Journal of Ayn Rand Studies
Encyclopedia
The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies is an academic journal
devoted to the study of the philosophy of Ayn Rand
. Established in 1999, its founding editor is New York University
scholar Chris Sciabarra. At present, the other two editors are Stephen D. Cox
and Roderick Long
. Although the Objectivist movement
of supporters of Rand's philosophy has been criticised as being a cult of personality
, the Journal of Ayn Rand Studies often publishes papers by mainstream intellectuals and academics from prestigious universities worldwide that approach Rand's legacy without hagiography
.
The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies is published twice a year. Occasionally, it publishes special issues.
, who is associated with the Ayn Rand Institute
, contributed a brief reply to a review of the CliffsNotes
for Ayn Rand's novels. He subsequently issued an apology for having contributed to the journal. Bernstein wrote, "I deeply regret my thoughtless decision to contribute to this journal, and hereby irrevocably repudiate any and all association with it", and asserted that the journal was "filled with writings by people with whom I refuse to knowingly associate under any circumstances." In 2007, the Department of Philosophy at Texas State University turned down a grant from the Anthem Foundation to support a visiting faculty position that would specialize in Objectivism. Bernstein was a candidate to fill the position. According to Rebecca Raphael, a Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at Texas State, Bernstein's apology for publishing in the journal indicated that the Anthem Foundation was expecting the person hired to meet an "ideological litmus test." According to reporter David Glenn, "When asked by The Chronicle about his 2002 comments, Mr. Bernstein replied that rejecting The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies was a moral and intellectual obligation."
Academic journal
An academic journal is a peer-reviewed periodical in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as forums for the introduction and presentation for scrutiny of new research, and the critique of existing research...
devoted to the study of the philosophy of Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand was a Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. She is known for her two best-selling novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged and for developing a philosophical system she called Objectivism....
. Established in 1999, its founding editor is New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
scholar Chris Sciabarra. At present, the other two editors are Stephen D. Cox
Stephen D. Cox
Stephen D. Cox is the editor of Liberty magazine, an American monthly libertarian and classical liberal review. He is also a professor of literature at the University of California, San Diego and author of several non-fiction books....
and Roderick Long
Roderick Long
Roderick Tracy Long is a professor of philosophy at Auburn University and libertarian anarchist blogger. He also serves as a senior scholar for the Ludwig von Mises Institute, an editor of the Journal of Ayn Rand Studies, director and president of the Molinari Institute, and an advisory panel...
. Although the Objectivist movement
Objectivist movement
The Objectivist movement is a movement to study and advance the philosophy of Objectivism. It was founded by novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand. The movement began informally in the 1950s and consisted of students who were brought together by their mutual interest in Rand’s novel, The Fountainhead...
of supporters of Rand's philosophy has been criticised as being a cult of personality
Cult of personality
A cult of personality arises when an individual uses mass media, propaganda, or other methods, to create an idealized and heroic public image, often through unquestioning flattery and praise. Cults of personality are usually associated with dictatorships...
, the Journal of Ayn Rand Studies often publishes papers by mainstream intellectuals and academics from prestigious universities worldwide that approach Rand's legacy without hagiography
Hagiography
Hagiography is the study of saints.From the Greek and , it refers literally to writings on the subject of such holy people, and specifically to the biographies of saints and ecclesiastical leaders. The term hagiology, the study of hagiography, is also current in English, though less common...
.
The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies is published twice a year. Occasionally, it publishes special issues.
Controversy
In 2002, philosopher Andrew BernsteinAndrew Bernstein
Andrew Bernstein is a proponent of Ayn Rand's "Objectivism", an author, and a professor of philosophy.Bernstein holds a PhD in philosophy and is the author of The Capitalist Manifesto: The Historic, Economic, and Philosophic Case for Laissez-Faire, Capitalism Unbound: The Incontestable Case for...
, who is associated with the Ayn Rand Institute
Ayn Rand Institute
The Ayn Rand Institute: The Center for the Advancement of Objectivism is a 501 nonprofit think tank in Irvine, California that promotes Ayn Rand's philosophy, called Objectivism. It was established in 1985, three years after Rand's death, by Leonard Peikoff, Rand's legal heir...
, contributed a brief reply to a review of the CliffsNotes
CliffsNotes
CliffsNotes are a series of student study guides available primarily in the United States. The guides present and explain literary and other works in pamphlet form or online. Detractors of the study guides claim they let students bypass reading the assigned literature...
for Ayn Rand's novels. He subsequently issued an apology for having contributed to the journal. Bernstein wrote, "I deeply regret my thoughtless decision to contribute to this journal, and hereby irrevocably repudiate any and all association with it", and asserted that the journal was "filled with writings by people with whom I refuse to knowingly associate under any circumstances." In 2007, the Department of Philosophy at Texas State University turned down a grant from the Anthem Foundation to support a visiting faculty position that would specialize in Objectivism. Bernstein was a candidate to fill the position. According to Rebecca Raphael, a Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at Texas State, Bernstein's apology for publishing in the journal indicated that the Anthem Foundation was expecting the person hired to meet an "ideological litmus test." According to reporter David Glenn, "When asked by The Chronicle about his 2002 comments, Mr. Bernstein replied that rejecting The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies was a moral and intellectual obligation."