I try very hard to make sure I have at least a basic understanding of different worldviews. That requires figuring out what the popular journals are, what the “must read” books are, and who the reputable publishers are, etc. I make no guarantee that this series will be complete, or won’t be missing key works, but I hope to provide at least a basic framework for diving into a worldview. Since Objectivism is so small (in terms of published material) compared to other worldviews, I am starting with that. This does not mean I approve or disapprove of it (or any of the worldviews mentioned). If you hold to a particular worldview, you should know it well. You should also know opposing worldviews well enough to give a decent explanation as to why you don’t adhere to them.
Objectivism:
Anyone that’s ever heard of Objectivism knows who Ayn Rand is. That’s the first start. To understand Objectivism, one must try to read as much of Rand’s work as possible, beginning with her four novels: We The Living, Anthem, The Fountainhead, & Atlas Shrugged. The Ayn Rand Institute (ARI) is a go-to for material. The Centennial Editions of her books are a good start. Many of these include essays taken from her newsletter/magazines, so if you decide to read those cover-to-cover (which I recommend), there will be much overlap.
The soul of the Objectivist movement during Rand’s life can be found in her three periodicals, bundled together by the ARI. They are The Objectivist Newsletter (1962-1965), The Objectivist (1966-1971), and The Ayn Rand Letter (1971-1976). In these you will find essays both by her and by other Objectivists, especially Nathaniel Branden and Leonard Peikoff. Some of their works, like Branden’s Who is Ayn Rand and Peikoff’s The Ominous Parallels are valuable. Rand also wrote a column for the LA Times in 1962, which was later collected and published as The Ayn Rand Column.
A successor to those journals was The Objectivist Forum (1980-1987). Now, the two journals still active are The Objective Standard and The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies.
Yaron Brook is a popular modern-day Objectivist worth noting. Along with content from the ARI, his material is worth following for Objectivism applied to current events.
For biographies, there are two that stand out. Ayn Rand and The World She Made, by Anne C. Heller and Goddess of the Market, by Jennifer Burns.
There are a few other helpful minor sources for Objectivism. Leonard Peikoff, Rand’s ideological heir, ran a podcast answering questions, and has written a few books. He also edited The Journals of Ayn Rand. Nathaniel & Barbara Branden have written several books about Rand.
By this point, any Objectivist will know more than I would about minor works to be read, and any non-Objectivist will have read more than enough to not need to go any further. If there is anything you believe I missed, please leave a comment below to improve this, and if you are interested in the rest of this series, which will do the same for other worldviews (not just political), subscribe below.