I’m in 9th grade and I’ve read the Fountainhead, Anthem, and Atlas Shrugged. I’m interested in learning more about Objectivism and have opted to do an extra credit paper on it for one of my classes. Is anybody that considers themselves a true Objectivist willing to answer a few questions? It would be a big help but otherwise I’ll just surf around here and try to find some answers.
Also, any recommendations as to books on Objectivism?
Books on Objectivism? Keep reading Rand 
Books on Objectivism? Keep reading Rand
Uh, I got that, anything else? Rand’s the obvious, what else? I want stuff that discusses the philosphy, not demonstrates it (not ike Fountainhead, Anthem, etc)
Virtue of Selfishness; For the New Intellectual; Capitalism, the Unknown Ideal; Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology; Objectivism – the Philosophy of Ayn Rand. That’s my suggestion about order.
Virtue of Selfishness; For the New Intellectual; Capitalism, the Unknown Ideal; Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology; Objectivism – the Philosophy of Ayn Rand. That’s my suggestion about order.
I don’t think you need CUI before OPAR, and ITOE *should* come after OPAR, because you need to understand metaphysics before delving into epistemology.
I agree that VOS should be the book you start with. I would also get a copy of the Ayn Rand Lexicon. All of these books are available from the Ayn Rand Bookstore at www.aynrand.org.
Dear “Curious Student”,
I wish I had discovered Ayn Rands work at such an early time in my life! As for your questions and wish to learn more about Objectivism, I do think you should take a look at the website of The Ayn Rand Institute (ARI).
The ARI promotes the philosophy of Ayn Rand and their site
has a wealth of information that should be of value to you. For instance, at
http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pag…vism_audiovideo
there are two introductory lectures available for free on line by professional Objectivist philosophers. One is by the founder of the Ayn Rand Institute and Ayn Rands best pupil and intellectual heir, Dr. Leonard Peikoff (75 min.), the other is by Dr Gary Hull (5 hours).
You can also, for free, get an information packet on Objectivism by filling out the following form here:
http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=request_info
ARI has also prepared a suggested reading list, here:
http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pag…ctivism_sugread
Perhaps also ARI’s “voluntarism” program may be of interest to you? Check it out on their pages.
The ARI also has a really outstanding educational program you might be interested in (I have taken their undergraduate courses and can recommend it with all my heart, I’ve never had such good teachers in my life, and I’m a graduate student in history of philosophy):
http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pag…education_index
I wish you good luck in your studies!
Best regards,
Harald
I would have to disagree with recommending ITOE to a ninth grader. Granted c_s is obviously way ahead of most of his/her peers in seeking out answers vis a vis objectivism, but I started with OPAR when I was in my late 20s (with a college degree and lots of experience with philosophy) and I still struggled with it. I thing Peikoff’s OPAR has enough epistemology to get started in objectivism, plus Rand’s VOS and FTNI, etc., along with the concise and (relatively simple) thrusts of the ARI resources recommended by Harald.
Good Luck c_s, yours is the glorry!!! 
Scott
Impressive! After 70 years the best place to learn/live objectivism is still Rand.
I haven’t seen The Romantic Manifesto by Ayn Rand mentioned yet in this thread. If you are interested in art or literature, it’s a must. You should read it eventually even if you aren’t.
Is anybody that considers themselves a true Objectivist willing to answer a few questions?
I would be happy to answer a few questions. I suggest you start a new thread for each question you have.
Also, you might consider picking up a copy of The Ayn Rand Reader, edited by Gary Hull and Leonard Peikoff. This is a good compilation of Ayn Rand’s philosophical writings.
I’m in 9th grade and I’ve read the Fountainhead, Anthem, and Atlas Shrugged.
My guess is that the number of ninth graders who have read Atlas Shrugged would fit into a very small classroom. As exaltron said, you are clearly way ahead of your peers. What books did you enjoy before you started on Ayn Rand, and how did you discover her?
My guess is that the number of ninth graders who have read Atlas Shrugged would fit into a very small classroom. As exaltron said, you are clearly way ahead of your peers. What books did you enjoy before you started on Ayn Rand, and how did you discover her?
Thanks. I was out of books to read (it’s about all I do, reading) and I came upon “The Fountainhead.” At first the story interested me, but then I started thinking about some of the deeper messages. Ayn Rand has a lot to say and her philosophies interested me greatly, so I picked up “Anthem” and decided to tackle “Atlas Shrugged.” Before, I really read about anything I could find - Steinbeck, Bronte, Vonnegut…mostly off my mother’s shelf.
Any ideas for books beyond the Objectivism tract?
Thanks for being so responsive!
Any ideas for books beyond the Objectivism tract?
Thanks for being so responsive!
Among novelists, I like Dostoyevski, Faulkner, Fitzgerald, Greene, Huxley and Waugh.
Any ideas for books beyond the Objectivism tract?
The Wiki on this site has a tiny list of book recommendations. If you search the forum you will find a thread or two about book-recommendations.
Among novelists, I like Dostoyevski, Faulkner, Fitzgerald, Greene, Huxley and Waugh.
Thanks! I love Faulkner, Fitzgerald and Huxley, but I haven’t read any Waugh or Greene. Not so sure about Dostoyevski.
Even with Ayn Rand, I think Vonnegut is still my favorite. But Rand’s not far behind… :lol:
Even with Ayn Rand, I think Vonnegut is still my favorite. But Rand’s not far behind…
Okay, I haven’t read any Vonnegut, but I did a Google search on him, I’m always looking for good books/authors when I came across this on his website:
Vonnegut has typically used science fiction to characterize the world and the nature of existence as he experiences them. His chaotic fictional universe abounds in wonder, coincidence, randomness and irrationality. Science fiction helps lend form to the presentation of this world view without imposing a falsifying causality upon it.
As you will come to see, this view is extremely wrong. The world is rational and causal. I don’t know why anyone would write about a world that wasn’t, but I am utterly puzzled why you like it. Could you please elaborate on why it is that you like Vannegut? I am a curious, just like you. 
Zak
Okay, I haven’t read any Vonnegut, but I did a Google search on him, I’m always looking for good books/authors when I came across this on his website:
As you will come to see, this view is extremely wrong. The world is rational and causal. I don’t know why anyone would write about a world that wasn’t, but I am utterly puzzled why you like it. Could you please elaborate on why it is that you like Vannegut? I am a curious, just like you.
Zak
I don’t have time for a long response now, but steer clear of Vonnegut!! Kurt Vonnegut is one of the most irrational nihilistic authors I have ever read. His novels are written incoherently, with chapters in the past, present and future all jumbeled together. To top that off, he believes that technology is evil, and that Man in general is basically idiotic. The Sirens of Titan is bizzare, Slaughterhouse 5 could have been written under the influence of drugs, Cat’s Cradle is the worst of them all and makes absolutely no sense, Mother Night advocates the morally “gray”, relativism crap. Read Vonnegut if you want a headache, upset stomach, and an irresistable urge to burn, shread, or somehow destroy his “novels”. And as a side note, his “science fiction” is practically a parody of serious SF and is an insult to the entire genre. 
Even with Ayn Rand, I think Vonnegut is still my favorite. But Rand’s not far behind…
Never mind what others say. You are right to enjoy Vonnegut, one of the great masters of the comic novel. Cat’s Cradle is perhaps the best satire of religion ever written.
Vonnegut’s writing style is absolute genius. He is a literary genius. Just because you don’t understand something does not make it bad. Maybe you should read Breakfast of Champions, it’s illustrated. The pictures will make the words less confusing.
Never mind what others say. You are right to enjoy Vonnegut, one of the great masters of the comic novel. Cat’s Cradle is perhaps the best satire of religion ever written.
Hey. I was just asking what was good about Vonnegut because what I read on his website seemed quite anit-Objectivist. I was just wondering why curious_student liked both of them when they seem to have contradictory philosophies.