born russian february january march russian born american novelist philosopher playwright screenwriter known best selling novels developing philosophical system called educated russia moved united_states play produced broadway early novels initially unsuccessful america achieved fame novel published best known work novel afterward turned non fiction promote philosophy publishing magazines releasing collections essays death advocated reason means acquiring knowledge rejected faith religion supported rational ethical rejected politics condemned initiation force immoral opposed instead supported capitalism defined system based recognizing individual rights art promoted romantic realism sharply critical philosophers philosophical traditions known aristotle classical liberals literary critics received fiction mixed reviews generally ignored rejected philosophy academic interest increased recent decades movement attempts spread ideas public academic settings significant influence american conservatives life early life born russian february russian jewish family living saint_petersburg eldest daughters wife née largely non jews successful businessman eventually owning building located passion liberal arts later said found school began writing age novels age prestigious gymnasium closest friend younger sister girls shared intense interest politics engage debates mansion defended constitutional monarchy supported republican ideals time february revolution favored subsequent october revolution rule disrupted life family previously enjoyed father business confiscated family displaced fled initially control russian civil war later recalled high school determined valued reason human virtue graduating high school returned family saint_petersburg renamed time faced desperate conditions occasion nearly russian revolution universities opened women allowing group women age began studies department social history university introduced writings aristotle greatest influence counter influence respectively figure philosophical works studied heavily able read french german russian discovered writers perennial favorites students university shortly graduating complaints group visiting foreign scientists students allowed complete work graduate october subsequently studied year assignments wrote essay polish actress published work time decided professional surname writing possibly birth surname adopted finnish hebrew word meaning eye arrival united_states autumn granted visit american relatives departed january arrived new_york_city february impressed skyline manhattan cried later called tears intent staying united_states screenwriter lived months relatives chicago owned movie theater allowed watch dozens films free set hollywood california initially struggled hollywood took odd jobs pay basic living expenses chance meeting famed director led job extra film king kings subsequent work junior screenwriter working king kings met aspiring young actor married april permanent resident july american citizen march taking jobs 1930s support writing worked time head costume department attempts bring parents sisters united_states unable acquire permission early fiction literary success came sale screenplay red universal_studios produced followed courtroom drama night january 16th produced hollywood successfully reopened broadway night jury selected members audience different endings depending jury verdict performed paramount_pictures produced movie loosely based play participate production highly critical result ideal novel play written published estate heroine actress embodies ideals published novel semi autobiographical living published set soviet russia focused struggle individual state foreword novel stated living near autobiography write autobiography literal intellectual sense plot invented background initial sales slow american publisher let print european editions continued sell success later novels able release revised version sold million copies knowledge permission novel pair italian films rediscovered 1960s films edited new version approved released living anthem written break writing major novel presents vision future world extent word forgotten replaced published england initially find american publisher living later success allowed revised version published sold million copies political activism 1940s politically active husband worked time volunteer positions presidential campaign republican work led public speaking experiences including fielding hostile questions new_york_city audiences viewed experience greatly enjoyed activity brought contact intellectuals sympathetic free market capitalism friends journalist wife introduced economist despite philosophical differences strongly endorsed writings men career expressed admiration referred courageous man america compliment particularly pleased said man instead woman developed friendship writer questioned informed american history politics long night numerous meetings gave ideas book god machine major success writer came romantic philosophical novel wrote period seven years novel centers young architect named struggle described second attempt live placing rejected publishers finally accepted insistence editor threatened quit employer publish completing novel prescribed brand fight fatigue drug helped work long hours meet deadline delivering finished novel book exhausted doctor ordered weeks rest use drug approximately decades contributed later associates described volatile mood swings eventually worldwide success bringing fame financial security sold rights film version returned hollywood write screenplay finishing work screenplay hired producer screenwriter script doctor work included oscar nominated love letters came role gave time work projects including planned treatment philosophy called moral basis planned book completed condensed version published essay titled path tomorrow january edition magazine extended involvement free market anti communist activism working hollywood involved hollywood anti communist group wrote articles group behalf joined anti communist american writers association visit meet california associates led final falling comments valued political allies considered rude testified friendly witness united_states house american activities committee testimony described personal experiences soviet_union portrayal film song russia argued film conditions soviet_union portraying life better actually wanted criticize lauded film best years lives interpreted negative presentation business world allowed testify asked hearings feelings effectiveness investigations described process futile delays film version released screenplay minimal alterations disliked movie beginning end complaining editing acting elements years following publication received numerous letters readers book profoundly influenced moved los_angeles new_york_city gathered group group jokingly designated collective included future chairman young psychology student named later wife barbara barbara cousin group informal gathering friends met weekends apartment discuss philosophy later began allowing read drafts new novel manuscript pages written close relationship younger turned romantic affair consent published considered described theme novel role mind man existence demonstration new moral philosophy morality rational self interest advocates core philosophy expresses concept human achievement plot involves united_states creative scientists artists respond welfare state government going strike retreating mountainous build independent free economy novel hero leader strike describes strike stopping motor world withdrawing minds individuals contributing nation wealth achievement fictional strike intended illustrate efforts rational productive economy collapse society fall apart novel includes elements romance mystery science fiction contains extensive statement works fiction lengthy monologue delivered despite negative reviews international bestseller interview declared creative alive completing novel fell severe depression completed work fiction turning point life marked end career novelist beginning role popular philosopher established later incorporated promote philosophy collective members gave lectures wrote articles periodicals edited later published articles book form critics including students described culture intellectual excessive reverence describing movement cult religion expressed opinions wide range topics literature music sexuality facial hair followers preferences wearing clothes match characters novels buying furniture like unimpressed students held strict standards reacting angrily disagreed students believe extent behaviors exaggerated problem concentrated closest followers new_york later years 1960s 1970s developed promoted philosophy works giving talks students institutions yale princeton columbia harvard mit received honorary doctorate began delivering annual lectures responding afterward questions audience speeches sessions took controversial political social issues day included supporting abortion rights opposing vietnam war military draft condemning draft dodgers supporting israel war coalition arab nations men fighting saying european colonists right develop land taken american indians calling homosexuality immoral advocating repeal laws endorsed republican candidates president united_states strongly candidacy promoted articles began affair young actress later married kept affair hidden learned romantic relationship ended terminated relationship led closure published article behavior private life later apologized interview student contributing atmosphere intellectual movement subsequent years closest associates parted company underwent surgery lung cancer decades heavy smoking retired writing newsletter despite initial objections allowed social worker attorney office late 1970s activities movement declined especially death husband november final projects work completed television adaptation died heart failure march home new_york_city interred new_york funeral attended prominent followers including foot floral arrangement shape dollar sign placed near named heir estate philosophy called philosophy describing essence concept man heroic happiness moral purpose life productive achievement activity reason absolute considered systematic philosophy laid positions ethics political philosophy aesthetics supported philosophical realism opposed regarded including forms religion considered knowledge based sense perception validity considered reason described faculty identifies material provided man senses rejected claims non knowledge including instinct revelation form knowing argued requirements determine objective criteria summarized form philosophical razor known razor states concepts multiplied necessity integrated disregard necessity introduction presented theory concept formation rejected synthetic ethics argued rational ethical rational self interest guiding moral principle said individual exist sake sacrificing sacrificing referred virtue book title presented solution ought problem describing ethical theory based morality needs man survival man condemned ethical incompatible requirements human life happiness held initiation force evil writing force mind political philosophy emphasized individual rights including property rights considered capitalism moral social system view system based protection rights opposed understood include absolute monarchy communism democratic socialism dictatorship believed natural rights enforced limited government political views classified conservative preferred term radical capitalism worked conservatives political projects disagreed issues religion ethics denounced associated rejected theory based lead practice aesthetics defined art selective creation reality according artist value according art allows philosophical concepts presented concrete form easily fulfilling need human consciousness writer art form focused closely literature considered approach accurately reflected existence human free described approach literature romantic realism acknowledged aristotle greatest influence remarked history philosophy recommend aristotle interview asked philosophy came responded mind sole debt aristotle philosopher influenced devised rest philosophy found early inspiration scholars found indications influence early notes journals passages edition living later revised overall writing style time wrote turned ideas extent influence early years disputed philosophers held particular disdain referred monster philosophers argued exaggerated differences said important contributions philosophy theory concepts ethics discovery politics evil violation rights consists initiation force believed branch philosophy considered advocacy reason single significant aspect philosophy stating primarily advocate capitalism primarily advocate reason recognizes supremacy reason applies consistently rest follows reception legacy reviews lifetime work evoked extreme praise condemnation novel living admired literary critic broadway play night january 16th critical popular success hailed reviewer new_york_times novels derided critics published long melodramatic largely word mouth reviews received night january 16th reviews production largely positive considered positive reviews embarrassing significant changes script producer believed novel living widely reviewed scholar says reviewed works approximately different reviews published publications overall reviews positive reviews received later work anthem received little attention reviewers publication england subsequent issues bestseller received far fewer reviews living reviewers opinions mixed positive review new_york_times greatly appreciated reviewer called writer great power wrote brilliantly beautifully stated able read book thinking basic concepts time positive reviews dismissed understanding message publications negative reviews focused length novel called whale book said taken deserves stern lecture paper negative reviews called characters style pedestrian novel widely reviewed reviews strongly negative conservative author called book remarkably silly described tone book accused supporting system related soviets claiming page voice heard painful necessity commanding gas chamber received positive reviews publications including praise noted book reviewer scholar later wrote reviewers contest downs calling nightmare said written hate showed author connor wrote letter friend fiction low fiction hope picked floor subway threw nearest garbage received far fewer reviews novels tenor criticism book new intellectual similar philosopher certainty way philosophy written soviet_union author calling viewpoint nearly perfect subsequent books got progressively attention reviewers 100th anniversary birth writing new_york_times referred fictional writing retro fantasy neo misunderstood artist criticizing characters isolated rejection democratic society book critic described fiction romance novels pseudo philosophy critic columnist described books capitalism version religious novels left series popular interest survey conducted book month club asked club members influential book life second popular choice bible books continue widely sold read million copies sold total purchased free distribution schools readers voted 20th century finest work fiction followed second place anthem seventh living eighth appeared critics list influence greatest united_states international interest work work continues sellers books india contemporary included fellow later writers influenced artists cited important influence lives thought include comic book artist musician rush provided positive view business response business executives admired promoted work funded promotion ideas owner dallas ceo foods said consider crucial success works referred variety media television shows including animated live action comedies dramas game shows movies video games character based figures prominently positive negative lights literary science fiction novels prominent american authors editor chief reason remarked tortured likely punch line protagonist cold run popular culture movies life documentary film sense life nominated passion television adaptation book won awards image appears postage stamp designed artist political influence rejected labels conservative continuing influence right wing politics senior fellow considers important women modern american founders stated movement exist history movement journalist described influential twentieth century public large biographer referred ultimate gateway drug life right faced intense opposition contributors magazine published numerous criticisms 1950s 1960s influence conservatives forced contributors reconsider traditional notions virtue christianity integrated support capitalism political figures cite influence usually conservatives members despite taking positions conservatives pro choice article new_york_times referred reagan administration novelist republican conservative acknowledged influence lives recommended novels financial crisis spurred renewed interest works especially saw crisis opinion articles compared real world events plot novel time signs mentioning fictional hero appeared protests increased criticism ideas especially political left critics blaming economic crisis support free markets particularly influence example remarked particular genius ability turn upside traditional recast wealthy talented powerful oppressed individual according nation alleged similarities moral academic reaction lifetime work received little attention academic scholars academic book philosophy appeared author declared writing undertaking lead guilt association taking seriously articles ideas appeared academic journals death philosopher argued ethical argument fails solve ought problem posed responses academic philosophers published arguing case academic consideration literary figure life limited academic unable find scholarly articles novels began researching articles appeared rest 1970s death interest work gradually increased identified overlapping waves scholarly interest recent explosion scholarship year universities currently include philosophical specialty research area literature philosophy departments dismissing pop culture phenomenon subject study taught work academic institutions edits peer reviewed journal dedicated study philosophical literary work helped found active ideas smith written academic books papers ideas including volume ethical theory published ideas subjects study duke universities scholars english american literature largely ignored work attention literary work increased 1990s scholars stressing importance originality thought describe style literary emotional says despite continuous rage ethics immense achievement study vastly contemporary thought literary encyclopedia entry written declared wrote challenging fiction generation interview commented know laugh growth interest work academic community philosopher argued people find ideas convincing especially ethics believes difficult interpret lack logical attributes attention receives compelling writer especially novelist works philosophers classical non fiction works political scientist praising literary accomplishments criticizes claim philosophical debt aristotle instead asserting ideas derivative previous maintained integrated philosophical system philosopher argued central ethical ideas inconsistent contradictory central political ideas movement heir established nonprofit organization dedicated promoting ideas works philosopher founded known society historian organized provides grants scholarly work charitable foundation given grants teaching ideas works austin schools received grants cases grants controversial requiring research teaching related selected works novels living fiction night january 16th anthem ideal non fiction new intellectual capitalism unknown ideal romantic manifesto new left
Ayn Rand