Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest
Scholarship Sponsored by Ayn Rand Institute
QUALIFICATIONS AND REWARDS
The competition is accessible to all students in their final year of high school, undergraduate, and postgraduate studies across the globe. The grand prize is a whopping $10,000. Additionally, three runner-ups will receive $2,500 each, and five third-place winners will be awarded $500 each.
CHOOSE ONE OF THE THREE PROVIDED SUBJECTS
1) In Atlas Shrugged, as the narrative unfolds, certain commodities that characters often take for granted become increasingly scarce. Identify a few of these items and discuss how the novel explains their dwindling availability. Discuss the economic and moral-philosophical factors contributing to their scarcity. Can you draw any significant parallels with the shortages experienced globally in recent years? Provide a detailed comparison and contrast using current examples.
2) Atlas Shrugged frequently uses both literal and metaphorical references to engines and driving forces. Identify three instances of this in the novel and interpret their significance within the context of the scenes they are derived from. How does this significance connect to the broader philosophical themes of the novel?
3) In his radio address, John Galt criticizes several proponents of the "morality of death," particularly the "mystics" who assert that man's obligation is "to crawl through years of penance, atoning for the guilt of his existence to any stray collector of unintelligible debts." Identify and discuss at least two of the human nature doctrines that Galt claims these mystics promote to foster this moral perspective. Then, using a character from Atlas Shrugged who grapples with these doctrines as an example, illustrate their effects. (If a character struggles with both doctrines, discussing one is sufficient.) What behaviors do these doctrines promote? What are the implications for the character(s) involved? How is this conflict resolved?
GUIDELINES AND EVALUATION CRITERIA
A) Each student is allowed to submit one entry per year for the competition.
B) Essays should be written in English only and should contain between 800 and 1600 words.
C) The essay must be the original work of the participant. Any form of plagiarism will lead to immediate disqualification.
D) The evaluation of essays will be based on the student's ability to argue for and justify their perspective, not on whether the Institute concurs with the student's viewpoint. Judges will be looking for clear, articulate, and logically structured writing. Winning essays should exhibit an exceptional understanding of the philosophical implications of Atlas Shrugged.
E) For a comprehensive list of rules, click on "Apply" or visit aynrand.org/contests.