• • The Less Obvious Histories 
Robert Rath, The Escapist BioShock  |Egoism  | BioShock famously dealt with Objectivist philosophy, but the audio diaries also established most of Rapture's upper class as ideologically shaped by the Second World War. Andrew Ryan came to Objectivism as a reaction to growing up under the Soviets and seeing the social programs of the New Deal, Brigid Tenenbaum survived Auschwitz by collaborating with Nazi scientific experiments, and BioShock 2's Sofia Lamb decided to abandon the United States after witnessing the Hiroshima bombing. The backgrounds all emphasize the alienating nature of 20th century politics and warfare, both explaining why these specific characters chose to leave the world behind, as well as reinforcing why people in general might be attracted to the cynical and pragmatic nature of Objectivism.   Published: 2013-01-03