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