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Ayn Rand

Peter Schwartz

The Return of the Primitive: The Anti-Industrial Revolution Paperback – January 1, 1999

by Ayn Rand (Author), Peter Schwartz (Introduction)

128 ratings

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In the tumultuous late 60s and early 70s, a social movement known as the "New Left" emerged as a major cultural influence, especially on the youth of America. It was a movement that embraced "flower-power" and psychedelic "consciousness-expansion," that lionized Ho Chi Minh and Fidel Castro and launched the Black Panthers and the Theater of the Absurd.In Return Of The Primitive (originally published in 1971 as The New Left), Ayn Rand, bestselling novelist and originator of the theory of Objectivism, identified the intellectual roots of this movement. She urged people to repudiate its mindless nihilism and to uphold, instead, a philosophy of reason, individualism, capitalism, and technological progress.Editor Peter Schwartz, in this new, expanded version of The New Left, has reorganized Rand's essays and added some of his own in order to underscore the continuing relevance of her analysis of that period. He examines such current ideologies as feminism, environmentalism and multiculturalism and argues that the same primitive, tribalist, "anti-industrial" mentality which animated the New Left a generation ago is shaping society today.

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Born February 2, 1905, Ayn Rand published her first novel, We the Living, in 1936. Anthem followed in 1938. It was with the publication of The Fountainhead (1943) and Atlas Shrugged (1957) that she achieved her spectacular success. Rand’s unique philosophy, Objectivism, has gained a worldwide audience. The fundamentals of her philosophy are put forth in three nonfiction books, Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology, The Virtues of Selfishness, and Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal. They are all available in Signet editions, as is the magnificent statement of her artistic credo, The Romantic Manifesto.

Product details

Publisher : NAL; Expanded edition (January 1, 1999)
Language : English
Paperback : 304 pages
ISBN-10 : 0452011841
ISBN-13 : 978-0452011847
Item Weight : 9.5 ounces
Dimensions : 5.15 x 0.8 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #286,384 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #446 in Social Aspects of Technology
- #683 in Modern Philosophy (Books)
- #798 in Philosophy Movements (Books)

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128 ratings

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Pete from across the RiverTop Contributor: Country Music

We are destined to repeat history -- if we don't learn from our past.

Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2017

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This book is a combination of Ayn Rand essays from the time of the college campus "Free Speech Movement" of the 1960s and more recent essays by other commentators about more recent college campus turmoil. Basically, the book explains the faulty thinking that led to the earlier capitulation by college administrations to the leftist rabble (note, I was attending a summer session at UC Berkeley at the very beginning of the Free Speech Movement -- I was THERE).

The comments about the more recent struggle arising with the current generation of campus leftists give an important perspective that helps to understand the philosophical errors and failures of both sets of leftists.

12 people found this helpful

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Peter Rogers MD

Cognitive development between ages of 3-7 years old was best part. Refutation of Nietzsche on "Apollo vs Dionysus" also great!

Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2018

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This book is typical Rand: brilliant, funny, and a little bit crazy.

I was telling one of my doctor buddies that Rand has a great theory of cognitive development in kids.

He says, "Did Rand have any kids?"
Me, "No."

Him, "Did she do research in cognitive development."
Me, "No."

Him, "Wasn't she addicted to speed?"
Me, "I don't know."

Him, "She sounds like an impressive expert."
Me, "I read tons of stuff on cognitive development, and Rand's article on brain development between the ages of 3-7 years old, is the best I've ever read. It fills in the gaps that you won't find from reading anyone else. Rand is a genius."

Refutation of Nietzsche on "Apollo vs Dionysus" was also great!

6 people found this helpful

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Randolph Severson

Reason To The Rescue: Lucid, Strident, Stirring

Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2020

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This is Ayn Rand the way she often was: one part warped, to three parts genius. The warped part: everything is always extreme, strident, hyperbole on speed. The genius part, and it is a really singular wisdom if you read her closely: Ayn Rand was no fan of smog and poisoned rivers; instead, she was a formidable and fluent advocate of Reason, a Reason that conforms itself to the objective facts of nature in service of survival, adaptation, resiliency and human flourishing. In her view, the science and technology created by the exercise of Reason promotes these ends. Her essential point is to use the mind, use Reason and its ‘Apollonic’ tools of science and technology to civilize the environment, that is, to cultivate and conserve it in a way scaled to legitimate human need and heroic aspiration. Rand’s answer to ‘What is to be done?’ is always to ‘Think’, be independent, think long and hard and seriously about it. Use your mind, use Reason, be objective, be logical, and when things go wrong, as they surely have both with the environment and thinking about the environment, check your premises. Don’t bite the originative and innovative, the Promethean —‘ I gave them hope, and so turned their eyes away from death’— hand that feeds you. Provocative with purpose and a seminal point.

One person found this helpful

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J. Trimpey

Down with civilization.

Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2015

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Ayn Rand was prescient in her analysis of how the primitive, animal side of human nature is emerging as a dominant social force intent upon tearing down Western civilization by undermining, nudging, outlawing, stigmatizing and ridiculing universal family values, which include honesty, integrity, personal responsibility, moral reasoning, industriousness, love, affection, loyalty, self-discipline, compassion, cheer, generosity, and mutual respect. The new primitives of the Occupy Wall Street movement are a perfect example of the anti-industrial revolution, aiming to tear down the financial structures of Western civilization. New equalitarians do not offer opportunity to rise in socioeconomic status, but instead they incite envious greed and policies that will bring the haves down to the level of the have-nots through progressive taxation. There is no constructive goal of the radical, liberal primitivists, other than to create an edenic, collectivist paradise at the end of history, when we will all live in the open, the timeless, eternal now, without past or future to create meaning beyond creature comforts. It's a jungle out there, becoming more so every day.

18 people found this helpful

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Agnes J. Thomas

A wise woman once said...

Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2012

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Ayn Rand is a remarkable woman. She can point out salient features of social movements and where their destructive ideas came from - jealousy of the strong and willing. This book is talking about what is going on behind the scenes of politics and the motives for ridding America of industrial growth by leftists. Her comparison of what happened to her in Communist Russia and what is now going on in America by socialist groups operating under the guise of altruism, including the environmentalists who want us to go back to primitive living and let mankind suffer for the benefit of a certain species of plant or animal life. Rand says that all things are not created equal. She explains that all these social movements are born to take away individual freedom and move toward collectivism, that is, Communism. Communism did not work in Russia, nor has any country adopting socialism destined to succeed. Man must be the master of his own life and fate. She says that America is the greatest country in the world because creative people are being left alone by the government to pursue their dreams. Thoughts, ideas, and inventions produce benefits for all mankind, like electricity, in ground plumbing, television, radio, effective ways to grow food for millions, and industrial progress in farming and transportation. A wonderful book, written clearly and well researched. She warns that the intent of activist groups are to crack down on liberties and put us into a welfare state, which we are already in. Every College or University should make their students read her works and then make a decision whether they wish to support altruistic movements that they are interested in the "good of all" when what they really do is deny individual freedom for its members and promote power for its leaders. Social control is the enemy, freedom of spirit and free enterprise is the solution.

13 people found this helpful

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Anchor

Best read for me this year

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 2, 2013

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This is shockingly up to date. I want to decorate my school with it's quotes, Every parent and every young adult should read it.

2 people found this helpful

Von Mozar

Stunning

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 1, 2015

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Every other page I had to bookmark whole paragraphs - powerful ideas - that can change the world! We must think.

3 people found this helpful

C. Schuett

Mind Blowing

Reviewed in Canada on October 28, 2019

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Absolutely mind blowing how Ayn Rand analyzed the problems we are facing today over 50 years ago.
She says in one 20 pages essays more than I read in 10 books by “acclaimed” authors on the same subject.

AGUC

Los progresistas siguen en su empeño de imponerse como sea

Reviewed in Spain on August 6, 2020

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Magnífico artículo. Las ideas de Ayn Rand y su percepción de la realidad, con las ideas--excusa de los "progresistas" para imponer dictatorialmente sus posiciones (y ya van casi 230 años), siguen siendo plenamente actuales.

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Bernardo Veiga Silva Rohrbacher

Livro bom e de boa qualidade.

Reviewed in Brazil on January 20, 2019

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Livro extremamente bom, mas a estrutura das notas e bibliografia muda e em certos capítulos é difícil consultá-las. A qualidade material do livro é melhor do que a maioria dos livros da autora.

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