# Why is Ayn Rand not taught in schools? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 1, 2014, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ayn-rand-not-taught-in-schools/692078 "2014-07-01T10:30:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ayn-rand-not-taught-in-schools/692078/241 "2014-09-24T19:33:04Z")
> [@bldysabba](#): > > Are you of the impression that IKEA is the only thing the Scandinavians have ever done? IKEA, ABBA and Volvo. Oh, and meatballs. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ayn-rand-not-taught-in-schools/692078/242 "2014-09-24T19:44:31Z")
> [@bldysabba](#): > > Are you of the impression that IKEA is the only thing the Scandinavians have ever done? > [@silenus](#): > > IKEA, ABBA and Volvo. > > Oh, and meatballs. [Koenigsegg](http://www.koenigsegg.com/wp-content/uploads/ccx-07.jpg)! ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ayn-rand-not-taught-in-schools/692078/243 "2014-09-24T21:03:04Z")
> [@bldysabba](#): > > If you want evidence of your misreading/misunderstanding, go through our interactions in this thread again. I’ve noted at least two instances where the text of Atlas Shrugged directly, explicitly contradicts your understanding of it. . . And I acknowledged those openly and without cavil. You have no grounds to accuse me of deliberate dishonesty, and I certainly make no pretensions of infallibility. I actually have read the work in question, enjoyed it as dramatic fiction, and reject the moral principles it espouses as shallow and foolish. Ayn Rand isn’t taught in schools because she doesn’t have anything of value to offer. Even Plato, whose Republic has about as many flaws, is taught in schools, because it has one or two real insights into the nature of knowledge and morals. Rand has nothing to teach us. And, yes, that’s my opinion, not a proven fact engraved on stone tablets handed down from heaven. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ayn-rand-not-taught-in-schools/692078/244 "2014-09-24T21:51:35Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Rand has nothing to teach us. > > And, yes, that’s my opinion, not a proven fact engraved on stone tablets handed down from heaven. _ **kaylasdad99** coughs up a double-lungful of granite dust, puts down his chisel, and gestures toward a three-inch stack of orders for bespoke engraved tablets_ I’M WORKIN’ AS FAST AS I CAN! HAVE A LITTLE PATIENCE, ALREADY! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ayn-rand-not-taught-in-schools/692078/245 "2014-09-24T23:43:46Z")
Sorry, **Trinopus** , I had to go with a subcontractor. Regulations, red tape, you know how it is. **kaylasdad99** , quit shirking and get back to work! ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ayn-rand-not-taught-in-schools/692078/246 "2014-09-25T00:12:03Z")
> [@bldysabba](#): > > I’m merely saying that there is nothing in her writing that is worthy of hatred or contempt. > [@Ayn Rand](#): > > “There was only one other, Hank.” > > “When?” > > “When I was seventeen.” > > “Did it last?” > > “For some years.” > > “Who was he?” > > She drew back, lying against his arm; he leaned closer, his face taut; she held his eyes. “I won’t answer you.” > > “Did you love him?” > > “I won’t answer.” > > “Did you like sleeping with him?” > > “Yes!” > > …He twisted her arms behind her, holding her helpless, her breasts pressed against him; she felt the pain ripping through her shoulders, she heard the anger in his words and the huskiness of pleasure in his voice: “Who was he?” > > She did not answer, she looked at him, her eyes dark and oddly brilliant, and he saw that the shape of her mouth, distorted by pain, was the shape of a mocking smile. Pg. 252 of _Atlas Shrugged_ > [@Ayn Rand](#): > > “Well, I’ve always been unpopular in school and it didn’t bother me, but now I’ve discovered the reason… They dislike me, not because I do things badly, but because I do them well. They dislike me because I’ve always had the best grades in class. I don’t even have to study. I always get A’s. Do you suppose I should try to get D’s for a change and become the most popular girl in school?” > > Francisco stopped, looked at her and slapped her face. Pg. 98 of _Atlas Shrugged_ > [@Ayn Rand](#): > > He held her, pressing the length of his body against hers with a tense, purposeful insistence, his hand moving over her breasts as if he were learning a proprietor’s intimacy with her body, a shocking intimacy that needed no consent from her, no permission. > > …She knew that fear was useless, that he would do what he wished, that the decision was his, that he left nothing possible to her except the thing she wanted most – to submit. Pg. 105 of _Atlas Shrugged_ I can’t say I hate Rand, but there’s plenty of room for contempt at her writing the horribly rapey, misogynistic, and abusive relationships between Francisco d’Anconia and Dagny Taggart and Hank Rearden and Dagny Taggart. That’s some messed-up shit. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ayn-rand-not-taught-in-schools/692078/247 "2014-09-25T02:29:55Z")
But she WANTED to be raped, remember? :dubious: (It was even worse in _The Fountainhead_!) ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ayn-rand-not-taught-in-schools/692078/248 "2014-09-25T03:11:37Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > _ **kaylasdad99** coughs up a double-lungful of granite dust, puts down his chisel, and gestures toward a three-inch stack of orders for bespoke engraved tablets_ > > I’M WORKIN’ AS FAST AS I CAN! HAVE A LITTLE PATIENCE, ALREADY! :mad: Grin! The fact is, I would love to have engraved stone tablets for one purpose or another – but commemorating my opinions on Ayn Rand wouldn’t be very high on the list! (A serious “Ten Commandments” tablet would be so cool!) (Yes, yes, a Mel Brooks-style 15 Commandments would also be keen!) ---
**Author:** ![bldysabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@bldysabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bldysabba)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ayn-rand-not-taught-in-schools/692078/249 "2014-09-25T03:54:03Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > And I acknowledged those openly and without cavil. > > You have no grounds to accuse me of deliberate dishonesty, and I certainly make no pretensions of infallibility. > > I actually have read the work in question, enjoyed it as dramatic fiction, and reject the moral principles it espouses as shallow and foolish. > > Ayn Rand isn’t taught in schools because she doesn’t have anything of value to offer. Even Plato, whose Republic has about as many flaws, is taught in schools, because it has one or two real insights into the nature of knowledge and morals. > > Rand has nothing to teach us. > > And, yes, that’s my opinion, not a proven fact engraved on stone tablets handed down from heaven. As long as you’re aware that yours is an opinion based on a flawed understanding of what she’s saying, we have no quarrel. I don’t think she should be taught in schools either, but her core message is one that promotes individual happiness, achieved through productive work and interactions with other people that are based on mutual consent. If you find that immoral, well, what can I say. > [@wevets](#): > > Pg. 252 of _Atlas Shrugged_ > > Pg. 98 of _Atlas Shrugged_ > > Pg. 105 of _Atlas Shrugged_ > I can’t say I hate Rand, but there’s plenty of room for contempt at her writing the horribly rapey, misogynistic, and abusive relationships between Francisco d’Anconia and Dagny Taggart and Hank Rearden and Dagny Taggart. That’s some messed-up shit. I reject your characterisation of those relationships as abusive or misogynistic based on the passages you quote. There is no _pattern_ of abusiveness in those relationships. Dagny does not fear the people she chooses to sleep with, or put up with recurring abuse. She is portrayed as a strong woman, financially and romantically independent, vice president of one of the largest companies in the world, in a book that came out in the _1950s_. Yes, Ayn Rand seems to have a desire for her female characters to be dominated in the bedroom, perhaps even with some pain thrown in. And while I personally don’t enjoy that kind of thing, it falls well within the range of socially acceptable bounds of human sexuality. Apparently there’s even someone who sold millions of books recently focusing on just that. I find it insufficient cause for contempt. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_fun_ball/32/17664_2.png) [@Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Fun_Ball)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ayn-rand-not-taught-in-schools/692078/250 "2014-09-25T04:57:13Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > But she WANTED to be raped, remember? :dubious: > > (It was even worse in _The Fountainhead_!) Some women just rape easy, you know what I mean? ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ayn-rand-not-taught-in-schools/692078/251 "2014-09-25T05:20:04Z")
> [@bldysabba](#): > > As long as you’re aware that yours is an opinion based on a flawed understanding of what she’s saying, we have no quarrel. I don’t think she should be taught in schools either, but her core message is one that promotes individual happiness, achieved through productive work and interactions with other people that are based on mutual consent. If you find that immoral, well, what can I say . . . . Not quite. I had some details of the plot of the story wrong, and I also admit I wasn’t up on her personal code-words that use everyday English words in non-standard ways. Her message is still flawed, especially her introduction of the “anti-life principle” in Atlas Shrugged. Lenin’s communism was definitely supportive and valuative of life (although Stalin’s, not so much.) Modern moderate socialism is very highly supportive of life, and has led to the world’s highest levels of health care, longevity, wealth, and education. ---
**Author:** ![bldysabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@bldysabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bldysabba)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ayn-rand-not-taught-in-schools/692078/252 "2014-09-25T05:55:56Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Not quite. I had some details of the plot of the story wrong, and I also admit I wasn’t up on her personal code-words that use everyday English words in non-standard ways. Her message is still flawed, especially her introduction of the “anti-life principle” in Atlas Shrugged. The devil lies in those details. And those personal code words were expounded upon at length in the book whose message you’re condemning, clearly without bothering to understand it first. I agree there are flaws in her thinking, critically so, but the flaws that you believe exist and criticise her for are strawmen. There is nobody in this thread who is saying that her ideas were perfect. panache45, John Mace all agree there are serious holes in her thinking, but they know what they are. > [@](#): > > Lenin’s communism was definitely supportive and valuative of life (although Stalin’s, not so much.) Rand does not say that it _claims_ to be anti life. Rand claims it _is_ anti life. And I think it is one of the few settled questions in human development and economics that state ownership and control of production along the lines of what Lenin introduced in the Soviet Union is bad for human beings. > [@](#): > > Modern moderate socialism is very highly supportive of life, and has led to the world’s highest levels of health care, longevity, wealth, and education. It’s nice to learn you have your own personal code words, along with some confusion of correlation and causation. What the Nordic states or Europe has is not moderate socialism, nor is there any evidence that the social safety nets that they have been able to put in place have _led_ to their wealth and prosperity, instead of being a consequence of their wealth and prosperity, as is far more likely. Surely you agree that Europe(and its colonies that are today ‘the west’) was well on its way to being the wealthiest region in the world well before what you call ‘modern moderate socialism’ came about? ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ayn-rand-not-taught-in-schools/692078/253 "2014-09-25T21:32:58Z")
> [@bldysabba](#): > > . . . What the Nordic states or Europe has is not moderate socialism . . . This isn’t my own personal code, you know: it’s pretty much the standard definition of the term. Most European nations have “socialized medicine,” for example. > [@](#): > > . . . nor is there any evidence that the social safety nets that they have been able to put in place have _led_ to their wealth and prosperity, instead of being a consequence of their wealth and prosperity, as is far more likely. Surely you agree that Europe(and its colonies that are today ‘the west’) was well on its way to being the wealthiest region in the world well before what you call ‘modern moderate socialism’ came about? What the current system does reduces the harm done by unregulated capitalism; that’s why such things as child-labor laws came in to effect. National health care systems keep people alive, whereas for-profit health care restricts people’s ability to get needed care. Universal health care is pretty much the exact opposite of an “anti-life principle.” ---
**Author:** ![bldysabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@bldysabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bldysabba)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ayn-rand-not-taught-in-schools/692078/254 "2014-09-26T05:22:49Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > This isn’t my own personal code, you know: it’s pretty much the standard definition of the term. Most European nations have “socialized medicine,” for example. It most certainly is your own personal code. Moderate(or extreme) socialism and ‘socialised medicine’ are not at all the same thing. It is characteristic of the kind of misunderstanding that you have been making. Let me Wiki that for you. > [@](#): > > Socialism is a social and economic system characterised by social ownership of the means of production and co-operative management of the economy,[1][2] as well as a political theory and movement that aims at the establishment of such a system.[3][4] “Social ownership” may refer to cooperative enterprises, common ownership, state ownership, citizen ownership of equity, or any combination of these.[5] There are many varieties of socialism and there is no single definition encapsulating all of them.[6] They differ in the type of social ownership they advocate, the degree to which they rely on markets or planning, how management is to be organised within productive institutions, and the role of the state in constructing socialism.[7] In fairness, would Rand have suggested that taxation for socialised medicine is ok? Probably not. In fairness to her, is socialised medicine unambiguously better for society? We don’t know. (America’s healthcare system being a disaster and Europe’s not is not evidence that it is, btw. It’s just evidence that socialised medicine is better than the bizarre government caused, insurance-led system America has) In fairness to you again, even if it were shown to be unambiguously better would she then advocate taxation? Probably not, since she was against all forms of taxation. But it’s quite possible that you could convince an objectivist of it, and have it included in the ‘proper role of government’ which currently they hold to be law and order and defence, and those to be funded by voluntary payment. Flawed, but not contemptible. But even then Rand does not advocate revolution, or a change in laws to have her way imposed on others. No, she advocated advocacy, holding that her ideas would not work until a majority of people thought as she did. _If_ a large majority did, then her ideas might even work. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ayn-rand-not-taught-in-schools/692078/255 "2014-09-26T05:49:55Z")
> [@bldysabba](#): > > It most certainly is your own personal code. Moderate(or extreme) socialism and ‘socialised medicine’ are not at all the same thing. It is characteristic of the kind of misunderstanding that you have been making. . . . Hogwash. Socialized medicine, public schools, public highways, public fire departments are all instances of socialism. It isn’t only a word that denotes the entire economic system, but also reflects the collective funding of projects. And…it doesn’t matter anyway. It isn’t relevant to Rand’s ideas. She doesn’t have anything useful to offer us, and that’s why she’s not taught in schools. See the Great Debates thread regarding the Gold Standard – which Rand supported, at least in AS. Her economic notions weren’t totally bankrupt: D’Anconia’s famous “Money” speech was reasonable. But it was also obvious. There wasn’t anything new in it. Wherever she started to make declarations, she choked up and made herself ridiculous. The gold standard is just one example. This thread has shown that, for Rand even to be minimally sensible, her writing has to be re-interpreted and words re-defined. Selfishness, altruism, charity, sacrifice: none of these has the usual dictionary meaning in the Randverse. You have to comprehend what she says through the filter of what someone else says she really meant. There is no “there” there. And that’s the answer to the question in the OP. Rand isn’t taught in schools, not so much for the reason that Creationism isn’t taught in schools, but for the reason that The Time-Cube isn’t taught in schools. ---
**Author:** ![bldysabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@bldysabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bldysabba)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ayn-rand-not-taught-in-schools/692078/256 "2014-09-26T06:23:18Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Hogwash. Socialized medicine, public schools, public highways, public fire departments are all instances of socialism. It isn’t only a word that denotes the entire economic system, but also reflects the collective funding of projects. No, they are not, (and they especially were not at Rand’s time) unless it is to be, what was it, interpreted through the filter of what someone else says socialism really means 🙂 > [@](#): > > This thread has shown that, for Rand even to be minimally sensible, her writing has to be re-interpreted and words re-defined. Selfishness, altruism, charity, sacrifice: none of these has the usual dictionary meaning in the Randverse. You have to comprehend what she says through the filter of what someone else says she really meant. This, on the other hand, is bordering on the dishonest, and I expect better from you. Yes, selfishness, altruism and sacrifice do not have their ‘usual’ meanings in Randverse, but that is precisely because a large part of what she’s doing is attempting to reassign the value judgements we associate with these words. None of what I’ve been saying is coming to you through the filter of ‘what she really meant’. No, if you had bothered to try and comprehend what she was saying, she explicitly, and at great length lays out her meanings for these words and provides a lot of context - thousands of pages worth in fact. If you ignore that, then, as I said, you have built up a strawman which you can knock down and feel morally superior while doing so, but you’re tilting at windmills. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ayn-rand-not-taught-in-schools/692078/257 "2014-09-26T23:15:25Z")
> [@bldysabba](#): > > . . . This, on the other hand, is bordering on the dishonest, and I expect better from you. . . . I am not sensing much future for this conversation. > [@](#): > > Yes, selfishness, altruism and sacrifice do not have their ‘usual’ meanings in Randverse . . . So, you agree with what I said, at the same time you say it borders on the dishonest? > [@](#): > > but that is precisely because a large part of what she’s doing is attempting to reassign the value judgements we associate with these words. And that’s one of the reasons her work isn’t taught in schools. It’s childishly polemic. It depends on the construction of a “jargon” that circumvents communication rather than enhancing it. She’s a bad rhetoritician, because she’s unwilling to enter into a clear and cogent discussion of issues. She would rather engage in manipulation of language than in an honest meeting of minds. I was not happy with the chapter on Ayn Rand in Michael Shermer’s book “Why People Believe Weird Things.” It was too heavily based on Rand’s own personal issues – her paranoia, her cult of dependency, the mindlessness of many of her followers – and not enough on the actual failings of her philosophy. I wish that more exposes of Rand’s ideas were more focused on those ideas. In much the same way, I am not happy with this link, entitled [Top 10 Reasons Ayn Rand was Dead Wrong.](http://www.cbsnews.com/news/top-10-reasons-ayn-rand-was-dead-wrong/) Nearly half of the ten reasons are ad hominem arguments of one form or another. (The two key reasons in this list are: “Rand’s philosophy is devoid of gratitude” and “Every man does NOT exist for his own sake.” We all owe much to those who have gone before us, who built our society and created the institutions that allow us to succeed. And we all, to some degree, depend on each other. We are a society, not a collection of loners.) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ayn-rand-not-taught-in-schools/692078/258 "2014-09-26T23:36:42Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > This thread has shown that, for Rand even to be minimally sensible, her writing has to be re-interpreted and words re-defined. Selfishness, altruism, charity, sacrifice: none of these has the usual dictionary meaning in the Randverse. You have to comprehend what she says through the filter of what someone else says she really meant. Really? Let’s just take one of these and run with it. How does one need to change the dictionary definition of “altruism” to make Rand minimally sensible? > [@](#): > > [Altruism](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/altruism) > > noun > > 1. the principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others (opposed to egoism ). Emphasis added. ---
**Author:** ![EndlessEntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f9ae1b/32.png) [@EndlessEntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EndlessEntropy)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ayn-rand-not-taught-in-schools/692078/259 "2014-09-27T00:31:50Z")
99% of high school kids nowadays wouldn’t make it past the first 10 pages of \*Atlas Shrugged \* let alone discuss it and write essays about it. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ayn-rand-not-taught-in-schools/692078/260 "2014-09-27T00:39:09Z")
> [@EndlessEntropy](#): > > 99% of high school kids nowadays wouldn’t make it past the first 10 pages of \*Atlas Shrugged \* let alone discuss it and write essays about it. We could create a shorter version for twitter. 🙂 But like I said earlier, we read _The Fountainhead_ in my senior honors English class. I suspect you’d find a few still doing that. Kids still do read books in High School, don’t they? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ayn-rand-not-taught-in-schools/692078.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ayn-rand-not-taught-in-schools/692078.md?page=14)