Galt's Gulch

Atlas Shrugged, Part 2 Chapter 2: The Aristocracy of Pull

Posted by nsnelson 8 years, 9 months ago to Books
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Summary: September 2. “The destroyer” is taking more minds, but Dagny continues to work with Daniels on the motor. Dagny learns that the cigarette is extra-terrestrial. Rearden move forward with Metal for Danagger, then Lillian collected him to attend James Taggart’s wedding to Cherryl, a Cinderella story. James calls money the root of all evil. Cherryl confronts Dagny, the man of the family. Rearden pondered the meaning of life, as Lillian made an alliance with James. d'Anconia usurped the conversation, and spoke on the meaning and value of money, and then revealed part of his plan to Rearden.

Start by reading the first-tier comments, which are all quotes of Ayn Rand (some of my favorites, some just important for other reasons). Comment on your favorite ones, or others' comments. Don't see your favorite quote? Post it in a new comment. Please reserve new comments for Ayn Rand, and your non-Rand quotes for "replies" to the quotes or discussion. (Otherwise Rand's quotes will get crowded out and pushed down into oblivion. You can help avoid this by "voting up" the Rand quotes, or at least the ones you especially like, and voting down first-tier comments that are not quotes of the featured book.)

NB: I labeled d'Anconia's speech on money by paragraph, because I know these are going to get out of order as they are voted up or down. Some I thought worth splitting up, others I skipped. If you add one that I skipped, I recommend labeling it as I have.

Atlas Shrugged was written by Ayn Rand in 1957.

My idea for this post is discussed here:

http://www.galtsgulchonline.com/posts...

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  • Posted by nsnelson 8 years, 9 months ago
    d’Anconia on Money 2B: “Your wallet is your statement of hope that somewhere in the world around you there are men who will not default on that moral principle [i.e., that money is valuable as a tool for trade] which is the root of money.”
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  • Posted by nsnelson 8 years, 9 months ago
    d’Anconia on Money 2: “When you accept money in payment for your effort, you do so only on the conviction that you will exchange it for the product of the effort of others. It is not the moochers or the looters who give value to money. Not an ocean of tears nor all the guns in the world can transform those pieces of paper in your wallet into the bread you will need to survive tomorrow. Those pieces of paper, which should have been gold, are a token of honor – your claim upon the energy of the men who produce.”
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  • Posted by nsnelson 8 years, 9 months ago
    d’Anconia on Money 1B: “Money is not the tool of the moochers, who claim your product by tears, or of the looters, who take it from you by force. Money is made possible only by the men who produce. Is this what you consider evil?”
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  • Posted by nsnelson 8 years, 9 months ago
    d’Anconia on Money 1: “So you think that money is the root of all evil?” said Francisco d’Anconia. “Have you ever asked what is the root of money? Money is a tool of exchange, which can’t exist unless there are goods produced and men able to produce them. Money is the material shape of the principle that men who wish to deal with one another must deal by trade and give value for value.”
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  • Posted by nsnelson 8 years, 9 months ago
    Francisco to James: “In an age when men exist, not by right, but by favor, one does not reject a grateful person, one tries to trap into gratitude as many people as possible. Don’t you want to have me as one of your men under obligation?”
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
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  • Posted by nsnelson 8 years, 9 months ago
    Francisco to James: “I think it’s funny. There was a time when men were afraid that somebody would reveal some secret of theirs that was unknown to their fellows. Nowadays, they’re afraid that somebody will name what everybody knows. Have you practical people ever thought that that’s all it would take to blast your whole, big, complex structure, with all your laws and guns – just somebody naming the exact nature of what you’re doing?”
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  • Posted by nsnelson 8 years, 9 months ago
    “We are at the dawn of a new age,” said James Taggart, from above the rim of his champagne glass. “We are breaking up the vicious tyranny of economic power. We will set men free of the rule of the dollar. We will release our spiritual aims from dependence on the owners of material means. We will liberate our culture from the stranglehold of the profit-chasers. We will build a society dedicated to higher ideals, and we will replace the aristocracy of money by – ”
    “ – the aristocracy of pull,” said a voice beyond the group. They whirled around. The man who stood facing them was Francisco d’Anconia.
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  • Posted by nsnelson 8 years, 9 months ago
    Lillian to Dagny: Lillian shook her head in smiling reproach. “Miss Taggart, don’t you think that this is a case where one cannot afford to indulge in abstract theory, but must consider practical reality?”
    Dagny would not smile. “I have never understood what is meant by a statement of that kind.”
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  • Posted by nsnelson 8 years, 9 months ago
    Cherryl Taggart to Dagny: “I’m going to protect him against you. I’ll put you in your place. I’m Mrs. Taggart. I’m the woman in this family now.”
    “That’s quite all right,” said Dagny. “I’m the man.”
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  • Posted by nsnelson 8 years, 9 months ago
    James Taggart to Cherryl Brooks: “It takes no kindness to respect a man who deserves respect – it’s only a payment which he’s earned. To give an unearned respect is the supreme gesture of charity… But they’re incapable of charity. They’re not human.”
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  • Posted by nsnelson 8 years, 9 months ago
    James Taggart to Cherryl Brooks: “Everyone agrees that anything you do is good, so long as it’s not for yourself.”
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    • Posted by nsnelson 8 years, 9 months ago
      I wonder about this. This seems to be part of Ayn Rand’s definition of altruism. But does any altruist actually say this? Or is this just her caricature of them?
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      • Posted by VetteGuy 8 years, 9 months ago
        I don't think I've ever heard it taken that far; that "everything" is good if it's not for yourself. But it is an extrapolation I'm not surprised to see from JT. If selfishness is bad, then anything that's opposite of selfishness must be good. Unfortunately JT starts with the wrong basic premise.
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  • Posted by nsnelson 8 years, 9 months ago
    Danagger to Rearden: “The newspapers are yelling that coal is now the most crucial commodity in the country. They are also yelling that the coal operators are profiteering in the oil shortage. One gang in Washington is yelling that I am expanding too much and something should be done to stop me, because I am becoming a monopoly. Another gang in Washington is yelling that I am not expanding enough and something should be done to let the government seize my mines, because I am greedy for profits and unwilling to satisfy the public’s need of fuel.”
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  • Posted by nsnelson 8 years, 9 months ago
    Dagny to Daniels: “Haven’t you any desire to be of service to humanity?”
    “I don’t talk that kind of language, Miss Taggart. I don’t think you do, either.”
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