Happiness and productivity in Ayn Rand’s social and political thought

Abstract

Ayn Rand is a popular philosopher and political thinker in the United
States. Political thought researchers commonly rank her concepts in the doctrines
of radical liberalism or libertarianism, though Rand herself avoided all
distinctions throughout her life. Rand created her own philosophical school,
which she called Objectivism. The school based its philosophy on four values:
truth, happiness, reason and justice. These values also became the basis of
Rand’s social and political concepts. The purpose of this article is to show
how Rand understood the value of happiness and the virtue of productivity.
The philosophical origins of this concept as well as its practical implementation
are indicated. Happiness and productivity are ideas that have largely
influenced Rand’s and her followers’ anthropological individualism, political
minarchism and economic laissez-faire.