Objectivism and Libertarianism

Ayn Rand always bristled at being called a libertarian -- a label which she vehemently rejected. Nonetheless, there is much philosophical overlap in Objectivism's political permutations. The Libertarian Party, consequently, houses many Randians who often redefine libertarianism toward their views.

In a recent comment thread on my departure from the Libertarian Party, j2 wrote of this phenomenon:

Sorry I was late to this thread. I gave up my membership card a few years ago, too. There were always some oddities about Libertarian-ism that I just couldn't square in my mind. One of is the need for ideological purity, but there was some other aspect I couldn't quite put my finger on. I found it when I realized that underneath the Libertarian political movement was a much more grandiose encampment of intellectual objectivist. They are a strong and outspoken group, though you never really see them. The Libertarian movement, cute as it can be, isn't more than a cover piece for those objectivist who are a little more ambitious in actualizing themselves. Objectivism, though, is the stick in my throat. It simply has never squared with my own personal experience of life, yet it actively demeans that experience. For instance, ask any objectivist about the existence of God and they will surely tell you that there is no supernatural entity outside of the superior reasoning of the human mind acting with perfect free will.

It is a completely upside down way of looking at the world for most people. It sets the stage for secular humanism. It blames the foibles and misery of man on coercive governments and misleading religions. Its liturgy is science and its object of worship the human mind. Too easily an adherent ignores the evidence all around them that contradicts that view, namely how fallable the human mind and reasoning are. Too quickly and pridefully they are to give all the credit for their success in life to themself. And their hope is not for heaven itself but the attainment of the singularity. "If only we all work hard enough to live forever then certainly eternal joy and pleasure will be ours!" Ecclesiastes would surely laugh at that.

Properly understood, libertarianism is only a political philosophy -- a statement of "thou shalt nots" for government. Randian libertarians, unfortunately, would like to attach Objectivist moral philosophy, thus making it incompatible with Christianity.