Corporations pushing Ayn Rand on universities.

[SirNitram]

Link

April 11 (Bloomberg) -- Ayn Rand's novels of headstrong entrepreneurs' battles against convention enjoy a devoted following in business circles. While academia has failed to embrace Rand, calling her philosophy simplistic, schools have agreed to teach her works in exchange for a donation.

The charitable arm of BB&T Corp., a banking company, pledged $1 million to the University of North Carolina Charlotte in 2005 and obtained an agreement that Rand's novel ``Atlas Shrugged'' would become required reading for students. Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, and Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina, say they also took grants and agreed to teach Rand.

The author, who died in 1982, used her self-righteous heroes to promote objectivism, a philosophy that embraces reason and individualism, while rejecting religion. While Rand, an advocate of free markets, would support a university's getting paid to teach her works, the idea riles academic ethicists.

``A corporation crosses a line and a university is complicit in crossing the line if it accepts money'' and accedes to a request to assign specific books, said Jonathan Knight, director of the program on academic freedom, tenure and governance for the American Association of University Professors, in Washington. ``It's unique in my experience.'' Knight has worked in the field for 31 years.

As universities seek ways to bolster finances, such as with top level sports teams, donations to dictate curricula are still rare. Yaron Brook, the executive director of the Ayn Rand Institute, a nonprofit organization in Irvine, California, that promotes objectivism, said some professors are re-evaluating Rand.

``We're definitely seeing more of an interest in the academic world,'' Brook said. He said he senses a softening of opposition from academics and sees more conferences and articles about Rand.

`Absolutist Ethics'

``Ayn Rand has a kind of absolutist ethics,'' Brook said. ``She believes in right or wrong, good and evil, but based on secular principles, not religious principles, and I think there's an appeal for that now.''

Alan Greenspan, later the U.S. Federal Reserve chairman, was among Rand's early disciples, in the 1950s. Mark Cuban, the billionaire owner of the National Basketball Association's Dallas Mavericks, calls Rand's ``The Fountainhead'' one of his favorite business books. John Allison, chief executive officer of BB&T, deems ``Atlas Shrugged'' the best defense of capitalism ever written, and requires managers to read it.

Rand believed American universities had been taken over in the 20th century by thinkers who rejected her notion that many of life's questions have one right answer, said Judith Wilt, an English professor at Boston College.

`Places for Discourse'

``Universities as places for discourse and argument and a kind of searching tend to be more interested in what Rand would call vagueness,'' said Wilt, 66, who is teaching a seminar on Rand and contemporaries such as John Steinbeck and Arthur Miller. ``Universities tend to be interested not in closing the argument, but in keeping it open.''

Rand was born in Russia in 1905 and emigrated to the U.S. in 1926. Businessmen who were guided by their own consciences or self-interest were the heroes of her novels. ``The Fountainhead,'' published in 1943, tells the story of architect Howard Roark, who blows up a housing project he designed rather than compromise his vision.

`I Love It'

``I love it because it's so motivating,'' Cuban, 49, said in an e-mail. ``It's about an individual standing up for and believing in himself, ignoring what others think.''

In ``Atlas Shrugged,'' Rand describes the collapse of the U.S. economy when the most productive industrialists, led by John Galt, withdraw from society.

``Atlas Shrugged'' has sold 6 million copies since its first printing in 1957. After sales sagged to an average of 77,000 a year in the 1980s, they climbed steadily and topped 185,000 last year, the Rand institute said, citing publishers' data.

Allison's BB&T, based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in March pledged $2 million to establish the first U.S. chair in the study of objectivism, at the University of Texas at Austin.

That school and 27 others have accepted an aggregate $30 million from the bank's foundation in the last decade.

``These gifts are really about the study of capitalism from a moral perspective and all we want is to make Rand part of the dialogue,'' said Bob Denham, a spokesman for BB&T, the parent of Branch Banking & Trust Co.

The BB&T Charitable Foundation made a five-year, $1 million commitment to the University of North Carolina Charlotte in January 2005 after a dinner meeting between Allison and Claude Lilly, then dean of UNC Charlotte's business school.

`Required Reading'

The grant agreement described ``Atlas Shrugged'' as ``required reading'' in a course about the fundamentals of capitalism.

BB&T donated $500,000 last year to Johnson C. Smith University to help endow a professorship on capitalism and free markets, with lessons including ``Atlas Shrugged.'' It's the fourth endowed chair at the historically black college in Charlotte.

`` I don't believe I have to advocate that people accept Ayn Rand's philosophy,'' said Patricia Roberson-Saunders, who holds the chair. Roberson-Saunders, who will present Rand with other texts, said students will benefit from reading about a world view held by ``people with whom they will have to work and for whom they will have to work.''

Marshall announced in January that it received $1 million to establish the BB&T Center for the Advancement of American Capitalism. As part of the curriculum, an upper-level course will focus on ``Atlas Shrugged'' and Adam Smith's ``The Wealth of Nations.''

Marshall spokesman Dave Wellman wasn't immediately available for comment.

`Crossing the Line'

After BB&T mandated that some schools teach ``Atlas Shrugged,'' grant seekers became aware of Allison's interest and now tailor their applications by stating up front their interest in Rand, Denham said.

Scholars scoff at the Rand bounty, saying her ideas are too shallow to build courses around her.

``Rand could not write her way out of a paper bag,'' said Harold Bloom, a professor of the humanities and English at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Bloom, 77, is the author of ``The Western Canon: The Books and School of the Ages'' (Harcourt, 1994), an examination of the most important works in Western literature. Rand isn't on the list.

[une]

A whole generation of people being taught that Ayn Rand's philosophy is not only legitimate, but it's right. That is scary. Really, really scary.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

BB&T was the shittiest fucking bank ever, too; they dicked my dear friend and roommate kitten over constantly when she was living in Virginia.

[Sidewinder]

This sets a VERY BAD precedent for American schools. It's nice that Ayn Rand promotes "a philosophy that embraces reason and individualism," but what if a donor says, "I'm a firm believer in the Bible, so you have to stop teaching about blasphemous things like evolution if you accept my donation"? What if he/she says, "I don't trust ni-- I mean, African Americans, so if you accept my donation, you must limit the number of niggers you allow in your school"? (I'm sure SOME school administrators will say, "Just give us the money, and we'll kick out the evolutionists/niggers/whatever from our school!")

[Alan Bolte]

While I'm tempted to bitch about Greenspan and the bankers, my attention has been derailed by the Google ads. Namely, the Ayn Rand Dating Service: "Join the online dating service for admirers of Ayn Rand's novels
www.TheAtlasphere.com"
Does this mean there's a dating service for everybody? Or that it's really a dating service for rich businessmen? Or something else? I don't know, I'm afraid to click on the link.

[Rye]

While I'm tempted to bitch about Greenspan and the bankers, my attention has been derailed by the Google ads. Namely, the Ayn Rand Dating Service: "Join the online dating service for admirers of Ayn Rand's novels
www.TheAtlasphere.com"
Does this mean there's a dating service for everybody? Or that it's really a dating service for rich businessmen? Or something else? I don't know, I'm afraid to click on the link.

If they're really admirers of Ayn Rand, it'll be populated exclusively with paid escorts.

[Darth Wong]

This sets a VERY BAD precedent for American schools. It's nice that Ayn Rand promotes "a philosophy that embraces reason and individualism,"

Except that it doesn't. Her philosophies are no more logical than religion; both rely on base premises that are never declared as such, and which you are expected to accept through sheer repetition of arguments which quietly incorporate them.

[Ritterin Sophia]

I can see why they'd do it, and it makes sense. Ayn Rand is frequently held up as some kind prophet of libertarianism. The more libertarians there are, the more likely they can actually get their crackpot ideas into the lawbooks, and the more freedom (to dick over the little guy) companies have.

[Wicked Pilot]

The grant agreement described ``Atlas Shrugged'' as ``required reading'' in a course about the fundamentals of capitalism.

Why not just use an economics textbook?

[TheKwas]

Because economic texts don't actually flaunt the free market around as a perfect ideal world. They, especially as you move into economic models other than 'Perfect Competition', often mention numerous types of market failure and how governments could potentially aid the market do it's job. All first-year eco textbooks will contain atleast a few chapters on externalities, monopoly, oplogarchy, and other such things, which this guy probably doesn't believe in and would rather ignore.

[Patrick Degan]

Mark Cuban, the billionaire owner of the National Basketball Association's Dallas Mavericks, calls Rand's ``The Fountainhead'' one of his favorite business books.

This is especially laughable considering that Howard Roarke (protagonist of The Fountainhead) rejects one of the core concepts of commercial intercourse: the customer is always right.

[Phantasee]

Because economic texts don't actually flaunt the free market around as a perfect ideal world. They, especially as you move into economic models other than 'Perfect Competition', often mention numerous types of market failure and how governments could potentially aid the market do it's job. All first-year eco textbooks will contain atleast a few chapters on externalities, monopoly, oplogarchy, and other such things, which this guy probably doesn't believe in and would rather ignore.

Sounds like Volleyball...

[Raw Shark]

A whole generation of people being taught that Ayn Rand's philosophy is not only legitimate, but it's right. That is scary. Really, really scary.

I don't see anything about teaching that it's right. In fact this seems to indicate otherwise:

I don't believe I have to advocate that people accept Ayn Rand's philosophy,'' said Patricia Roberson-Saunders, who holds the chair. Roberson-Saunders, who will present Rand with other texts, said students will benefit from reading about a world view held by ``people with whom they will have to work and for whom they will have to work.''

In my opinion, she sounds like she is prepared to take the money, present Rand's work amidst a balanced curriculum, and have a good laugh about it. Professors who want to preach Objectivism to the kids are going to take any opportunity anyway, and the ones who think it's crap now get department loot for saying so. Net win for the school, other than looking like whores.

[MKSheppard]

Atlas Shrugged severely needed a hard core editor to keep it coherent

[Elfdart]

The idea is to get these kids hooked on bad fiction so they'll be able to read some truly fanciful books (like Arthur Anderson's Enron portfolio -a real knee-slapper!) with a straight face.

[Alyrium Denryle]

I kinda wonder why The FOuntainhead was one of this guy's favorite books? I mean... Ayn Rand has a rape-fanta... er I mean sessi...er I mean scene in there that... yeah....

I suppose women are supposed to passively like back and think of the free market while Captains If Industry take what they want and leave a gaping,. oozing pit where their dignity used to be. A nice metaphore for capitalism in general actually...

But lets see... what false premises does the Bitch bring to the table. Lets see, Rational Actor theory, the idea that altruism is bad, the idea that there is a right or wrong answer when it comes to ethics, because that requires the universe giving a shit... I could go on.

[Shroom Man 777]

Goddamn Libertopians.

Anyway, from healthcare and Big Pharma, to the defense industry, to your SUVs and roads and bridges and homes and debts, it looks like American corporate culture is really doing the country bad. I mean, sure, a lot of these guys helped America achieve economic dominance in the world... but when you stay on the top for too long, the high altitude air's gonna make you light headed.

[K. A. Pital]

I suppose women are supposed to passively like back and think of the free market while Captains Of Industry take what they want and leave a gaping, oozing pit where their dignity used to be. A nice metaphore for capitalism in general actually...

Sigged.

As for the whole "shools teach Rand", well, go on. I'll just add one more voice to DW's statement that libertarianism is the New Soviet Marxism of today. "Go by Da Book of Capitalism, and everything will be fine".

[Glocksman]

Right or wrong about Rand aside, no one is forcing these schools to take the money.
If they don't want to force their students to read Rand (and I tried to read one of her books and gave up out of sheer boredom), don't take corporate money linked to a 'read Rand' requirement.

Personally if I were to win the Powerball, I'd be sorely tempted to endow a chair at an elite law school dedicated to gun rights.

'On My Signal: Unleash Hell'.

[Darth Wong]

Right or wrong about Rand aside, no one is forcing these schools to take the money.
If they don't want to force their students to read Rand (and I tried to read one of her books and gave up out of sheer boredom), don't take corporate money linked to a 'read Rand' requirement.

The problem is that universities are becoming a commodity. The notion of quality in universities seems to be going by the wayside. Prestige is determined by social factors rather than academic ones.

[PainRack]

Is this new? Rockefeller once donated money to universities demanding that they hire teachers of "christian character" afterall.

[Phantasee]

Atlas Shrugged severely needed a hard core editor to keep it coherent

Atlas Shrugged is one of the very few books that I have started reading without finishing. I couldn't finish it, even though I was so close to the end.

Last I saw it, it was in the backseat of my car, before it was sent to the wreckers.

[Molyneux]

I have no problem with this policy - as long as the classes are required to teach Terry Pratchett's "Going Postal" as well. Equal time, after all!

[Patrick Degan]

Atlas Shrugged severely needed a hard core editor to keep it coherent

Atlas Shrugged couldn't have been made coherent even with a whole regimen of antipsychotic drugs and five years of therapy administered to it.

[Keevan_Colton]

I have no problem with this policy - as long as the classes are required to teach Terry Pratchett's "Going Postal" as well. Equal time, after all!

That's exceedingly amusing, a friend of mine is becoming enamoured of Ayn Rand's stuff...so I prescribed Making Money to help cure that particular affliction