Who is John Galt?

John Galt is a character in the Ayn Rand novel “Atlas Shrugged.” Although his presence is more perceived than known until the end of the book, Galt is portrayed as a philosopher and inventor who believed in the power of the human mind and the rights of individuals to use their minds solely for themselves.
He portrays the fundamentals of capitalism as innovation, self-reliance and freedom from government interference. 

At a time when we watch our freedoms eroded by government, it’s little wonder Ayn Rand is often mentioned.

Rand was born in 1905 and educated in Russia under her birth name, Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum. She moved to the United States in 1926 and became one of the major intellectuals of the 20th century.

Her first works weren’t particularly successful, but “The Fountainhead” published in 1943 brought her fame.

The characters in that novel struggle to maintain their independence from societal influence and remain true to their values. The thesis is that society has a herd mentality and individuals must act selfishly to remain free. Not surprisingly, “The Fountainhead” was controversial.

Published in 1957, “Atlas Shrugged” solidified Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism, which she described as “a philosophy for living on earth.” She examined the kinds of actions individuals must take to flourish. 

In an essay, Yaron Brook and Don Watkins enumerated three actions Rand considered essential: think, produce and deal with others on mutually beneficial terms.

In a collection of essays titled “Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal,” Rand wrote: “Since knowledge, thinking and rational action are properties of the individual, since the choice to exercise his rational faculty or not depends on the individual, man’s survival requires that those who think be free of the interference of those who don’t. Since men are neither omniscient nor infallible, they must be free to agree or disagree, to cooperate or to pursue their own independent course, each according to his own rational judgment. Freedom is the fundamental requirement of man’s mind.”

Having sold more than 30 million copies of her books, Ayn Rand might have been one of the greatest salesmen of capitalism in history. In alignment with her philosophy of Objectivism, she said, “Capitalism is the only system based implicitly on an objective theory of values.” Ayn Rand told the real story of capitalism, a system in which each individual is free to flourish and prosper and deal harmoniously with others. 

Ayn Rand died in 1982. Imagine the horror with which she’d view America today: government-created victims, race baiting, book censorship, speech police, and government overreach into all aspects of life. 

As John Galt demonstrated in “Atlas Shrugged,” there’s no reason why individuals shouldn’t maximize their potential and make the most of life without victimizing others or becoming a victim. 

Freedom from excessive government would give all individuals an opportunity to thrive.

Ayn Rand deserves a salute. More importantly, Ayn Rand’s work is worth reading.