Rearden Teaches Moral Reasoning to “Wet Nurse”

This is another in my series of favorite passages from Atlas Shrugged. Hank Rearden has just triumphed at his trial in which he was charged with unfair competition for producing a high-quality product and selling it at a low price. He returns to his factory where the government worker installed at his factory to make sure he complies with government edicts, whom Rearden refers to in his brain as the “Wet Nurse,” congratulates him.

The Wet Nurse asked him at the mills, “Mr. Rearden, what’s a moral premise?” “What you’re going to have a lot of trouble with.” The boy frowned, then shrugged and said, laughing, “God, that was a wonderful show! What a beating you gave them, Mr. Rearden! I sat by the radio and howled.” “How do you know it was a beating?” “Well, it was, wasn’t it? “Are you sure of it?” “Sure I’m sure.” “The thing that makes you sure is a moral premise.”

Note: Here’s the scene from the movie Atlas Shrugged in which Rearden meets the Wet Nurse. Coincidentally, the movie was released 10 years ago yesterday.