1. Atlas Shrugged as a Philosophical Novel Central Washington University: English 101 and 102 Rhetoric and Composition I and II Pasco High School: AP Language and Composition Dr. Steven Rowley

2. Ayn Rand “The truth is not for all men, but only for those who seek it.” –Ayn Rand Liberty versus Socialism via Ayn Rand Interview with Ayn Rand

3. Atlas Shrugged Part I, II, and III: Spring Quarter Reading Schedule Reading Schedule: Part I I Atlas Shrugged 11/26 – 12/6 Introduction –Chapter 1 [ 1-33] 12/7 – 12/14 Chapter s II-III [34 - 66] 12/15 – 12/26 Chapters IV-VI [66-154] 12/27 – 1/10 Chapters VII-VIII -154-236] 1/11 – 1/25 Chapters IX – X [237- 312] Reading Schedule: Part I I Atlas Shrugged 1/28 – 2/1 Chapter 1 [315-351] 2/2 – 2/11 Chapter II [352-391] 2/12 – 2/18 Chapter III [392-426] 2/19 – 2/25 Chapter IV [427-457] 2/26 – 3/4 Chapter V [458-490] 3/5 – 3/11 Chapter V [491-522] 3/12 – 3/18 Chapter VI [523-581] 3/19 – 3/25 Chapter VII [582-601] 3/26 – 4/4 Chapter VII [602-642] Reading Schedule: Part III Atlas Shrugged 4/5 – 4/11 Chapter VIII [643-688] 4/12 – 4/18 Chapter IX [689-746] 4/19 – 4/25 Chapter X [747-831] 4/26 – 5/2 Chapter X [832-915] 5/3 – 5/9 Chapter X [916-1030] 5/10 – 5/16 Chapter X [1031-1079]

4. *Anticipation Guide  Answer the following situations or questions to the best of your ability based on your opinions, beliefs, or general understanding of the concept.  1. Describe a situation when you felt your intelligence was used by somebody for their own gain and you received no “payment” for it. How did this make you feel? What would you have changed?  2. Have you ever created or invented something and then someone else took credit for it? If so explain the situation and express the way it made you feel.  3. What is the difference between a communist society and a capitalist society?  4. Strong women are often viewed in a negative light …make a list of both positive and negative statements you have heard about intelligent, strong women.  5. Who in your life are you dependent on? What would happen to your world if they disappeared tomorrow (not died or in any way injured, just mysteriously went missing)?  6. Make a list of 15 ways people in our society who are mentally inferior (not slow but not as smart as you) make a living, earn money, or basically survive?

5. *Anticipation Guide  7. Discuss your knowledge of the following currently going on in America cover all of the following and add others that you can think of. a. Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac b. Automotive companies (unions, pay, subsidizing) c. Chrysler (Fiat) d. GM e. Bailouts ($700 Billion dollars left to your generation) f. Banks g. Car companies h. Raising Taxes i. Cutting salaries j. $250,000 (people making this amount or more are considered rich) k. Stock market These can stem from National Government to local. Give as many details as you can think of on each.  8. Those who work harder than others should be paid more.  9. When someone is unable to work, s/he should be supported by the government.  10. Power eventually corrupts those who have it.  11. People are generally motivated by self-interest.  12. Have you ever dealt with people who will, “obey anybody who expects obedience”? What were they like (describe) and what was that like for you?

6. Atlas Shrugged Questions: Part I  1. What is socialism?  2. What is communism?  3. What is capitalism?  4. How are a democracy and a republic different?  5. Have you ever read The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx? (If no go to #7)  6. What was the basic argument from Karl Marx?  7. How do you feel when people say, “Oh it’s easy for you, you’re smart.”  8. In your opinion, what is morality?  9. In mythology, who was Atlas and Prometheus? What did they do and what was their punishment?  10. What is the city of Atlantis? What does it represent in mythology?

7. Atlas Shrugged as a Philosophical Novel “What I actually am, Mr. Reardan, is a policeman. It is a policeman’s duty to protect men from criminals – criminals being those who seize wealth by force. It is a policeman’s duty to retrieve stolen property and return it to its owners. But when robbery becomes the purpose of the law, and the policeman’s duty becomes, not the protection, but the plunder of property – then it is an outlaw who has to become a policeman.” – Ragnar Danneskjold

8. *Atlas Shrugged Themes/Conflicts Utopia versus Dystopia  How would we define a utopian society?  Has the concept of utopia changed over time and/or across different cultures/societies?  What are the ideals that should be honored in a utopian society?  Why do people continue to pursue the concept of a utopian society?  How do competing notions of what a utopian society should look like lead to conflict?  What is the purpose and/or consequence of creating and/or maintaining a dystopian society?  Is utopia attainable? At what cost would it be worth attaining?

9. Atlas Shrugged Themes/Conflicts Chaos versus Order  What is the importance of civilization and what factors support or destroy its fabric?  What are the positive and negative aspects of both chaos and order?  What are the responsibilities and consequences of a society ruled by adherence to order?  What are the responsibilities and consequences of a society ruled by individual desires?  Explain the role that chaos plays in the creative process.  How are dependence and independence separable or inseparable?  How would you define the responsibilities and consequences of being rich and powerful?  How would describe the limitations of human creativity and influence?

10. Atlas Shrugged: Themes/Conflicts Freedom versus Responsibility  What is freedom?  Is freedom ever free?  What is the relationship between freedom and responsibility?  What are the essential liberties?  Is liberty and justice for all attainable?  Should people sacrifice freedom in the interest of security?  When does government have the right to restrict the freedoms of people?  When is the restriction of freedom a good thing?  What sacrifices should people make for freedom?

11. *Atlas Shrugged: Themes/Conflicts Heroes and Heroines versus Villains  Do the attributes of a hero remain the same over time?  When does a positive personality trait become a tragic flaw?  What is the role of a hero or heroine in a culture?  How do various cultures reward/recognize their heroes and heroines?  Why is it important for people and cultures to construct narratives about their experience?

12. *Atlas Shrugged: Themes/Conflicts Capitalism versus Socialism  What is capital?  How is capitol used to create more capital?  Is a productive person responsible for the well being of an unproductive person?  What does your society owe you as a member of it?  Are there economic rights?  Can a free individual remain free if he/she is forced to pay for less productive people?  If on person’s capital investment grows…does that mean that another person’s capital investment must therefore shrink? If so why? If not…why not?  What is socialism?  Can socialism be implemented without force? If so how? If not…why not?  What experience does American have with socialism?

13. Atlas Shrugged: Themes/Conflicts Illusion versus Realism  What is the difference between illusion and reality in atlas Shrugged from one character’s perspective?  Is a person’s reality his/her own or is it shared by others who experience the same events?  What benefit can an author achieve by telling a story that is “realistic” ?  What benefit can an author achieve by telling a story that is illusory?  Are the conflicts in Atlas Shrugged manufactured to tell a realist story or to create an illusion to persuade an audience of an idea?  What is more powerful in the influencing of people, the illusion or a clear understanding of reality?  Why do you think people choose to live lives based in illusions?

14. Atlas Shrugged: Themes/Conflicts Creators versus Destroyers  How is the concept of private property connected to classifying people as creators or destroyers?  Rand’s novel refers to looters in a negative manner even though they are members of government and other professions. How would you explain her definition of a looter?  Does a person who creatively “makes” a great company have any responsibility towards those who are less fortunate? If so, what limits might exist to this responsibility? If not, why not?  How far can a creator go in the defense of his property? Are their limitations?  Why should the power of the group be used to control the creative productivity of individuals if it is deemed that the activity of such individual creates a negative emotional reaction in the community? How could this power be used? Abused?

15. Atlas Shrugged: The Human Condition  In the face of adversity, what causes some people to prevail while others fail? [Two paragraphs]  What does Ayn Rand mean by “the sanction of the victim”? What does it mean when Hank Rearden refuses to give it at his trial?  Ayn Rand intended for Atlas Shrugged to demonstrate her philosophy of Objectivism in action. What elements of this manner of thinking are evident in the novel in the different phases: Part I, Part II and Part III?  How do events in Atlas Shrugged support Ayn Rand’s view that capitalism is the only moral economic system?  What role does the character Ellie Willers play in the unfolding drama? What does his character say about the role of the common person in the world of Ayn Rand?  Why is Hank Rearden willing to support his family despite their attitude toward him? What causes his position to change?  Is the current economic and political system in this country more like Galt’s ideal or that of the looters?  According to Ayn Rand, selfishness is a moral and practical good. What does Rand mean by selfishness?  What does Francisco D’Anconia mean when he says, “The words ‘to make money’ hold the essence of human morality?

16. Atlas Shrugged: Terms for Analytical Thinking Relevant Terms and [-isms] Epistemology Empiricism Rationalism Skepticism Metaphysics Aesthetics Ethics A Priori A Posteriori Agnosticism Absurdism Anarchism Anthropomorphism Antinomianism Asceticism Atheism Atomism Egalitarianism Existentialism

17. *Atlas Shrugged: Five Thematic Questions  What is truth?  What is beauty?  What is real?  What is justice?  What does is mean to live a “good life”?

18. *I, Pencil -Leonard B. Read [1958]  I, Pencil [full text] I, Pencil [full text]  Milton Friedman on Leonard Read’s “I, Pencil”  by Don Boudreaux on November 6, 2013  in Civil Society, Complexity & Emergence, VideoCivil SocietyComplexity & EmergenceVideo  In this ten-minute-long video, Milton Friedman discusses Leonard Read’s brilliant – genuinely brilliant, pioneering, and eye-opening  SOAPSTone [for use with I, Pencil] SOAPSTone

19. Communism -Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1850-1919) When my blood flows calm as a purling river, When my heart is asleep and my brain has sway, It is then that I vow we must part for ever, That I will forget you, and put you away Out of my life, as a dream is banished Out of the mind when the dreamer awakes; That I know it will be when the spell has vanished, Better for both of our sakes. When the court of the mind is ruled by Reason, I know it wiser for us to part; But Love is a spy who is plotting treason, In league with that warm, red rebel, the Heart. They whisper to me that the King is cruel, That his reign is wicked, his law a sin, And every word they utter is fuel To the flame that smoulders within. And on nights like this, when my blood runs riot With the fever of youth and its mad desires, When my brain in vain bids my heart be quiet, When my breast seems the centre of lava-fires, Oh, then is when most I miss you, And I swear by the stars and my soul and say That I will have you, and hold you, and kiss you, Though the whole world stands in the way. And like Communists, as mad, as disloyal, My fierce emotions roam out of their lair; They hate King Reason for being royal – They would fire his castle, and burn him there. O Love! They would clasp you, and crush you and kill you, In the insurrection of uncontrol. Across the miles, does this wild war thrill you That is raging in my soul?

20. *TPCASTT with Poems [Use with Communism]  Title [without discussion]  Paraphrase [put the poets ideas into your own words]  Connotation [extended socio-cultural meaning]  Attitude [tone induced mood of the poem]  Shift [structural change]  Title [as a metaphor]  Theme [Underlying idea not shared directly]

21. Atlas Shrugged: What Is Money?  Identify the role of “money” in the relationships that exist between characters?  How is the concept of “achievement” a socially constructed negative in the American society of Atlas Shrugged?  Evaluate the characters’ relationship to power based on their understanding and expression of the concept of “money”.

22. Ayn Rand: Personal Background  She was born in Russia in 1905  Age 6 – taught herself to read  Age 9 – decided to make writing fiction her life’s work.  During teens, she witnessed the Kerensky and Bolshevik Revolutions.  Her family’s pharmacy was taken over by Communists.  She “visited” America in 1926 and never went back to Russia

23. Ayn Rand: Development of Her Writing  Due to life under Bolshevik rule, she is radically pro-capitalist and anti-Communist.  She worked in Hollywood for a few years, sold a screenplay, and published her first novel, We the Living, in 1934. It is the most autobiographical of her works.  Other works include Anthem (1937), The Fountainhead (1943), and Atlas Shrugged [1936] (considered by many to be her finest work) as well as many others.  The Randian hero is one whose ability and independence cause conflict within the masses but who perseveres nevertheless to achieve his values. Rand views this as the ideal.

24. Part I: Non-Contradiction “Contradictions do not exist. Whenever you think that you are facing a contradiction, check your premises. You will find that one of them is wrong.” [Explain the “philosophy” behind this quote. What other beliefs would fit within the belief system indicated by this quote.] [Francisco says this to Dagny in Part One, Chapter VII, when she challenges him for squandering his talent as a worthless playboy. Dagny asks him how he can be such a paradox, how a man as capable, brilliant, and accomplished as he is can also choose to be a worthless playboy. It does not seem possible that he can be both, and yet he seems to be. In asking her to check her premises, Francisco suggests that it is indeed not possible. He cannot be both things at once, because contradictions cannot exist. A thing is what it is, not something else entirely. ]

25. Part I: Non-Contradiction Quiz I: Pages 1-25 Question: Eddie Willers has a concept of the rebirth of the Wyatt Oil wells that is an excellent metaphor for the effect of the creative mind on the unproductive landscape. There is a dualistic view of Ellis Wyatt and what he has been able to accomplish. What is the metaphor referencing and what two views exist in relation to Ellis Wyatt and why?

26. Part I: Non-Contradiction  Reading Assignment: Pages 41-88  Dialectical Journaling Ideas:  A] Significant quotes  B] New characters  C] Plot development  D] Important concepts related to rationalism, economics, liberty, hatred, jealousy etc...

27. Part I: Non-Contradiction  Reading Quiz [pages 25-40]  Who is Hank Reardan?  What is Reardan Metal and why is Dagny Taggart so interested in buying it?  How does Dagny Taggart exert her intellectual power over her brother and boss James Taggart?

28. Objectivism  The name of Rand’s philosophy  She states:  “Reality exists as an objective absolute—facts are facts, independent of man’s feelings, wishes, hopes or fears.  Reason (the faculty which identifies and integrates the material provided by man’s senses) is man’s only means of perceiving reality, his only source of knowledge, his only guide to action, and his basic means of survival.

29. Atlas Shrugged: The Theme [I]  Plot Summary:  Walking through a crumbling downtown Manhattan, Eddie Willers wonders why the world is in such a dilapidated state. He comes upon a bum, who asks him "Who is John Galt?"  After an unsuccessful discussion with Orren Boyle regarding yet another late order of steel, he returns to the Taggart Transcontinental Building in order to tell James Taggart the bad news about an unfulfilled steel order and another train wreck. His intent is to make Taggart see the desperate state of Taggart Transcontinental and the importance of the Rio Norte Line, which services one of the only remaining successful businesses in the world of Atlas Shrugged. After a bunch of invectives against successful businesses, Taggart shoos him away. Walking out, Eddie passes by Pop Harper, who complains in vain that the new typewriters cannot compare with the old ones.  The following Things in Atlas Shrugged are used as settings in this section:  Rio Norte Line  Associated Steel - mentioned  Rearden Steel  Phoenix-Durango

30. Atlas Shrugged: The Chain [II]  Plot Summary:  Hank Rearden watches triumphantly as the first order of Rearden Metal is poured. As he walks home, he reflects on his life and the ten years of struggle spent to produce Rearden Metal. To celebrate his triumph, Rearden makes a Bracelet out of the first Rearden Metal that is poured and gives it to his wife, Lillian. Lillian belittles the triumph this gift symbolizes and uses the occasion to ridicule her husband's sentimentalism. She makes a big deal about Rearden attending a party she is throwing in three months time (see section 161).  Also at the Rearden home are his brother Philip Rearden, his mother, and a friend, Paul Larkin, who has come to warn Rearden of possible trouble in Washington. His family insults and criticizes Rearden for the crime of being able to support them. He tries to understand their behavior but cannot come to acknowledge the depths of their depravity. He believes they are expressing the same concerns that he feels, but only in a different way, and that he is morally required to tolerate them because they are weaker than he is. This is the first glimpse of the Sanction of the Victim, which is a central concept of Atlas Shrugged. The abuse Rearden receives from his family in the second part of this scene creates a stark contrast to the triumphant achievement at the mill in the first part of the scene.

31. Part I: The Top and the Bottom [III] “There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kinds of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted - and you create a nation of lawbreakers - and then you cash in on guilt. Now that's the system, Mr. Rearden, that's the game, and once you understand it, you'll be much easier to deal with.” -Floyd Ferris

32. Atlas Shrugged: The Top and the Bottom [III] “There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kinds of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted - and you create a nation of lawbreakers - and then you cash in on guilt. Now that's the system, Mr. Rearden, that's the game, and once you understand it, you'll be much easier to deal with.” - Floyd Ferris On top of a skyscraper barroom designed to look like a lowly cellar, James Taggart, Orren Boyle, Paul Larkin, and Wesley Mouch meet to work out a deal by which they can stop Hank Rearden and the success of Rearden Metal. Boyle wants Taggart to get his friends in Washington to regulate the distribution of iron ore, depriving Rearden of the raw materials needed to market Rearden Metal. In exchange, Boyle agrees to get the National Alliance of Railroads to drive the Phoenix-Durango railroad out of Colorado. None of this is said openly or directly, of course. Taggart also learns from Boyle that Taggart Transcontinental's San Sebastian Line has been denuded of all but the barest equipment.

33. Atlas Shrugged: The Immovable Movers [IV] Dagny attempts to pinpoint the need of the world--motive power to keep it standing, movement to keep it immovable; the Taggart Transcontinental skyscraper rests not on its granite foundations, but in its engines--that's what keeps it going. With depressed thoughts, Dagny Taggart reminisces a visit to United Locomotive Works to determine why they consistently fail to deliver the diesel engines she ordered. The President of ULW talks for hours without answering directly or saying anything of substance. After returning to the office, Eddie Willers informs Dagny that Dick McNamara - the best contractor that can be found anywhere - has quit without explanation. As Dagny walks home that night, she sees the depravity that passes for popular culture: books and movies that trivialize what is glorious, demonize what is moral, and exalt what is base; people who act as if pleasure were a sin that one gets away with. Depressed, she returns home and listens to the soul tonic of Richard Halley. While she listens, she recalls Halley's struggles as a young composer, his sudden success, and his mysterious disappearance. She sees in the newspaper that Francisco d'Anconia has returned to New York amidst a scandal in which a married woman tries to kill her husband so she could be with Francisco, whom she identifies as her lover. Francisco says he came to New York to witness the farce - but it is not the same farce people are led to believe in that he wants to witness.

34. Part I: The Climax of the D’Anconias [V] “Money will not purchase happiness for the man who has no concept of what he wants; money will not give him a code of values, if he's evaded the knowledge of what to value, and it will not provide him with a purpose, if he's evaded the choice of what to seek. Money will not buy intelligence for the fool, or admiration for the coward, or respect for the incompetent. The man who attempts to purchase the brains of his superiors to serve him, with his money replacing his judgment, ends up becoming the victim of his inferiors. The men of intelligence desert him, but the cheats and the frauds come flocking to him, drawn by a law which he has not yet discovered; That no man may be smaller than his money. Is that the reason why you call it evil?” –Francisco D’Anconia “When you have made evil the means of survival, do not expect men to remain good. Do not expect them to stay moral and lose their lives for the purpose of becoming the fodder of the immoral. Do not expect them to produce, when production is punished and looting rewarded. Do not ask, 'Who is destroying the world?' You are.” -Francisco D'Anconia

35. Part I: The Climax of the D’Anconias [V] “There was a time when men were afraid that somebody would reveal some secret of theirs that was unknown to their fellows. Nowadays, they're afraid that somebody will name what everybody knows. Have you practical people ever thought that that's all it would take to blast your whole, big, complex structure, with all your laws and guns—just somebody naming the exact nature of what it is you're doing?” -Francisco D'Anconia “But you say that money is made by the strong at the expense of the weak? What strength do you mean? It is not the strength of guns or muscles. Wealth is the product of man's capacity to think. Then is money made by the man who invents a motor at the expense of those who did not invent it? Is money made by the intelligent at the expense of the fools? By the able at the expense of the incompetent? By the ambitious at the expense of the lazy? Money is made - before it can be looted or mooched - made by the effort of every honest man, each to the extent of his ability. An honest man is one who knows that he can't consume more than he has produced.” -Francisco D'Anconia

36. Atlas Shrugged: The Climax of the D’Anconias [V] “There was a time when men were afraid that somebody would reveal some secret of theirs that was unknown to their fellows. Nowadays, they're afraid that somebody will name what everybody knows. Have you practical people ever thought that that's all it would take to blast your whole, big, complex structure, with all your laws and guns—just somebody naming the exact nature of what it is you're doing?” -Francisco D'Anconia “But you say that money is made by the strong at the expense of the weak? What strength do you mean? It is not the strength of guns or muscles. Wealth is the product of man's capacity to think. Then is money made by the man who invents a motor at the expense of those who did not invent it? Is money made by the intelligent at the expense of the fools? By the able at the expense of the incompetent? By the ambitious at the expense of the lazy? Money is made - before it can be looted or mooched - made by the effort of every honest man, each to the extent of his ability. An honest man is one who knows that he can't consume more than he has produced.” -Francisco D'Anconia  After the government of Mexico suddenly nationalizes the San Sebastian Mines thinking they would be a great new source of revenue for the state, they discover that the mines are completely worthless--there was never any chance of mining copper there, so Francisco d'Anconia must have known all along the project was doomed to failure.  Eddie Willers shows the news report to Dagny Taggart, who tries to figure out how this could be, and finally tells Eddie to get her an appointment with "the bastard." Eddie warns about meeting him in a way that indicates the emotional significance seeing Francisco will hold for Dagny.

37. Atlas Shrugged: The Non-Commerical [VI]  At the expense of postponing the myriad commercial tasks that must still be done, Hank Rearden reluctantly attends a party thrown by his wife on their wedding anniversary. Lillian Rearden has invited her circle of friends, which includes the "heart of the country's culture", the so-called intellectual elite whose opinions are shaping the times. This is a bit of an insult, though, as the whole country is falling apart. As these friends speak, we are introduced to the ideas that are causing the collapse of society:  Dr. Simon Pritchett, the nation's leading philosopher, declares that man is a miserable bit of protoplasm, there are no standards, reason is a superstition, the purpose of philosophy is to prove we can know nothing and that there is no meaning to be found in life, and that when people realize this they will be more "tractable."  Balph Eubank is the literary leader of the age (albeit, his books do not sell), declares that suffering is the essence of life, and that free will, achievement, and happiness are laughable concepts of old literature. Plot, he says, is a primitive vulgarity in literature. Moreover, life is about suffering and frustration, that the only thing to live for is brother love. He later says, that the machine age has destroyed man's humanity, observing that Dagny Taggett runs a railroad rather than practicing the beautiful art of the handloom and bearing children.  Bertram Scudder, the editor, declares that property rights are a superstition. Moreover, even though he has written an editorial filled with groundless insults against Rearden, he is present at Rearden's party.  Claude Slagenhop, president of Friends of Global Progress, declares that need is the only consideration, that an empty belly is a fact, and that this consideration justifies anything, that ideas are just hot air - that right is whatever is good for society, and that the people have the right to seize what they need.

38. Atlas Shrugged: The Exploiters and the Exploited [VII]  James Taggart confronts him about the failure of the San Sebastian Mines, Francisco justifies his actions as being in accords with the "virtue" of the times. Francisco tells a disbelieving and frustrated Taggart that the San Sebastian Mines is the "practical realization of the highest moral order." Frisco has taken no personal interest, is completely selfless in it; he has eliminated the useless presence of the exploiter-owner. He has hired based on need, rather than ability. Focusing on the livelihood on the employees, he has constructed a settlement for his employees regardless of the place's potential for copper. He has not profited, but has loss - as human beings should, according to the morality of the times, for privation and imperfection are man.  When Francisco does meet Rearden, their talk is prolific. Francisco asks why Rearden is willing to support those who are helpless, who never show their gratitude towards him, and who, in fact, openly denounce him as an evil exploiter. He leaves this an open question. Rearden at this point of the story is aware that there is something wrong with the world, but does not know what, while Francisco does know. In this, their first meeting, Francisco tries to place in Rearden's mind the seeds of understanding. The reader is in the same position as Rearden, and the scene is meant to do the same for the reader, preparing us for the explicit revelation of Galt's Speech. Francisco leaves Rearden with two ambiguous facts: They have a terrible weapon against Rearden, and the evidence for this is his unhappiness.  He warns Rearden about the sin of forgiveness. He also asserts that everything Rearden had said to him is true, except his belief that the commercial is evil. As Francisco leaves him, Rearden is filled with a feeling of wishing him to stay, for, unbeknownst to him, Francisco has given him the beginnings of a moral sanction.

39. Atlas Shrugged: The Exploiters and the Exploited [VII]  Dagny Taggart visits the construction site of the Rio Norte Line near the Wyatt oil fields. Construction is being supervised by Ben Nealy, who is incompetent but the best contractor Dagny could find. She meets Ellis Wyatt who indicates he now knows what she is, and that he respects her. Hank Rearden is also on hand, designing a Rearden Metal bridge to show off his new metal. The two get along as they always had, as if the party had never happened.  Rearden mentions he is flying back east, and Dagny asks if she can go back with him. He tells her no, because he is flying to Minnesota before heading to New York. Later at the airfield, Dagny discovers Rearden was lying -- that he did fly straight to New York. Dagny has no clue why Rearden would flat out lie to her.  "Men are not open to truth or reason. They cannot be reached by a rational argument. The mind is powerless against them. Yet we have to deal with them. If we want to accomplish anything, we have to deceive them into letting us accomplish it. Or force them. They understand nothing else." - Dr. Stadler (180)  "If you loved your brother, you'd give him a job he didn't deserve, precisely because he didn't deserve it - that would be true love and kindness and brotherhood. Else what's love for? If a man deserves a job, there's no virtue in giving it to him. Virtue is the giving of the undeserved." - Rearden's Mother (197)

40. Atlas Shrugged: The John Galt Line [VIII]  And the government, he [Rearden] thought suddenly, the money now given to him as payment for his property, where had that come from? Whose work had provided it? (209)  Dagny and Hank ride the first train on the John Galt line with Pat Logan driving the train at an unprecedented 100 mph. Taggart workers and local townspeople line the sides of the track along the way to celebrate -- and to act as guards of honor. In the blink of an eye, they cross the bridge made of Rearden Metal without any trouble and arrive at Wyatt Junction.  Wyatt and other industrialists greet and congratulate Hank and Dagny. Hank, Dagny, and Wyatt have dinner together at Wyatt's mansion out in the woods. Wyatt has provided them a sanctuary away from the mindless media that will, doubtlessly, be bandwagoning on the heroes' success they had denied as impossible, just a few hours ago.  This is the first time Rearden has seen Wyatt in person -- and Wyatt appears as his true happy self, unmarred by his usual mask of anger. The success of the John Galt Line has made Wyatt boundlessly happy, but his happiness quickly diminishes when his old pessimistic bitterness returns -- that this will not last.

41. Atlas Shrugged: The Sacred and the Profane [IX]  Taggart's true motive, however, is not to deceive himself that he is great. Although a part of him seems to want greatness, as if jealous of Rearden's ability to invent that metal, he wouldn't be happy if he receives that greatness because it's unearned--but he does not know this, as he lets feelings bypass thoughts.  Taggart's true motive is feeling the superiority that he has something over her--that he's deceived her. To him, she is a girl with the same spirit of the heroes he despises, and deceiving her, to him, is like putting something over the heroes.  While all other valuables have been looted from the factory, the significance of the motor has been disregarded, the re-usable parts of the motor having been torn off. Rearden states the good the motor could have done, implying that all the loot taken away from the company wouldn't have been worth the potential of the motor.  Those who had run the company to its ends were not capable of realizing the worth of the motor; their lack of judgment parallels that of the incompetency of the incumbents who now hold power over the world.

42. Atlas Shrugged: Wyatt’s Torch [X] End of Part I  "My objective was social progress, human brotherhood and love. Love, Ms. Taggart. That is the key to everything. If men learned to love one another, it would solve all their problems" - Eugene Lawson (290)  "I can proudly say that in all of my life I have never made a profit!" - Eugene Lawson  "Mr. Lawson, I think I should let you know that of all the statements a man can make, that is the one I consider most despicable." - Dagny (292)  "If you find it inconceivable that an invention of genius should be abandoned among ruins and that a philosopher should wish to work as a cook in a diner - check your premises. You will find that one of them is wrong." - Hugh Akston to Dagny (308)  "I am leaving it as I found it. Take over. It's yours." - Note left by Ellis Wyatt at the foot of the burning hill of Wyatt Oil.

43. Objectivism  Man—every man—is an end in himself, not the means to the ends of others.  He must exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself.  The pursuit of his own rational self-interest and of his own happiness is the highest moral purpose of his life.  The ideal political-economic system is laissez-faire capitalism.

44. Dystopian/Anti-Utopian Literature  This type of literature presents the world as it should NOT be.  Collectivism is presented as the worst possible society.

45. Collectivism  “The subjugation of the individual to the group—whether to a race, class, or a state does not matter.  Collectivism holds that man must be chained to a collective and collective thought for the sake of what is called ‘the common good’.”  This is illustrated in the prequel Anthem in such quotes as: “We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but only the great WE, One, indivisible and forever.”

46. Individualism  “Individualism regards man—every man—as an independent, sovereign entity who possesses an inalienable right to his own life, a right derived from his nature as a rational being. Individualism holds that a civilized society…can be achieved only on the basis of the recognition of individual rights—and that a group, as such, has no rights other than the individual rights of its members.”  “I am not a tool for their use. I am not a servant of their needs. I am not a bandage for their wounds. I am not a sacrifice on their alters I am a man.”

47. More on Rand’s Philosophy  Objectivism rejects any belief in the supernatural—and any claim that individuals or groups create their own reality. Man is to perceive reality-not create it.  Objectivism rejects mysticism (acceptance of faith or feeling as a means of knowledge) and skepticism (the claim that certainty or knowledge is impossible).  Objectivism rejects any form of determinism, the belief that man is a victim of forces beyond his control (such as God, fate, genes, etc.).

48. “Our Deepest Fear” -Marianne Williamson Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness That most frightens us. We ask ourselves Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.

49. We are all meant to shine, As children do. We were born to make manifest The glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; It’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we’re liberated from our own fear, Our presence automatically liberates others. “Our Deepest Fear” -Marianne Williamson

50. Atlas Shrugged Film Links  John Galt's Speech [Audio] John Galt's Speech [Audio]  Who Is John Galt? Who Is John Galt?  Francisco D'Anconia's Money Speech [Audio] Francisco D'Anconia's Money Speech [Audio]  Atlas Shrugged_Part I_Who Is John Galt? Atlas Shrugged_Part I_Who Is John Galt?  Atlas Shrugged_Part II_The Strike Atlas Shrugged_Part II_The Strike  Atlas Shrugged_Part III_Finale Atlas Shrugged_Part III_Finale

51. The Gods of the Copybook Headings -Rudyard Kipling [1919] AS I PASS through my incarnations in every age and race, I make my proper prostrations to the Gods of the Market Place. Peering through reverent fingers I watch them flourish and fall, And the Gods of the Copybook Headings, I notice, outlast them all. We were living in trees when they met us. They showed us each in turn That Water would certainly wet us, as Fire would certainly burn: But we found them lacking in Uplift, Vision and Breadth of Mind, So we left them to teach the Gorillas while we followed the March of Mankind. We moved as the Spirit listed. They never altered their pace, Being neither cloud nor wind-borne like the Gods of the Market Place, But they always caught up with our progress, and presently word would come That a tribe had been wiped off its icefield, or the lights had gone out in Rome. With the Hopes that our World is built on they were utterly out of touch, They denied that the Moon was Stilton; they denied she was even Dutch; They denied that Wishes were Horses; they denied that a Pig had Wings; So we worshipped the Gods of the Market Who promised these beautiful things.

52. When the Cambrian measures were forming, They promised perpetual peace. They swore, if we gave them our weapons, that the wars of the tribes would cease. But when we disarmed They sold us and delivered us bound to our foe, And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: "Stick to the Devil you know." On the first Feminian Sandstones we were promised the Fuller Life (Which started by loving our neighbour and ended by loving his wife) Till our women had no more children and the men lost reason and faith, And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: "The Wages of Sin is Death." In the Carboniferous Epoch we were promised abundance for all, By robbing selected Peter to pay for collective Paul; But, though we had plenty of money, there was nothing our money could buy, And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: "If you don't work you die." Then the Gods of the Market tumbled, and their smooth-tongued wizards withdrew And the hearts of the meanest were humbled and began to believe it was true That All is not Gold that Glitters, and Two and Two make Four And the Gods of the Copybook Headings limped up to explain it once more. As it will be in the future, it was at the birth of Man There are only four things certain since Social Progress began. That the Dog returns to his Vomit and the Sow returns to her Mire, And the burnt Fool's bandaged finger goes wabbling back to the Fire; And that after this is accomplished, and the brave new world begins When all men are paid for existing and no man must pay for his sins, As surely as Water will wet us, as surely as Fire will burn, The Gods of the Copybook Headings with terror and slaughter return!

53. TPCASTT with Poems [Use with Gods of the Copybook Headings]  Title [without discussion]  Paraphrase [put the poets ideas into your own words]  Connotation [extended socio-cultural meaning]  Attitude [tone induced mood of the poem]  Shift [structural change]  Title [as a metaphor]  Theme [Underlying idea not shared directly]

54. *Quotations for Analysis  "When I die, I hope to go to heaven - whatever the hell that is - and I want to be able to afford the price of admission" "Virtue is the price of admission." "That's what I mean, James. So I want to be prepared to claim the greatest virtue of them all - that I was a man who made money." (94) - Francisco and James Taggart  "It is not advisable, James, to venture unsolicitated opinions. You should spare yourself the embarrassing discovery of their exact value to your listener." (97) - Francisco d'Anconia  "Francisco, what's the most depraved type of human being?" "The man without a purpose." (98) - Dagny and Francisco  "Well, I've always been unpopular in school and it didn't bother me, but now I've discovered the reason. It's an impossible kind of reason. They dislike me, not because I do things badly, but because I do them well. They dislike me because I've always had the best grades in class. I don't even have to study. I always get A's. Do you suppose I should try to get D's for a change and become the most popular girl in school?" Francisco stopped, looked at her [Dagny] and slapped her face. (98)

55. Atlas Shrugged Part II and III: Spring Quarter Reading Schedule Reading Schedule: Part I I Atlas Shrugged 11/26 – 12/6 Introduction –Chapter 1 [ 1-33] 12/7 – 12/14 Chapter s II-III [34 - 66] 12/15 – 12/26 Chapters IV-VI [66-154] 12/27 – 1/10 Chapters VII-VIII -154-236] 1/11 – 1/25 Chapters IX – X [237- 312] Reading Schedule: Part I I Atlas Shrugged 1/28 – 2/1 Chapter 1 [315-351] 2/2 – 2/11 Chapter II [352-391] 2/12 – 2/18 Chapter III [392-426] 2/19 – 2/25 Chapter IV [427-457] 2/26 – 3/4 Chapter V [458-490] 3/5 – 3/11 Chapter V [491-522] 3/12 – 3/18 Chapter VI [523-581] 3/19 – 3/25 Chapter VII [582-601] 3/26 – 4/4 Chapter VII [602-642] Reading Schedule: Part III Atlas Shrugged 4/5 – 4/11 Chapter VIII [643-688] 4/12 – 4/18 Chapter IX [689-746] 4/19 – 4/25 Chapter X [747-831] 4/26 – 5/2 Chapter X [832-915] 5/3 – 5/9 Chapter X [916-1030] 5/10 – 5/16 Chapter X [1031-1079]

56. Part II: The Man Who Belonged on Earth [I-II]  Dagny Taggart must cut trains from her schedules as Colorado’s economy collapses under the weight of oppressive governmental interference and regulation.  No One is able to draw oil from Wyatt’s fields, and companies that depend on his oil begin the rapid decline that accompanies resource starvation, eventually shutting down completely.  With severe oil shortages and government rationing, much of the country turns to the burning of coal as an alternative.  Creative industrialists and entrepreneurs are disappearing from society leaving their companies and declining to participate in society – underlying question: why are the creative minds vanishing from society?  Jim Taggard has secured many subsidies that keep Taggart Transcontinental Railways’ profits at an all time high.  Dagny wants to rebuilt the motor seeking engineers with the know how to deconstruct it –Engineer Robert Stadler, who evaluates the motor is amazed by the mind required to envision it. Stadler recommends a brilliant mind, that of a physicist named Quinten Daniels to view it and try and figure out how it functions. The Fair Share Law orders companies like Reardan Metal to fill all orders of those seeking the product, but some get filled and some do not. The reasoning is that some men have extra influence and others who are more prone to fair play go without…this draws the intervention of the government seeking to fill all orders. Reardan sarcastically advises that the government can steal it all if the desire, but he will not willingly comply.  Hank Reardan realized the looters need his sanction, which he will never freely give.

57. Part II: The Aristocracy of Pull  Dagny Taggart begins to understand that a destroyer is at work in society; consequentially, the smartest and most talented in business are somehow being removed.  Nearly every businessman in Colorado has vanished, leaving the state to economic distress.  Hank Reardan holds a meeting with Kenn Danager, an automobile manufacturer, to arrange a large order of steel for sale, more than the Fair Share Law allows to legally be transferred to one buyer.  At Jim Taggart’s wedding Lillian Reardan sees Dagny Taggart wearing the bracelet made of Reardan Metal and asks for it back. Dagny regfuses to give it up…and Lillian remarks that people might get the wrong idea.  Also at the wedding is Francisco d’Aconia, who upon hearing in conversation that Money is the root of all evil and that he is the example of what becomes of someone with money, he responds with a speech about the true nature of money.  According to Francisco money is the antithesis of evil and in fact, represents the greatest good…he responds to Hank Reardan that there is no evil except the refusal to think…and that is exactly the mistake Reardan is making by living his life as he does. He announces that d’Aconia Copper stock will collapse due to mismanagement the following day and panic ensues at the part since many of its attendees will lose fortunes. He is purposely collapsing his own company’s value to teach others a lesson about value. Attendees at the wedding party can be classified into two categories, politically connected people, and businessmen…both attending in some relation to what Jim Taggart can do for them…or to them.

58. Part II: Concept [Unity of Mind and Body] Introduction: What is Mind-Body-Unity? I. The Principle in Love and Work II. Plot implementation and characterization: Rearden’s struggle, the John Galt Line, Galt the inventor vs. Stadler the theorist III. Clearest Statement of the theme: The Engine room on the John Galt Line and the Galt’s speech IV. Buried riches: the sanctity of industry

59. Part II: Chapters I-III: Reading Quiz 1.Who does Dagny Taggart seek out to try and deconstruct the static engine? Who is this person? Why him? 2.Why does Hank Reardan resist selling the metal for the government’s Project X? Why does he say to take as much as they will but he will not accept payment? 3.When Francisco d’Anconia hears at a party someone proclaim, “Money is the root of all evil.” he asks, “Have you ever asked what is the root of money?” Explain his explanation. What does he claim the paper money should have been?

60. Part II: Rearden’s Confession He spoke slowly, as if lashing himself with his words. … "I held it as my honor that I would never need anyone. I need you. It had been my pride that I had always acted on my convictions. I've given in to a desire which I despise. It is a desire that has reduced my mind, my will, my being, my power to exist into an abject dependence upon you—not even upon the Dagny Taggart whom I admired—but upon your body, your hands, your mouth and the few seconds of a convulsion of your muscles. … “I've chosen to do this—and I'll take all the consequences, including the full recognition of my choice. It's depravity—and I accept it as such—and there is no height of virtue that I wouldn't give up for it….” — Atlas Shrugged, pp. 238-239

61. The Laughing Dagny When he stopped, she burst out laughing. The shock to him was that he heard no anger in her laughter. She laughed simply, easily, in joyous amusement, in release, not as one laughs at the solution of a problem, but at the discovery that no problem had ever existed. … She stood up. She saw her clothes on the floor and kicked them aside. She stood facing him, naked. She said: "I want you, Hank…. I am an animal who wants nothing but that sensation of pleasure which you despise but I want it from you. You'd give up any height of virtue for it, while I—I haven't any to give up. There's none I seek or wish to reach. I am so low that I would exchange the greatest sight of beauty in the world for the sight of your figure in the cab of a railroad engine… I will sit at my desk, and work, and when the things around me get hard to bear, I will think that for my reward I will be in your bed that night. Did you call it depravity? I am much more depraved than you are: you hold it as your guilt, and I—as my pride.” — Atlas Shrugged, Part I: Chapter IX, pp. 238-239

62. Part II: White Blackmail  Lillian Reardan discovers that Hank has a mistress, but she cannot identify who it might be.  Hank Reardan receives a visit from Dr. Ferris of the State Science Institute and informs him that if he does not fill the order for Project X that he will be arrested for his illegal dealings with auto manufacturer Ken Dannager; Reardan refuses and both men who struck the deal are arrested for violating the Fair Share Law.  Francisco challenges Reardan to consider that he regularly accepts condemnation of his virtues and by doing so gives power to his enemies. According to Francisco Reardan has not received his due rewards or respect for his invention. Francisco understands Hank Reardan after spending time at his mill and being “useful”.

63. Part II: The Sanction of the Victim  Hank Reardan begins to view his own family from a new perspective. He begins calling out those who live like parasites off of his ingenuity and labors. Reardan begins to assert his own moral code and throw off that of those who have been disrespecting him.  Reardan is put on trial by the government for violating the Fair Share Law but he refuses to participate in the proceedings because he does not want to pretend in front of the public that the trial has real merit.  Reardan seems to represent the mythological Atlas who has been carrying the world and is now being punished for it. But, he does not participate in his own victimization.

64. Part II: Concept [Mind-Body Dichotomy]  Body  Matter  Practice  Emotion  Lust  Mind  Spirit  Theory  Reason  Love V.

65. Part II: Concept [Mind-Body Unity]  Mind  Spirit  Theory  Reason  Love And These are aspects of unified human nature  Body  Matter  Practice  Emotion  Lust

66. Part II: Philosophical Anthropology (Theory of Human Nature)  Metaphysics: Reality (Axioms of awareness)  Ontology or Theory of Nature  Philosophical Anthropology: (Mind- body Unity)  Epistemology: Reason (Logic)  Ethics: Self-interest (Virtues and Values)  Politics: Capitalism (Rights and legal theory)

67. Part II: Concept [Mind-Body Unity and Philosophical Terminology]  “Spiritual”: pertaining to consciousness and thought  “Physical”: pertaining to sensation and reality outside the mind  “Perception”: direct awareness of reality  “Abstraction”: conceptual awareness of reality via integrating percepts  “Theoretical”: known abstractly from particular cases  “Moral”: relating to practical principles for achieving human life and happiness  “Practical”: works in fact, therefore true and/or good.

68. Part II: Concept [Clearest Statements of the Theme]  Dagny’s reflections during the run of the John Galt Line (in the engine room) (230-31)  Rearden’s reflections as he prepares to sign the “miracle metal” gift certificate.  Francisco’s speech on sex (455-56)  Hank Rearden’s speech to Dagny after she returns from the valley. (790-91)  Galt’s speech—the section on the mind-body dichotomy as the handmaiden of altruism (943-45)

69. Part II: Integrating the Mind and Body –Eliminating the Dichotomy  Ayn Rand rejects the mind-body dichotomy that is central to many philosophies and religions.  She opposes the idea that the thoughts and achievements of the mind are pure and noble, but the desires of the body are base and immoral.  She presents Dagny as a character who also rejects the idea.  Dagny is proud of her sexuality and sees her physical desires flowing logically from the evaluations and rationality of her mind.  At first, Rearden accepts the mind-body split. His transformation occurs when he comes to integrate the two facets of himself into a rational whole.  The literary device of rhetorical questioning frequently draws attention to key thematic elements. The most obvious example is the unanswerable “Who is John Galt?” This question takes on many layers of meaning: as a slang reference to hopelessness and futility or as a reference to a mythical figure who may have found the fabled Atlantis…either way it is rhetorical in nature.  Motif of “the motor” and “bridges” as two concepts that keep the world functioning and that once destroyed require immense dedication, knowledge, and ingenuity to rebuild.  The bracelet Rearden creates from the first batch of Rearden Metal symbolizes everything he has worked toward for ten years, and in a larger sense, the purest product of the unfettered, creative mind. It represents his pride in and love for his work, and he wants desperately to share these values with someone. Lillian, who hates and wants to destroy Rearden, misses the point entirely and wears the bracelet only to mock him. She wrongly interprets its meaning as a reference to her bondage, though it is clearly Rearden who is chained to her.  There are many more that you may find as well…

70. Part II: Concept [The Mind/Body Dichotomy in Galt’s Speech] pp. 943-945: (Begins: “No, they say, they do not preach that man is evil....”):  The dichotomy holds that soul and body have incompatible natures, needs, and aims, and that the good of the soul requires the negation of the body.  The dichotomy presupposes the negation of reason, leaving man to choose between guidance by physical instincts or by mystic feelings.  The mystics of spirit substitute revelation for reason; they demand that the individual surrender his mind and self-interest to the will of God.  The mystics of muscle substitute reflexes for reason; they demand that the individual surrender his mind and self-interest to the will of Society.  Both varieties of mystics preach the same moral doctrine: self-sacrifice. (source: outline of Galt’s Speech by David Kelley)

71. Part II: Rearden’s Guilt …I damned the fact that my mind and body were a unit, and that my body responded to the values of my mind. I damned the fact that joy is the core of existence, the motive power of every living being, that it is the need of one's body as it is the goal of one's spirit, that my body was not a weight of inanimate muscles, but an instrument able to give me an experience of superlative joy to unite my flesh and my spirit. That capacity, which I damned as shameful, had left me indifferent to sluts, but gave me my one desire in answer to a woman's greatness. That desire, which I damned as obscene, did not come from the sight of her body, but from the knowledge that the lovely form I saw, did express the spirit I was seeing—it was not her body that I wanted, but her person—it was not the girl in gray that I had to possess, but the woman who ran a railroad. — Atlas Shrugged, Pt. 2 Chapter VI, p. 523

72. Part II: Account Overdrawn  The order for Taggart rail is the first failure in the history of Rearden Steel.  Without the copper, there is nothing Rearden can do, and without the metal, Taggart cannot fix its crumbling mainline track.  There are more accidents, and shippers who cannot get goods through go out of business. The economy spirals quickly.  Francisco solicits a response from both Hank Reardan and Dagny Taggart to find out how much longer each wishes to continue in a helpless cause against the looters quest to destroy the industry they have built.  Lilian discovers that Dagny is Reardan’s mistress…he refuses to end the affair responding in a very peculiar manner.  John Galt is Prometheus who changed his mind! What? Prometheus, in Greek myth, stole fire from the gods to give to mankind. His punishment was to be chained to a rock so that vultures could eat him all day – for eternity. Francisco is using the myth as an analogy, but he says that mankind is punishing Prometheus, so Prometheus took back his fire and other "gifts of civilization.“  Social construct –nonparticipation as an act of rebellion against injustice –see Martine Luther King, Jr., Ghandi, among others.

73. Part II: Account Overdrawn  This section of the story is about money, in both its solid absolute form and its relative "friendship" currency. Specifically, it is about running out of money: what one has to do in the event of an account overdrawn. More specifically, it is about how running out of money is transferred (Chang).  After his trial, Rearden breaks free of the chains of absolute laws. He breaks laws and manipulates deals in order to do what he knows is right (Chang).  The country’s economic decline is the logical result of recent events. In a vast ripple effect, the problems are compounded.  A lack of copper means Rearden cannot make his metal. As a result, Taggart cannot fix broken track and must run limited service. This leads to shippers losing customers, causing them to go bankrupt, leaving Taggart with fewer customers, forcing them to make further cuts in service.  Everything in an economic system is connected. By outlining these related failures, Rand demonstrates how interference in any part of an economy has consequences on every other part of it.  To the author Ayn Rand, it seems that the only legitimate role for government in an economic system is noninterference, otherwise it is a destroyer of liberty and capital.

74. Part II: Miracle Metal  Motivated by a quest for income fairness [inequality of outcomes] a new directive is passed. According to the directive, workers must remain in their present jobs or face prison, and all businesses must remain in operation.  As consummate bureaucrats, their only response is to enact even more policies, culminating in the overreaching Directive 10-289. The absurd act is riddled with contradictions and double-speak, such as the order that inventors be compelled to “voluntarily” give up their patents. In blindly piling irrational law upon irrational law, the politicians reveal their unwillingness to see the reality before them.  All patents and copyrights must be turned over to the government by means of voluntary Gift Certificates.  No new devices, inventions, or products can be produced. Every company is required to produce the same amount of goods as the previous year, no more and no less.  Wages and prices are to be frozen, and every citizen is required to spend the same amount of money as in the previous year.  All research departments must close except for the State Science Institute. To oversee the law, the Bureau of Economic Planning appoints a Unification Board, whose rulings are final.  Rearden’s transformation is nearly complete. He now understands that he follows the code of life and creative production while the looters, by seeking to destroy his ability to produce, follow a code of death (Chang).

75. Part II: The Moratorium on Brains  Eddie Willers keeps meeting a strange “worker” at the Taggart cafeteria.  Competent people are abandoning their work and disappearing.  Clifton Locey, a friend of Jim Taggart has been hired to replace Dagny.  Hank Rearden has moved out and has filed for a divorce from Lillian through his attorneys “by any means necessary”.  A friend of the friendless meets Reardan and hands Rearden a bar of solid gold…and he tells him it is for partial repayment of the taxes he has contributed to a corrupt government…and it represents justice.

76. Part II: The Moratorium on Brains  Eddie Willers meets his worker friend at the Taggart cafeteria.  He complains about the terrible effect of the directive on the railroad.  Competent men are abandoning their posts, and only shiftless vagrants are taking jobs. Walking to his apartment one night, he meets a man dressed in dark clothes who calls himself the friend of the friendless and hands Rearden a bar of solid gold. He tells Rearden that the gold is partial repayment for the income taxes he has been paying to a corrupt government, and it represents justice.  Ragnar Danneskjold is a pirate.  Taggart Transcontinental Cross-Country Comet is stranded in Colorado. An important politician, is on board and demands that the train move ahead, but unfortunately the engine is beyond repair, and the only available replacement is coal-burning engine that cannot enter the long, airless Taggart Tunnel.  After a series of communications in which everyone from Jim Taggart to the train’s engineer refuses to take responsibility, the politician is finally able to bully the employees into using the coal engine.  A drunken engineer agrees to take the Comet through the tunnel after the assigned engineer resigns in protest. Everyone on board is killed from the toxic fumes. The last thing they see is the still- burning flame of Wyatt’s oil fields (“Wyatt’s Torch”). Later, an army munitions train slams into the stalled Comet and explodes, destroying the tunnel.

77. Part II: By Our Love  Francisco visits Dagny to confess his love  Francisco intentionally ruined d’Anconia Copper Industries to keep it from the looters  Francisco tries to persuade Dagny to withdraw from the industrial society to strike  Dagny restores train service by rerouting trains onto other railroad companys’ track lines, which is illegal under the directive –even though the Unification Board relies on her to fix the problem – they don’t change or suspend the directive to allow for the changes or assist in the process  Love of the work holds both Reardan AND Dagny captive to the demands of the looters –they either must play the game or quit, or strike.  Dagny quits the railroad business

78. Part II: The Face Without Pain or Fear or Guilt  Reardan and Francisco engage in conflict over Dagny AND Francisco’s intentional betrayal of d’Anconia Copper Industries –his own company  Reardan remembers Francisco’s oath of love for ONE woman and asks him if it is Dagny –to which he replies that it is –Reardan slaps him in anger and betrayal  Francisco loves Reardan anyway and shows restraint  Quinten Daniels [engineer] resigns –but continues to work on the static motor free of charge  Eddie Willers [Dagny’s lieutenant] learns of Reardan’s affair with Dagny –he has also been in love with her for years and is stunned  Eddie tells “the worker” at Taggart café that he has always liked his face because it looks like the face of a man who has never known pain or fear or guilt  “The worker” hurries away at the mention of Reardan and Dagny

79. Part II: The Sign of the Dollar  Dagny shows mercy to a “hobo” on the train –and learns that he used to be an employee of the 21 st Century Motor Company [Jeff Allen]  The factory would “vote” on each person’s needs and then allocate resources based on that concept  Eventually, all workers lost their dignity through the leveling process  Honest men and women were punished –lesser men and women learned to manipulate the system and hide their deficiencies and abilities –the very first man to quit the 21 st Century Motor Company under this system was –John Galt  Dagny’s train is abandoned by its crew  Dagny charters an airplane to follow the travels of Quinten Daniels suspicious of his activities  Dagny’s plane crashes when its instruments fail –going down somewhere in the Colorado mountains

80. Reading Quiz: Part II 1. What are the aspects of the mind-body philosophy espoused through the story? [spiritual, physical, perception, theoretical, abstraction, moral] 2. Explain the circle theory and its eight interconnected elements? [ego, hate, jealousy, greed, fear, anxiety, anger, negativity] 3. Why is “the worker” that Eddie Willers lunches with significant in this part of the story? What clues exist in the text to understand his significance? 4. What interesting and significant characteristic of the “hobo” on the train interests Dagny? [He used to work for the 21 st Century Motor Company –and knew John Galt –as a real person] 5. What causes the plane Dagy is flying in to crash in the Colorado mountains? What is the irony of the repetition of the phrase “Who is John Galt?” as the plane is crashing?

81. Part III: Atlantis  Dagny is rescued from the plane crash and –opens her eyes to see the -face that bears no mark of pain or fear, or guilt –John Galt  John Galt had been piloting the Quinten Daniels’ plane –the one she had been following  John Galt is the inventor of the static motor  He carries the injured Dagny to his home –she discovers that the remote mountain valley is home to all the “vanished” industrialists  Dagny learns that Francisco is also a resident of the hidden valley  The industrialist have all built businesses and the valley is self sufficient  John Galt’s motor powers the electrical grid and the protective ray screen that hides the valley  “I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine”  The mind of the strike: those who bear the weight of the world on their shoulders –all others have made demands

82. Part III: The Utopia of Greed  Dagny meets the pirate Ragnar Danneskjold who lives in the valley –he has come for breakfast with John Galt and Francisco d’ Anconia  She refuses the account given to her and instead agrees to work as Galt’s maid to earn her keep  She learns that the outside world thinks that she is dead from the plane crash  Francisco is shocked and happy to find Dagny in the valley –he had been searching for the plane  Galt forbids any outside communication –Dagny cannot get work to Reardan that she is alive  John Galt and Dagny fall in love –she is the man of her imagination but since they are on opposite sides of the strike she fears they will not be together –Galt reminds Dagny that no one stays in the valley under any pretense or emotional shield  Dagny decided to return to society and fight for what is hers –the railroad – and agains t the warnings of the friends in the valley Galt decides to return as well -Dagny is blindfolded and swears to secrecy before returning

83. Part III: Anti-Greed  In rural Iowa the government reveals the results of Project X –a new superweapon known as the Thompson Harmonizer  Even though he knows nothing of it Dr. Stadler finds that he is credited with the science behind its creation –he is forced by the government to speak at is debut event  The weapon uses sound waves to destroy all living things within its radius  Dr. Floyd Ferris convinces Dr. Stadler that the weapon is necessary to control an increasingly hysterical and uncontrollable population –he is stunned and horrified by the machine’s demonstration as it is targeted on an Iowa farm and its livestock –the audience is stunned and horrified at the results  Wesley Mouch declares the instrument to be a wonderful instrument of peace  Dagny calls Reardan to tell him she is alive  After returning to her office she finds that the government has passed the Railroad Unification Plan –according to the plan all railroads will pool profits and distribute them according to the mileage of track each maintains. Taggart Transcontinental will make a huge profit because it owns the most track. The government board responsible for the plan reroutes trains for favors for influential friends.

84. Part III: Anti-Life  Argentina is declared a “People’s State” and d’Aconia Copper Industries is nationalized [stolen from its owners and run by the state]  Jim Taggart transfers his investment in d’Anconia Copper to another company in time to make a fortune before the looting of the company  When Jim Taggart drinks a toast to destroying d’Anconia his wife leaves in disgust.  Cheryl, Jim Taggart’s wife meets Dagny and discusses Jim’s faults  Cheryl and Dagny talk about the evil of giving to the undeserving and about the importance of justice, and Cheryl finally feels understood.  Lillian Reardan asks for Jim Taggart’s influence to prevent Hank from divorcing her, but he cannot help her…instead in a final attempt to hurt Reardan she has a meaningless affair with Jim.  Cheryl Taggart finds her husband has been disloyal and accuses him of killing her love for the sake of killing, he strikes her, and in her despair she flees into the street and jumps from the bridge and drowns in the river below.

85. Part III: Their Brothers’ Keepers  Under the Unification Plan crucial materials are diverted to businessmen with Washington DC ties and influence.  There is a copper shortage and as a result repairs to the rail line cannot be made with proper regularity.  Francisco and his best employees from d’Anconia Copper disappear.  Due to corruption the railroad cannot get to the booming crops in the Midwest and the resulting tragedy is that the crops rot before they are delivered to market…the farmers in Minnesota are mostly destroyed.  Dagny meets John Galt in the rail tunnels during a crisis and they begin a love affair.  He tells her to beware and not to follow him, that he has been watching her for years, and that if he were to be followed by the looters he might be killed.

86. Part III: The Concerto of Deliverance  Reardan’s metal workers ask for a raise through the Unification Board, which rejects their request, but Reardan never knew about it.  The newspapers publish the hardships of the metal workers without informing Reardan of the complaints.  Reardan is ordered to pay for unpaid back taxes and his finances are “attached” but it is a ruse…to keep him from striking.  Reardan is summoned to a meeting to determine what will happen to his company and learns of the Steel Unification Plan designed to pool profits and manage the economy to force those who care about their work to work harder to maintain what they have created… they will give the unification board more than they receive.  The entire system is based upon the concept that people like Reardan will always continue working, at any cost, because of the love of the work and their abilities.  Returning to the mills Reardan finds a riot has broken out, begun by government thugs…some are killed…Reardan is hit and knocked around and after an unknown worker kills his attacker they organize a resistance.

87. Part III: “This Is John Galt Speaking”  Reardan disappears, sending Dagny a note saying that he has met him and doesn’t blame her.  Without Reardan the metals industry begins to collapse…violent gangs take over and gain control of the mills.  Industrial society is collapsing without the financial and creative acumen of the creators.  The Head of State gives a speech to the nation to attempt to calm fears…the date and time were announced repeatedly for weeks.  At the date and time the broadcast is interrupted by a speech from John Galt.  John Galt gives the nation a long, detailed speech about the state of the nation, the strike of the mind and its reasons.  John Galt denounces traditional belief and the philosophy of the looters and advocates that morality is basic to man. Man’s reason is his moral faculty…serving himself is the highest goal of the moral man…he describes the principles upon which every moral man must live: reason, purpose, and self-esteem.

88. Part III: The Egoist  John Galt calls for a general strike…He asks for any person with a shred of reason left to withdraw their sanction and stop supporting their own destroyers.  He urges people to accept reality and stop being fearful or hostile to knowledge…but accept it and reclaim the concept of OBJECTIVE reality.  After the speech the government suggests that killing Galt is a desired alternative to the current state.  After the broadcast Eddie Willers tells Dagny that he has known John Galt for years…Dagny asks him to keep his knowledge of Galt secret…because the government is desperate to find him.  Dagny rushes to Galt to warn him of the government actions against him and warns him she must pretend to be against him…otherwise, they will use her to get to him. She claims they will seize him because she was followed by government agents. When they do…she claims to be against him.  The government seizes Galt and attempts to force him to work for them to fix the collapsing economy…they flood the news with propaganda and announce the “John Galt Plan” for restoration of the nation’s economy…he exposes the government force on camera.  Revolt begins in California and the Taggart Comet is stranded. Everything begins to unravel.

89. Part III: The Generator  Dr. Stadler and Cuffy Meigs fight for control of Project X.  The Project X weapon is detonated…the countryside is destroyed for hundreds of square miles.  Learning of a plan to torture Galt, and that the Taggart Bridge has been destroyed in the Project X disaster, she takes Galt’s oath and enters the strike.  At the State Science Institute John Galt is tortured with a device called Project F running electrical current through his body…Galt endures the torture without speaking…setting off a chain of events…  Dr. Stadler’s death in the Project X disaster is justice…through his denial of the mind he has embraced brute force…the weapon of Project X is the manifestation of the enslaved mond of the populace.  Dagny was one of the last holdouts of the industrialists and with her entering the strike…she had believed wrongly in her ability to turn the minds of the looters to sense.  When ultimately Galt and the other strikers return to the valley he blesses it symbolically with the sign of the dollar.

90. Part III: In the Name of the Best Within Us  The strikers rescue John Galt in a dramatic gunfight demonstrating that there are legitimate uses of brute force…in the defense of liberty.  The airplane carrying them to Colorado races off into the distant sky.  Eddie Willers takes the Taggart Comet west only to be stranded by it in Arizona. He refuses to desert the train, which is being abandoned by the crew while the engineers attempt to get it moving.  With the collapse of the looter society… the strikers from the hidden valley begin to return to the world to rebuilt it according to their knowledge, beliefs, and sense. El FIN

91. Significant Quotations for Analysis  “But what can you do when you have to deal with people?” –Dr. Stadler  “Contradictions do not exist. Whenever you think that you are facing a contradiction, check your premises. You will find that one of them is wrong.” –Francisco d’ Anconia  “John Galt is Prometheus who changed his mind. After centuries of being torn by vultures in payment for having brought to men the fire of the gods, he broke his chains –and he withdrew his fire –until the day when men withdraw their vultures.” –Francisco d’ Anconia  “I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.” –John Galt, The Oath of the Strike  “Centuries ago, the man who was –no matter what his errors –the greatest of you philosophers, has stated the formula defining the concept of existence and the rule of all knowledge: A is A. A thing is itself. You have never grasped the meaning of his statement. I am here to complete it: Existence is Identity, Consciousness is Identification.” –John Galt, from the Radio Speech [Concept: Existentialism]

92. The Sacred and The Profane  Sacred or Profane? Chaste love Holding to duty Working for charity A church A spire Empty country  Profane or Sacred? Sexual love Seeking happiness Making a profit A railroad terminal A bridge Industrial development Suggested Essay Prompts:  How do the dichotomies in the novel reveal aspects of Ayn Rand’s objectivist philosophy?  What does Francisco d’ Aconia mean when he says, “The words ‘to make money’ hold the essence of human morality”?  Is the American economic and political system more like Galt’s ideal or that of the looters?  What does Ayn Rand mean by “the sanction of the victim”? What does it mean when Reardan refuses to give it at his trial?  Ayn Rand intended for Atlas Shrugged to be a demonstration of her philosophy of Objectivism in action. How successful was she in showing how Objectivism can work in the world?  How do events in Atlas Shrugged support Ayn Rand’s view that capitalism is the only moral economic system in the world?

93. Works Cited Biography of Ayn Rand. 2008. Ayn Rand Institute. Accessed 2 December 2008 from http://aynrandeducation.com/ AboutAR.php?pagename=bio Chang, Yosun. (2005) Musings on Atlas Shrugged from http://atlasshruggednovel.blogspot.com. Introduction of Objectivism. 1995-2008. The Ayn Rand Institute. Accessed 2 December 2008 from http://www.aynrand.org/ site/PageServer?pagename=objectivism_intro.