Why Businessmen Need Philosophy: The Capitalist's Guide to the Ideas Behind Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged

Business people find themselves under continual assault from government regulations, threats of lawsuits and under-appreciation of their positive role. The media, activists, politicians and even many religious officials cling to the cliché of business people as greedy, selfish or operating at the expense of others. The positive virtues of business people-self-sufficiency, responsibility and investment in the future--often are ignored by those who see business people as exploiters, cash cows for the government, or guinea pigs for government social policies. Those suffering under the weight of such attacks will find encouragement and articulate arguments on their behalf in Why Businessmen Need Philosophy, a book-collection of essays that champions the free market and individual rights. Published by the Ayn Rand Institute, a free market and individualism advocacy group, the book lays a solid foundation of reasoned argument of how business people in a free economy exemplify the positive principles on which this country was founded. "Some critics point to the homeless and blame their poverty on greedy private businessmen who exploit the public. Others, such as [economist] John Kenneth Galbraith, say that American are too affluent and too materialistic, and blame greedy private businessmen...," says philosopher and commentator Leonard Peikoff, who forcefully argues against this negative attitude. "Who are the most denounced and vilified men in the country? You are-you, the businessmen." The book is an exuberant, enthusiastic reaffirmation of the business person as providing the moral and economic foundation to the country. It provides a spirited defense of small and large business, argues the necessity of a foundation of honesty and fair dealing as growing from a free market economy and states the philosophical basis of why no one has a right to take the earnings of another. The book argues against the welfare state that relies on the false premise that the desire for another's property creates a right to take it. "The (American) system guarantees you the chance to work for what you want-not to be given it without effort by somebody else," Peikoff says. "We are seeing a total abandonment by the intellectuals and the politicians of the moral principles on which the U.S. was founded. The rule now is for politicians to ignore and violate men's actual rights, while arguing about a whole list of rights never dreamed of in this country's founding documents-rights...."For those weary of overflowing government regulations and laws dictating their professional lives and businesses, and for those working people who need reaffirmation of their vital role in society, this book serves them well.

This book is excellent, and I highly recommend it. I hope, however, that casual browsers of the Customer Reviews will realize that many of the ostensibly "pro-Ayn Rand" reviews on this web site -- such as the previous one by "A Reader, September 13" -- are smear jobs written by Ayn Rand's enemies, not genuine reviews written by Objectivists (who are, with some exceptions, literate and rationally polite people).

Or: The moral is the pracitical. An excellent collection of essays including two glorious diamonds by Ayn Rand (that have been in limited print/availability). Thanks to ARI for making these essays available, and Rand's other unpublished works available--as she wished. This is an excellent book to use to introduce your business friends to the importance of philosophy--and why businessmen need it. It is the second book you should give them--right after Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. As Atlas Shrugged was ridiculed and misrepresented, so is this book to be despised and smeared by all the lice out there--all the more reason to buy several copies of it!

This book is an excellent collection of essays about very relevant topics. Most people think business and philosophy are two opposite ends of a spectrum. That idea - the false dichotomy between the theoretical and the practical - is one of the most destructive 'ideas' of our time. This book does much to combat that view, but on a case-by-case basis. For wider-ranging analysis, one should read "Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal" by Ayn Rand.

The article titled 'Why Businessmen Should Be Honest' is one of the best summations of Objectivism that I have read. In a simple and complete way this article traces from the fundamental alternative of life or death, all the way to honesty. This one article makes the whole book worthwhile. Third, the articles by Ayn Rand and Leonard Piekoff are short and sweet. Buy this book