over her followers". A brief review from Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
was mixed, calling the book "exasperatingly detailed and slow-going at times", but complimenting Burns for her ability to "explicate the evolution of Rand's individualist worldview".
Several of the reviews compared the book with another biography of Rand, Ayn Rand and the World She Made
Ayn Rand and the World She Made
-External links:* from the publisher...
by Anne Heller, which focuses on the details of Rand's life, in contrast to the intellectual history focused on by Burns. Johann Hari
Johann Hari
Johann Hari is an award winning British journalist who has been a columnist at The Independent, the The Huffington Post, and contributed to several other publications. In 2011, Hari was accused of plagiarism; he subsequently was suspended from The Independent and surrendered his 2008 Orwell Prize...
, while reviewing both books for Slate
Slate (magazine)
Slate is a US-based English language online current affairs and culture magazine created in 1996 by former New Republic editor Michael Kinsley, initially under the ownership of Microsoft as part of MSN. On 21 December 2004 it was purchased by the Washington Post Company...
, remarked that they were "thrilling psychological portraits of a horribly damaged woman who deserves the one thing she spent her life raging against: compassion." In a review for The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin is an American journalist, best known as a film and literary critic for The New York Times. She served as the Times film critic from 1977–1999.- Biography :...
said the two books "make many of the same points and touch on many of the same biographical details", although Maslin prefers Heller's book for its greater detail. The two books were also reviewed jointly in The New Republic
The New Republic
The magazine has also published two articles concerning income inequality, largely criticizing conservative economists for their attempts to deny the existence or negative effect increasing income inequality is having on the United States...
and Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
.
On October 15, 2009, Burns was interviewed about the book on The Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
. Host Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian...
said it was "incredible timing" for the book to be released at a time when Rand was experiencing a "resurgence ... in the culture", a reference to the popularity of Rand's writing among contemporary conservatives, including the Tea Party movement
Tea Party movement
The Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009...
.
External links
- Website of Jennifer Burns
- Video: Jennifer Burns Interview on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, October 15, 2009
- "The Goddess of the Market: The Meaning of Ayn Rand, address by Burns to the Cato InstituteCato InstituteThe Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1977 by Edward H. Crane, who remains president and CEO, and Charles Koch, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the conglomerate Koch Industries, Inc., the largest privately held...
, from the Fora.tvFORA.tvFORA.tv, Inc. runs a website that gathers a large collection of unmediated video drawn from live events, lectures, and debates at universities, think tanks and conferences....
series New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2009