The Philosophy of Objectivism
by Dr. Leonard Peikoff
- 12 lectures, 32 hours
- Recorded in 1976
This twelve lecture course presents the entire theoretical structure and key ideas of Objectivism. It covers all the major branches of philosophy and how Objectivism answers the essential questions in those areas. Ayn Rand attended the lectures and participated in a majority of the question and answer sessions after the lectures. Peikoff later used this material as the basis of his definitive book on Objectivism.
What follows is an important word given by Dr. Peikoff when these recordings were made commercially available in the early 1990s:
The following lecture is part of a course originally given in 1976 with Ayn Rand’s endorsement and in her presence. As of 1991, however, the course will be superseded by my book Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand. My book recapitulates the 1976 course, but its formulations and logical structure are immeasurably superior.
Despite this fact, I am making the original course available for purchase for several reasons. Students may find it profitable to compare the course to the book and discover for themselves the differences. Also, the 1976 course is the only recorded statement of the entire content of Objectivism. My new taped course on Objectivism is selective, taking for granted a knowledge of the philosophy. Finally, Ayn Rand herself took part in most of the question periods in 1976 and I do not want her recorded comments to disappear from the Objectivist scene.
To all of you now about to hear this lecture, however, let me stress at the outset that I myself, speaking some fifteen years later, regard my new book and not this course as the definitive statement of Objectivism.
Thank you.
—Dr. Leonard Peikoff, Fall 1990
Download the entire course (1.34 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.
Study Guide
This course includes a study guide, featuring questions and other material designed to help you digest the course content. This material accompanies the individual lectures and is also available below as a PDF.
Lecture Guide
Summaries of the lecture content are provided below for your reference and convenience.
| Lecture 1 | In this opening lecture, Leonard Peikoff examines the centrality of one’s view of man’s nature on a philosophy as a whole. He demonstrates that the more fundamental branches contribute to what we understand about man’s metaphysical nature and that the later, normative branches follow from our observations of man. This lecture answers crucial questions about the nature of reason, the relation between mind and body, and the question of man being in control of his life. |
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| Lecture 2 | This lecture explores the basic axioms of Objectivism. Dr. Peikoff reviews why the philosophy begins by stating its fundamentals and builds from that base. He explains the Objectivist understanding of the nature of existence and consciousness and their relationship to each other, especially the primacy of existence. The lecture also explores the nature of identity and how that gives rise to the field of causality. |
| Lecture 3 | In this lecture, Dr. Peikoff explores the most fundamental steps in human cognition by explaining how we acquire the first material for thought. He discusses the question of the validity of the senses and the nature of free will as well as the concept of objectivity. The lecture also discusses the most basic issue in epistemology of reason versus mysticism. |
| Lecture 4 | Dr. Peikoff explains how human consciousness moves from the perceptual to the abstract level through the creation of concepts. Through an exploration of the metaphysical status of sensory qualities, the nature of the unit perspective in human cognition, and the use of definitions and conceptual names, Peikoff describes the process of concept formation. |
| Lecture 5 | Continuing the discussion of concept formation from the previous lecture, Dr. Peikoff examines the way that concepts work in thinking. This lecture focuses on the two crucial perspectives on concepts and human knowledge more broadly, naming that they are contextual and hierarchical. Peikoff describes a variety of errors in concept formation that lead to distinctive logical fallacies. Ayn Rand participates in this lecture’s question and answer session. |
| Lecture 6 | This lecture examines the idea of rationality and its application to human life. Dr. Peikoff discusses the conflict between rationality and skepticism in the context of understanding the question of cognitive certainty. He discusses the nature of certainty and absolutes, contrasting the Objectivist perspective to agnosticism and rationalism. Further, the lecture explores the nature of the arbitrary. Peikoff concludes with a discussion of the relationship between reason and the emotions and how rationality and volition work together. Ayn Rand participates in this lecture’s question and answer session. |
| Lecture 7 | In this lecture, Dr. Peikoff introduces the Objectivist ethics. He explores the reality-based foundations for all ethical thinking, rooted in the idea of life as a specific type of value that gives rise to moral questions. The lecture begins the discussion of the Objectivist virtues by exploring the central virtue of rationality and its relationship to the question of the primary beneficiary of ethical action, and thus the topic of egoism. Ayn Rand participates in this lecture’s question and answer session. |
| Lecture 8 | This lecture features an extended discussion of four of the Objectivist virtues, namely independence, integrity, honesty, and productiveness. By demonstrating how each virtue is an implementation and extension of the virtue of rationality, Peikoff highlights the unique perspective captured by each. The lecture also explores how the soul-body question arises in ethics, how the topic of evil arises, and finally how to understand the nature of happiness. Ayn Rand participates in this lecture’s question and answer session. |
| Lecture 9 | Dr. Peikoff concludes his examination of the Objectivist virtues with a discussion of justice and pride. He examines how justice applies to one’s perspective on oneself and on others. From understanding the nature and requirements of ethical action in individuals, Peikoff turns to the question of moral action in a social context and the threshold of politics. Through understanding the nature of force and how it stops the mind, the lecture highlights the grounding of individual rights as the basis of a moral social system. The lecture concludes with a validation of individualism and a discussion of the nature and proper functions of government. Ayn Rand participates in this lecture’s question and answer session. |
| Lecture 10 | In this lecture, Dr. Peikoff examines the full implementation of a social system that upholds and protects individual rights, namely capitalism. He demonstrates that capitalism is the only moral social system and the only one rooted in the objective view of values. By explaining that capitalism is the only system that features objective law and understands the proper distinction between political and economic power, Peikoff demonstrates how capitalism is the only system that opposes all forms of statism and collectivism. Ayn Rand participates in this lecture’s question and answer session. |
| Lecture 11 | This lecture introduces the Objectivist esthetics. Dr. Peikoff explains the nature of art and its role in human life. He discusses what is meant by a sense of life and what the artistic approach that is called romanticism is. Using fiction as a case study, he explains the different means by which art can accomplish its central goal and how it functions for a cognitive consciousness. He concludes with a discussion about how to judge a work of art objectively. Ayn Rand participates in this lecture’s question and answer session. |
| Lecture 12 | This lecture focuses on the application of Objectivism in the broad historical development in Western history. Dr. Peikoff provides an overview of the key ideas and contrasts in the major philosophic duel between Plato and Aristotle. Reviewing the implementation of those ideas from the ancient through the modern era, he provides a key to understanding the profoundly unique nature of America in history. He concludes the lecture with a view to the future. Ayn Rand participates in this lecture’s question and answer session. |