Rand's The Fountainhead: Reading and Discussion for January Meetup

It seems like Ayn Rand's name pops up in Thinkers' Club discussions relatively frequently, often loaded with passionate - and divergent - opinions of Objectivism. Now for the first time in Thinkers' Club history, we will devote our January meetup to the discussion of one of Rand's most provokative and controversial works, The Fountainhead. This 1943 bestselling fictional novel tells the story of Howard Roark, a young architect with unyeilding ideals and unparallelled artisitc genius, who struggles against social derision and denuciation to eventually reify his architectural creations. Rand aims to depict the ideal man - the perfect embodyment of her Objectivist philosophy. Rand uses Roark's journey to introduce her views on aesthetics, capitalism, and ethics, sparking questions like "what role does selfishness play in 'the good life?'" and "Is is possible for a real person to live out Rand's ideals?" A passionate story of lust, melodrama, art criticism, and intriguing character development make Rand's writing alluring and accessible to the non-philosophically inclined. If you've been waiting for some "sexy philosophy," this meetup is for you!

Questions to keep in mind as you are reading The Fountainhead:

What are the basic tenents of Objectivism?
Is living out Rand's Objectivist philosophy a "real option" for regular humans? Should "livability" be
a necessary requirement for developing a system of ethics?
Rand is an elitist - would a system of ethics based on this premise be viable in society? What are
the social and pragmatic consequences of an ethics of selfishness? What
critisms would you make of Rand's ethics?
Can Rand really support her ideas with the philosophical foundations she cites?

This is SURE to be a heated discussion. It's hard to have a neutral opinion on Rand since her ideas are loaded with political, moral, and economic axioms. Come having read the book...or the cliffs notes....or something shorter by Rand like Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology or Anthem. We welcome those with pro and anti Objectivist views alike. I anticipate this discussion becoming a debate, so let's all remember to come in with respectful attitudes towards others' veiws :).

See you in January and have a happy holiday season!