# What's The Straight Dope on Objectivism?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-objectivism/389983>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 29, 2007, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-objectivism/389983 "2007-01-29T18:24:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 64

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**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-objectivism/389983/64 "2007-02-02T03:55:28Z")

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[Crank.net](http://www.crank.net/index.html) has a listing for the Ayn Rand institute: look under [philosophy](http://www.crank.net/philosophy.html), [metaphysics](http://www.crank.net/metaphysics.html), or [megalomaniacs](http://www.crank.net/megalomaniacs.html).

[Crank.net](http://Crank.net) separates their candidates into the following categories: fringe, cranky, crankier, crankiest and illucid. The Ayn Rand institute is… “fringe”.

The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy does not mention Ayn Rand.

Critics of fiction note that Ayn Rand beats the reader over the head with the most contrived cardboard characters, but grant that her work may have some philosophical value. Philosophers note that she uses straw-man arguments, but demure in judging Rand’s literary qualities. Neither will inveigh upon her economics.

Economists note that any argument for libertarianism better have at least a passing notion of market failure. But maybe Rand’s work has some philosophical or literary merit.

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