Ayn Rand's Utopian Visions in Theory and Realization

Mythos, Memory, and Utopian Visions

Ayn Rand’s Egoism: Theory and Analysis

Ayn Rand was a Russian-born American philosopher, novelist, and playwright, whose interpretation of ethical egoism is one of the most important interpretations of this theory.  Rand is a proponent of intellectual egoism, and rationalism is a fundamental element in her ethical theory. This article attempts to review, analyze, and criticize her interpretation of ethical egoism.   Additionally, an...

Utopian Political Theory and Migration without Borders

A utopian political theory (UPT) can emerge from the analysis of borders. The significant increase in human mobility between State-borders constitutes the empirical referent distinguishing our “Utopian Age” from others in the past, as historical examples of UPT have not dealt with either the issue of human mobility or the topic of “Migration without Borders”. We start with a brief introduction ...

Ayn Rand’s Theory of Concepts: A Brief Overview

This paper summarizes Rand’s theory of concepts as presented in the first five chapters of Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology. Rand’s approach to universals, essentials, and definitions is discussed, and key Randian usages such as “unit,” “measurement,” “distinguishing characteristic” and “Conceptual Common Denominator” are explained. An appendix summarizes Rand’s treatment of several con...

Three VISIoNS of hISTory aNd Theory

how can we develop a viable vision of relations between history and social theory? A comparison of three recent books clarifies the stakes and possibilities of the question. Peter Burke’s History and Social Theory looks out at social and cultural theory from the viewpoint of historical practice, sorting theoretical resources chiefly by their contribution to that practice. Julia Adams, Elisabeth...