The Parthenon

Issue date: 2/26/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Photo Illustration by Patrick Stanley | The Parthenon

A controversial text required for Marshall studies by BB&T's $1 million donation is generating a new moral concern.

Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" has been the subject of anxiety at Marshall University since the grant was accepted because the novel was a condition of the award.

Now faculty members are voicing a new concern.

BB&T West Virginia Group President Phyllis Arnold credited John Allison, BB&T Chief Executive Officer, with wanting to use the book to give students a "deeper understanding of the moral defense of capitalism and its causal relationship to economic well being," in the original press release.

Arnold went on to say many business graduates "do not have a clear grasp of the moral principles underlying free markets."

Associate professor Jamie Warner has questioned the ethical implications of the required text.

Warner said Rand promotes ideas of individualism and selfishness and is an atheist.

"I can see teaching capitalism, and you need to for a business major," Warner said. "You need to know how it works, you need to know how markets work, you need to know the ins and outs. Even to argue it's efficient is something different, but to say it's morally good? And again, I don't think people are aware it's the opposite of Christianity."

Warner, who has read five of Rand's books, said Rand uses a superior protagonist.

The main character is usually physically beautiful and a brilliant academic who suffers at the hand of the inferior.

Political science professor Simon Perry outlined Rand's main themes.

"She's completely attached to individualism, selfishness or self-interest and she's attached to a small state or small government," Perry said. "She's opposed to regulation, she's opposed to a state that provides services to people, and I guess basically those are the main premises of her philosophy."

Perry said he would not object to the use of the book, but it should be looked at in a critical manner.

"The overall philosophy is for another world that has long passed us by, in my judgment," Perry said.

Adam Smith's "The Wealth of Nations" was suggested by Marshall and chosen by BB&T to be included in the course along with Rand's novel.

Warner said Smith's book includes Christian principles and it argues capitalism cannot exist without a separate morality partly from Christianity.

Smith is similar to Rand in his promotion of self-interest but different in its extent, advocating honesty.

Warner said although Smith is a step in the right direction, a bigger contrast is needed to balance Rand's extremist views.

Cal Kent, vice president of Business and Economic Research, said he will most likely be teaching the course in question.

Kent said in a previous interview "Atlas Shrugged" would not be taught alone.

"It certainly is not the only book that will be used or the only required reading students will be expected to consume," Kent said. "While Ayn Rand is going to be a requirement, we made it very clear there were going to be other books that were going to be part of the course and we're going to have all points of view expressed."

Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs Frances Hensley said traditionally, text decisions are left to either individual faculty members or a department.

"The larger issue, I believe, is the degree to which the curriculum is the purview of the faculty and the degree to which the selection of books, the selection of materials for a class arise out of the decision-making apparatus of the faculty, either as an individual or a collective," Hensley said.



Morgan Unger can be contacted at unger6@marshall.edu.

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