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Questions tagged [ayn-rand]

Questions about the philosophy of Ayn Rand (1905 – 1982), a Russian-America best-known for her novels The Fountainhead (1943) and Atlas Shrugged (1957). She developed a system she called Objectivism which presents her philosophy.

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Why is Ayn Rand's Objectivism philosophy dismissed by academics?

This is a question in response to this other one that I asked. I didn't really get a satisfactory answer, mostly because it seems like Rand's work is largely ignored by academics. The highest voted answer starts with "you'll be hard-pressed to…
RationalGeek
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What's the difference between Randian philosophy and Objectivism?

I recently encountered a debate about whether Objectivism was the same as the philosophies of Ayn Rand. Wikipedia tells me they're synonyms. Is there another definition of "objectivism"? Has objectivism evolved beyond what Rand defined it as? …
user20
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What philosophers have built on Ayn Rand's Objectivism?

Ayn Rand's Objectivism philosophy has always intrigued me. And it seems to still have a lot of influence over certain politicians and thought leaders. Have any philosophers taken up the mantle where Objectivism left off and built on top of what…
RationalGeek
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How would Robert Nozick and Ayn Rand respond to the following moral dilemma?

Consider the following scenario: In a remote isolated village, there is a family with a sick infant, who desperately and urgently needs a specific type of medicine. They have no way of procuring it in time, since the closest pharmacy is 500 Km…
Alexander S King
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Is Ayn Rand's Objectivism practical at all?

I just read Atlas Shrugged and was wondering if the kind of moral objectivism suggested in there is even practical in real life. For example, I have an IT assignment to do for high school, and we have been assigned groups. My partners are all…
Richard Nixon
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Do libertarians like Robert Nozick and Ayn Rand agree with the idea of enforcing intellectual property?

How do hardline libertarians like Nozick and Rand consider the question intellectual property and monopolies through patents? On one hand, it seem to me that they would support the concept, given the importance they place on the freedom to do as…
Alexander S King
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How would you explain the is-ought dichotomy to an "Objectivist"?

I've recently met someone who identifies as an "Objectivist." I'm a moral nihilist, so naturally, I asked about the is-ought problem. His response was frustrating. He claims that Rand avoids the is-ought problem by recognizing that it is not a…
anarchocurious
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Does Quantum Physics Refute Ayn Rand's Objectivism?

Rand's Objectivisms' central tenets are that reality exists independently of consciousness, that human beings have direct contact with reality through sense perception, that one can attain objective knowledge from perception through the process of…
user15128
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How fatal is Rands error in tackling Humes is-ought distinction?

Rand calls her philosophy Objectivism as she declares this moral philosophy is wholly & entirely rational and that the world has an objective character: It is out there. Hume, on the other hand dismisses all objective moral philosophies through the…
Mozibur Ullah
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Can one find in the writings of Ayn Rand a definitive list of rights?

Is there to be found anywhere in the writings, lectures or interviews of Ayn Rand a precisely-formulated list of rights, with or without justifications or explanations? In other words, did she ever set forth an explicit list or suite of individual /…
Gilliatt the Crafty
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Why is John Rawls taken more seriously than Ayn Rand?

I just listened to a lecture on ethics and justice, and John Rawls' "a theory of justice" was presented as the most significant work of political philosophy in recent times. The lecturer then went on to explain his two principles of liberty and…
Alexander S King
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Is Rand's Objectivism consequentialist/consequentially motivated?

Background (not looking to get into the weeds on this; just clarifying my viewpoint): It seems to me that the concept of a moral force or law is not really empirically supported. That is, statements like "it is wrong to kill" are only enforceable…
hunt
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Is it fair to characterise Ayn Rands philosophy 'Objectivism' as a blending of Nietzsche's Übermensch and American individualism?

I said this to a friend once, but told her to keep it quiet as I couldn't back it up as I haven't read any of her works, nor even a solid introduction. I formed my snap judgement on the basis of a synopsis of 'Atlas Shrugged', one of her novels. Is…
Mozibur Ullah
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Would Ayn Rand's Objectivism work in a society?

For some background, I'm not a serious academic or philosopher, but I have been studying Ayn Rand, her novels, and her philosophy of Objectivism in my English Literature class. A large part of Objectivism is focused around the notion of rational…
user48747
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What are some critical arguments against Objectivism?

I have read Ayn Rand's Fountainhead and also working through Atlas Shrugged. What are some philosophical arguments against Objectivism? NOTE: I am NOT a philosopher.
Pratik Deoghare
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