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