Similarities and Differences between Rand and Thoreau

Henry David Thoreau saw in loss of life only aesthetic gain. He adopted a simple life based on two facts: one is the rejection of the public life and the second is frustration in the face of a heartbreaking world. He thinks government is a necessary evil in human life. Thoreau says that the government is best which governs not at all. Rand objectivism is distant from Thoreau’s transcendentalism. Metaphysically Rand affirms perfect materialism, and Thoreau affirms individuals with mystical capacity.  Thoreau defied the prevailing norms of his time and chose to spend a sample life in the woods. He decided to live in the woods to experience life fully and as simply as possible. For both Ayn Rand and Thoreau, nature is important in their philosophy. Nature is an important part of the human context, and to study nature is to study humanity. In this essay, the similarities and differences in nature, philosophy, religion, and state are discussed for reference.

Nature is a basic component in the philosophy of both Rand and Thoreau. Thoreau believed in the interconnectedness of self and nature. Both Rand and Thoreau saw nature as a source of identity for man. Nature is inspiration, spiritual renewal, and a reflection of the inner self. Thoreau views nature as a force that has given every entity a law that governs it. A plant needs good ingredients to grow, man needs natural conditions suitable for its existence. Nature isn’t a man-made thing; man is just part of nature. Human beings can reveal their identity when they are truly connected with nature. Like Thoreau, Rand holds nature as an essential component in her philosophy. Nature is what it is and we can’t change nature. Nature is a brutal force for both Rand and Thoreau. Rand thinks that man can overcome natural challenges through man-made facts.

For Rand, if you respect nature you can command it but for Thoreau, man is revealed in nature because you become your true self in nature. For Rand nature can be commanded by learning about it. Thoreau believes in living in harmony with nature and finding truth and self—discovery through immersion in the natural world. Rand and Thoreau agree that nature has its own identity, laws, characteristics, and actions. For Thoreau nature is a flourishing space on its own but Rand thinks nature flourishes by commanding. For Thoreau, nature opposes society but for Rand nature can be used to build better societies.   

Thoreau’s philosophy emphasizes subjectivity. He thinks it is naïve to say that any composition comes from a purely objective position; no person can ever remove the “I” from his or her work. Rand's philosophy emphasizes objectivity. She thinks that knowledge is gained from natural truths. Things we can sense through our sensory organs are the sources of knowledge for our mind and anything that isn’t observed by senses isn’t knowledge. Thoreau rejects a desire for complete objectivity. All experiences are the experiences of someone from a particular time and location. For Thoreau, philosophy will never be objective; it will always carry within it the “I” and the prejudices, desires, and expectations of persons with it. 

Thoreau emphasizes the scientific and aesthetic sides of the natural world and honors the religious or spiritual dimensions of the environment. Unlike Ayn Rand, Thoreau remains open to religious insights across traditions, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Native American teachings. He derived his philosophical knowledge from religion. He loves nature and is an influential environmentalist thinker of the twentieth century. He is best known as the patron of nature religion which is nature as sacred, imbued with intrinsic value, and worthy of reverent care. Ayn Rand's philosophy holds an opposite view of that of Thoreau. She was a staunch advocate of reason and an opponent of faith. 

Thoreau criticizes the government for its uselessness. He thinks that government derives its power from the majority who are the strongest group and lack the power of conscience in their decision. He holds that people are obliged to do what they believe is right and don’t follow laws dictated by the majority that lack conscience. One of the problems with society and government is that they attempt to constrain or restrict the flow of life. The government does the opposite of what it is established to do; instead of protecting freedoms, democracy, and property, it imprisons, dictates dogmatically, and steals. State uses taxes, authority, and power to maintain unjust conditions: slavery, the war with Mexico, and the decimation of Native American communities. Ayn Rand believes that the government is a necessary foundation in human society. A government is the means of placing the retaliatory use of physical force under objective control - i.e., under objectively defined laws. 

Thoreau and Rand have interesting similarities and differences in their approaches to philosophy. Both have given importance to nature as a guiding principle for good human society. Knowledge is subjective for Thoreau and Rand believes that knowledge is gained through objective reality. Religion is important for Thoreau and Rand gives importance to reason. Government is a necessary evil in Thoreau’s philosophy and Rand thinks that man needs an institution charged with the task of protecting them under an objective code of rules.