Reading List for Objectivism by Neil Parille

    

In 2011, I wrote a post entitled A Reading List for Open Minded Objectivists. A lot has happened in the last fifteen years, including many of the links having gone dead. On the other hand, a lot has remained the same in the world of Objectivism, for example the continued use by Objectivists of bad sources in the history of ideas and the continued attacks on the existing biographies of Rand. However, some things have gotten better and I’ll acknowledge them. Finally, as a life-long bookworm, I’ll give some suggestions for books that I think might be helpful for those who are new to the study of Rand and Objectivism.

Objectivist Round-up, Mid-May 2026

1.    In a recent interview with Ayn Rand biographer Jennifer Burns and Lex Fridman, some biographical stuff turned up that I hadn’t heard of, such as the correspondence between Frank Knight and Milton Friedman on Rand.  Both Knight and Friedman (free market advocates) take issue with Rand’s belief (as they see it) that the outcome of free market relationships will inevitably be better from a strictly moral perspective.  Put differently, Rand seems to think that if you succeed in the free market, you probably deserve it.

2.    Looks like there is a new schism brewing between Craig Biddle and the Ayn Rand Institute.  Biddle says or implies that the ARI is “trashing” him for debating non-Objectivists.  Turnabout is fair play according to Biddle.

• Yaron Brook and Greg Salmieri had a friendly public discussion with Kantian-mystic Jordan Peterson at OCON 2018.
• Brook teaches at Peterson Academy.
• Brook publicly debated or had friendly discussions with: academic Marxist Richard Wolff, socialist YouTuber Vaush, and anarchist Michael Malice.