Ayn Rand's view of women as a president

[samintx]

Rand's views on gender role are controversial. While her books champion men and women as intellectual equals, she thought that physiological differences between the sexes led to fundamental psychological differences that were the source of gender roles. Rand denied endorsing any kind of power difference between men and women, stating that metaphysical dominance in sexual relations refers to the man's role as the prime mover in sex and the necessity of male arousal for sex to occur.[36] According to Rand, "For a woman qua woman, the essence of femininity is hero-worship—the desire to look up to man."[37] Rand believed that sex in its highest form is a physical response to intellectual and spiritual values, a mechanism for giving concrete expression to values that could otherwise only be experienced in the abstract.

In a McCall's magazine interview, Rand stated that while women are competent to be President, no rational woman should seek that position; she later explained that it would be psychologically damaging to the woman.[37] She strongly opposed the modern feminist movement, despite supporting some of its goals.[38] Feminist author Susan Brownmiller called Rand "a traitor to her own sex," while others, including Camille Paglia and the contributors to 1999's Feminist Interpretations of Ayn Rand, have noted Rand's "fiercely independent—and unapologetically sexual" heroines who are unbound by "tradition's chains ... [and] who had sex because they wanted to."[39]

[MacMagus]

I think it's time that people stopped talking about Ayn Rand.

Let that poor sick woman rest.

[cbelt3]

There were also detailed 'scientific studies' as late as the 1700's that claimed that literacy would produce sterility and possibly insanity in women. I don't agree with those 'studies' either.

Like any philosopher, Rand's 'universal truths' are best taken in the context of her life and times. While elements of it are still considered laudable (self-reliance, etc.) other elements of her philosophy have fallen by the societal wayside.

Blindly adhering to totality of Miss Rosenbaum's conceptualizations makes no more sense than blindly adhering to the tenents of any particular school of thought or religion. And, to her credit, she wrote the following:

"My philosophy advocates reason, not faith; it requires men to think -- to accept nothing without a full, rational, firsthand understanding and conviction -- to claim nothing without factual evidence and logical proof. A blind follower is precisely what my philosophy condemns and what I reject. Objectivism is not a mystic cult."

[kj]

I read Ayn Rand in the 80s and realized pretty quickly it might have made sense in the 50s, but no more. One of her big deals seemed to be rediscovering "I". I think everyone in the 80s (and now, for that matter) was pretty aware of "I". kj.