Ayn Rand 'People Want To Die' Philosophy... Source?

[JordanS]

In this pod-cast Stef touches upon the Ayn Rand 'People Want To Die' Philosophy around 5:27 in.

 

I was wondering if anyone could point me towards the origins of this this work by Rand so i can read more about it.

 

[K.o.t.H.]

I don't know where to point you specifically. One of her main themes was that man is different from other life forms in that we do not have an automatic code of survival, and can act as own destroyer through a volitional choice to act against the proper values that are required for life. It has been a while since I have read Rand, and I will not be able to remember how to explain her thoughts on how certain camps of philosophy can lead people to actually wish for, and work against their own survival. I may be really hacking up her thoughts and could be way off as far as what Stef was talking about there. The theme is throughout her writings, have you read Atlas? If not maybe read this https://docs.google.com/document/d/1x08QhNX_a1iB5Dt5uEC21q_GMvrM0sbd6zba2UOb6c0/mobilebasic?pli=1 , I'm sure it touches on it a little.

[Pepin]

Having read quite a lot of Rand and having gone through some lecture series on Objectivism, I don't recall this concept the way Stefan describes. The way I'd portray it is that people will avoid responsibility and reality to extreme extents, even resulting in their death. It isn't so much that they prefer death, but rather that they'd prefer to die over thinking.

 

There is a scene in Atlas Shrugged which describes this pretty well, and of course it has to do with trains. I don't want to spoil the book if you haven't read it, but it deals with the consequences of those who accept bad philosophy.

[JordanS]

Having read quite a lot of Rand and having gone through some lecture series on Objectivism, I don't recall this concept the way Stefan describes. The way I'd portray it is that people will avoid responsibility and reality to extreme extents, even resulting in their death. It isn't so much that they prefer death, but rather that they'd prefer to die over thinking.

 

There is a scene in Atlas Shrugged which describes this pretty well, and of course it has to do with trains. I don't want to spoil the book if you haven't read it, but it deals with the consequences of those who accept bad philosophy.

 

Thanks for the no spoilers! I think you are referring to the tunnel right?

 

Yes that is different from what Stefan describes in terms of it not being the concious choice to destroy ones self but rather a lack of foresight into how present decisions will lead to future outcomes, outcomes that may be fatal.

I don't know where to point you specifically. One of her main themes was that man is different from other life forms in that we do not have an automatic code of survival, and can act as own destroyer through a volitional choice to act against the proper values that are required for life. It has been a while since I have read Rand, and I will not be able to remember how to explain her thoughts on how certain camps of philosophy can lead people to actually wish for, and work against their own survival. I may be really hacking up her thoughts and could be way off as far as what Stef was talking about there. The theme is throughout her writings, have you read Atlas? If not maybe read this https://docs.google.com/document/d/1x08QhNX_a1iB5Dt5uEC21q_GMvrM0sbd6zba2UOb6c0/mobilebasic?pli=1 , I'm sure it touches on it a little.

 

Reading Atlas at the moment, one of my favourite books already

 

Yes it seems he went to an extreme when he was talking, but it is most likely this phenomenon of an individual inadvertently doing acts that lead to their own demise.

 

Even if this is the fact, has Rand suggest that there is some motive for the self-destruction or rather it is simply the consequence of a lack of foresight?

[MrCapitalism]

[TheSchoolofAthens]

Having read quite a lot of Rand and having gone through some lecture series on Objectivism, I don't recall this concept the way Stefan describes. The way I'd portray it is that people will avoid responsibility and reality to extreme extents, even resulting in their death. It isn't so much that they prefer death, but rather that they'd prefer to die over thinking.

 

There is a scene in Atlas Shrugged which describes this pretty well, and of course it has to do with trains. I don't want to spoil the book if you haven't read it, but it deals with the consequences of those who accept bad philosophy.

Certainly some people do want to die because they find death preferable to life - for example one who can't escape an abuser or the memories of being abused. Of course there are thousands of examples as to why people would find death preferable to life, but to use an example from Atlas Shrugged, [no spoilers] a character commits suicide because the characters feels that he/she can't escape someone else. Then there are those who kill themselves slowly, perhaps not even aware of it, by choosing not to think, act, or be. Some just choose to waste away. Instead of pulling the trigger and dying immediately, some live life with their fingers always on the trigger, slowly squeezing, aiming right at their temples, inhaling the smell of lead, not only in preparation for death, but on a voluntary journey towards death with the end goal being the achievement of death. 

 

I don't know if that helps at all but I hope it does. I can't think of a specific essay of hers where she talks about a death wish, but the theme can be found in her novels.