Objectivism : The Philosophy of Ayn Rand

by Peikoff, Leonard

• ISBN13: 9780452011014
• ISBN10: 0452011019
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1993-12-01
• Publisher: Plume

Summary

The definitive statement of Ayn Rand's philosophy, written by the preeminent Rand exponent and scholar. Illustrated with excerpts from her published works, complete with an abundance of new material that Rand communicated only in private conversation with Peikoff, this book illuminates Objectivism--and its creator--with brilliant clarity.

Author Biography

Leonard Peikoff is universally recognized as the pre-eminent Rand scholar writing today. He worked closely with Ayn Rand for 30 years and was designated by her as her intellectual heir and heir to her estate. He has taught philosophy at Hunter College, Long Island University, and New York University, and hosted the national radio talk show "Philosophy: Who Needs It."

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	xi
Preface	xiii
Reality	1	(36)
Existence, Consciousness, and Identity as the Basic Axioms	4	(8)
Causality as a Corollary of Identity	12	(5)
Existence as Possessing Primacy Over Consciousness	17	(6)
The Metaphysically Given as Absolute	23	(7)
Idealism and Materialism as the Rejection of Basic Axioms	30	(7)
Sense Perception and Volition	37	(36)
The Senses as Necessarily Valid	39	(5)
Sensory Qualities as Real	44	(4)
Consciousness as Possessing Identity	48	(4)
The Perceptual Level as the Given	52	(3)
The Primary Choice as the Choice to Focus or Not	55	(7)
Human Actions, Mental and Physical, as Both Caused and Free	62	(7)
Volition as Axiomatic	69	(4)
Concept-Formation	73	(37)
Differentiation and Integration as the Means to a Unit-Perspective	74	(7)
Concept-Formation as a Mathematical Process	81	(10)
Concepts of Consciousness as Involving Measurement-Omission	91	(5)
Definition as the Final Step in Concept-Formation	96	(9)
Concepts as Devices to Achieve Unit-Economy	105	(5)
Objectivity	110	(42)
Concepts as Objective	111	(5)
Objectivity as Volitional Adherence to Reality by the Method of Logic	116	(5)
Knowledge as Contextual	121	(8)
Knowledge as Hierarchical	129	(13)
Intrinsicism and Subjectivism as the Two Forms of Rejecting Objectivity	142	(10)
Reason	152	(35)
Emotions as a Product of Ideas	153	(6)
Reason as Man's only Means of Knowledge	159	(4)
The Arbitrary as Neither True Nor False	163	(8)
Certainy as Contextual	171	(11)
Mysticism and Skepticism as Denials of Reason	182	(5)
Man	187	(19)
Living Organisms as Goal-Directed and Conditional	189	(4)
Reason as Man's Basic Means of Survival	193	(5)
Reason as an Attribute of the Individual	198	(8)
The Good	206	(44)
``Life'' as the Essential Root of ``Value''	207	(6)
Man's Life as the Standard of Moral Value	213	(7)
Rationality as the Primary Virtue	220	(9)
The Individual as the Proper Beneficiary of His Own Moral Action	229	(12)
Values as Objective	241	(9)
Virtue	250	(75)
Independence as a Primary Orientation to Reality, Not to Other Men	251	(8)
Integrity as Loyalty to Rational Principles	259	(8)
Honesty as the Rejection of Unreality	267	(9)
Justice as Rationality in the Evaluation of Men	276	(16)
Productiveness as the Adjustment of Nature to Man	292	(11)
Pride as Moral Ambitiousness	303	(7)
The Initiation of Physical Force as Evil	310	(15)
Happiness	325	(25)
Virtue as Practical	326	(9)
Happiness as the Normal Condition of Man	335	(8)
Sex as Metaphysical	343	(7)
Government	350	(28)
Individual Rights as Absolutes	351	(12)
Government as an Agency to Project Rights	363	(6)
Statism as the Politics of Unreason	369	(9)
Capitalism	378	(35)
Capitalism as the Only Moral Social System	380	(15)
Capitalism as the System of Objectivity	395	(11)
Opposition to Capitalism as Dependent on Bad Epistemology	406	(7)
Art	413	(38)
Art as a Concretization of Metaphysics	414	(14)
Romantic Literature as Illustrating the Role of Philosophy in Art	428	(10)
Esthetic Value as Objective	438	(13)
Epilogue: The Duel Between Plato and Aristotle	451	(10)
References	461	(18)
Index	479