Methodological Objectivism
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This article is part of the Basic Course on Libertarianism and the Austrian School of Economics-> Module 1: Required foundational topics
Last updated: 2026-07-24
Note: It is crucial not to confuse Ayn Rand’s Objectivism (which is a philosophical, ethical, and individualist current) with methodological objectivism in the social sciences (which is what we discuss here).
Methodological Objectivism
It is the pretension of treating social phenomena as objective “things,” external to the individual, that exist independently of the actions and valuations of concrete persons and that can be studied with the same methods as the natural sciences (observation, induction, statistical aggregates, general “social” laws).
In classical sociology: Émile Durkheim spoke of “social facts” as things (choses) that exercise external coercion on individuals.
In economics: the aggregated macroeconomic approach (Keynesian or orthodox neoclassical) that treats “the economy,” “aggregate employment,” “aggregate demand” as objective realities with a life of their own.
In Marxism: the “class” or the “relations of production” as objective entities that determine history above individuals.
In positivism: the idea that the social sciences must imitate physics or biology, seeking observable regularities without needing to go back to subjective human action.
Objectivism leads to Collectivism
When Subjectivism is denied, Individual Liberty loses its foundation:
- If value is “objective” (Marxism), then someone can claim to “know” the true value of ALL THINGS and regulate it from power.
- Decisions can be made by a single person, since they know the value of everything that exists, because everything is objective.
- Everyone knows and must approve the value of things (goods and services).
- No one may think for themselves, or think that things have another value.
- With this idea of “objective value,” the decisions of centralized power would always be valid because the value of things is objective; it does not depend on each person.
- Anyone who thinks differently is wrong; there is no subjective thought; everything is objective.
- And so the idea of “objective value” leads to collectivism, centralization of power, dictatorships, communisms, fascisms, etc., etc.
Subjectivism (studied earlier) is the position opposite to Objectivism.
This article is part of the Basic Course on Libertarianism and the Austrian School of Economics-> Module 1: Required foundational topics
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Last updated: 2026-07-24
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