Objectivism
by Leonard Peikoff · first published 1991
78% recommend11% neutral11% critical
Why HN recommends it
Systematic overview of Ayn Rand's philosophy, covering epistemology, ethics and politics. It serves as a clear starting point for those new to Objectivism and as a companion to Rand's own works.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
This brilliantly conceived and organized book is based on a lecture course given by Dr. Leonard Peikoff in 1976, entitled "The Philosophy of Objectivism." The lectures were attended by Ayn Rand, who helped prepare them and also joined Peikoff in answering questions. Ayn Rand said of these lectures: "Until or unless I write a comprehensive treatise on my philosophy, Dr. Peikoff's course is the only authorized presentation of the entire theoretical structure of Objectivism--that is, the only one that I know of my own knowledge to be fully accurate."Dr. Peikoff, Rand's designated heir and foremos
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…omniscient. But it doesn't have to be omniscient. We can still know many things, and we can have certainty that we're right about those things. To do so, we need a philosophical foundation for knowledge. See "Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand", by Leonard Peikoff, chapters 1-5. You can get it in most bookstores and libraries. P.S. Decartes was wrong. This book explains why in a straightforward and undeniable manner.
on “Parish priest argues rationally for shoplifting” ↗…be interested in ideas, in how we know things, and how ideas can impact the degree to which we flourish in life, I will suggest two books to you that made a lot of sense to me. https://www.amazon.com/Objectivism-Philosophy-Ayn-Rand-Libra... https://www.amazon.com/How-Know-Epistemology-Objectivist-Fou...
…consciousness, when all it has proved is that consciousness is closely related to the brain). Like Katja, I used to follow Lesswrong-style rationalism, but after studying different philosophies I concluded that Objectivism made the most sense. (Whatever you may have heard about Ayn Rand, I recommend evaluating her views for yourself). Leonard Peikoff gave an excellent and comprehensive course on the history of philosophy…
on “Why read old philosophy?” ↗…fundamental principle that is relevant to our discussion--not something to do with property. (Granted, some libertarians would argue, incorrectly, that property is fundamental.) For a full explanation, see "Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand" by Leonard Peikoff.
on “Dissolve the SEC” ↗I would recommend Rand's Philosophy: Who Needs It then Peikoff's Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand. The Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology (ITOE) is good but is a bit technical and not everyone has the interest and motivation to read it. At the very least, if you…
on “Review: Ayn Rand’s ‘Ideal’ Presents a Protagonist Familiar in Her Superiority” ↗I'm currently pursuing Rand's philosophy. Her nonfictions are very valuable because they comprise the philosophy itself. But Peikoff's books and lectures about Objectivism are also extremely valuable. He had to overcome a lot of bad thinking habits to gain a genuine understanding of Objectivism and he is in a good position to help others get past those roadblocks. Objectivism:…
on “Ask HN: Best Philosophical Books?” ↗…Rand's Normative Ethics: The Virtuous Egoist by Tara Smith (a philosophy professor at UT-Austin) is excellent because it unpacks Ayn Rand's ethical system in an academic style. Finally, Leonard Peikoff's Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand gives a comprehensive view of Rand's entire philosophy. Light reading (not by Objectivist authors, and not in any particular order): Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created…
on “Ask HN: What are some books that changed how you think?” ↗…have free will, then we can’t reason. If we can’t reason, then there is no such thing as evidence. To learn more about this approach, see Rand’s “Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology” and Peikoff’s “Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand”.
My Ayn Rand "unpopular opinion" is that Atlas Shrugged is a wordier, less interesting The Fountainhead. Wouldn't suggest anyone read Atlas Shrugged, saying this as someone who also read Peikoff's "Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand" Just read The Fountainhead and imagine that with trains and the railroad. "Anthem" is a short read and also pretty solid.
on “The Curse of Ayn Rand's Heir” ↗Your comment reminds me of the first line from Peikoff’s Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand (OPAR): “Philosophy is not a bauble of the intellect, but a power from which no man can abstain.” There are many intellectual exercises that feel interesting, but do they provide…
on “Linus Torvalds: Git proved I could be more than a one-hit wonder” ↗…pretty fascinating. My own ideological path went from - Republican conservatism (raised in a Republican household) to - pseudo-communism (some crazy idea I had in high school without reading Marx) to - Objectivism (a friend gave me The Fountainhead while in college, picked up Atlas Shrugged shortly after, then Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal and Peikoff's book on Objectivism) to - utilitarian liberal (introduced…
on “The Two Flaws Of Libertarian Economics” ↗If you'd like a quick introduction to Rand's complete philosophical system, check out Leonard Peikoff's video "Introduction to Objectivism". It will help clarify a lot of the difficult statements you pointed out. Starts at around 3:50 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlJD0i_WwdQ Edit: With regard to your comment about puppy videos, I'm…
on “Money Can Buy Happiness [pdf]” ↗…metaphysics is axiomatic, but the rest of her philosophy is inducted from reality. Most of her philosophical essays are just summaries of the results of this process. There is no work that "competely induces" Objectivism. There are a couple of works by Leonard Peikoff that talk about the Objective process of doing this. Until recently, they were only recorded lectures, but "Understanding Objectivism" was just released…
on “Andreessen Horowitz to give half their earnings to charity” ↗"Complete misrepresentation" of philosophers (and, well, everything else) is probably to be expected with Peikoff around. He has made his bones on Objectivism being a closed system, the incentives he's got necessitate doing a lot of rearranging of reality when he's doing his preaching. And "preaching" is chosen specifically; he is a megachurcher with a different…
on “Why read old philosophy?” ↗Here is an approach demonstrating an alternative to randomness, from Peikoff’s “Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand”: The law of causality affirms a necessary connection between entities and their actions. It does not, however, specify any particular kind of entity or of action. The law…
on “Philosophy of Science 101: What Is the Problem of Induction?” ↗