The theme of AtlasShrugged is the role of the mind in human society. Rand argues that independent thinking, and the creativity and inventiveness that comes from this, is the motor that runs the world. In AtlasShrugged she shows what she thinks would happen to the world if the "men of the mind" went on strike: the motor of the world would shut down, and civilization would fall apart. This is a direct assault on the MarxisT? LaborTheoryOfValue?, which was popular at the time of writing.
The theme of AtlasShrugged is the role of the mind in human society. Rand argues that independent thinking, and the creativity and inventiveness that comes from this, is the motor that runs the world. In AtlasShrugged she shows what she thinks would happen to the world if the "men of the mind" went on strike: the motor of the world would shut down, and civilization would fall apart. This is a direct assault on the LaborTheoryOfValue?, which was popular at the time of writing.
Added: 10a11,16
Setting:
Exactly when AtlasShrugged is meant to take place is kept deliberately vague. In /SectioN152? the population of /NewYork? is given as 7 million. The historical /NewYorkCity? reached 7 million people in the 1930s, placing the novel sometime after that. There are numerous early 20th century technologies available, but the political situtation is clearly different from actual history. It is as if history had changed around 1900, and the world went unimpeded down a gradual path towards socialism for perhaps 40 years, with no World War, and no rise of fascism in Europe. There are many examples of early 20th century /Technology? in Atlas Shrugged, but no post-war technologies such as jet planes, atomic weapons, helicoptors, computers, or television.
Most of the action in Atlas Shrugged takes place in the /UnitedStates?.
![[Home]](wikipedia.png)