Changes

Objectivism's take on art is simple: art should uplift, and present uplifting things. The favorite school of art among students of Objectivism is [[Romantic realism]], the name that Rand gave to a school of art that emphasizes human reason and ideals and primarily portrays people striving to do great deeds, rather than suffering great disasters--in short, being ''proactive'' rather than ''reactive''. Good art, in other words, celebrates that which Objectivism itself celebrates: the ideal rational man.

Objectivism's take on art is simple: art should uplift, and present uplifting things. The favorite school of art among students of Objectivism is [[Romantic realism]], the name that Rand gave to a school of art that emphasizes human reason and ideals and primarily portrays people striving to do great deeds, rather than suffering great disasters--in short, being ''proactive'' rather than ''reactive''. Good art, in other words, celebrates that which Objectivism itself celebrates: the ideal rational man.

Certain forms of expression receive nothing but scorn from adherents of Objectivism. One is [[pornography]], which Rand herself said was "unspeakably disgusting," and <blockquote>not because [[sex]] is bad, but precisely because it is ''good''--too good, and too important, to be the subject of a public ''anatomical'' display.</blockquote> Rand was known to abstain from sexual relationships, believing the value of intercourse in the free market markedly increased as the effective supply was reduced. Since submission to another's advances was considered tantamount to slavery, Rand advocated the practice of mutual rape, redefining the term with a benevolent and unabashedly empowering connotation.  

Certain forms of expression receive nothing but scorn from adherents of Objectivism. One is [[pornography]], which Rand herself said was "unspeakably disgusting," and <blockquote>not because [[sex]] is bad, but precisely because it is ''good''--too good, and too important, to be the subject of a public ''anatomical'' display.</blockquote>

 

However, Rand's theory of sex was and remains highly controversial. In multiple scenes from her novels, and in a number of her essays, Rand made clear that the ideal sexual relationship would be in the context of the man being more powerful than the woman. Many such scenes in her novels could be quite disturbing and highly suggestive of sado-masochistic erotica. All of them shared one thing in common: the man held a more powerful position than did the woman in the civil society in which they both lived, and the man played a dominant role in the scene itself.

 

Some have alleged that Rand abstained from sexual relationships, in the belief that the value of intercourse in the free market markedly increased as the effective supply was reduced. This is not correct. Her married life was hardly sexless--and, sadly, her relationship with Branden was sexual also.

Another form of art which Rand disdained was that which emphasized emotion over reason, and especially anything that divorced emotion from reason. Similarly, Objectivism decries any form of art that shows human beings being reactive and slaves to emotion.

Another form of art which Rand disdained was that which emphasized emotion over reason, and especially anything that divorced emotion from reason. Similarly, Objectivism decries any form of art that shows human beings being reactive and slaves to emotion.