"A is A", "Who Is John Galt?" and $ Button Set

Three 1.25" pinback buttons: "Who Is John Galt?", one of the most famous quotes from the Ayn Rand novel "Atlas Shrugged"; a second quote, "A is A" that was based on the philosophy of Aristotle; and a simple, unadorned dollar sign - a motif in "Atlas Shrugged."

John Galt is a character in Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged (1957). Although he is not identified by name until the last third of the novel, he is the object of its often-repeated question "Who is John Galt?" and of the quest to discover the answer.

As the plot unfolds, Galt is acknowledged to be a philosopher and inventor; he believes in the power and glory of the human mind, and the right of the individual to use his/her mind solely for him/herself. He serves as a highly individualist counterpoint to the collectivist social and economic structure depicted in the novel, in which society is based on oppressive bureaucratic functionaries and a culture that embraces mediocrity in the name of egalitarianism, which the novel interprets as the end result of socialistic idealism.

The book's opening line, "Who is John Galt?", becomes an expression of helplessness and despair at the current state of the novel's fictionalized world. The book's protagonist, Dagny Taggart, hears a number of legends of Galt, before finding him. In one legend Galt seeks the lost island of Atlantis, in another he discovers the Fountain of Youth. Eventually, Taggart learns that all of the stories have an element of truth to them.

"A is A" is also called Aristotle's Law of Identity. It states that everything that exists has a specific nature. Each entity exists as something in particular and it has characteristics that are a part of what it is. Identity is the concept that refers to this aspect of existence; the aspect of existing as something in particular, with specific characteristics. An entity without an identity cannot exist because it would be nothing. To exist is to exist as something, and that means to exist with a particular identity.

Ayn Rand adored the dollar sign. She wore brooches in the shape of the dollar sign and at her memorial service had a floral arrangement in the shape of a dollar sign. In 'Atlas Shrugged,' a character is asked what the dollar sign stands for, and replies: "The dollar sign? For a great deal. It stands on the vest of every fat, piglike figure in every cartoon, for the purpose of denoting a crook, a grafter, a scoundrel—as the one sure-fire brand of evil. It stands—as the money of a free country—for achievement, for success, for ability, for man’s creative power—and, precisely for these reasons, it is used as a brand of infamy….."

In 2014, Time magazine ran a poll to ask readers what woman should appear on US paper currency, and Ayn Rand was the clear winner with 55 percent of the vote!

Looks equally awesome on your stylish business suit, your simple-yet-perfect evening wear, your greasy railroad overalls, or daringly pinned onto a burlap sack! Finish off your Halloween costume, add just the right touch to your formal or informal cosplay, or just wear them at Thanksgiving and see who notices.

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Pin back on each button. US penny for scale. Penny NOT included in price of button. Midas Mulligan would not give a penny away, any more than he would give someone use of his car as a courtesy.