Advanced Seminars on Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand
by Dr. Leonard Peikoff
- 15 lectures, 26 hours
- Recorded in 1991
In this course, Dr. Peikoff presented material from his then-new book, Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand. The manuscript had its earliest roots in Peikoff’s comprehensive 1976 lecture course on Objectivism. As he worked on the material for publication, he discovered new connections and implications of major ideas in the philosophy as well as new insights on its integrated, hierarchical structure. Peikoff used these seminars to discuss what he learned in the process and to demonstrate how it would allow students of Objectivism to gain a new understanding of the philosophy.
Download the entire course (1.09 GB) to listen in the audio player of your choice—or listen online starting with Lecture One below. If listening to the course from this website, be sure to make a note of the current lecture and timestamp before leaving so that you can easily resume where you left off.
Lecture Guide
Summaries of the lecture content are provided below for your reference and convenience.
| Lecture 1 | In this opening lecture, Dr. Peikoff discusses the nature of his new book and then analyzes the first chapter, specifically on the axioms, causality, the primacy of existence, and the mind-body question. |
|---|---|
| Lecture 2 | This lecture continues the discussion of the primacy of existence and its application to the concept of the metaphysically given. |
| Lecture 3 | In this lecture, Dr. Peikoff explains why there is an “in-between” step from metaphysics to epistemology. He explains the nature of sense perception and the validation of perceptual level awareness. |
| Lecture 4 | Continuing the discussion of the “anteroom” of philosophy, Dr. Peikoff explains the nature of free will, volition, the choice to think, and the distinction between the primary and higher level choices. |
| Lecture 5 | In this lecture, Dr. Peikoff begins his explanation of the Objectivist epistemology, with special attention to the unit perspective and Ayn Rand’s idea of measurement omission. |
| Lecture 6 | Continuing the discussion of Objectivist epistemology, Dr. Peikoff introduces the idea of conceptual hierarchy. He explains the distinction between first level and higher level concepts. |
| Lecture 7 | Dr. Peikoff presents the concept of objectivity and its central importance to Objectivist epistemology. He defines what logic is and why having a method to adhere to reality matters for thinking. |
| Lecture 8 | Dr. Peikoff explains the importance of hierarchy and context for understanding the nature of human knowledge and how one arrives at a proof. The lecture also explains the two flawed approaches to these topics known as subjectivism and intrinsicism. |
| Lecture 9 | In this lecture, Dr. Peikoff explains the Objectivist understanding of the nature of reason, the role of emotions, and the important concept of the arbitrary. It also includes a discussion of contextual certainty. |
| Lecture 10 | This lecture discusses the essential elements of human nature. Dr. Peikoff in particular contrasts his understanding as he presents it in his book compared to the original presentation in his lectures in the 1970s. He addresses goal-directedness, conditionality, and why reason is the basic means of survival for humans. |
| Lecture 11 | This lecture features Dr. Peikoff’s discussion of the nature of the good in human life and the crucial bridge between epistemology and ethics. He highlights the reason why life is the standard of value and why man’s life is the standard of morality. |
| Lecture 12 | Dr. Peikoff reviews the six derivative virtues as embodiments of the central virtue of rationality. He explains why each virtue encompasses both thought and action. |
| Lecture 13 | This lecture completes the discussion of ethics with an examination of the evil involved in initiating physical force. Dr. Peikoff then explains the nature of happiness and self-esteem as essential elements in human life. |
| Lecture 14 | This lecture features a discussion and elaboration of the concept of individual rights as the basis of government. Dr. Peikoff provides the validation of individual rights, discusses the proper functions of government, and the need for objective law. |
| Lecture 15 | After discussing the nature of capitalism as the only moral system, Dr. Peikoff elaborates on the epistemological underpinnings of capitalism and the opposition to it. |