Ayn Rand vs. Thomas Aquinas

Ayn Rand’s philosophy, known as “Objectivism,” elevates selfishness to the highest human virtue.  It celebrates individual liberty, “lassiez faire" capitalism and rejects all forms of government driven wealth redistribution

Paul Ryan used to hand out copies of “Atlas Shrugged,” Ms. Rand’s most famous novel, to all of his congressional staffers.  Moreover, his budget plan - a plan that Mitt Romney endorsed as “marvelous”- would slash social spending on the poor and elderly to an extent that Ms. Rand is likely to come out of the grave and kiss Paul Ryan on the mouth if it gets enacted.

But things appear to have changed recently.  Regarding his alleged devotion to Ayn Rand, Paul Ryan recently told the National Review that he rejects her philosophy.  “It's an atheist philosophy. It reduces human interactions down to mere contracts and it is antithetical to my world-view. If somebody is going to try to paste a person's view on epistemology to me, then give me Thomas Aquinas. Don’t give me Ayn Rand."

Oh Really?  Thomas Aquinas - the philosopher/theologian who famously insisted that:

“Man should not consider his material possession his own, but as common to all, so as to share them without hesitation when others are in need.”

Well what do you know.  Paul Ryan endorses socialism!  Now that’s news!

Joe Huster