Okay. Franc used to be an objectivist. Within the past year he has ceased to be. The work you are pointing out is work he has done before he “unlabelled” himself as an objectivist. However, he is still sympathetic to objectivism in general and you will see him support it and reference it frequently. Objectivism is extremely valuable in rational individualism, atheism, and yes libertarianism. And keep in mind that in most respects, you will not find many differences between rational individualists, objectivists, and libertarians. In a way, the differences are somewhat nit-picking and are obscure to an outsider.

Regarding libertarianism and objectivism, you seem to be unaware of the schism within objectivist groups. One group is the group that is sympathetic to David Kelley who was sympathetic to libertarianism, and this is where you found the info from the objectivist center.

The other kind of objectivists are those who are sympathetic to Dr. Peikoff. Peikoff expelled Kelley from his objectivist group and ARI for his libertarian olive-branch extending. And Peikoff is the intellectual heir to Ayn Rand.

I hope that explains everything. If you have any more questions let me know.

And Uberkuh, you shouldnt throw away your ticket until the horse crosses the finish line

You’ll have to excuse my confusion over Francois’ objectivism. I mean, his website does feature links to “What is Objectivism?,” “Objective Thinking,” “Franc’s Objectivist Movie Reviews,” and an online course called “Introduction to Objectivism.”

In “What is Objectivism?,” he offers links to a video lecture from the Ayn Rand Institute and links to the Bible, I mean, Atlas Shrugged. He also writes, “The most rigorous philosophical system is Objectivism. It is the only such system based on explicit and valid axioms and deductions, which makes it the most reliable guide to a healthy relationship with reality.”

In “Objective Thinking,” he links a “book” he’s written on objectivism.

In “Franc’s Objectivist Movie Reviews,” he claims that there “is currently no active Objectivist movie review site, and so I think this can be a helpful guide, especially for Objectivists.”

In “Introduction to Objectivism,” Franc writes, “I am a columnist for Suite 101 (Atheism). I have been studying Objectivism for approximately five years. I have written an introductory site on the subject (at http://www.whatisobjectivism.com) and written articles on various outlets. I am always available to answer your questions on this course or Objectivism in general.”

So, I’m sorry if I falsely accused your friend of being an Objectivist. I was confused by all the duck-like waddling and quacking.

On the issue of Libertarianism (which I would love to discuss in a more appropriate setting), The Objectivist Center writes, “Libertarianism is the political position that all human relationships should be voluntary, i.e. not subject to the initiation of force by another person. Inasmuch as this is also part of the Objectivist politics, Objectivism is a libertarian philosophy. Not all libertarian thinking is compatible with Objectivism, and some libertarians promote philosophical ideas that would destroy liberty if put into practice, such as skepticism, ethical subjectivism, and anarchism. But the libertarian movement in general is a positive force for political change, one to which Objectivists have valuable moral and epistemological knowledge to contribute and one from which Objectivists can learn about the politics, economics, and history of freedom.” (emphasis mine).

It seems that many objectivists are a lot more tolerant of the position than you describe.

Sorry, Aaron, I have to bail on this conversation as well. I’m spending time I don’t have on it. Enjoy the last word.