Abstract

This essay reviews a recent book in the Blackwell Companions to Philosophy series: A Companion to Ayn Rand, edited by Gregory Salmieri and the late Allan Gotthelf. The author expresses his discontent with the volume's exclusion of many contributors who are not affiliated with the Ayn Rand Institute. He is displeased, as well, by the lack of any essays of a critical nature, which is a hallmark of other Companion-type works. His review focuses on six key essays in this volume: Gregory Salmieri on both values and epistemology; John David Lewis and Salmieri's discussion of Rand's political and cultural commentary; Allan Gotthelf on the morality of life; Harry Binswanger on aesthetics; Jason Rheins on the Objectivist metaphysics; and James Lennox on Rand's view of the history of philosophy.