Rand-Related Oddities
There is a lot of material about Ayn Rand and Objectivism. Some of it is positive; some of it is negative. Some of it is scholarly; some of it is crude. And some of it is simply strange. This page catalogs some of the more unusual Rand-related items and sites.
- Neo-Tech -- Also known as "Zonpower," Neo-Tech is hands-down the weirdest organized group ever to claim inspiration from Rand. Although they praise Rand and use lots of buzzwords that sound Rand-inspired ("fully integrated honesty," etc.), their materials include wild claims to mystic-sounding superpowers that Rand would have rejected as nonsense. For instance, the initiated can supposedly "foretell the future to gain limitless riches" and "get incredibly rich by controlling the force fields of existence." They can use "Gravity Units" for "universal communication." Etc. Some critics consider mainstream Objectivists to be cultists, but they might be sobered by a comparison with Neo-Tech, which looks like a cult in many ways that no honest critic has ever claimed for Objectivism.
- In the unlikely case that Neo-Tech isn't nutty enough for your taste, a spin-off called Organized Applied Knowledge claimed that it "complements the Neo-Tech concepts and integrates them into a world of magick that gives power to everyone." Alas, their website appears to have gone off to another plane of existence.
- Some have attempted to reconcile Objectivism, which is atheistic, to various types of religious beliefs. One particularly paradoxical site, billed as "Industrial Strength Philosophy," was self-described as "a combination of Ayn Rand's philosophy and Fundamentalist Christianity." Unfortunately, the site no longer appears to be operating. Others have attempted to reconcile Objectivism with Judaism and Buddhism. There have been other attempts that don't have readily available website references.
- A number of libertarian groups have formed to create "free" communities outside of existing governments. These are often portrayed as a form of "Galt's Gulch" inspired by the community portrayed in Rand's Atlas Shrugged. Some examples include Oceania, the Principality of New Utopia, Laissez Faire City, the Free Nation Foundation, and the aptly-named Galt's Gulch Project. One website, calling itself The Gulch, offers advice to would-be "Gulchers" who want to build their own libertarian enclaves.
- Extropianism -- The Extropians promote a philosophy they call "Transhumanism," which is distinct from Objectivism but strongly influenced by it. The most eccentric thing them about them is their focus on "challenging human limits," which includes pushing futuristic technologies to stop aging and death (for example, cryonics and cybernetics).
- Cults of Rationality -- This article from the GettingIt.com webzine (itself a bit of an oddity) discusses various groups and movements that claim inspiration from Rand. Some relatively non-odd groups are profiled alongside some of the oddballs.
About the Objectivism Reference Center
The philosophy of Ayn Rand, a twentieth-century novelist and philosopher, is known as Objectivism. The Objectivism Reference Center provides resources about Rand, her ideas, her works, and places where those are discussed and debated. Visit the Site Information page for details on site policies. Suggestions for additional materials or additional links are welcomed.
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