Objectivism replayed : a comparative reading of ‘Bioshock’ and Ayn Rand’s ‘Atlas shrugged’

Abstract

This dissertation investigates how Ayn Rand’s 'Atlas Shrugged' and her philosophy known as Objectivism is both adapted and criticised in the videogame Bioshock (2007), with particular care and attention given towards how the game developers used aspects unique to the gaming medium in order to bring their criticisms forward. This is achieved by dividing the dissertation into three chapters. The first two chapters analyse and give a brief overview of Atlas Shrugged and Bioshock respectively, with the first chapter also seeking to bring forth and explain the basics of Rand’s philosophy. The third chapter then compares these two works and analyses the various criticisms found within the game. This finally leads to a conclusion where I argue the nature of Objectivism and whether or not it is a philosophy that is doomed for failure, brought forth by revelations found within Bioshock and ultimately considering it as a worthy critical work of the philosophy. This dissertation is ultimately written with the aim of highlighting the potential of videogames not just in their literary value but as pieces of critical work. To my knowledge, gaming is a medium that is rarely considered as a valid form of critical analysis in the public eye, and my hope is that the revelations brought forward in this thesis will work to slowly change that mentality for the better.