Ayn Rand: The Russian Radical

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“[Ayn Rand: The Russian Radical] is essential for Rand fans and for academics who want to analyze her thought.” —Leslie Armour, Library Journal “Chris Matthew Sciabarra wrote a powerful book. It is not easy reading, but it is a MUST for all Randians, all individualists, and all men and women who believe in and live by the precepts of truth, reason, and freedom.” —Jack Schwartzman, Fragments “This book reveals the distinctively Russian aspects of Ayn Rand’s philosophy. As such, it is a major contribution to the public’s knowledge and understanding of this controversial and still popular writer.” —Bernice Glatzer Rosenthal, editor of Nietzsche in Russia “Several books have been written about Rand, but none with the philosophical depth and scope of Ayn Rand: The Russian Radical. “ —Tibor Machan, Auburn University “This is the most thorough and scholarly work ever done on Ayn Rand. It is also very engagingly written and commands attention throughout.” —John Hospers, University of Southern California “Sciabarra’s book takes a brilliant, intellectually daring, and completely firsthand approach to the philosophy of Ayn Rand. It is impressively researched and written with elegant simplicity and clarity. This book will be read and argued about for many years—but it will be read by anyone interested in Ayn Rand and/or the history of philosophy.” —Barbara Branden, author of The Passion of Ayn Rand “I think this is the most important book ever written about Ayn Rand’s work.” —Nathaniel Branden, author of The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem Author of The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand (1905–1982) is one of the most widely read philosophers of the twentieth century. Yet, despite the sale of over thirty million copies of her works, there have been few serious scholarly examinations of her thought. Ayn Rand: The Russian Radical provides a comprehensive analysis of the intellectual roots and philosophy of this controversial thinker. In this new edition, Chris Sciabarra adds two chapters that present in-depth analysis of the most complete transcripts to date documenting Rand’s education at Petrograd State University . A new preface places the book in the context of Sciabarra’s own research and the recent expansion of interest in Rand’s philosophy. Finally, this edition includes a postscript that answers a recent critic of Sciabarra’s historical work on Rand. Shoshana Milgram, Rand’s biographer , has tried to cast doubt on Rand’s own recollections of having studied with the famous Russian philosopher N. O. Lossky. Sciabarra shows that Milgram’s analysis fails to cast doubt on Rand’s recollections—or on Sciabarra’s historical thesis. Chris Matthew Sciabarra is a Visiting Scholar in the Department of Politics at New York University . He is the author of Total Freedom: Toward a Dialectical Libertarianism (Penn State, 2000) and co-editor with Mimi Reisel Gladstein of Feminist Interpretations of Ayn Rand (Penn State, 1999). He is also one of the editors of the Journal of Ayn Rand Studies. The Pennsylvania State University Press University Park, Pennsylvania www.psupress.org ...