SOURCE MATERIAL FOR THE STUDY OF OBJECTIVISM
* General Philosophy
* Epistemology
* Psychology
* Morality
* Ethics
* Politics
* Economics
* Esthetics
* Education - Home Schooling
* Science Fiction as an introduction to the study of Science
* Science Fact
* Books and Movies in the Romantic Art Form
* Miscellaneous good stuff
* To unlock the power of your computer
Caveat Lector:
Some of the authors cited here are not Objectivists, nonetheless many of
their ideas are excellent expressions of Objectivist principles.
There is a plethora of books, many of which are trash, on the subjects
which I mention in my writings. You should beware the reviews in the Laissez
Faire catalog, as they present many books as libertarian which are in fact
the writings of political conservatives. If you're not careful you could
waste a lot of money buying things which do not tell you what you want to
learn. The books included in this BOOKLIST are the best I have found for a
good presentation of Objectivism and libertarianism.
Most of the stuff in this BOOKLIST can be purchased from:
LAISSEZ FAIRE BOOKS 938 Howard St #202 San Francisco 94103
Write and ask them for their catalog, or call 800-326-0996
For more information on any of these subjects, contact:
David King 58 Spring Valley Drive Lander WY 82520
* General Philosophy
THE VIRTUE OF SELFISHNESS - Ayn Rand & Nathaniel Branden (Signet book
#AE2931)
ATLAS SHRUGGED - Ayn Rand - Random House
THE OBJECTIVIST NEWSLETTER, THE OBJECTIVIST, THE AYN RAND LETTER, THE
OBJECTIVIST FORUM A series of monthly journals published from 1962 to 1985
by Rand et al.
BASIC PRINCIPLES OF OBJECTIVISM - 20 lectures by N. Branden
FOR A NEW LIBERTY - Murray Rothbard - Libertarian Review Foundation
An excellent application of libertarianism to all aspects of social
existence. Everything is nicely explained by detailed reference to the non-
aggression principle.
* Epistemology
PRINCIPLES OF EFFICIENT THINKING - 10 lectures by Barbara Branden
1984 - George Orwell - New American Library (Signet) 451 CY688
This is the most prophetic book of the 20th century. Orwell's concepts of
Newspeak and Prolefeed are indispensable to an understanding of the
development of American culture during the last half of this century. A
thorough knowledge of Newspeak, as it has been implemented in America, is
the best means by which one can avoid an immense quagmire of faulty
thinking.
INTRODUCTION TO OBJECTIVIST EPISTEMOLOGY - Rand - Edited by Binswanger
and Peikoff - Penguin 452-01030-6
These three excellent books by David Kelley are available from The
Institute for Objectivist Studies, 82 Washington St #207, Poughkeepsie NY
12601-9768
THE ART OF REASONING, EVIDENCE OF THE SENSES, TRUTH AND TOLERATION
* Psychology
PSYCHOLOGY OF SELF-ESTEEM - Nathaniel Branden - Bantam 23449
If you haven't read this book, you don't really know what psychology is.
In this work Psychology has found an Aristotle to organize its material,
systematize its problems and define its fundamental principles.
THE DISOWNED SELF - N. Branden - Bantan 22794
ROBIN AND MARIAN - James Goldman - Bantam T2772
Is the screenplay for the movie starring Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn
(the story of how Robin Hood died). The introductory essay, on the subject
of heroes, is magnificent.
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ROMANTIC LOVE - 16 lectures by N. Branden
* Morality
HOW I FOUND FREEDOM IN AN UNFREE WORLD - Harry Browne - Macmillan
Practical procedures for achieving as much personal freedom as possible
in an authoritarian society.
* Ethics
LIBERTARIANISM - John Hospers - Nash, 1971 (out of print)
LIBERTARIANISM IN ONE LESSON - David Bergland - Orpheus Publications
Clearly shows the fundamental differences among the Liberal,
Conservative, and Libertarian ethical views.
EVOLUTION OF COOPERATION - Robert Axelrod - Basic Books
Explains how cooperation can emerge among self-seeking individuals when
there is no central authority to police their actions. Not surprisingly, the
most practical way of dealing with the Prisoners' Dilemma is to use a
technique based on the libertarian ethic. (Axelrod is not a libertarian.)
MARKET FOR LIBERTY - Morris and Linda Tannehill - Laissez Faire Books,
1970
Contains some excellent statements of principle, but all else consists of
the WouldChuck argument. THE ENTERPRISE OF LAW contains the proof for the
principles presented in this book. FOR A NEW LIBERTY fills in the principled
basis.
* Politics
CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE - Henry Thoreau (in "Walden and Other Writings",
Bantam 21246) A classic portrayal of the anarchist principle.
ENTERPRISE OF LAW - Bruce Benson - Pacific Research Institute
This book is a very good documentation of the historical rise and
development of government law, the present disastrous state of government
law, and the present nature of private law. It is a good answer to the
question "What is government?" A strong case is made that government in the
USA is a tool of coercion used by special-interest groups to effect wealth
transfers.
THE MOON IS A HARSH MISTRESS - Robert Heinlein - Berkley 0 425 06262 7
A colony on the Moon is Earth's "Botany Bay." The central managing
computer becomes a conscious entity and it, along with a few of the humans,
stage a revolution, freeing Luna from Earth's control. The best SF story
ever written. It contains some of Heinlein's best political philosophy.
THE GREAT EXPLOSION - Eric Frank Russell - Avon (Equinox) 23820
Includes a portrayal of a society without government
VOYAGE FROM YESTERYEAR - James P Hogan - Ballantine Del Ray 29472
Portrayal of a society without government
THE SYNDIC - C.M. Kornbluth - Avon (Equinox) 20586
The government has been driven out of America, and the country is ruled
by a consortium of the Mafia et al.
THE PROBABILITY BROACH - L. Neil Smith - Ballantine 28593
What would America be like today if the Whiskey Rebellion had been
successful, Washington executed, the Constitution abolished, and the
political ideals of the Anti-Federalists implemented?
* Economics
HOW YOU CAN PROFIT FROM THE COMING DEVALUATION - Harry Browne - Arlington
House, 1970 (out of print) Despite its unfortunate name, this is an
excellent textbook on economics.
ECONOMICS IN ONE LESSON - Henry Hazlitt - Harper & Row
This book is an excellent refutation of many economic errors. But that's
all it is. The entire work is a criticism of economic error and an apology
for the institution (government) that perpetrates that error. He nowhere
proposes what might be the proper course of economic endeavor. I think this
would make a good primer - something that would clear away the mistaken
beliefs in a person's mind.
CAPITALISM THE UNKNOWN IDEAL - Rand et al. - Signet E9227
HOW THE WEST GREW RICH - Nathan Rosenberg and L.E.Birdzell, Jr. - Basic
Books This is a fascinating and illuminating history of the economic growth
of our society, from the demise of the feudal system of the Middle Ages to
the beginning of the 20th century. This book is an excellent starting point
for a study of economic history.
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF AMERICAN BUSINESS - Edited by John Brooks - Doubleday
PANICS AND CRASHES - Harry Schultz - Pinnacle Books 230516
This is an excellent history book, with lots of fascinating
documentation, but not much at all in the way of principled guidance.
THE ECONOMIC TIME BOMB - Harry Browne - St. Martin's Press, 312-92133-0.
Browne argues that the larger danger in a crisis situation is not the
crisis itself but the potentially destructive effect of any legislation that
might be enacted to deal with it. This applies not only to real crises, but
also to imagined ones. As such "non-problems" as the trade deficit, stock
market declines, and America's new status as a debtor nation are exploited
as excuses for more government, the probability of catastrophe increases.
Another aspect of this analysis is that government might already have
taken actions (prior to a crisis) that preclude an alleviation of the
crisis. For example: Environmental laws passed prior to the California
earthquake made it illegal for Route 1 to be repaired.
PUBLIC GOODS & MARKET FAILURES - Edited by Tyler Cowen - Transaction
Publishers
Only the third section of this book (Case Studies) has any real value.
But it is pricelessly valuable! It consists of examinations, in the real
world, of situations contemplated theoretically in the first two sections.
It clearly shows the tremendous difference between the fantasy of economic
theory and the reality of economic fact.
TRIUMPH OF CONSERVATISM - Gabriel Kolko; Quadrangle Books, Chicago 1967
Shows how a political-industrial complex came into being in America
during the early years of the 20th century as businessmen tried
(successfully) to use the federal government as a tool of coercion in the
marketplace. This book is good for background but not as a primary source.
It corroborates the "special-interest" thesis in THE ENTERPRISE OF LAW.
FREE TO CHOOSE - Milton & Rose Friedman - Avon 52548
The best - and really the only useful - parts of this book are chapters 7
and 8, where the Friedmans critique government intervention in the
marketplace. These two chapters have a lot of useful historical analysis.
* Esthetics
THE ROMANTIC MANIFESTO - Rand
* Education - Home Schooling
Home Schooling is really quite easy in the state of Wyoming. A law passed
in 1986 (Wyoming Statute 21-4-101) specifies that parents desiring to home-
school their children need merely inform the local school board of their
decision and, each year, specify the curriculum they will use.
Private schools in Wyoming are not required to register nor be accredited
in order to operate. They may award their own diplomas, and are not required
to have certified teachers.
THE SYCAMORE TREE - 2179 Meyer Place Costa Mesa CA 92627 (714)650-
4466
Internet: www.sycamoretree.com
The Sycamore Tree provides educational services and a HomeSchool program.
Send them $3 for their excellent 100+ page catalog of materials for home
schooling your children, from pre-school ages all the way through high
school.
THE RUTHERFORD INSTITUTE - a service that monitors state schooling
regulations throughout America. Information on any state can be obtained
from The Home Education Reporter, Box 510, Manassas VA 22110.
ALPHA OMEGA PUBLICATIONS (800)622-3070
HOME EDUCATION MAGAZINE Box 1083 Tonasket WA 98855
AERO-GRAMME, 417 Roslyn Rd, Roslyn Heights NY 11577 (516)621-2195
TAKING CHILDREN SERIOUSLY - Sarah Williams, 23 Whitley Road, London N17
6RJ A bi-monthly British journal on home schooling and other parenting
issues.
DR. MONTESSORI'S OWN HANDBOOK - Maria Montessori - Schocken SB98 For
working with children aged about 3 to 6.
LIBERATING SCHOOLS - Edited by David Boaz
FAMILY MATTERS - David Guterson
SUPER PARENTS, SUPER CHILDREN - Frances Kendall
HOW TO RAISE A BRIGHTER CHILD - Joan Beck
HOMESCHOOLING FOR EXCELLENCE - David and Micki Colfax Contains
appendices filled with valuable reference materials for homeschoolers.
Two little books that teach economics:
CAPITALISM FOR KIDS - Karl Hess
THE OX CART MAN - Donald Hall - Viking Penguin Press A children's book
portraying free enterprise.
* Science Fiction as an introduction to the study of Science.
One of the best ways to engender an interest in science in the minds of
young people is to introduce them to it through works of good science
fiction. Arthur Clarke, Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, and James Hogan are
authors who combine science fact with thoughtful scientific speculation into
well-written, intelligently imaginative stories.
These seven books are by James P. Hogan. (All are Ballantine Del Ray
books.) All are a rare combination of excellent science and excellent
fiction.
(The first three are a trilogy)
INHERIT THE STARS - #31792
THE GENTLE GIANTS OF GANYMEDE #32327
GIANTS' STAR #32720
THE GENESIS MACHINE #30576
THE TWO FACES OF TOMORROW #32387
THRICE UPON A TIME #32386
CODE OF THE LIFEMAKER #30549
RENDEZVOUS WITH RAMA - Arthur C. Clarke - Ballantine #345 24175 4
The investigation of an uninhabited space ship wandering through the
Solar system. Excellent science exposition in this book.
THE SENTINEL - Arthur C. Clarke - Berkley #6183
THE DEEP RANGE - Arthur C. Clarke - Bantam #28925
A FALL OF MOONDUST - Arthur C. Clarke - Signet #9795
TRUE NAMES - Vernor Vinge - Bluejay #94444 For computer programmers,
hackers, and those interested in Artificial Intelligence.
ROBOT VISIONS - Isaac Asimov - Penguin #45064
An integrated collection of both science essays and robot stories. Many
of the stories are parables illustrating the problems in logic encountered
when dealing with machine intelligence, and the essays deal with the idea of
computer intelligence and its significance to human society.
THE PAST THROUGH TOMORROW - Robert Heinlein - Berkley #10223
* Science Fact
Isaac Asimov has written dozens of volumes of science essays. I know of
no better way to get a broad general education in science than by reading
those essays.
THE INTELLIGENT MAN'S GUIDE TO THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES - Isaac Asimov
Pocket Cardinal #95004
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN Box 3186 Harlan Iowa 51593-2377 $34.97 per year
In each December issue of SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, Philip and Phylis Morrison
review several science books for young people.
RELATIVITY FOR THE MILLION - Martin Gardner - Macmillan, 1962 This is a
clear and simple exposition of the Special and General Relativity.
WHEELS, LIFE AND OTHER MATHEMATICAL AMUSEMENTS - Martin Gardner - W.H.
Freeman & Co., 1983
TIME TRAVEL AND OTHER MATHEMATICAL BEWILDERMENTS - Martin Gardner - W.H.
Freeman & Co., 1988
THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE - George Gamow - Bantam #5863
QED - Richard Feynman - Princeton Univ. Press. A non-mathematical
presentation of Quantum Electro-Dynamics (the way in which light interacts
with matter).
RANDOM HOUSE BOOK OF 1001 WONDERS OF SCIENCE This one is for children.
Society for Amateur Scientists
4951 D Clairemont Square, Suite 179
San Diego CA 92117
www.thesphere.com/SAS/
* Books and Movies in the Romantic Art Form
I will begin by naming the principle that underlies those works of
literature that I, as an Objectivist, find esthetically appealing. The thing
they all have in common is a manifestation of VALUES; to be precise: a
striving to achieve important values in the face of great adversity. The
defining characteristic of Romantic Art is that it portrays Man as a
volitional being whose choices are significant determining factors in the
course of his life. For a full philosophical explanation of what values are
and why they are a fundamental necessity of life, you should read Ayn Rand's
essay "The Objectivist Ethics", which appears in her book THE VIRTUE OF
SELFISHNESS.
When a person strives to achieve great values - and is successful - that
person is a HERO. Indeed, it is precisely this behavior that is the defining
characteristic of a hero. So, to put it quite simply, since I am a man whose
life is built around very firmly and explicitly held values, I love stories
about heroes. Stories which show me, in symbolic form, the achievements of
others and thus help give me the spiritual strength to work toward my own
goals. For a magnificent description of heroes - and why we don't have them
anymore - you should read James Goldman's screenplay for ROBIN AND MARIAN.
There is one more attribute a good story should have: it should be a
well-told story: a story that consists of a believable world - one that is
internally coherent and can induce in the observer an appropriate mental
frame-of-reference. J.R.R. Tolkien described this attribute as a condition
of
"...literary belief, the state of mind that has been called 'willing
suspension of disbelief.' What really happens is that the story-maker proves
a successful 'subcreator.' He makes a Secondary World which your mind can
enter. Inside it, what he relates is 'true': it accords with the laws of
that world. You therefore believe it, while you are, as it were, inside. The
moment disbelief arises, the spell is broken; the magic, or rather art, has
failed. You are then out in the Primary World again, looking at the little
abortive Secondary World from outside. If you are obliged, by kindliness or
circumstance, to stay, then disbelief must be suspended (or stifled),
otherwise listening and looking would become intolerable. But this
suspension of disbelief is a substitute for the genuine thing, a subterfuge
we use when condescending to games or make-believe, or when trying (more or
less willingly) to find what virtue we can in the work of an art that has
for us failed."
Tolkien's masterpiece, THE LORD OF THE RINGS, is by far the best example
of the sort of Romantic Art described here. It is a magnificent fairy tale
about a fabulous land, Middle Earth, where the forces of Good war against
and are victorious over the forces of Evil. A land where the Kings have
majesty, the Heroes have grace, and even the Villains have stature.
Some other good examples of Romantic Art are:
DOWN THE LONG HILLS - Louis L'Amour - Bantam #02038
One of L'Amour's best - the hero is a 7-year-old boy.
ON THE BEACH - Nevil Shute - Bantam #S3875
THE GIRL WHO OWNED A CITY - O.T. Nelson -Dell (Laurel Leaf) #92893
A plague takes all human adults, leaving only the children.
THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA - Hemingway - Scribner #SL104
CYRANO DE BERGERAC - Edmond Rostand - Bantam HT4650
THE MIRACLE WORKER - William Gibson - Samuel French, Inc.
How Annie Sullivan taught the child Helen Keller to be a human. One of
the very few works of literature that has an explicitly epistemological
theme.
ANTHEM - Ayn Rand
TOILERS OF THE SEA - Victor Hugo
WATERSHIP DOWN - Richard Adams
Here are some of the movies that are excellent portrayals of heroism (I
think it unfortunate that many of them have a setting of war and violence,
but human society being what it is, this context is what gives rise to much
of the heroism in fiction):
Black Stallion Firefox Spartacus Man From Snowy River
Dam Busters Great Escape Muppet Movie Swiss Family Robinson
Dark Crystal High Noon Train Philadelphia
Experiment
Dark Victory Lassiter Raid on Entebbe Somewhere in Time
Dragonslayer Last Unicorn Watership Down Benji the Hunted
These three movies I take special note of, because they portray a rarely-
encountered hero - a strong-willed, self-assertive woman:
Conan the Barbarian Time Rider Yentl
* Miscellaneous good stuff
Nathaniel Branden's WebPage
Free-Market's discussion forum
Seventh Seal list of libertarian links
Jeff Chan's list of Libertarian links
Glapski's list of Objectivism links
Cato Institute 1000 Massachusetts Ave NW Washington DC 20001
Cato is a think tank run by Ed Crane - an enormously intelligent
libertarian. But some of his associates are not nearly as intelligent, and
not at all libertarian.
ROLLING HOMES - Jane Lidz - A&W Publishers
A beautiful picture book - showing how buses and trucks have been
artistically converted into handmade houses on wheels.
THE VINTAGE MENCKEN - ed. by Alistair Cooke - Random House (Vintage) #V-
25
Mencken was one of the greatest masters of the English language.
THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY - Ambrose Bierce - Dover #T487
In the form of a dictionary, this is some of Bierce's strange humor.
I am sorry to say that I have not found any periodicals that make a
genuine effort to develop libertarian ideas. No one at all advocates
Shrugging, and most people who call themselves Objectivists and/or
Libertarians reject - either implicitly or sometimes even explicitly - the
non-aggression principle.
The Randites have always been vehemently anti-libertarian and, by and
large, the libertarian movement that arose during the 1970s has since been
co-opted by political conservatives. The Libertarian Party has been
infiltrated with them to the extent that most of its members are now merely
disenchanted Republicans.
REASON magazine was at the forefront of libertarianism during the 1970s
but has since become mostly conservative in its orientation.
LIBERTY magazine is not only conservative, it is Christian Conservative.
The IOS JOURNAL (from the Institute for Objectivist Studies, 82
Washington Street, Suite 207, Poughkeepsie NY 12601-9768 Directed by David
Kelley.) This has a strongly statist political frame-of-reference. David
Kelley, however, is an extremely intelligent man with a very high level of
philosophical acumen (other than politically). Many of his writings are
quite valuable.
FULL CONTEXT is a monthly journal from The Objectivist Club of Michigan.
One of its editors, David Oyerly, is explicitly non-libertarian and the
journal has taken this philosophical stand, exploring and developing the
Legal Positivist thesis that morality and ethics are derived from
government.
* To unlock the power of your computer
The Public (software) Library P.O.Box 35705 Houston, TX 77235-5705
An immense quantity of computer software, both public domain and
shareware.
A Shareware Library
Another Shareware Library
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