The Objectivism Book Study met through 2022 to study Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand, by Leonard Peikoff.

Our reading this week was:

Ch. 7 – The Good (Introduction) 206
Ch. 7 – Life as the essential root of value 207-213

This week’s reading introduces the concept of “value”—which Ayn Rand and Leonard Peikoff correctly ground in our nature as goal-directed, living beings.

We work to make it clear where Christians might agree with parts of Rand’s argument and disagree with other parts.

We tend to agree with Rand and Peikoff’s definitions and conclusions about value (or with modified versions of those conclusions), but we reject some of the key substance of how Rand and Peikoff argue.

Some of the material in this reading relies on Rand’s immortal robot argument, which we find unpersuasive. We also criticize some of Peikoff’s arguments.

Within a Christian philosophical context, we do not need to rely on several of the specific (seemingly inadequate) arguments found in this section. Nevertheless, much of the material is correct and useful.

Listen to the podcast in the player below, or view the video here.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

List of Dates and Readings

Why Christians Should Reconsider Ayn Rand

About Us (For the New Christian Intellectual)

Ayn Rand and Christianity?

Christianity + Western Civilization

The Plunder of the Egyptians

Americanism Book Study

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