Although best known for her popular novels, philosopher Ayn Rand (1905-1982) left a rich legacy of nonfiction writings. Her little-known Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology, for instance, must be ranked among her most valuable works. Brief but insightful, it offers some highly original solutions to longstanding problems in the theory of knowledge. Staunchly opposed to beliefs then fashionable among intellectuals, by whom she was largely neglected or maligned, Rand has only recently begun to receive favorable posthumous attention in the academic community. Her most important ideas, particularly in the areas of metaphysics and epistemology, are perhaps most rigorously developed not in her own writings but in a study (listed below) by her longtime close associate Leonard Peikoff.

Selected Bibliography

• Rand, Ayn. For the New Intellectual. New York: Penguin, 1961.

• ______. Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology. With an essay by Leonard Peikoff on "The Analytic-Synthetic Dichotomy." New York: New American Library, 1979.

• ______. The Virtue of Selfishness: A New Concept of Egoism. With additional articles by Nathaniel Branden. New York: Penguin Books, 1961.

• Peikoff, Leonard. Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand. New York: Meridian, 1993.

Major Organizations

• The Objectivist Center (formerly, the Institute for Objectivist Studies). Founded by Dr. David Kelley.
  www.objectivistcenter.org

• The Ayn Rand Institute. Founded by Dr. Leonard Peikoff.
  www.aynrand.org