Libertarianism and Objectivism

Some individuals found their support of libertarianism upon ideological elements derived from the philosophy of novelist Ayn Rand, which she called Objectivism. The fiction of Ayn Rand is also popular among some libertarians who do not consider themselves to be Objectivists. Yet some Objectivists are hostile to the libertarian movement. Many influential figures in the 20th Century libertarian movement were not significantly influenced by Rand's ... more

Some individuals found their support of libertarianism upon ideological elements derived from the philosophy of novelist Ayn Rand, which she called Objectivism. The fiction of Ayn Rand is also popular among some libertarians who do not consider themselves to be Objectivists. Yet some Objectivists are hostile to the libertarian movement. Many influential figures in the 20th Century libertarian movement were not significantly influenced by Rand's work. Economists such as Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich Hayek, Milton Friedman, and James M. Buchanan were writing in defense of free markets long before Rand's philosophy rose to prominence. Similarly, early popularizers of libertarian ideas, including Leonard Read and Henry Hazlitt, came to their views before Rand published her iconic novels. One libertarian intellectual who was influenced by Rand was anarchist Murray Rothbard. His libertarianism was focused on political questions, and consequently did not endorse Rand's views on metaphysics,... less