Ideology
ObjectivismLibertarian
A philosophy founded on reason, individual rights and rational self-interest, holding that people should pursue their own happiness, that laissez-faire capitalism is the only moral system, and that the state exists only to protect rights.
Core ideas
- Reality exists independently of anyone's beliefs, and reason is the only means of knowing it.
- The moral purpose of life is one's own happiness, pursued through rational self-interest.
- Individual rights are the basis of a just society.
- Laissez-faire capitalism is the only social system that respects those rights.
- The state's only role is to protect rights through police, courts and defence.
Where it sits on the 12 axes
On the Economy axis (Collectivize to Privatize) the profile is at 20, well toward the Privatize end. Government is at 10, close to the Freedom end of Security to Freedom. Diplomacy and Society are both at 50, in the middle. The test uses only these four values: it finds the distance from your scores to each ideology's profile and gives the nearest. Its profile is almost the same as that of Voluntaryism, so answers that match one usually sit close to the other.
The bar shows the position on each of the four axes an ideology is matched on; the middle mark is the centre.
History
Ayn Rand first expressed Objectivism in her fiction, most notably The Fountainhead (1943) and Atlas Shrugged (1957), and later in non-fiction essays and books such as The Virtue of Selfishness (1964). Later Objectivist writers gave the philosophy a more formal structure. Rand's philosophy covers metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, politics and aesthetics. She rejected the ethical doctrine of altruism, defined as a moral obligation to live for the sake of others, and rejected subjectivism. Academic philosophers have mostly ignored or rejected it, though it has been a persistent influence among right-libertarians and conservatives, and the Objectivist movement that Rand founded works to spread it.
Associated thinkers
- Ayn Rand
Common misunderstandings
- It is not the everyday sense of objectivity, nor the same as the term in other fields. Here it names Rand's philosophy of reason and rights.
- It is not the same as anarcho-capitalism. It allows a small state to protect rights, while anarcho-capitalists want to abolish the state.
Related ideologies
Is Objectivism your closest ideology?
Take the test and see which of the ideologies your answers sit closest to.
Questions
What is Objectivism?
The philosophy of Ayn Rand. It holds that reality is objective, reason is our means of knowing it, rational self-interest is the proper moral aim, and laissez-faire capitalism is the only system that protects individual rights.
Is Objectivism left or right?
Right-wing on economics. The test files it as libertarian: minimal state, free markets. A single left-right axis cannot capture a philosophy with positions on knowledge and ethics.
Objectivism vs Subjectivism?
Subjectivism says truth or morality depends on what individuals or groups believe or feel. It says reality and moral facts are independent of belief. Rand's view is that rational self-interest, not personal whim, is the moral standard.
How does the 12 Axes test decide I am Objectivism?
The test compares your scores on four of the twelve axes (Economy, Government, Diplomacy, Society) with a stored profile for each of the 38 ideologies. The profile at the shortest distance across those four is your match.