In an attempt to start rectifying a lamentable disparity in scholarship, we evince fruitful points of similarity and difference in the ideas of Simone de Beauvoir and Ayn Rand, paying particular attention to their views on long-term projects. Endorsing what might be called an “Ethic of Resolve,” Rand praises those who undertake sustained goal-directed actions such as careers. Beauvoir, however, endorses an “Ethic of Ambiguity” that makes her more skeptical about the prospects of carrying out lifelong projects without deluding oneself. (...) Our study teases apart the strengths and drawbacks of these views. (shrink)

This landmark anthology is the first to engage critically the writings of Ayn Rand from feminist perspectives. The interdisciplinary feminist strategies of re-reading Rand range from the lightness of camp to the darkness of de Sade, from postandrogyny to poststructuralism. A highly charged dialogue on Rand's legacy provides the forum for a reexamination of feminism and its relationship to egoism, individualism, and capitalism. Rand's place in contemporary feminism is assessed through comparisons with other twentieth-century feminists, such as de Beauvoir, Wolf, (...) Paglia, Eisler, and Gilligan. What results is as provocative in its implications for Rand's system as it is for feminism. (shrink)

Although Ayn Rand and her philosophy have influenced many nascent feminists, particularly those of the individualist inclination, Rand was openly hostile to the feminist movement and declared that she would not vote for a woman for president. The author analyzes Rand's position and reasoning about a woman president, finding it contradictory to the rational principles Rand professed.

In this posthumously published novel, Layers, Nathaniel Branden exhibits his talent as not only a philosopher and psychotherapist, but also a writer of fiction. The plot primarily involves the story of Nicholas Holland, a published author and leading therapist, as he interacts with Andrew Berringer, to whom he has come for therapy.

Lisa Duggan’s book, Mean Girl: Ayn Rand and the Culture of Greed, offers an extremely negative portrait of Rand’s ideas as the height of meanness and greed and the perfect embodiment for the political era of Donald Trump. Its unbalanced and hostile presentation of Rand’s philosophy and impact is not for those who seek a more objective approach to Objectivism.

In Selfish Women, Lisa Downing deals with two women who had to battle the sexist stereotypes of their times: Ayn Rand and Margaret Thatcher. Her focus on Rand and Margaret Thatcher as women of “self-fulness” challenges conventional feminist conceptions that leave little room for the power of individuality. This book makes a significant contribution to such fields as women's studies, sociology, and political science.