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30 Best Blogs for Exploring Objectivism

October 5th, 2010

Even individuals who never read Ayn Rand’s writings (specifically, 1938′s Anthem and 1957′s Atlas Shrugged) are still familiar with some of the core components of her controversial Objectivist philosophy. This highly complex movement, which people still follow even after the creator’s 1982 death, touts that the nature of reality itself lay beyond human awareness and that altruism completely compromises individualism. Secular capitalism is held up as the ultimate manifestation of personal freedom, along with eliminating or ignoring any compassionate impulses. As with any set of beliefs, it attracts its own fair share of critics who dissect every tenet and compare and contrast with their own perspectives. Obviously, Objectivism cannot (and should not) appeal to everyone who reads about it. Part of what makes the planet such an interesting place is the persistent barrage of new ideas and information. Regardless of whether or not one agrees with Rand and her extremely loyal followers, exploring Objectivism makes for yet another pathway towards a broader understanding of the world.

1. Objectivism Online: Specifically for fans of Ayn Rand’s interpretation of the philosophy, this metablog, wiki, gallery, document archive, and chat room serve as a forum for adherents to exchange ideas.

2. VOICES for REASON: The Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights applies the tenets of Objectivism to politics and economics, much like the eponymous writer did in her most popular novels.

3. Randex: Fans of Ayn Rand — or even outsiders looking for some insight into how her and her followers think — will appreciate this consistently updated resource crammed full of commentary.

4. The Atlasphere: Although it does not update as frequently as some of the others, The Atlasphere is notable for hosting an Objectivist dating site in addition to the blog.

5. An Objectivist Individualist: Charles Anderson dissects current events and perspectives through an Objectivist lens, focusing mainly on how they relate to the rights and happiness of the individual.

6. Kazoo Objectivist: Another inevitably politically-charged Objectivism blog, this time talking a stance against big government, kindness and self-sacrifice.

7. The Objective Standard: Objectivists turn towards The Objective Standard journal for scholarly analysis of their political, economic, religious and social beliefs.

8. Diana Hsieh: NoodleFood: Diana Hsieh offers both a blog and a podcast, so visitors wanting to learn more about Objectivism, Rational Selfishness and Ayn Rand have plenty of media at their disposal.

9. The Undercurrent: As both an online and a print resource, The Undercurrent brings Ayn Rand’s Objectivist principles to college campuses.

10. StephanKinsella.com: Although he identifies as an "Austro-anarchist libertarian," attorney Stephan Kinsella frequently explores Objectivism’s views on politics, law, economics and more.

11. Ayn Rand Contra Human Nature: This incredibly in-depth blog by Greg S. Nyquist critiques some of the problems associated with Objectivist philosophy and the works of Ayn Rand.

12. EGO: EGO’s forums, podcast and blog do not always delve into Objectivism, but it does comprise a goodly chunk of its content.

13. Gus Van Horn: The blogger freely admits that he may not necessarily know everything about Objectivism, but still looks at life through its filter all the same.

14. Ayn Rand — India: Discover how the controversial author’s opinions have made an impact on adherents in India.

15. The Rational Capitalist: Read about current events, politics and economics as interpreted by an extremely thorough, popular Objectivist.

16. Rule of Reason: This capitalist blog does not explicitly discuss Ayn Rand’s popular philosophy, but it is incredibly popular amongst her followers and promotes many of her writings.

17. Thinking Objectively: Henry Scuoteguazza painstakingly analyzes politics, economics and the overall cultural climate using the tenets of Objectivism as his guide.

18. Applying Philosophy to Life: Current events, media commentary, politics, morality and more get the Ayn Rand treatment on this very active blog.

19. Free Colorado: Passionate Objectivist Ari Armstrong is one of the most prominent bloggers on the political, social and economic philosophies of Ayn Rand. Anyone wanting to see how they have been applied to current events should look no further.

20. The New Clarion: Another extremely active blog on Objectivism in action, with a roster of different writers.

21. Reason and Liberty Central: Politics and economics — as usual — get run through a filter that would make Ayn Rand quite proud.

22. Capitalism Magazine: Though not exclusively Objectivist in scope or nature, many followers of the philosophy consider this essential reading.

23. Fun With Gravity: This well-rounded blog explores Objectivist philosophy, mountain climbing and photography. Try to spot any intersections between them!

24. We Stand FIRM: Official blog of the Freedom and Individual Rights in Medicine organization, this blog favored by followers of Objectivism analyzes the philosophy’s take on healthcare.

25. The Little Things: Amy Mossoff hopes to strengthen her writing skills and understanding of the world, and she chooses to focus her attentions on Objectivism.

26. Rational Jenn: Objectivist parents wanting to raise Objectivist kids will probably enjoy reading up on the activities of this homeschooling mother.

27. Thrutch: Take a look at politics and economics through the eyes of a "pro-reason, pro-egoism" capitalist.

28. Titanic Deck Chairs: In spite of the fact that it updates much less often than the others on this list, Titanic Deck Chairs’ devotion to applying Objectivism to anything and everything — from the usual current events, politics and economics to parenting, religion and history — warrants reading by anyone curious to learn more.

29. Live Oaks: Ayn Rand’s quote in the header image sums up this blog nicely. Learn all about what Objectivists make of property rights using Houston’s zoning and infrastructure policies as a starting point.

30. The Morality War: Rational selfishness is one of the core components of Objectivism, and here readers can pick up some lessons on how it applies to a few different subjects.

Objectivism thrills some while angering others, and many may look upon Ayn Rand’s teachings with complete and utter apathy. Regardless, anyone curious about learning as much as they can about the world around them and how other people perceive politics, religion, economics, healthcare, education and more should still read its tenets. Doing so does nothing but expand the mind, no matter one’s ultimate personal conclusions.