NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Leonard Peikoff

Leonard Peikoff (born 1933) is an Objectivist philosopher and author. He befriended Ayn Rand in 1951 and became heir to her estate after she died in 1982. In 1985, Peikoff founded the Ayn Rand Institute. Leonard Peikoff, from http://www. ... Leonard Peikoff, from http://www. ... Year 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... Objectivism is a philosophy[1] developed by Ayn Rand that encompasses positions on metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, politics, and aesthetics. ... It has been suggested that The Ayn Rand Collective be merged into this article or section. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Ayn Rand Institute: The Center for the Advancement of Objectivism (ARI) was established in 1985, three years after Ayn Rands death, by Leonard Peikoff, Rands legal and intellectual heir. ...

Early life

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, he received an undergraduate degree from the University of Manitoba. Peikoff later became a naturalized United States citizen. He received his Ph.D. in Philosophy from New York University; his adviser was the famous American Marxist and Pragmatist philosopher, Sidney Hook. His dissertation dealt with the law of non-contradiction in Classical Philosophy. He taught Philosophy for approximately ten years at CUNY's Hunter College. Motto: Template:Unhide = Unum Cum Virtute Multorum (One With the Strength of Many) Location City Information Established: 1738 (Fort Rouge), 1873 (City of Winnipeg) Area: 465. ... The University of Manitoba is the largest university of the province of Manitoba, most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. ... New York University (NYU) is a major research university in New York City. ... Marxism is the political practice and social theory based on the works of Karl Marx, a 19th century philosopher, economist, journalist, and revolutionary, along with Friedrich Engels. ... Pragmatism is a school of philosophy which originated in the United States in the late 1800s. ... Sidney Hook (December 20, 1902â€“July 12, 1989) was a prominent New York intellectual and philosopher who championed pragmatism. ... In logic, the law of noncontradiction states, in the words of Aristotle, that one cannot say of something that it is and that it is not in the same respect and at the same time. In the symbolism of propositional logic, this is expressed as: According to Allan Bloom, the... This page lists some links to ancient philosophy, although for Western thinkers prior to Socrates, see Pre-Socratic philosophy. ... Hunter College of The City University of New York See also: Hunter College High School Hunter College of The City University of New York (known more commonly as simply Hunter College) is a senior college of the City University of New York (CUNY), located on Manhattans Upper East Side. ...

Early involvement in Objectivism

Peikoff was a student and friend of Ayn Rand during the 50's and 60's. Peikoff, along with a number of other close associates, ironically labeled "The Collective," met frequently with Rand to discuss philosophy and politics, as well as to preview her current fiction work. It has been suggested that The Ayn Rand Collective be merged into this article or section. ... The Ayn Rand Collective - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ...

The Collective dynamic changed massively once Nathaniel Branden was expelled from the Objectivist movement in 1968, as Branden had originally been considered Rand's closest intellectual partner and heir. Once Branden, and then others, left the group, Peikoff's influence grew enormously, to the point where he eventually assumed the status as Rand's most trusted philosophical confidant. Nathaniel Branden is a psychotherapist and author of psychology books and multiple articles on ethical and political philosophy. ...

Peikoff's article, "The Analytic-Synthetic Dichotomy," appeared as a postscript to Rand's 1968 book, Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology. Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology, published in 1967, was Ayn Rands attempt to summarize the Objectivist theory of concepts, and to submit her solution to the problem of universals. ...

After Ayn Rand

As Rand's executor, Peikoff handles the copyrights to all of her works (with the exception of Anthem, which might have passed into the public domain). He can thus control the translation of Rand's works into other languages. He has the power of editing and releasing Rand's unpublished works, and has written forewords for all the current printings of her fiction. Anthem is a science-fiction novella by Ayn Rand, first published in 1938. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...

Peikoff's first book, published in 1982, The Ominous Parallels, was simultaneously an Objectivist explanation of the rise of the Third Reich and the Holocaust, and a warning that America was being led down the road to fascism because of certain intellectual parallels between Weimar Germany and the United States. 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... Concentration camp inmates during the Holocaust The Holocaust was Nazi Germanys systematic genocide (ethnic cleansing) of various ethnic, religious, national, and secular groups during World War II. Early elements include the Kristallnacht pogrom and the T-4 Euthanasia Program established by Hitler that killed some 200,000 people. ... Fascism is a political ideology and mass movement that seeks to place the nation, defined in exclusive biological, cultural, and/or historical terms, above all other sources of loyalty, and to create a mobilized national community. ... The period of German history from 1919 to 1933 is known as the Weimar Republic (in German Weimarer Republik). It is named after the city of Weimar, where a national assembly convened to produce a new constitution after the German monarchy was abolished following the nations defeat in World...

Peikoff has given many lectures on philosophy, politics, and culture, including 1983's Understanding Objectivism, which is now available as a 30-CD set.

In 1985, Peikoff founded the Ayn Rand Institute. Rand had said that Peikoff knew and understood her philosophy better than anyone else.^{[citation needed]} The Ayn Rand Institute: The Center for the Advancement of Objectivism (ARI) was established in 1985, three years after Ayn Rands death, by Leonard Peikoff, Rands legal and intellectual heir. ...

Peikoff revised his 1976 lecture course on Objectivism into book form, producing Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand, which was published in 1991. 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand, (ISBN 0-452-01101-9) is a book by Dr. Leonard Peikoff, which he claims is the first comprehensive statement of the philosophy of Objectivism. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

As of 2006, Peikoff is writing a book called The DIM Hypothesis, where he defines what he sees as the three techniques of decision-making and applies Objectivist theories of induction to philosophical questions in physics, economics, education, politics and other fields. Peikoff has previously helped define and validate the Objectivist theory of induction in the lecture series "Objectivism Through Induction" and the course "Induction in Physics and Philosophy." Decision making is the cognitive process leading to the selection of a course of action among alternatives. ... Aristotle appears first to establish the mental behaviour of induction as a category of reasoning. ... Physics (from the Greek, (phÃºsis), nature and (phusikÃ©), knowledge of nature) is the science concerned with the discovery and understanding of the fundamental laws which govern matter, energy, space, and time. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Politics is the process by which groups make decisions. ... Physics (from the Greek, (phÃºsis), nature and (phusikÃ©), knowledge of nature) is the science concerned with the discovery and understanding of the fundamental laws which govern matter, energy, space, and time. ...

The Peikoff/Kelley split

Inside the Objectivist community, considerable dissension and criticism of certain institutions and varying interpretation of Objectivism took root after the death of Ayn Rand. Leonard Peikoff, Ayn Rand's executor and heir, promotes Objectivism as a "closed system" that consists solely of those philosophic principles Rand herself endorsed, and considers any essential disagreement with those principles as a departure from Objectivism. The Ayn Rand Institute is aligned with Peikoff's view of Objectivism. The Ayn Rand Institute: The Center for the Advancement of Objectivism (ARI) was established in 1985, three years after Ayn Rands death, by Leonard Peikoff, Rands legal and intellectual heir. ...

The other school of thought was started by David Kelley, an academic formerly associated with the Ayn Rand Institute, with his essay "A Question of Sanction," arguing for greater open-mindedness in working with other groups. This was in opposition to the what he considers (bit Piekoff's supporters dispute) to be the prevailing view—that those who are not Objectivist are deliberately committing evasion, and that to work with them is to sanction their evasion. Kelley sees Objectivism as an "open system" that can evolve beyond Rand's own writings and beliefs, and can even correct her mistakes. David Kelley For the producer of the same name, see David E. Kelley. ...

Peikoff informed Kelley that he was no longer welcome at the Ayn Rand Institute and that he had violated some of the formal tenets of Objectivism. His main rationale for this was outlined in an article called "Fact and Value". Some prominent Objectivist thinkers like Peter Schwartz and Harry Binswanger backed Peikoff in this schism. Peter Schwartz is a writer and journalist who follows the Objectivist philosophy of Ayn Rand. ... Harry Binswanger (born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1944) is a philosopher and writer. ...

Critics responded that Peikoff was continuing the alleged Randian tradition of "excommunicating" and "purging" those with disagreements. Ultimately, Kelley responded by founding the Institute for Objectivist Studies in 1989, which was later renamed The Objectivist Center and then The Atlas Society. Kelley worked with the libertarian movement in the United States and other groups with which Peikoff refused to associate. Nathaniel Branden, Rand's former lover and intellectual heir, whom she had repudiated after he had an unsanctioned affair, later joined with David Kelley and The Objectivist Center. The Atlas Society (formerly the Objectivist Center (TOC) and originally the Institute for Objectivist Studies or IOS) is a global online community linking those who admire the fiction of Ayn Rand, including Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead. It is not merely a literary fan club, but a part of the... In English-speaking countries, libertarianism usually refers to a political philosophy maintaining that every person is the absolute owner of their own life and should be free to do whatever they wish with their person or property, as long as they respect the liberty of others. ... Nathaniel Branden is a psychotherapist and author of psychology books and multiple articles on ethical and political philosophy. ...

Peikoff and the ARI hold (in, for instance, Peikoff's "Fact and Value") that Kelley is not an Objectivist. They cite, for example, Rand's opposition to libertarianism in the 1960s as a reason to condemn Kelley's work with libertarians, and his explicit identification of Objectivism as libertarian. Further, they contend, libertarianism as an umbrella political philosophy encompasses mutually exclusive views: from atheism to Christianity, from limited government to anarchism. Thus, Peikoff holds that Kelley's position amounted to an alignment with groups that are incompatible with Objectivism's fundamental principles. Meanwhile, Kelley responded with a monograph, "Truth and Toleration" (later revised and retitled "The Contested Legacy of Ayn Rand"), in which he challenged Peikoff's criticisms. On the question of libertarianism, Branden recalls speaking with Rand about the lack of a clear-cut term for Objectivist political philosophy, saying that Rand's preferred term, "capitalism," only covered the economic aspects of Objectivist politics. Branden recalls proposing the term "libertarianism" to Rand's displeasure——according to Rand, "libertarian" sounded like a made-up word. This box: Capitalism generally refers to an economic system in which the means of production are mostly privately [1] owned and operated for profit and in which distribution, production and pricing of goods and services are determined in a largely free market. ...

Politics

Peikoff's political positions reflect those of Objectivism. He strongly supports pure, undiluted laissez-faire capitalism, arguing that the role of government in society should be limited to protecting individuals from the initiation of force and fraud. He opposes taxation, public education, welfare, business regulations, etc. He also opposes laws regulating pornography, euthanasia, stem cell research, etc. Many observers have called Peikoff a libertarian, but Peikoff despises this label, saying that Objectivism rejects it. Laissez-faire is short for laissez faire, laissez passer, a French phrase meaning to let things alone, let them pass. First used by the eighteenth century Physiocrats as an injunction against government interference with trade, it is now used as a synonym for strict free market economics. ... This box: Capitalism generally refers to an economic system in which the means of production are mostly privately [1] owned and operated for profit and in which distribution, production and pricing of goods and services are determined in a largely free market. ... // Public education is education mandated for the children of the general public by the government, whether national, regional, or local, provided by an institution of civil government, and paid for, in whole or in part, by taxes. ... Welfare has four primary meanings: Welfare, the good fortune, health, happiness, prosperity, etc. ... Pornographic movies Pornography (Porn) (from Greek Ï€ÏŒÏÎ½Î· (porne) prostitute and Î³ÏÎ±Ï†Î® (grafe) writing), more informally referred to as porn or porno, is the explicit representation of the human body or sexual activity with the goal of sexual arousal. ... For the program to kill people with disabilities in Nazi Germany, see Action T4. ... Mouse embryonic stem cells. ... See also Libertarianism and Libertarian Party Libertarian,is a term for person who has made a conscious and principled commitment, evidenced by a statement or Pledge, to forswear violating others rights and usually living in voluntary communities: thus in law no longer subject to government supervision. ...

Peikoff endorsed John Kerry (while nevertheless thinking of Kerry as a "disgustingly bad" candidate) against George W. Bush (whom he called "apocalyptically bad"), on the basis of Bush's religiosity and his refusal to crush Islamic regimes, especially Iran. In advance of the 2006 elections, Peikoff recommended voting only for Democrats, to forestall what he sees is a rise in influence of the religious right, adding: Al Gore (born December 11, 1943) is a Vietnam Veteran and the junior United States Senator from Massachusetts. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... Islam (Arabic: ; ( â–¶ (helpÂ· info)), the submission to God) is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions and the worlds second-largest religion. ... -1... The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States; the other being the Republican Party. ... The term Religious Right is a broad label applied by both scholars and critics to a number of political and religious movements and groups that primarily are active around conservative and right wing social issues. ...

Peikoff is also known for campaigning on behalf of Elián González's right to remain in Florida, rather than returning to his father in Cuba, stating that "To send a child to rot in the prison of Cuba for the alleged sake of his own well-being is criminal hypocrisy. To send him there in order to preserve his father's rights is absurdity, since there are no parental or other rights in Cuba. To send him there because 'He needs a father, no matter what' is a mindless bromide. Does he need a father who has no choice but to watch his son being broken in mind and starved in body?" EliÃ¡n GonzÃ¡lez reunited with his father EliÃ¡n GonzÃ¡lez (born December 6, 1993) was at the center of a heated custody and immigration battle in 2000 involving the Cuban and United States governments, his father, his Miami and Cuban relatives, and the Cuban American community of Miami. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

He is a supporter of abortion rights but criticizes defenders of abortion who label themselves "pro-choice", arguing that the term ignores the deeper philosophical issues involved. [1] {| class=wikitable header 1bi header 2at header 3ch row 1, cell 1ghdsghdg row 1, cell 2gdxhxdfhg row 1, cell 3 row 2, cell 1ghdghsg row 2, cell 3 Nations and Laws Abortion by country Conscience Â· Buffer zones Minors Â· Paternal rights Abortion case law: R v Davidson R. v. ...

Peikoff also supports increased commercialization of Christmas. [2] Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday that marks the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. ...

Books

References

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External links

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