Feminism is the doctrine which states that men and women are morally, intellectually and spiritually equal and should enjoy full equality of rights before the law. Thus, Branden observes that “if feminism has the view which recognizes women as men‟s intellectual, moral, sexual and political equals, then objectivist philosophy of human nature is inherently feminist, since it applied equally to all human beings, less irrespective of gender.” 28 Rand depicts this by creating heroines in her novels, Kira (We the Living), Dominique (The Fountainhead) and Dagny (Atlas Shrugged) and none of them sacrifices her interests, intellect or principles for the man or men in their lives.
She believes that everyone is a rational animal; therefore all men and women have the same right and deserve to be free to make their choices in life, without initiating forces against one another. Rand buttresses this in the character of Dominique in “The Fountainhead” and Dagny in “Atlas shrugged”. Here, Dominique was free to marry different men in order to see that Howard Roark gets vengeance and victory. Also Dagny was also given free hand to manage Taggart Transcontinental Rail lines a midst all obstacles.
Rand also rejects all traditional restrictions on women, especially the idea that men are more powerful than women and places men above women, thereby limiting the freedom of women to make choices. Rather, she encourages a productive work, which she sees as a virtue and value for women as well as merit hence, she admonishes women to engage in
“hero worship”, like having at least one man whom women should look up to, as Dagny in Atlas Shrugged did to Hank Reardon and as she admired many great men in history like Aristotle.
Further, Rand‟s emphasis on human right promotes her support on woman‟s right to abortion, especially as a respect of one‟s right to control the uses of his or her own body or reproductive choices. It is also
feminism, where a woman should exercise her own rational self-interest to pursue her happiness without relying or clinching to any group for protection or help. This makes her an anti collectivist feminist, where a group fights for every woman‟s right. Accordingly, Thomas buttresses that objectivism believes that “a woman is free to make any place she chooses to be her place. And as a rational being she ought to pursue her relationship based on mutual respect and an honest exchange of value for value. Also, a woman may need to engage in a productive career, friendship and love. They may also engage is in child rearing or not.
Therefore, there is no objective basis to restrict women choices based on their sex.” 29
Furthermore, Ayn Rand sees sex as an expression of a man‟s self- esteem and his own self value. No wonder she would always say tell me what a man finds sexually attractive and I will tell you his entire philosophy of life. She believes that sex is a physical capacity, but its exercise is determined by man‟s mind and his choice of values, held consciously or subconsciously. Thus for Rand, to a rational man sex is an expression of self-esteem and a celebration of himself and of existence.
But, to the man who lacks self-esteem sex is an attempt to fake it, to acquire its momentary illusion.
Further, Rand sees sex as one of the most important aspects of man‟s life and must not be approached lightly or casually. Hence she buttresses:
The man who is proudly certain of his own value, will want the highest type of woman
he can find, the woman he admires, the strongest, the hardest to conquer- because only the possession of a heroine will give him the sense of an
achievement, not the possession of a brainless slut.30
So for Rand a sexual relationship is proper only on the ground of the highest values one can find in a human being. Therefore, she buttresses that sex must be seen as a response to value. And considers promiscuity as immoral, because sex is too good and important which ought to involve a serious relationship whether it leads to marriage or not.
Endnotes
1. A. Rand, “Individual Rights”, Ayn Rand Lexicon,
https//aynrandlexicon.com//individual-rights.html, (30/08/2014).
2. A. Rand, “Man‟s Rights”, The Virtue of Selfishness, (New York:
New American Library, 1964), p. 92.
3. L. Peikoff, Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand, (New York:
Dutton, 1991), p. 351.
4. A. Rand, “Man‟s Rights,” The Virtue of Selfishness, p. 93.
5. A. Rand, Atlas Shrugged, (New York: Random House, 1957), p.
986.
6. L. Peikoff, Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand, p. 353.
7. A. Rand, For the New Intellectual, (New York: Random House,1961), p. 25.
8. A. Rand, The Ayn Rand Lexicon: Objectivism from A to Z, (New York: NAL Books, 1986), p.215.
9. A. Rand, “Collectivized Rights” The Virtue of Selfishness, p. 101.
10. A. Rand, “The Nature of Government”, The Virtue of Selfishness, p.
108.
11. A. Rand, Atlas Shrugged, p. 985.
12. L. Peikoff, Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand, p. 367.
13. A. Rand, “What is Capitalism,” Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal, (New York: New American Library, 1966), p.17.
14. Ibid. p. 23.
15. A. Rand, “Man‟s Rights,” The Virtue of Selfishness, p. 95.
16. P. Mc Keerer. “What is Objectivism”,
www.mondopolitico.com/ideologies/, (3/04/2015)
18. Ibid. p. 389.
19. Ibid. p. 410.
20. Ibid. p. 202.
21. Ibid. p. 370.
22. A. Rand, “America‟s Persecuted Minority: Big Business”, Capitalism: The Unknown ideal, p. 47.
23. L. Peikoff, The Objectivism; The Philosphy of Ayn Rand, p. 372.
24. Loc. Cit.
25. A. Rand, “The Lessons of Vietnam” The Ayn Rand Letter, 111, 25, (1974), p.1
26. A. Rand, “The Anti- Industrial Revolution” Return of the Primitive:
The Anti-Industrial Revolution, P. Schwartz, (ed.), (New York:
Meridian, 1999), p. 277.
27. Ibid. p. 280.
28. N. Branden, „Was Ayn Rand a Feminist?” Feminist Interpretations of Ayn Rand, M. Gladstein, and C Sciabarra, (Eds.), (University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1999), p.223.
29. W. Thomas, “Feminism and Objectivism” The Atlas Society, http//
www. atlassociety.org feminism-and-objectivism, (30/01/2015) 30. A. Rand, Atlas Shrugged. p. 490.