Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philosophy | 1982 | Ayn Rand | N/A |
| 2 | Philosophy: Who Needs It | 1982 | Ayn Rand | Buy |
| 3 | The Early Ayn Rand | 1984 | Ayn Rand | N/A |
| 4 | The Ayn Rand Lexicon: Objectivism from A to Z | 1986 | Ayn Rand | Buy |
| 5 | The ominous parallels | 1982 | Ayn Rand | N/A |
| 6 | Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand | 1991 | Ayn Rand | Buy |
| 7 | The Voice of Reason: Essays in Objectivist Thought | 1989 | Ayn Rand | Buy |
| 8 | Objectivism | 1991 | Ayn Rand | N/A |
The Ayn Rand Library series was NAL’s effort to collect Rand’s philosophical output in a consistent format following her death in 1982. The series mixed Rand’s own essay volumes with works by Leonard Peikoff, her designated philosophical heir, presenting a comprehensive introduction to Objectivism under one imprint.
Philosophy: Who Needs It appeared in 1982, the year of Rand’s death. The Ayn Rand Lexicon (1986) organized Objectivist concepts alphabetically for reference. Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand (1991) by Peikoff is the most systematic exposition of the philosophy, drawing on his years of lectures and seminars. The series also includes The Voice of Reason (1989), a collection of Rand’s essays on culture and politics.
Together the eight volumes represent the institutionalization of Objectivism as a coherent system following Rand’s death, giving the philosophy an organized textual foundation in addition to the novels it was originally dramatized through.