Contemporary American conservatism cannot be understood without reference to the ideas of Ayn Rand and the immense popular influence of her writings. This is paradoxical, because she was not a conservative herself and strongly disavowed that label, while expressing forthright contempt for the mainstream of US conservatism (which was reciprocated). This tells us something about the nature of American conservatism as a popular movement.
Born Alisa Rosenbaum in Russia in 1905, Rand emigrated to the USA in 1926. There she settled in California, with a fringe role in Hollywood as a screenwriter, and took the pen name Ayn Rand. She worked at a number of odd jobs while trying for success as a writer. Her breakthrough came in 1943 with The Fountainhead, followed in 1957 by Atlas Shrugged.
Your organisation does not have access to this article.
Sign up today to give your students the edge they need to achieve their best grades with subject expertise
Subscribe
