Objectivist Epistemology in Outline

Ayn Rand held that “philosophy is primarily epistemology,” the “science devoted to the discovery of the proper methods of acquiring and validating knowledge.” This class surveys Rand’s “new approach to epistemology” — the most original and least widely understood aspect of her thought. The course emphasizes the structure of the Objectivist epistemology and the central role played by Rand’s theory of concepts. The course covers some applications and extensions of Rand’s ideas (including aspects of Leonard Peikoff’s theory of induction) that illustrate the power of her epistemology.

This course was recorded at the 2006 Objectivist Summer Conference in Boston, MA.

This course includes a handout and transcript.