Q&A: Ayn Rand’s Philosophy
Ayn Rand’s Philosophy
Question
Hello Rabbi,
I happened to read Ayn Rand’s books, and I was very interested to know what the Rabbi thinks about the philosophy she presents. Does the Rabbi think it can be reconciled with Judaism? Is the whole thing deficient because of one set of basic assumptions or another, or are there points of truth that can be adopted? If so, could the Rabbi give examples?
Answer
I don’t remember enough to give an overview of her doctrine (beyond expression and self-realization, which among her students gets translated into egoism). If you’re interested in something specific, please spell it out and we can discuss it.
Generally speaking, I would say that every true idea has a place in Judaism. One should not judge an idea by its place in Judaism, but only by the question of whether it is true or not. And I haven’t even gotten to the question of what “Judaism” is—Maimonides? the Written Torah? the Talmudic text?