Jennifer Burns

And a bunch of other people are like, no, that couldn't possibly be happening. And so the whole thing breaks up. But what I argue in my book is actually this is to the benefit of Rand's ideas because – Rand herself was so controlling over her ideas. And now that she steps back from a public role, you know, objectivism flows into the student libertarian movement.

And a bunch of other people are like, no, that couldn't possibly be happening. And so the whole thing breaks up. But what I argue in my book is actually this is to the benefit of Rand's ideas because – Rand herself was so controlling over her ideas. And now that she steps back from a public role, you know, objectivism flows into the student libertarian movement.

And a bunch of other people are like, no, that couldn't possibly be happening. And so the whole thing breaks up. But what I argue in my book is actually this is to the benefit of Rand's ideas because – Rand herself was so controlling over her ideas. And now that she steps back from a public role, you know, objectivism flows into the student libertarian movement.

Some objectivists become conservatives. It just kind of spreads out more generally. And you don't have to... Drink the Kool-Aid. You don't have to take the official course. Nathaniel Brandon goes on to be part of the self-esteem movement, you know, human potential movement, California. And Ayn Rand lives, you know, another 10 years or so, but she doesn't do major work after that.

Some objectivists become conservatives. It just kind of spreads out more generally. And you don't have to... Drink the Kool-Aid. You don't have to take the official course. Nathaniel Brandon goes on to be part of the self-esteem movement, you know, human potential movement, California. And Ayn Rand lives, you know, another 10 years or so, but she doesn't do major work after that.

Some objectivists become conservatives. It just kind of spreads out more generally. And you don't have to... Drink the Kool-Aid. You don't have to take the official course. Nathaniel Brandon goes on to be part of the self-esteem movement, you know, human potential movement, California. And Ayn Rand lives, you know, another 10 years or so, but she doesn't do major work after that.

Yeah, I mean, there's also an objectivist theory of sexuality that probably the least convincing of all the parts of objectivism. And it goes something like your sexual desires express your highest values. And they are related in some ways to your rationality, right, which is also related to your highest values. So for her, that explained sexuality.

Yeah, I mean, there's also an objectivist theory of sexuality that probably the least convincing of all the parts of objectivism. And it goes something like your sexual desires express your highest values. And they are related in some ways to your rationality, right, which is also related to your highest values. So for her, that explained sexuality.

Yeah, I mean, there's also an objectivist theory of sexuality that probably the least convincing of all the parts of objectivism. And it goes something like your sexual desires express your highest values. And they are related in some ways to your rationality, right, which is also related to your highest values. So for her, that explained sexuality.

her attraction to Nathaniel Brandon and Nathaniel Brandon's attraction to her was a function of their highest values. And in fact, Brandon imbibed this so deeply that the fact that he was later drawn sexually to a woman who was not particularly accomplished, but was beautiful, caused him deep anguish and guilt for being non-objectivist. So this is the objectivist theory.

her attraction to Nathaniel Brandon and Nathaniel Brandon's attraction to her was a function of their highest values. And in fact, Brandon imbibed this so deeply that the fact that he was later drawn sexually to a woman who was not particularly accomplished, but was beautiful, caused him deep anguish and guilt for being non-objectivist. So this is the objectivist theory.

her attraction to Nathaniel Brandon and Nathaniel Brandon's attraction to her was a function of their highest values. And in fact, Brandon imbibed this so deeply that the fact that he was later drawn sexually to a woman who was not particularly accomplished, but was beautiful, caused him deep anguish and guilt for being non-objectivist. So this is the objectivist theory.

Then the gender politics are just... Crazy. And we have to kind of back up and think, okay, so who is Ayn Rand? She's born in Lisa Rosenbaum in Russia. She is someone who stands out from the crowd from the beginning. She never really fits in. She's not conventionally beautiful by any stretch of the imagination. She struggles with her weight. She doesn't consider herself to have a beautiful face.

Then the gender politics are just... Crazy. And we have to kind of back up and think, okay, so who is Ayn Rand? She's born in Lisa Rosenbaum in Russia. She is someone who stands out from the crowd from the beginning. She never really fits in. She's not conventionally beautiful by any stretch of the imagination. She struggles with her weight. She doesn't consider herself to have a beautiful face.

Then the gender politics are just... Crazy. And we have to kind of back up and think, okay, so who is Ayn Rand? She's born in Lisa Rosenbaum in Russia. She is someone who stands out from the crowd from the beginning. She never really fits in. She's not conventionally beautiful by any stretch of the imagination. She struggles with her weight. She doesn't consider herself to have a beautiful face.

She's very independent. She meets none of the metrics of traditional femininity at all. She finds love with a man who is very handsome but very passive. Yet she writes in all her fiction about strong manly heroes. So this seems to be like a projection. The man she's actually with is not a strong manly hero.

She's very independent. She meets none of the metrics of traditional femininity at all. She finds love with a man who is very handsome but very passive. Yet she writes in all her fiction about strong manly heroes. So this seems to be like a projection. The man she's actually with is not a strong manly hero.

She's very independent. She meets none of the metrics of traditional femininity at all. She finds love with a man who is very handsome but very passive. Yet she writes in all her fiction about strong manly heroes. So this seems to be like a projection. The man she's actually with is not a strong manly hero.

The hero she writes about, she probably wouldn't be able to be in the same room with them for more than one minute before they got in a raging argument, right? And then she develops this theory about women and men in that a woman should worship her man, right? And a woman finds her true expression in worshiping the man she's with. So again, this is not at all how Ayn Rand lives her life.

The hero she writes about, she probably wouldn't be able to be in the same room with them for more than one minute before they got in a raging argument, right? And then she develops this theory about women and men in that a woman should worship her man, right? And a woman finds her true expression in worshiping the man she's with. So again, this is not at all how Ayn Rand lives her life.