Ayn Rand - Quiz
Ayn Rand
  • 1. When was Ayn Rand born?
A) 1920
B) 1910
C) 1890
D) 1905
  • 2. Which novel by Ayn Rand features the fictional character Howard Roark?
A) Anthem
B) Atlas Shrugged
C) The Fountainhead
D) We the Living
  • 3. In which city did Ayn Rand grow up?
A) New York City
B) Saint Petersburg
C) Chicago
D) Moscow
  • 4. What philosophy did Ayn Rand develop and promote?
A) Existentialism
B) Utilitarianism
C) Objectivism
D) Socialism
  • 5. What is the title of Ayn Rand's first novel?
A) Anthem
B) The Fountainhead
C) We the Living
D) Atlas Shrugged
  • 6. Which term did Ayn Rand use to describe the basic motivating force of human action?
A) Selflessness
B) Empathy
C) Altruism
D) Self-interest
  • 7. In which year did Ayn Rand become a naturalized U.S. citizen?
A) 1963
B) 1931
C) 1957
D) 1945
  • 8. Which Russian-American author is known for promoting individualism and capitalism?
A) Leo Tolstoy
B) Vladimir Nabokov
C) Ayn Rand
D) Fyodor Dostoevsky
  • 9. What was the title of Ayn Rand's last novel published before her death?
A) Anthem
B) The Fountainhead
C) Atlas Shrugged
D) We the Living
  • 10. What was the profession of the main character in Ayn Rand's novel 'The Fountainhead'?
A) Scientist
B) Businessman
C) Architect
D) Writer
  • 11. Where did Ayn Rand die?
A) Los Angeles
B) New York City
C) Houston
D) Chicago
  • 12. Which of the following is a collection of essays by Ayn Rand?
A) We the Living
B) Anthem
C) The Virtue of Selfishness
D) Atlas Shrugged
  • 13. What was Ayn Rand's birth name?
A) Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum
B) Anna Maria Jones
C) Sophia Elizabeth Smith
D) Olivia Margaret Brown
  • 14. In what year was 'Atlas Shrugged' published?
A) 1964
B) 1971
C) 1943
D) 1957
  • 15. What did Ayn Rand advocate for in politics?
A) Socialism
B) Anarchism
C) Laissez-faire capitalism
D) Communism
  • 16. Which philosophical tradition did Ayn Rand sharply criticize?
A) Existentialism only
B) Nihilism only
C) Most philosophers and philosophical traditions
D) Utilitarianism only
  • 17. How many copies of Rand's books have been sold?
A) Over 50 million copies
B) Over 37 million copies
C) Exactly 25 million copies
D) Under 10 million copies
  • 18. What was Ayn Rand's first published work about?
A) A play for Broadway
B) An article on American politics
C) A novel set in Russia
D) An essay about Polish actress Pola Negri
  • 19. Who did Ayn Rand marry in 1929?
A) Frank O'Connor
B) An aspiring screenwriter
C) Cecil B. DeMille
D) A fellow student
  • 20. What was Ayn Rand's stance on religion?
A) She rejected faith and religion.
B) She promoted atheism.
C) She was indifferent to religion.
D) She supported religious faith.
  • 21. Which movement is often associated with Ayn Rand despite her opposition?
A) The modern libertarian movement
B) The anarchist movement
C) The socialist movement
D) The communist movement
  • 22. What did Ayn Rand support in ethics?
A) Altruism
B) Hedonism
C) Rational and ethical egoism
D) Utilitarianism
  • 23. Where did Ayn Rand move to after graduating from Leningrad State University?
A) Moscow State University
B) The State Technicum for Screen Arts in Leningrad
C) Petrograd State University
D) New York City
  • 24. What was Ayn Rand's stance on the initiation of force?
A) She promoted it in politics.
B) She condemned it as immoral.
C) She supported it under certain conditions.
D) She was indifferent to its use.
  • 25. What type of art did Ayn Rand promote?
A) Surrealism
B) Abstract expressionism
C) Romantic realism
D) Impressionism
  • 26. In what year was Ayn Rand's screenplay 'Red Pawn' sold to Universal Studios?
A) 1932
B) 1936
C) 1934
D) 1938
  • 27. What is the setting of Ayn Rand's novel 'We the Living'?
A) Nazi Germany
B) The United States during the Great Depression
C) A dystopian future world
D) Soviet Russia
  • 28. When did Ayn Rand publish a revised version of 'We the Living'?
A) 1965
B) 1959
C) 1946
D) 1938
  • 29. What is the main theme presented in Ayn Rand's novella 'Anthem'?
A) The adventures of a detective solving crimes.
B) A romantic love story set in a futuristic world.
C) The exploration of space travel.
D) The struggle against totalitarian collectivism.
  • 30. In 'Anthem', what do the protagonists rediscover?
A) A hidden treasure
B) The word I
C) The concept of democracy
D) Their true identities
  • 31. When was 'Anthem' first published in England?
A) 1946
B) 1938
C) 1959
D) 1965
  • 32. Who did Ayn Rand volunteer for in the 1940 presidential campaign?
A) Libertarian Vermin Supreme
B) Democratic Franklin D. Roosevelt
C) Republican Wendell Willkie
D) Independent Strom Thurmond
  • 33. Which economist did Henry Hazlitt introduce Ayn Rand to?
A) Adam Smith
B) John Maynard Keynes
C) Milton Friedman
D) Ludwig von Mises
  • 34. What is the name of the architect protagonist in The Fountainhead?
A) Francisco D'Anconia
B) John Galt
C) Howard Roark
D) Peter Keating
  • 35. How many publishers rejected The Fountainhead before it was accepted?
A) Eight
B) Five
C) Ten
D) Twelve
  • 36. Who did Ayn Rand endorse for president in 1964?
A) Lyndon B. Johnson
B) Hubert Humphrey
C) Barry Goldwater
D) Richard Nixon
  • 37. Who described Ayn Rand as 'the most influential libertarian of the twentieth century to the public at large'?
A) Jennifer Burns
B) Andrew Koppelman
C) David Nolan
D) Journalist Brian Doherty
  • 38. Who was among the group that met with Ayn Rand to discuss philosophy in New York City?
A) John Galt
B) F. Scott Fitzgerald
C) William Faulkner
D) Alan Greenspan
  • 39. What perspective often characterizes Rand's descriptions of female characters?
A) Third-person omniscient
B) Female empowerment
C) Male gaze
D) Childlike wonder
  • 40. In which country was Ayn Rand added to the required reading list for the A Level Politics exam in 2017?
A) United States
B) Australia
C) Canada
D) United Kingdom
  • 41. What did Ayn Rand work with conservatives on, despite disagreements?
A) Socialist reforms
B) Political projects
C) Communist movements
D) Religious initiatives
  • 42. Which forum did Ayn Rand use to promote her Objectivist philosophy through annual lectures?
A) Lincoln Center
B) Ford Hall Forum
C) Carnegie Hall
D) Radio City Music Hall
  • 43. What did Huemer argue about the persuasiveness of Rand's ideas in his 2010 essay for the Cato Institute?
A) Her philosophy is universally admired
B) Very few people find them convincing, especially her ethics
C) Her economics are widely accepted
D) Most people find them highly persuasive
  • 44. What was Ayn Rand's approach to ideas she disagreed with?
A) Supportive and constructive
B) Analytical and respectful
C) Academic and detailed
D) Polemical without in-depth analysis
  • 45. Which newsletter did Peter Schwartz start that was endorsed by Ayn Rand?
A) The Intellectual Activist
B) The Objectivist Forum
C) Ayn Rand Institute
D) Anthem Foundation for Objectivist Scholarship
  • 46. Which novel's introduction did Ayn Rand write for an English-language edition?
A) War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
B) The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
C) Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
D) Ninety-Three by Victor Hugo
  • 47. Which Russian novel influenced Ayn Rand's depiction of her heroes?
A) Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
B) Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
C) What Is to Be Done? by Nikolay Chernyshevsky
D) The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
  • 48. Which fellow novelist was a contemporary admirer of Ayn Rand?
A) Ernest Hemingway
B) William Faulkner
C) Ira Levin
D) F. Scott Fitzgerald
  • 49. Who called Ayn Rand 'the ultimate gateway drug to life on the right'?
A) David Nolan
B) Journalist Brian Doherty
C) Political scientist Andrew Koppelman
D) Historian Jennifer Burns
  • 50. What was the name of Nathaniel Branden's wife?
A) Emily
B) Karen
C) Susan
D) Barbara
  • 51. What book did Ayn Rand refer to as her 'Bible'?
A) 'Thus Spake Zarathustra'
B) 'The Republic'
C) 'Nicomachean Ethics'
D) 'Critique of Pure Reason'
  • 52. Which political party founder credited Ayn Rand with the existence of the libertarian movement?
A) Ron Paul
B) David Nolan
C) Lew Rockwell
D) Murray Rothbard
  • 53. Who wrote that despite Rand's bombast, her ethics are a significant achievement?
A) Chandran Kukathas
B) Douglas Den Uyl
C) Jack Wheeler
D) Robert Nozick
  • 54. Which philosopher did Ayn Rand cite as her favorite in an undated questionnaire response?
A) John Locke
B) Thomas Aquinas
C) Friedrich Nietzsche
D) Aristotle
  • 55. How many different reviews were published for We the Living?
A) Over 200
B) Less than 100
C) 50
D) Approximately 125
  • 56. In what year was The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies established?
A) 2005
B) 1984
C) 1978
D) 1999
  • 57. Which drug was prescribed to Ayn Rand to help her complete The Fountainhead?
A) Penicillin
B) Aspirin
C) Ibuprofen
D) Benzedrine
  • 58. In which year did John Hospers discuss Ayn Rand's ethical ideas in his textbook?
A) 1971
B) 1995
C) 1982
D) 1967
  • 59. How did reviewers generally respond to Atlas Shrugged?
A) Many reviews were strongly negative
B) Most reviews were positive
C) It received little attention
D) Reviews were mixed but leaned towards positive
  • 60. Which philosopher did Ayn Rand consider her philosophical opposite and 'the most evil man in mankind's history'?
A) Friedrich Nietzsche
B) Immanuel Kant
C) Thomas Aquinas
D) John Locke
  • 61. Who founded the Institute for Objectivist Studies in 1990?
A) Peter Schwartz
B) David Kelley
C) Harry Binswanger
D) Ed Snider
  • 62. Who described a divergence in how different academic specialties viewed Rand?
A) Douglas Den Uyl
B) Jenny A. Heyl
C) Chandran Kukathas
D) Jack Wheeler
  • 63. What award did the 1999 television adaptation 'The Passion of Ayn Rand' win?
A) An Academy Award for Best Picture
B) No awards
C) A Golden Globe
D) Several awards
  • 64. In what year was the Ayn Rand Society founded?
A) 1978
B) 1995
C) 1987
D) 2000
  • 65. Which libertarian philosopher criticized Rand's meta-ethical arguments in 'The Personalist'?
A) Robert Nozick
B) Douglas Den Uyl
C) Chandran Kukathas
D) Jack Wheeler
  • 66. Who insisted on publishing The Fountainhead at Bobbs-Merrill Company?
A) Publisher Robert Ballou
B) Editor Archibald Ogden
C) Ludwig von Mises
D) Author Ayn Rand
  • 67. Who included a chapter critiquing Objectivism in their book 'An Existentialist Ethics'?
A) Robert Nozick
B) Douglas Den Uyl
C) Hazel Barnes
D) Chandran Kukathas
  • 68. Which philosopher did Ayn Rand acknowledge as having the greatest influence on her?
A) John Locke
B) Immanuel Kant
C) Friedrich Nietzsche
D) Aristotle
  • 69. How does Rand's descriptive style in her novels resemble early Hollywood movie scenarios?
A) They are written in verse form
B) They use stream of consciousness
C) They include musical notations
D) They follow common film editing conventions
  • 70. Which magazine published numerous criticisms of Ayn Rand's writings?
A) National Review
B) The Atlantic
C) The New York Times
D) Time Magazine
  • 71. Which of the following authors was NOT a favorite of Ayn Rand during her school years?
A) Friedrich Schiller
B) Edmond Rostand
C) Victor Hugo
D) Fyodor Dostoevsky
  • 72. Which of Rand's works received little review attention upon its first publication in England?
A) Atlas Shrugged
B) The Fountainhead
C) We the Living
D) Anthem
  • 73. Which art form did Rand focus on most closely?
A) Painting
B) Sculpture
C) Literature
D) Music
  • 74. Which company bought the film rights to The Fountainhead?
A) Universal Studios
B) Columbia Pictures
C) Warner Bros.
D) Paramount Pictures
  • 75. Which philosopher did Ayn Rand view as having the primary conflict with Aristotle in the history of philosophy?
A) Nietzsche
B) Plato
C) Locke
D) Kant
  • 76. Which conservative figure opposed Ayn Rand's writings?
A) George W. Bush
B) Barack Obama
C) Ronald Reagan
D) William F. Buckley Jr.
  • 77. Which aspect of human activity did Rand consider noblest?
A) Productive achievement
B) Artistic expression
C) Spiritual devotion
D) Intellectual contemplation
  • 78. What approach to literature did Rand describe as reflecting human free will?
A) Romanticism
B) Naturalism
C) Modernism
D) Realism
  • 79. Which of Ayn Rand's works marked the end of her career as a novelist?
A) 'Anthem'
B) 'Atlas Shrugged'
C) 'The Fountainhead'
D) 'We the Living'
  • 80. What was the shape of the floral arrangement at Ayn Rand's funeral?
A) An American flag
B) A heart
C) A book
D) A 6-foot dollar sign
  • 81. Who criticized Ayn Rand's claim that her only philosophical debt was to Aristotle?
A) Charles Murray
B) George Walsh
C) Mike Wallace
D) Fred Seddon
  • 82. Which philosopher argued that Ayn Rand's support for egoism and individual rights are inconsistent?
A) William F. O'Neill
B) Michael Huemer
C) Roy Childs
D) Robert Nozick
  • 83. In what year did Ayn Rand testify before the United States House Committee on Un-American Activities?
A) 1945
B) 1949
C) 1947
D) 1950
  • 84. Who is the hero and leader of the strike in 'Atlas Shrugged'?
A) John Galt
B) Dagny Taggart
C) Francisco d'Anconia
D) Howard Roark
  • 85. Which publication's reviewer called Rand's viewpoint 'nearly perfect in its immorality'?
A) Lorine Pruette
B) Whittaker Chambers
C) Gore Vidal
D) Sidney Hook
  • 86. In what year did Ayn Rand publicly disagree with Nietzsche's ideas on the radio?
A) 1964
B) 1943
C) 1975
D) 1959
  • 87. Who said that Rand had effectively chucked a ticking time bomb into the US economy through Greenspan?
A) John P. McCaskey
B) Cass Sunstein
C) Adam Weiner
D) Lisa Duggan
  • 88. How did Ayn Rand view her relationship with contemporary philosophers?
A) Mostly antagonistic
B) Supportive
C) Collaborative
D) Indifferent
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