The Voice of Reason: Essays in Objectivist Thought

The Ayn Rand Library #5

by Ayn Rand, Leonard Peikoff (Editor)

Between 1961, when she gave her first talk at the Ford Hall Forum in Boston, and 1981, when she gave the last talk of her life in New Orleans, Ayn Rand spoke and wrote about topics as varied as education, medicine, Vietnam, and the death of Marilyn Monroe . In The Voice of Reason , these pieces, written in the last decades of Rand's life, are gathered in book form for the first time. With them are five essays by Leonard Peikoff , Rand's longtime associate and literary executor. The work concludes with Peikoff's epilogue, "My Thirty Years With Ayn Rand: An Intellectual Memoir," which answers the question "What was Ayn Rand really like?" Important reading for all thinking individuals, Rand's later writings reflect a life lived on principle, a probing mind, and a passionate intensity. This collection communicates not only Rand's singular worldview, but also the penetrating cultural and political analysis to which it gives rise.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Politics, Essays, History, Psychology, Economics

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Polemical novels, such as The Fountainhead (1943), of primarily known Russian-American writer Ayn Rand, originally Alisa Rosenbaum, espouse the doctrines of objectivism and political libertarianism.

Fiction of this better author and philosopher developed a system that she named. Educated, she moved to the United States in 1926. After two early initially duds and two Broadway plays, Rand achieved fame. In 1957, she published Atlas Shrugged , her best-selling work.

Rand advocated reason and rejected faith and religion. She supported rational and ethical egoism as opposed to altruism. She condemned the immoral initiation of force and supported laissez-faire capitalism, which she defined as the system, based on recognizing individual rights, including private property. Often associated with the modern movement in the United States, Rand opposed and viewed anarchism. In art, she promoted romantic realism. She sharply criticized most philosophers and their traditions with few exceptions.

Books of Rand sold more than 37 million copies. From literary critics, her fiction received mixed reviews with more negative reviews for her later work. Afterward, she turned to nonfiction to promote her philosophy, published her own periodicals, and released several collections of essays until her death in 1982.

After her death, her ideas interested academics, but philosophers generally ignored or rejected her and argued that her approach and work lack methodological rigor. She influenced some right conservatives. The movement circulates her ideas to the public and in academic settings.

Reviews

[James Johnson · Rating 1 out of 5]

It is no surprise to me that I only gave one star to yet another Ayn Rand book. The mystery is why I keep subjecting myself to inferior literature and ideas. I am happy to report that I am done trying to make sense of the author's nonsensical world. But I am even happier that after reading this book, I now realize what is so off-putting about her writings.

She thinks she can base her philosophy of objectivism in the object of rationality. However, humans are not rational animals. They can strive to be rational but will always fall short. And the greater the number of humans, the less likely that rationality will prevail. Ayn Rand didn't understand human nature enough to see this glaring flaw in her inferior thinking and what made her so annoying is her projection of intelligence as she pushed her unintelligent ideas.

Ironically, it was while reading Peikoff's (Rand's lackey) essay that the nature of their philosophy became clear to me and thus its primary flaw--human nature. Rand in all her babblings was unable to effectively communicate her own ideas.

[Cheyanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

still reading this -

kind of painful

[Diogenes the Dog · Rating 3 out of 5]

Things Ayn Rand doesn’t understand: Plato, Kant, Christianity.

The Humanae Vitae rant could be summed up as “the right to sex without consequences”, ironic considering her successfully destroying the Brandens’ marriage, and driving her husband Frank to drink himself to death.

Other than that, a lot of spicy common-sense, applicable to generations of mollycoddled parasites and their willful enablers.

[Zach Christensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars because I cannot agree with much of what Rand argues. But also three stars because, as Leonard Peikoff explains in the epilogue, Ayn Rand worked hard to be understood, down to the root.

I have to say, reading more Ayn Rand has helped me in conversation with capitalism apologists. When you understand the necessary conclusions of capitalism, you then realize that many people in the United States who claim it as their political philosophy, do not actually believe it very thoroughly.

While I think most of Ayn Rand’s moral takeaways are wrong, and in some instances, overtly immoral, I will always appreciate her courage to follow her ideas to their logical conclusions. I say this because many conservatives in the United States do not do this. If more of them were willing to read Ayn Rand, they would see the moral problems and incongruities with the ideas they claim to subscribe to.

Also, for anyone who claims that Ayn Rand was a Libertarian, this book is a must-read. She was explicitly in opposition to Libertarians, and there is an entire chapter dedicated to this. Said chapter is written Peter Schwartz, one of her intellectual heirs who serves on the board of the Ayn Rand Institute, but nonetheless, it is a clear crystallization of her thoughts.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was stunned to learn that Ayn Rand "triggered" some progressives on FB - so much that they demanded the OP be taken down-- that I had to return to Ayn's essays which I attempted to slog thru in high school. Gosh, they were tough back then. But at 56, she made so much more sense (and yes. We are on a first name basis). I am now a great fan of Aristotle and Objectivism, and totally see how the GOP/libertarians have highjacked her philosophy to promote their own abusive powers while the left still remains lost. She does come off cold hearted but man, can she drag the Catholic Church over their dead facts. Her 1968 lecture on the Humanae Vitae was a loud scream to read at 3am on a Saturday after the abortion decision. Peikoff's essays were also easy to follow and got me into his 1980's book, The Omnious Parallels.

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ayn Rand's best twenty-six pieces form of collection speeches, and articles. There are some short comments for her readers in the Los Angles Times, as well as her own magazines and some lectures to various audiences. These articles spans from 1961 to 1981, and also included some of her essays written after Ayn Rand's death in 1982.

[Vijay Prabu S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collection deeply probing essays by Ayn Rand and her acolytes, that enhances one's understanding of the Ayn Rand's philosophy that one has grasped from the Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. Certainly, not for everyone, but for hardcore objectivists, like me, it is a must read.

[Daniel Yi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to get a better sense of Ayn Rand’s philosophy, which i did but a number of essays were disconnected to modern era and didn’t seem as relevant. Her take on the Libertarian movement of the 1960s/1970s was quite interesting.

[John Harder]

Everyone and his dog has read Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead. The themes in her fiction works are well developed (particularly in Atlas Shrugged) and by the time you lay these tomes down you will have a reasonable understanding of Objectivism; that is there is an objective reality and therefore the epistemology of our knowledge and philosophy should derive from that reality. Through such a thought process one can derive certain conclusions. The Voice of Reason elaborates on this process, applies objectivist principals to today’s issues (the essays were written from 1961-1985 but the problems she addresses are still relevant today, perhaps even more so since our society has unfortunately become more Kantian), and discusses broad philosophical and political trends.



I am a fan of Rand. I applaud how she reinforces that man is an end unto himself. She continually reiterates the evil of altruism (not to be confused with charity). No man should live for another and the selfish joy one derives from his accomplishments, relationships, knowledge and thought are the only morally correct fashion of living.



This collection takes concentration, so if you have a baby crying in the background, I recommend you leave the child in front of a firehouse somewhere – don’t worry it will be fine. The writing is simple but the themes can be complex. You may find yourself having to re-read paragraphs (I know I did, as I am simple boy educated in the government schools). I think now I will read something light, like the Talmud, Ulysses or the Marquis de Sade (without the dirty parts).

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The highlight of this collection is Leonard Peikoff's touching eulogy for Ayn Rand.

[Valdemar Christensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rand is as always clear cut and completely rational

[Eunjun Choo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this long time ago. I remember enjoying it, although I don't remember too much. Unlike her shorter philosophy books such as the Virtue of Selfishness, this book has many references on a general overview of the Objectivist philosophy. I would have gotten more out of this book if I've read Atlas Shrugged and couple of her other well-known books beforehand.
Still a good book. I also liked couple of Peikoff's essays and lecture.

[Chris Dietzel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not worth 4 stars for me because I subscribe to everything Rand says. There are some ideas of hers that I think are spot-on and others that I find to be woefully short-sighted. The reason this is worth 4 stars for me is because it does a great job of teaching exactly what Rand believed, and in doing that it taught me a lot about her personal philosophy of Objectivism.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Addresses how stateism influences current events, as compared to her novels, where the effects of stateism are predicted on imaginary events. Essays criticize the Catholic church, education, and she even saw into the future to give a criticism of the woke movement's tyranny of the minority.

[Dave Cazeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting presentation of ideas in the potential of man. Scary where this could lead us though…

[Paschalis]

elibrary

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a bit dated. She has some ideas that are still good, but some of the essays are difficult to handle 55 years after the initial publication.

[Gerardo Herrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant essays on Objectivist thought.

[Aidan Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting essays for the most part. Faulty logic. There are a couple that are so bad though they're difficult to ignore.

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

61-81 if totally open forum is intellectual, feelings as hope and fears vs reason, statist is destroying as collective good, science and ethics give choices and actions, statists ant hill and eugenics and Sanger, right or wrong who decides, what is really ethics, worst crimes by children of well-to-do, fear of objective assessment and responsibility, do not choose to think to go along with thought of prof appeasers erosion of values and cynicism, hatred for reason is hatred for reason which subverts to fear, dictatorships require censorship, pro-abortion, old liberalism is limited govt and max individual liberty, NW expansion by James Hill vs RR subsidies, why Vietnam after ignoring why not Eastern European countries, arts and distortion selective recreation of reality, root of social evils collectivism, bilingual and progress of nations, tribalism brutalism war, a wish is not a right, universities lost way then country, Vietnam and 1918 red army as totalitarianism vs white army of nothing, investigate Kennedy and Johnson to learn how war started and why and how lost, ussr and altruism how wonderful to see everyone equally shabby, appeasement is betrayal of values, book The Ominous Parallels, business supports own demise in univ research, Marilyn’s words found malice at top and envy hatred of values and good vs joy, 7min Apollo11, Founders questioned debated and disputed and not college profs, Margaret Mead flaw Samoa, Sanford student expelled for revealing China late-term abortions, govt of law or men, man as conceptual level plus 5 senses, teach and lecture vs moderate discussion what is opinion vs fact close teacher colleges, public TV for 10%, socialist believe in power of money, a thinking man cannot be ruled, do tax credits for education, unpredictable govt taxation is greatest fear, woman not want to be president why, Ukraine feed world, people can sense a sense of guilt insincerity and hypocrisy, doctors as business or servant of govt and not people, objectivism vs liberalism, ideas most practical in world, admired Aristotle Aquinas, what is the principal, truth only as lie begets more lies, practice what preach.

[Mark Gowan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a collection of essay pertaining to Rand’s philosophy, her viewpoints of culture as her philosophy pertains to it and politics as they are objective or not. The book also contains a few essays from her cohort/admirer Leonard Peikoff as well as one by Peter Schwartz. It is Rand’s essays that stand out.

First, Rand’s philosophy, Objectivism is applied in numerous situations that Rand was experiencing or reading about. With her usual up-front audacity, she makes her arguments as to why rationality separated from objective reality leads to blind acceptance of altruism, and in turn the blind acceptance of altruism leads eventually to the loss of individual freedom. With all of this in mind, she critiques a review of Aristotle, psychology, religious belief, and basic mediocrity among other concepts.

In part 2, Culture, and in part 3, Politics, Rand relies on clear and concise argumentation to point out how non-rational belief-altruism- loss of individual freedom can be found in social norms as well as political goals. One of my personal favorites is the essay: The Intellectual Bankruptcy of Our Age, which points out the similar meanings of “liberal” and “conservative” and how the modern use of those terms is in direct contradiction to the original meaning of the terms. One of her points is that this change was discreet and almost un-notice by most. With the exception of one or two (particularly the essay “About a Woman President”) I found the essays to give a good perspective of how Objectivism works when applied to general situations such as society and politics.

Rand’s philosophy is often misconstrued or misunderstood, and this book gives the reader a chance to see the consequences of Objectivism in action. What this book does not do is go into detail about what Objectivism is philosophically speaking. For that I would recommend her book “Objectivism”. All in all, this book would be a good introduction if a hardcore philosophy book is not your taste and you find that philosophy in novel-form is not your cup of tea.

[Nex Juice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. In terms of studying Ayn Rand's philosophy, it is second to none. I still love her Virtue of Selfishness book, but this book goes deeper on a lot of different subjects. As I read this book, I found myself struck with a deep admiration for her prolific abilities to think and to write. Profound concepts came to her with apparent ease. She was able to summarize complex ideas into simple, easy to read and understand, words. This book includes an introductory essay about the basic tenets of her philosophy, Objectivism. It's a must-read. I'll attempt to do summarize it in one sentence, but I highly recommend you read it for yourself in its entirety.

Objectivism is based on the tenets of reason, rational self-interest, and true free-market capitalism.

She applies this philosophy to many different arenas throughout these essays, from business to politics to landing on the moon to everyday life. The only criticism I have for this work is the essay on a woman being president. She thought it improper for a woman to desire to be President, as she defines the essence of femininity as "hero worship." I think men and women both have people they admire and adore, but worship is an excessively strong word that signifies anti-rational subjectivism. She stresses that she believes a woman is capable and competent of being President, and there are women who would do far better than the men that have previously held the title, but she thinks it improper for a woman to WANT to be President. I was very confused by this and wish she was still alive so I could pose the question to her myself and have a discussion on the subject.

Otherwise, this book earned every last one of the 5 stars I am giving it. If ever there was a book worthy of owning, this is the one.

Check out my live Youtube review and summary at https://youtu.be/0T98ov4dbI4

[Michael Connolly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ayn Rand points out one method that Aristotle's enemies have used to invalidate him: the straw man. That is, Aristotle's enemies have misrepresented his ideas, have found flaws in their misrepresentation, and then blamed Aristotle for the errors that they themselves have introduced. Ayn Rand has a good understanding of this kind of attack, having been subjected to it so much herself!
Ayn Rand criticizes altruism. Her critics have said that she was attacking a straw man, a masochistic extreme of altruism, rather than what they said was the center of altruism, compassion for ones fellow man. Is this true? I think not. The etymology of the word altruism is that it comes from the Latin for "other" (compare alter). The core of altruism is thus the idea that the primary purpose of ones actions should be to promote the welfare of the other person. Self-sacrifice is then actually at the heart of altruism, and not a straw man devised by Ayn Rand. Compassion for the suffering of the innocent is merely the bait in the trap, a way to entice naive people into volunteering to be victims. If what one actually wants to promote is compassion for the suffering of the innocent, there is no need to introduce a new word for it, altruism. One can simply call it compassion for the suffering of the innocent. This is a better term than altruism, because it makes clear that one should favor the innocent over the evil, not others over oneself.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of essays by Ayn Rand, (author of “Atlas Shrugged” and “The Fountainhead”) focuses much more on the application of her philosophy of Objectivism to American culture and politics, rather than the identification of the branches of Objectivism. As such, there are many lessons to be learned from seeing Rand apply the philosophy to concrete, particular instances of American culture that nearly everyone can remember and relate to, regardless of age.

Of particular interest are: her discussion of how to defend against socialized medicine; her analysis of why America "lost" the war in Vietnam; and what does and does not constitute a moral compromise in regard to accepting a scholarship that has government ties. Her analysis of these events can easily be applied to the modern equivalents of the “public option” of 2009 and the “war on terror”.

Seeing these events dissected through Rand's unique ability to see complex issues in terms of fundamentals is of value of anyone looking to understand how to better integrate the philosophy of Objectivism to their daily lives, or simply to see an analysis of America that cannot be found from any other source.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it's like a Cliff's Notes to Atlas Shrugged and the Fountainhead. The playbook for objectivism in three parts Philosophy, Culture, and Politics. The Politics part was the most relevant for me as it doubled up as an economics of Objectivism lesson. The Philosophy part seemed more like a college professor lending his opinions to the class. I felt as if I would fail if I voiced disagreement. Culture was interesting; the best part for me on the complacency of the American public school system; and college education for that matter. Slightly misleading in that this is not entirely Ayn Rand messages; Leonard Peikoff has thrown some of his works into the mix.

If you find yourself wanting to make sure you got the message in John Galt's 100 some page speech, you'll want to pick this up. If you feel you've had enough, or don't quite agree with Objectivist thought, you'll want to pass.

[Nathan Titus · Rating 5 out of 5]

lots of great essays here on all sorts of topics. great filling in the gaps for the ayn rand worldview. aside from an excellent and in depth critique of the medical profesion not much that isnt repeated elsewhere but its her voice, her philosophy, HER. for a fan it is therefore essential.
have to take off half a star for the hysterical essay by peter Schwartz. far too jumbled to even be called a floating abstraction, it is a hodgepodge of outright hostility, straw men, utilitarian reasoning, panic, nonsense, and self-contridiction. a hot mess if ever ive seen one. one single quote by ayn rand (from another book) dismantles the whole thing and throws the pieces to the wind: "when men are reasonable, freedom wins. when men are free, reason wins." An essay that is basically a polemic against freedom, therefore, has no place in a book called The Voice of Reason.
but every word in here writen by rand is great. of course. and for that i give the book 5 stars

[Kyle Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good collection of essays by Ayn Rand, with a few thrown in from Leonard Peikoff, and one by Peter Schwartz. I'm not positive, as I haven't checked, but I believe that a few of the writings compiled in this book are also in some of Rand's other non-fiction, e.g. "Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal", "The Virtue of Selfishness", and "Philosophy: Who Needs It". But even though this is the case, the rest of the previously unknown, un-compiled essays are well worth the price of this book. It covers everything from Philosophy to Culture as Rand presents her view of them all and how they relate to Objectivism. Awesome book!

[Adam Kinunen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent work, except when she approaches Christianity. She chooses the weakest strawman concretization of it that she could find, Papal Roman Catholicism, which embodies the very essence of the "second-hander" that every ounce of her literary effort is calculated to battle.

This is the weak spot in her "closed system".

It is an example of the contradiction inherent to any mixed economy.

Other than when she is emoting against the God Who upholds her by the Word of His power, she does some superb thinking and writing. This is must read material!

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Ayn Rand and I thoroughly enjoyed the perspectives in this book (whether or not I happened to agree with them) but it can be a pretty exhausting read. For anyone who has read Rand's fiction, the book is helpful if you've ever gone, "So I wonder what she thought about (insert topic here)."

However,for those who enjoy Rand's fiction and are satisfied with the themes presented there, this book won't do much for you.

[Matt Hooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like "pure" capitalism then you'll like Ayn Rand. This book is essentially a description of Rand's capitalistic philosophy and moral framework over a collection of essays and is worth the read even if you don't agree with her views. This book is a little repetitious which leads me to believe that if you've read Rand's other non-fiction then this is probably more of the same.