“Ayn Rand Said” Is Not an Argument

Rejecting Authority: The Perils of Quoting Rand Without Reasoned Context

Fans of Ayn Rand occasionally say in response to an argument I or someone else has made, “But Ayn Rand said . . .”—as if the fact that Rand commented on the matter or a related issue makes her the source of truth on the subject.

Such claims are, to put it mildly, not arguments.

Instances of this kind of “argument” include claims to the effect:

• Rand said ho…