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