The Role of Philosophy and Psychology in History by Leonard Peikoff

Ayn Rand held that philosophy is the basic cause of human history—the fundamental factor shaping men’s choices and actions and the course of civilization. In this 1983 lecture given at The Jefferson School, Leonard Peikoff elaborates on Rand’s view, and explains the role that philosophy plays in relation to other important factors such as economics and psychology.

Subscribe to ARI’s YouTube channel to make sure you never miss a video:
Download or stream free courses on Ayn Rand’s works and ideas with the Ayn Rand University app:

******

******

[davemills]

Peikoff's formal lectures on the History of Philosophy changed my life for the better. They are clear, 'hang together" well and are decisive.

[causeihave]

I had been pondering on exactly this topic for the last few years, feeling irritated that awful human beings like Marx and Rousseau had so much influence on today's society in negative ways. Thank you so much for sharing this lecture. It is a goldmine of information.

[FaithfulObjectivist]

Proud of the advancement from founding of ARI cited at 1:09 to establishment of ARU announced last year.

[clairerobsin]

that's Emanuel Kant on the right and his words/writings match his looks

[PiedFifer]

1:15:50. Why do I wish to accelerate the course of history? So that I may enjoy the immeasurable benefits of the creative reasoning of my fellow humans.

[science]

Ayn Rand Institute is a reason center in Irvine.

[fumanaide]

1:08:47 Neat idea, I hope it works out.

[jjreddick]

Great topic. How does one explain pre-historical modes of production if philosophy dictates the economy and not the other way around ?

[SpacePatrollerLaser]

I've known this since 1975 or so By 1973, I was a Objectivist for 5 years. At that time I was majoring in Psych and at that time, I took the 20 credit 4 semester at Providence Collage, from which I got m BA Then I got my MA at Rhode Island Colletge. By mid '78 I had defined "Psychohistory is the science that studies the past in terms of the rules of behavior, to evaluate the present, to predict, influence and ultimately control the future" Now that last would be "to create a future". Philosophy can be considered, in computer terms, "the human operating system". It programs perception, computation and evaluation. The results of this is that the answers manifest themselves in actions in the social and economic realms. The First Lsaw of Behavior is "Reinforcement increases the likelihood of the repetition of that behavior. Punishment decreases the likelihood of the punished behavior" (welcome to the root of economics), Which you choose to operate under will come from your philosophy, mostly implicit, Now which of these parts of the First Law of Behaviour does Objectivism use? Also, a system creates the conditions to promulgate itself through the Law of Identity. How would the First Law of Behvior act to promote wealth or poverty throughout the land?

Newt Gingrich fancies himself a Hari Seldon. Do we have any quiestionsns as to which philosophy would generate the Psychohistory that Asimov only dreamed of ahving had Mankind "realize the value of mental activity" in the 20th+ millennium?

[dougpridgen]

If determinism were true, human beings would all create the same thing and they would do so repetitively, never innovating or progressing, the way beavers build dams or bees hives. Now there have been cultures where people chose to do that, such as ancient Egypt, which remained in an arrested state of development for three thousand years. In the case of humans, we can contrast that with the Neolithic and Industrial Revolutions, the Renaissance and Enlightenment, and so on. The evidence for volition is abundant and overwhelming.

[YashArya]

29:00 Claim: Philosophy is a rationalization, not the cause of history.

[clairerobsin]

I wish you didn't have that picture of Hitler, I hate that guy!