Objections to Objectivism?

I know it’s been said a thousand times, but Ayn Rand really is a genius. She is the author of Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead, Anthem, and many more. The main theme of her books is the philosophy called Objectivism, a term she coined. Objectivism, according to Wikipedia, holds that “reality exists independent of consciousness, that human beings have direct contact with reality through sense perception, that the proper moral purpose of one's life is the pursuit of one's own happiness or rational self-interest.” Her thinking flew in the face of the popularly held beliefs in the 1950s:

 -that being unselfish makes us better people

-that our interests should come last in our hearts

-that we exist to serve others.

Ayn Rand argues that truly great men had no concern for what their fellow man thought or wanted. Instead, they walked blindly into the unknown future with nothing to guide them but their “selfish” dreams and ambitions, the true desires of their own hearts. For example:

-Robert Fulton and the steam engine

-The Wright Brothers and the airplane

-Louis Pasteur and the swan necked flasks

These men, though separated by years, cultures, and interests, relentlessly pursued the same thing: an idea. Ignoring the protests and malignant reception of their peers, they continued to pour their souls into their projects, adamant in the path of their “selfish” goals. History shows that their success contributed more than imaginable to the welfare and eventual progression and evolution of mankind. By following “one’s own interest,” they afforded more to their fellow man than if they had been unselfish from the start.

           Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead both give detailed, prolific accounts of the lives of men who understand and apply the above concept and men who do not. The struggles, loves, losses, and victories that pervade these novels are astounding. Ayn writes masterfully…with skill, precision, style, and a breathtaking ability to twist and warp your perception of all you once believed. These books were essential to my psychological development. I highly recommend them.

Also, I am not saying that Objectivism is flawless. It does fail to address certain contingencies of counterarguments, but that does not negate the profound ideas that support it. 

 Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand. Fasten your brain belt.

"He who lends a book is an idiot.  He who returns the book is more of an idiot."  ~Arabic Proverb