tamara Posted November 18, 2004 Report Share Posted November 18, 2004 Hi, Newbie here. I've read The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged and was very pleased with both. I obviously only have a vague knowledge of Objectivism and am planning to pick up more of Ayn Rand's work very soon. With this in mind, I have two questions: 1. Having read the aforementioned books, which do you recommend I pick up next? I don't want to pick up a book that assumes one has more knowledge in the philosophy than I do as of now, and risk getting confused by not properly understanding her terms. 2. Is there some sort of online Objectivist dictionary that I can refer to when I browse through these forums and come across a term whose meaning I don't completely understand from an Objectivist standpoint? If not, which one of Ayn's books addresses this? Thanks, and these forum topics are fascinating reads to say the least. Tamara you and whose army? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed from OC Posted November 18, 2004 Report Share Posted November 18, 2004 1. Having read the aforementioned books, which do you recommend I pick up next? I don't want to pick up a book that assumes one has more knowledge in the philosophy than I do as of now, and risk getting confused by not properly understanding her terms. 2. Is there some sort of online Objectivist dictionary that I can refer to when I browse through these forums and come across a term whose meaning I don't completely understand from an Objectivist standpoint? If not, which one of Ayn's books addresses this? Welcome, Tamara. I don't think there's a specific order in which things need to be read, so look over the various essay collections and go after whatever raises your interest. There's a suggested reading list at the Ayn Rand Institute's website. Search around that website and you'll find a number of essays and op-eds. Also check out the Ayn Rand Bookstore for the range of things available. If you are more interested in fiction than philosophy, you might try We the Living, Anthem, and Night of January 16th. For aesthetics, check out The Romantic Manifesto. For politics and economics, try Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal. Her book on epistemology -- Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology -- I wouldn't recommend for someone new to her ideas, unless you have a keen interest in the subject and already are well versed in philosophy. Her other essay collections -- The Voice of Reason, The Return of the Primitive / The New Left, and Philosophy: Who Needs It -- focus on a range of topics. Some disagree, but I think a good overview of her ideas is Allan Gotthelf's On Ayn Rand. Regarding your second question, Harry Binswanger wrote The Ayn Rand Lexicon, which, while not an online reference, I've found very useful. Hope that helps. Enjoy the journey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McGroarty Posted November 18, 2004 Report Share Posted November 18, 2004 I don't know the best answer to the first question as much of this is still new to me, but The Ayn Rand Lexicon: Objectivism From A to Z is surely your answer to the second. Edit: Beaten by two minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tamara Posted November 18, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2004 Excellent. Thank you. So much to read Tamara you and whose army? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AwakeAndFree Posted November 18, 2004 Report Share Posted November 18, 2004 I'd actually recommend starting with Leonard Peikoff's excellent Objectivism The Philosophy of Ayn Rand, which gives a very good explanation of all the different elements and how they combine to form a unified whole. Then you can dive into each of the more specific books, to gain further insight, and enjoy Ayn Rand's unique nonfiction style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godless Capitalist Posted November 18, 2004 Report Share Posted November 18, 2004 Ed, why no mention of The Virtue of Selfishness? That's what I would recommend as a first AR nonfiction book. I'd actually recommend starting with Leonard Peikoff's excellent Objectivism The Philosophy of Ayn Rand, which gives a very good explanation of all the different elements and how they combine to form a unified whole. Agreed. OPAR is very systematic and more like a textbook than AR's essay collections, which are more thematic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed from OC Posted November 18, 2004 Report Share Posted November 18, 2004 Ed, why no mention of The Virtue of Selfishness? That's what I would recommend as a first AR nonfiction book. Whoops! Yeah, that's an oversight. The Virtue of Selfishness is indeed a good starting point. If you are interested in ethics, that's the one to read. Agreed. OPAR is very systematic and more like a textbook than AR's essay collections, which are more thematic. I disagree about OPAR, though. I wouldn't lead off with it, simply because it covers everything. I think it would be better to get a broad overview, then some details, and then move on to see the connections between all the points as laid out in OPAR. Of course, there are people who read OPAR immediately after the novels, so I wouldn't say it's impossible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BurgessLau Posted November 18, 2004 Report Share Posted November 18, 2004 [...] 1. Having read the aforementioned books, which do you recommend I pick up next? I don't want to pick up a book that assumes one has more knowledge in the philosophy than I do as of now, and risk getting confused by not properly understanding her terms. 2. Is there some sort of online Objectivist dictionary that I can refer to when I browse through these forums and come across a term whose meaning I don't completely understand from an Objectivist standpoint? If not, which one of Ayn's books addresses this? [...] The answer to both questions is The Ayn Rand Lexicon, compiled and edited by Dr. Harry Binswanger, who -- if my memory serves me well -- showed Ayn Rand the book in its initial, planning stages and she approved of it. It is an alphabetical listing of topics which she (and her foremost student, Leonard Peikoff) discussed in writing and in lectures. Each topic -- such as "Capitalism," "Faith," and "Focus" -- usually begins with a definition. Subsequent excerpts for that topic elaborate the definition or apply the concept. The Lexicon identifies the source of each excerpt, so you can go to that souce for the full discussion. The Ayn Rand Lexicon is an indispensable tool for the long-term study of the philosophy that Ayn Rand created, Objectivism. A second step would be a slow, thoughtful reading of Objectivism: The Philosopy of Ayn Rand. (I recommend one chapter per month.) This is a comprehensive, clearly written, thoroughly integrated presentation of Ayn Rand's vast philosophy, in a single volume. The endnotes will lead you to sources in Ayn Rand's writings. Don't be concerned about getting confused with new ideas. You will inevitably be puzzled. That is part of the learning process. Puzzlement leads to questions (which you could ask here, where the quality of answers is wildly mixed, or on the Harry Binswanger List, where the quality is much higher, but not always suited to beginners). As I learned from Ayn Rand, questions are a lens for focusing the mind. So, welcome questions -- both from yourself and from others. The two books I recommended -- ARL and OPAR -- will both answer questions and provoke them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toolboxnj Posted November 20, 2004 Report Share Posted November 20, 2004 It's all what you are interested in. Personally, I love political philosophy and economics, so I tore through Capitalism: Unknown Ideal, went to ethics (VOS), OPAR and VOR. If you're not interested in art, dont read the Romantic Manifesto first Also, there are some good audio tapes from ARI, but they are a bit pricey. If there's something on eBAY that you're interested in you can usually get it used at a good discount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
realitycheck44 Posted November 20, 2004 Report Share Posted November 20, 2004 I have only read Atlas Shrugged and Anthem, but recently bought OPAR, For the New Intellectual, The Virtue of Selfishness, and Philosophy: Who Needs It. I read a teaser from all of them just to get an idea of what I wanted to start with. I have started OPAR and it takes somethinking, but I don't find it too difficult. Mr Laughin's suggestion of one chapter a month is fairly accurate. For The New Intellectual also looks very interesting, but I only read the first few pages. Personally I would stay away from collections of her essays, such as The Voice of Reason and Philosophy:Who Needs It. I read some of the Voice of Reason, but without really knowing her philosophy, it was too specific when I wanted something more general. BTW, this website helped my understanding so much. Just reading what others have to say really does wonders Zak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khaight Posted November 21, 2004 Report Share Posted November 21, 2004 2. Is there some sort of online Objectivist dictionary that I can refer to when I browse through these forums and come across a term whose meaning I don't completely understand from an Objectivist standpoint? If not, which one of Ayn's books addresses this? While I second the recommendation of the Ayn Rand Lexicon, you might also want to take a look at the Glossary of Objectivist Definitions. I believe it's available from the Ayn Rand Bookstore website. It's a pamphlet-length (58 page) glossary that focusses on providing concise definitions of a variety of key terms in Objectivism. The Lexicon provides a lot more context, but for straight definitions and nothing but, the Glossary can't be beat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Socionomer Posted November 21, 2004 Report Share Posted November 21, 2004 I think a good place to begin reading her non-fiction is with "Philosophy: Who Needs It". (I just checked ARI to make sure I had the title correct and noticed that they recommend a sequence of reading for her work. They recommend this one as third after the two novels you have already read). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prometheus98876 Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 I am working on a web-based glossary, mainly for my own usage, and that of my friends. However I might make it publicly available at some stage if there is enough interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olex Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 I am working on a web-based glossary... What are the copyright issues involved here? And if there are any, how do you plan to handle them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prometheus98876 Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 What are the copyright issues involved here? And if there are any, how do you plan to handle them? Well, that is one of the things that of course I would want to look into of course if I wanted to share the thing.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.