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Book Review:
Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand
by Glenn Woiceshyn
[Published in The New Federation magazine (a Canadian Publication) in the
Jan./Feb., 1993 edition. They edited my version to tailor it to their specific readers.
Their version is below.]
 Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand
by Leonard Peikoff
a Dutton Book 1991, 493 pages
Ayn Rand is primarily known for her best selling novels, Atlas Shrugged
(1957) and The Fountainhead (1943), both of which are still selling
strong. A widely reported survey of reading habits of Americans conducted for the
U.S. Library of Congress and the Book-of-the-Month Club recently ranked Atlas
Shrugged second only to the Bible on a list of 'books that made a difference'
in people's lives. The Fountainhead placed 15th.
Ayn Rand is rarely discussed in the media, and her philosophy of Objectivism all
but censored in university philosophy departments. Some philosophy professors have
said that her works are 'un- serious.' Some criticize her for presenting her philosophy
piece-meal instead of in a treatise.
I began studying the book in manuscript form in early 1990, and had the opportunity
to attend Dr. Peikoff's lectures during which he presented the book in detail. I
consider this book very timely considering the collapse of communism, the economic
recession and the intellectual chaos surrounding the constitution and other political
issues.
Intellectually we seemed to have reached a dead end. The problems are discussed endlessly
using the same old tired bromides. The solutions tend to create bigger problems.
The winner of the intellectual battles fought at the turn of the century is a loser
-- the socialist ideal of a perfect, harmonious state has collapsed, leaving disillusionment,
cynicism, poverty and death in its wake. In desperation, the Left has reached a new
low in spreading the virus known as "political correctness."
Leonard Peikoff, born and raised in Canada, is Ayn Rand's intellectual heir, associate,
friend and student of thirty years. What began in 1985 as an edited version of a
lecture course he gave in 1976, resulted in the "first comprehensive statement
of Ayn Rand's philosophy." The book is clear, concise, and cold as ice in its
adherence to logic -- but the ideas are anything but cold. Polemics are relegated
to the end of each chapter so as not to dilute the substance being presented.
One of Dr. Peikoff's greatest achievements in the book is his presentation of the
main principles of Objectivism in hierarchical order, like a skyscraper The more
abstract concepts in the upper floors, such as individual rights and the role of
government, are built upon more basic concepts, and so on all the way down to the
basic axioms at the foundation. Remove the foundation and the building collapses;
but the foundation is immovable.
Dr. Peikoff shows, for example, that in Ayn Rand's philosophy rational self-interest
(or selfishness) involves a long-range pursuit of values, neither sacrificing oneself
to others nor others to oneself. Also, helping others can be selfish, and individualism
does not mean living as a recluse. The proper method of dealing with one another,
a method only accessible to man, is voluntary trade.
The book is written neither for ivory tower scholastics nor for complete beginners
in philosophy, although any thoughtful reader should manage well. A pre-reading of
Ayn Rand's major works, especially Atlas Shrugged, is recommended.
Chapters 10-11 deal with topics of particular interest to readers of The New Federation:
politics and social systems. Objectivism holds that the sole purpose of government
is to protect individual rights, i.e., to protect individuals from the initiation
of force by others. Another tenet is that laissez-faire capitalism is not just the
only practical social system, but also the only moral social system -- an idea which
will shock most people today.
The book closes with an epilogue entitled: "The Dual Between Plato and Aristotle,"
where Dr. Peikoff discusses why philosophy ultimately determines history. Aristotle
stood for this world and reason, whereas Plato stood for other-worldliness and other-than-reason.
The periods of history dominated by Plato's philosophy, such as the Dark and Middle
Ages, were periods of human misery. The West's rediscovery of Aristotle in the 12th
century lead to the Renaissance, the rebirth of reason, and all the magnificent developments
in science, technology and art.
As Dr. Peikoff argues that it was Immanuel Kant who ended the Age of Enlightenment
and re-introduced Plato in a pure form. Kant destroyed man's respect for reason,
and paved the way for reason's ultimate annihilation in modern philosophy. Also,
it was Kant, through Hegel, Marx and many others, who paved the way for Hitler, Stalin,
and one of the bloodiest centuries in history. [See Dr. Peikoff's earlier book: "The
Ominous Parallels--The End of Freedom in America"; Stein and Day (1982)]
Dr. Peikoff argues that Ayn Rand is to Aristotle what Kant is to Plato. She remedied
the errors and omissions of Aristotle, and thus re-introduced Aristotle in a pure
form. Now it is just a matter of time.
The book ends with a fitting tribute to Ayn Rand and to reason. "To save the
world is the simplest thing in the world -- all one has to do is think."
© 1997 Glenn Woiceshyn. All rights reserved.
This article can be found on-line at at http://www.capitalism.org/glennw. |
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