Objectivism

From RationalWiki

Objectivism was Ayn Rand's attempt at introducing religious elements previously missing from atheism (namely, an inability to define any non-self-serving epistemology and a violent idiocy on the part of believers). It was called Objectivism because, as Rand was the single smartest person in the history of the world, anything she said had to be objective. Like how all the best railroad titans were hot chicks who were really just looking for a good lay from a lonely crackpot inventor, or how the world will completely fall apart when all the rich people leave because there are no community organizers who are capable of organizing poor smart people to rebuild.

It is not a school of philosophy with wide acceptance within academia; in fact, many academics consider it rather juvenile. It is nevertheless very popular, and informs the beliefs of a great many conservatives and libertarians.

Objectivism has some life outside Rand's shadow; while its largest faction is represented by the Ayn Rand Institute led by Rand's pet chihuahua intellectual heir Leonard Peikoff, an "open" faction exists outside Rand's circle, led by David Kelley and his group, The Atlas Society. The debate over how much of Objectivism is dependent on Rand's writings and how far it can go beyond that is a fierce one that has engendered numerous purges and bitter catfights over the years.

[edit] See also

• Neo-Tech, one of Objectivism's loony-fringe offshoots.