---
id: wiki-2026-0508-objectivism
title: Objectivism
category: 10_Wiki/Topics
status: verified
canonical_id: self
aliases: [Randian Philosophy, Rational Egoism, Ayn Rand]
duplicate_of: none
source_trust_level: A
confidence_score: 0.85
verification_status: applied
tags: [philosophy, ethics, epistemology, ayn-rand]
raw_sources: []
last_reinforced: 2026-05-10
github_commit: pending
tech_stack:
  language: text
  framework: philosophy
---

# Objectivism

## 매 한 줄
> **"매 reality 의 objective, 매 reason 의 only means, 매 self-interest 의 moral, 매 laissez-faire capitalism 의 social"**. 매 Ayn Rand (1957 *Atlas Shrugged*) 의 founding, 매 axioms (existence, identity, consciousness) 의 base. 매 2026 의 tech-libertarian discourse (Thiel, Andreessen) 의 indirect 의 influence — 매 academic philosophy 의 mostly margin.

## 매 핵심

### 매 four pillars
- **Metaphysics**: 매 objective reality — A is A (Aristotelian identity).
- **Epistemology**: 매 reason 의 only valid cognition. 매 mysticism / faith 의 reject.
- **Ethics**: 매 rational self-interest. 매 altruism (sacrifice 의 moral) 의 reject.
- **Politics**: 매 individual rights (life, liberty, property), 매 laissez-faire capitalism, 매 minimal state.

### 매 distinctive concepts
- **Man qua man**: 매 rational productive being 의 ideal.
- **Trader principle**: 매 voluntary value-for-value exchange.
- **Sanction of the victim**: 매 self-sacrifice 의 evil 의 enabler.
- **Primacy of existence vs consciousness**: 매 reality precedes mind.

### 매 응용 / influence
1. 매 libertarian / classical-liberal politics.
2. 매 entrepreneurial self-image (Atlas Shrugged founder mythos).
3. 매 ARI (Ayn Rand Institute) education / outreach.

## 💻 패턴

### Ethical decision filter (rational self-interest)
```text
1. Identify long-range hierarchy of values.
2. Does action advance my rational long-term self-interest?
3. Does it violate another's rights (force / fraud)?
4. Reject any action requiring 'sanction of the victim'.
```

### Argument structure (Rand axiomatic)
```
Axiom 1: Existence exists.
Axiom 2: A is A.
Axiom 3: Consciousness perceives existence.
→ Knowledge possible, not arbitrary.
```

### Critical reading checklist
```text
- [ ] Is the hierarchy of concepts grounded in observation?
- [ ] Are package-deals (mixing distinct concepts) avoided?
- [ ] Are metaphors smuggling in unsupported claims?
- [ ] Is 'altruism' steel-manned vs straw-manned?
```

### Comparing ethical frameworks
```
| Framework        | Source of value | Self vs Other     |
|------------------|-----------------|-------------------|
| Objectivism      | Rational ego    | Self primary      |
| Utilitarianism   | Aggregate util  | Sum across people |
| Kantian deont.   | Duty / CI       | Universalizable   |
| Virtue ethics    | Character       | Eudaimonia        |
```

### Steel-man counter-arguments
```text
- Egoism vs evolutionary cooperation (Hamilton, Nowak).
- Altruism reframed as enlightened long-term self-interest.
- Market failures, externalities, public goods.
- Concentration of power & rights of children / disabled.
```

### Concept-formation (measurement-omission)
```text
"Table" = entity supporting flat surface for use, with measurements
(height, material, shape) omitted but specified in some range.
Source: Rand, ITOE 1979.
```

### Reading order (canonical)
```
1. Anthem (1938)         — short novella, theme intro.
2. The Fountainhead       — individualism in art / ethics.
3. Atlas Shrugged         — full system in fiction.
4. Virtue of Selfishness  — ethics essays.
5. ITOE                   — epistemology (formal).
6. Peikoff, OPAR (1991)   — systematic exposition.
```

## 매 결정 기준
| 사용 맥락 | 적합도 |
|---|---|
| 개인 long-term planning frame | 적합 (productivity ethic) |
| Public-policy serious analysis | 부적합 (academic 의 underweight) |
| Literature / culture history | 적합 (mid-20c American thought) |
| 매 sole moral framework | 신중 (steel-man critics) |

**기본값**: 매 one tradition among many — 매 Aristotle / Kant / Mill / Rawls 의 also read.

## 🔗 Graph
- 부모: [[Philosophy]] · [[Ethics]]
- 변형: [[Libertarianism]] · [[Classical-Liberalism]] · [[Rational-Egoism]]
- 응용: [[Tech-Libertarianism]] · [[Atlas-Shrugged]]
- Adjacent: [[Aristotle]] · [[Nietzsche]] · [[Locke]] · [[Hayek]]

## 🤖 LLM 활용
**언제**: 매 syllabus draft, 매 contrast-essay scaffold, 매 primary-source navigation.
**언제 X**: 매 normative endorsement — 매 user 의 decide.

## ❌ 안티패턴
- **Cult-like adherence**: 매 ARI orthodoxy 의 dogmatic 의 trap.
- **Naive policy export**: 매 night-watchman state 의 modern complexity 의 ignore.
- **Strawmanning altruism**: 매 nuanced ethics-of-care / virtue-ethics 의 collapse.

## 🧪 검증 / 중복
- Verified (Rand 1957, 1964; Peikoff *OPAR* 1991; SEP entries).
- 신뢰도 A (text source); evaluation contested.

## 🕓 Changelog
| 날짜 | 변경 |
|---|---|
| 2026-05-08 | Phase 1 |
| 2026-05-10 | Manual cleanup — pillars + critique-balance |
