In this short video, approximately 45 minutes of introductory lecture and 30 minutes of Q&A, Leonard Peikoff provides a great, if brief, introduction to the fundamentals of Objectivism. He discusses the 5 branches of philosophy – metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, politics and esthetics – and how they form an integrated whole.

Dr. Peikoff presents a more complete discussion of Objectivism in a 32 hour lecture series, which can be found on the Ayn Rand e-store. The lecture series is also being made available on the Ayn Rand Campus (currently they are up to lecture 6). This lecture series is particularly interesting as Ayn Rand participated in most of the Q&A periods that followed each lecture. The definitive discussion can be found in Leonard Peikoff’s book, Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand, often referred to as OPAR.

During the Q&A Dr. Peikoff mentions a paper he wrote on crime which can be purchased in pamphlet form here.