The Leonard Peikoff Library

Suggested Study

What follows are suggested sequences of Dr. Peikoff’s courses, lectures, and written works, aimed at helping students plan their study based on their interests and goals.

Philosophy In History

A study sequence that demonstrates how philosophical ideas are what ultimately set the course of history and explain the world around us.

  1. The Ominous Parallels (Book, 352 pages)
  2. The History of Philosophy (Course, 24 lectures, 72 hours)
  3. The DIM Hypothesis (Book, 320 pages)
  4. “The Role of Philosophy and Psychology in History” (Lecture, 1 hour, 23 minutes)

Exploring Objectivism

For those who have read some of Ayn Rand’s fiction or nonfiction and are inspired to dive deeper into her underlying philosophy.

  1. Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand (Book, 493 pages)
  2. The Philosophy of Objectivism (Course, 24 lectures, 72 hours)
  3. Understanding Objectivism (Course, 11 lectures, 26 hours)
  4. Objectivism Through Induction (Course, 12 lectures, 18 hours)
  5. Advanced Seminars on Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand (Course, 15 lectures, 26 hours)
  6. Objectivism: The State of the Art (Course, 8 lectures, 12 hours)

Writing & Communication

Learn to more effectively communicate courtesy of Dr. Peikoff, an educator and master of both the written word and oral presentation.

  1. Objective Communication (Course, 10 lectures, 25 hours)
  2. Writing: A Mini-Course (Course, 2 lectures, 4 hours)
  3. Principles of Grammar (Course, 8 lectures, 19 hours)

Capitalism & Philosophy

In these works, Dr. Peikoff shows capitalism to be fundamentally a system of individual rights and demonstrates that only a moral/philosophical defense can save it.

  1. “The Sanction of the Victims” (Lecture, 1 hour, 19 minutes)
  2. “Can Capitalism Survive?” (Lecture, 58 minutes)
  3. “The Philosophic Basis of Capitalism” (Lecture, 1 hour, 38 minutes)
  4. The Philosophy of Objectivism, Lecture 10 (Lecture, 2 hours, 35 minutes. Presents the Objectivist view of capitalism as the only moral social system.)

Literature & Art

In these courses and lectures, Dr. Peikoff defines art, shows how to judge it objectively, and provides many examples of artworks that he considers to be life-serving.

  1. The Philosophy of Objectivism, Lecture 11 (Lecture, 2 hours, 50 minutes. An introduction to the Objectivist esthetics.)
  2. Eight Great Plays as Literature and as Philosophy (Course, 9 lectures, 18 hours)
  3. Poems I Like—and Why (Course, 2 lectures, 3 hours)
  4. “The Survival Value of Great False Art” (Lecture, 1 hour, 42 minutes)

Philosophic Applications

Across a variety of topics, Dr. Peikoff shows in these lectures the power of philosophy to explain what is and to guide us to what might be.

  1. [Law] “A Philosopher Looks at the OJ Verdict” (Lecture, 1 hour, 30 minutes)
  2. [Education] “A Rational Curriculum” (Lecture, 1 hour, 30 minutes)
  3. [Foreign Policy] “America vs. Americans” (Lecture, 1 hour, 30 minutes)
  4. [Healthcare] “Medicine: The Death of a Profession” (Lecture, 1 hour, 26 minutes)
  5. [Religion] “Religion vs. America” (Lecture, 1 hour, 20 minutes)
  6. [Crime] “What to Do About Crime” (Lecture, 1 hour, 41 minutes)

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Audio selections copyright © Leonard Peikoff and used by permission.