The Ominous Parallels

The Ayn Rand Library #3

by Leonard Peikoff

Ayn Rand chose Leonard Peikoff to be her successor as the spokesman for Objectivism. And in this brilliantly reasoned, thought-provoking work we learn why, as he demonstrates how far America has been detoured from its original path and led down the same road that Germany followed to Nazism. Self-sacrifice, Oriental mysticism, racial "truth," the public good, doing one's duty—these are among the seductive catch-phrases that Leonard Peikoff dissects, examining the kind of philosophy they symbolize, the type of thinking that lured Germany to its doom and that he says is now prevalent in the United States. Here is a frightening look at where America may be heading, a clarion call for all who are concerned about preserving our right to individual freedom.

Genres: Philosophy, History, Politics, Nonfiction, German Literature, Modern, Germany

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Leonard S. Peikoff (born October 15, 1933) is a Canadian-American philosopher. He is an author, a leading advocate of Objectivism and the founder of the Ayn Rand Institute. A former professor of philosophy, he was designated by the novelist Ayn Rand as heir to her estate. For several years, he hosted a radio talk show.

http://www.peikoff.com/bio.html

Reviews

[Kaberoi Rua · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing and revolutionary philosophical analysis of Pre-Hitler Germany and the ominous parallels of America today. If you believe that philosophy has no significance and basis in reality then this book is a must read. Peikoff brilliantly displays how philosophy destroyed the Weimar Republic, the same philosophy that gave rise to Nazism and the slaughtering of millions of innocent men, women and children. The same philosophy that gave rise to the Bolshevik revolution in Russia, Mussolini in Italy, and the coming fascist state in America. Three major philosophers according to Peikoff, who are responsible for generating the disease of collectivism and transmitting it to the dictators of our century. They are: Plato (the father of collectivism), Immanuel Kant (the father of irrationalism and mysticism), and Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (father of Absolute Idealism). Peikoff describes how the antidote to these philosophers is Aristotle (father of reason and logic). Statism and the advocacy of reason are philosophical opposites and cannot coexist-neither in a philosophical system nor in a nation. Plato, Kant, and Hegel gave rise to a long list of followers such as Marx and Nietzsche to name a few. These philosophers and their followers gave rise to a long list of anti-ideologies such as voluntarism, dogmatism, pragmatism, skepticism, subjectivism, and the disease of self-sacrificing altruism. Peikoff accurately demonstrates how these European philosophers and anti-ideologies have infiltrated American culture and are leading her away from the founding principles to an American form of Nazism. He describes how the Ayn Rand has based her objectivist philosophy on the foundations of Aristotelian logic and reason.

In 1787, one of the members of the Constitutional convention, asked by a bystander what kind of government the framers were giving to the new nation, answered: “A republic-if you can keep it.” He was not asked what is required to keep it, but the answer to that now would be: “A philosophy – if you can get one.”

[Matt · Rating 1 out of 5]

Utter crap.

[Jonathan Bolton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is philosophy and history at its best--intellectual history that I have never seen equaled. This demonstrates--in precise, gripping, penetrating, inspiring prose--how philosophy is the cause behind a culture's thought and action. It is also an illuminating comparative history: it shows the similarities and differences between present day America and pre-Nazi Germany.

[Kevinaki · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author, Peikoff, was Ayn Rand's lapdog. The Ayn Rand Institute (founded by Peikoff) is continuing to milk the Rand gravy train with this sort of "stuff".
Rand's Objectivist "philosophy" is based on "twisty" definitions of egoism/altruism and distortions of Kantian and Comtian philosophy to fit Rand's political agenda (the "virtue" of unfettered free-market economy based on self interest and minimalist government and the embrace of far-right thinking) as conceived in a climate of McCarthyist paranoia. Blame-shifting and finger-pointing.

Departing with this as a mind-set, it is not possible to give a neutral or credible analysis of the history of Fascism without injection of a substantial dose of wishful thinking and confirmation bias. Objectivist/Randian propaganda screed.

What a surprise: Peikoff finishes his spiel with a proposal of Objectivism as panacea.
Snake oil.

Any reader should apply a significant level of scepticism, challenge the premises and look to see if other factors and explanations should be examined

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating! The parallels are even more evident today than when this was written. I can see why changing the direction of the country will not be successful via politics. More foundational philosophic changes must be achieved first.

[Jesse Schexnayder · Rating 4 out of 5]

A prolific atheistic denunciation of collectivism by a disciple of Ayn Rand that excels when it retains its focus on the real threats to man's freedom, Collectivism and Statism. The embrace of natural rights may stem from different sources, though Dr. Peikoff would not agree. Even so, a denunciation of them leads always to the same horrific conclusion.

America is unquestionably on a path that leads to some sort of Nationalistic Socialism (Nazism). The only way to turn it away from this monstrosity is to attack the underpinnings of Socialism's supposed morality with patience and without mercy. This will take more than the philosophy of Objectivism, it will take the combined efforts of true Patriots.

That is because, whether an Atheist Objectivist or a Theist Constitutionalist, we choose specifically NOT to control, or attempt to control, the final direction of American society. We leave that to the People, as an amalgam of individual sovereigns, to determine that destiny which, though perhaps foreordained, can never be known to us fully. We accept that we do not know everything, though it may be possible for us to one day overcome even that. We accept that a future, desirable as it may supposedly be, molded on the backs and in the blood of the natural rights of man is no future for us or our children. We will fight it to our dying breath. Death to tyrants is obedience to God.

Our Founders knew it would take more than Philosophy to keep our Republic: "With a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor."

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

A timely warning when it was written, and even more so now. The take home lesson is that the fear of the United States becoming a communist state is overblown. The real problem, lies in creeping fascism. The current spectacle of Big Government getting into bed with Big Business to the detriment of almost everyone else is proof that they were right about so much. Back then, it was a warning about what happens "if this goes on". Now, it will help you understand what is happening "right now!" Can't recommend it highly enough.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought he did a great job showing the rise of Nazism in Germany. He shows how the educational culture, the arts, the philosophers/religion and the collectivism and financial crash pushed the herd in that direction until it was too late. It looks like insanity from my outside perspective, but they were in their bubble, lost and trying to make sense of nonsense. And after decades of denying rationalism, thinking and common sense, when they truly needed it, they didn't know how to use it. It was the perfect storm and then Hitler rose to power.

The book was written in 1983, but still makes me think about the US today in 2022.

Would I recommend? More so if someone was interested in going deeper into the reasons for Nazism expansion. I could never understand how Germans let Hitler come to power. This book resolved many of my questions. I had been reading it for the parallels btw Gemany and the US. But I learned much more about how the philosophy of Nazism crept in and stayed.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peikoff's thesis -- explaining the similarities between the current American political landscape to that of Germany's before Hitler came into power -- is strong. He gives compelling examples of cause and effect, and how philosophy plays a major role in shaping a nation. His writing, however, is sometimes muddy and hard to follow, and his conclusion that Ayn Rand's Objectivism is the way to "save" a country from the threat of Fascism is far-fetched and biased (he is her "intellectual heir"). Otherwise, a great read.

[Paul Taske · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall a very enjoyable and informative read on the ideological roots of Nazism, and the disquieting similarities in American culture.

However, two chapters on German/Weimar culture seemed a bit sprawling and hard to follow, and the final chapter seemed less authentic/more forced than the rest of the book.

[Kelly Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd give this book a million stars if I could! Phenomenal. Peikoff did a great job showing how the German people were able to be so accepting of Nazism- what philosophies, ideologies, religions, etc made it possible for the horrible totalitarian take-over. Well thought-out explanations were given as to how a country's philosophical/ideological base is the seed from which EVERYHING else stems. If the philosophers and intellectuals of a country/culture endorse and spread chaotic, disembodied, irrational ideas, then it's only a matter of course that a human embodiment of those ideas will emerge (Hitler).
He also compared modern America with pre-Nazi Germany, saying that we're moving closer towards a similar decline in rational thought, towards irrational, mystic subjectivism (anti- individual, anti-reason, etc)...which is the path Germany was on when the Nazis took over. A few key quotes which I feel really capture the cause of the uprise:

** "Reason does not permit man to feel metaphysically helpless; egoism does not permit him to accept unearned guilt or to regard himself as a sacrificial animal. But a man indoctrinated with the notion that reason is impotent and self-sacrifice is his moral duty, will obey anyone and anything."

** " The intellectuals are ignorant of philosophy's role in history- because of philosophy. Having been taught by philosophers for generations that reason is impotent to guide action, they regard the mind and its conclusions as irrelevant to life."

** " A dictator is not a self-confident person. He preys on weakness, uncertainty, fear. He has no chance among men of self-esteem. But in the age of self-doubt, he rises to the top."

[Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Principled thinking. Peikoff’s conclusions are even more pronounced 40 years post publication. People may outsource their thinking or choose to think for themselves. In either case, history is driven by ideas.

“It is a tragic irony of our time that the two worst, bloodiest tribes in history, the Nazis of Germany and the Communists of Soviet Russia, both of whom are motivated by brute power lust and a crudely materialistic greed for the unearned, show respect for the power of philosophy and spend billions of their looted wealth on propaganda and indoctrination, realizing that man’s mind is their most dangerous enemy and it is man’s mind that they have to destroy - while the United States and the other countries of the West, who claim to believe in the superiority of the human spirit over matter, neglect philosophy, despise ideas, starve the best minds of the young, offer nothing but the stalest slogans of a materialistic altruism in the form of global giveaways, and wonder why they are losing the world to the thugs.”

More quotes from the book:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1W...

[Jeffrey Falk · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are few, if any, books that so perspicaciously and perspicuously explain how philosophic ideas (from philosophers and other cultural figures) steer human culture and politics, for better or worse, directly and indirectly, explicitly and implicitly, over centuries and millennia. This is also a frightening chronicle of a too-recent, baneful war that is not only not over but that we are losing. The book has never been more topical and thoroughly details not only the metaphorical disease but the cure: a cultural renaissance transfigured by Aristotle's philosophy in general and, hopefully, Ayn Rand's in particular.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book deals with the Nazi phenomenon, why it happened, and why the problem hasn't gone away. Plenty of books have been written on this topic. There have been many attempts to explain how such atrocities could happen. This book in unique in its approach to history as a consequence of ideas. It proposes that the explanation lies in what people accept as the good, their view of the fundamental nature of man, and his proper relationship to the world. It was written during the late 70s and early 80s. Since then, the parallels have become even more ominous.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read about the Nazi concentration camps before, but I never understood their true purpose or how it came to be that humans could treat other humans that way, until now....

[John Sharp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very intriguing book. Most of the analysis is still valid. I recommend.

[Steven H · Rating 2 out of 5]

ARE “COLLECTIVIST” IDEALS IN THIS COUNTRY A PRECURSOR TO NAZISM?

Ayn Rand wrote in her Introduction to this 1982 book, “It gives me great pleasure to introduce the first book by an Objectivist philosopher other than myself. Perhaps the best recommendation I can give this book---and its author, Dr. Leonard Peikoff---is to say that it and he are not of today’s cultural mainstream. They will be part of tomorrow’s… Dr. Peikoff… identifies the cause of Nazism---and the ominous parallels between the intellectual history of Germany and of the United States… If you do not wish to be a victim of today’s philosophical bankruptcy, I recommend [this book] as intellectual ammunition. It will protect you from supporting, unwittingly, the ideas that are destroying you and the world… If you like my works, you will like this book.”

Peikoff points out, “It has been said… that the Germans embraced Nazism because they lost World War I. Austria lost that war also, but this did not cause it to turn Nazi (it went under only when invaded by Hitler in 1938). Italy, on the other hand, one of the victorious powers … went Fascist in 1922. It has been said that the cause of Nazism was the Great Depression. All the industrial nations suffered the ravages of the Depression. Few turned to Nazism.” (Pg. 20)

He states, “Every central doctrine of the Nazi politics, racism included, is an expression or variant of the theory of collectivism. Such doctrines cannot rise to the ascendancy, neither among the intellectuals nor in the mind of the public, except in a culture already saturated with a mystical-collectivist philosophy. In the case of Germany, this means: saturated with the ideas of Hegel.” (Pg. 41)

He asserts, “Kant did not preach Nazism. But, on a fundamental level and for the first time, he flung at Western man its precondition:… ‘You are nothing.’ … ‘Your people is everything’ soon followed.” (Pg. 84)

He notes, “The Nazis promised every group annihilation, the annihilation of that which it hated. Just as Hitler offered Germany a SYNTHESIS OF IDEAS, so, appealing to the nationwide, classwide spasm of seething fury, he offered the voters a synthesis of hatreds. In the end, this combination was what the voters wanted, and chose.” (Pg. 188)

He argues, “In essence, what the Nazis wanted for themselves from the camps was the same unlimited unreason that they imposed on the prisoners… what they needed was a certain kind of non-fact, non-thing, non-identity. It was the universe that had been hinted at, elaborated, cherished, fought for, and made respectable by a long line of champions. It was the theory and the dream created by all the anti-Aristotelians of Western history. The philosophers had only been fantasizing their noumenal dimension. The Nazis took it straight and tried to make it come true, here, in Europe, on earth.” (Pg. 255)

He continues, “The fundamental enemy of Nazism is a fact: that man is man---and a wider fact, the one which makes the first an absolute: the fact that facts are what they are, that reality is not malleable to human whim, that A is A, no matter what the dictator’s screams, guns, or squads of killers.” (Pg. 255)

I’m not as persuaded that “if you like [Rand’s] books, you will like [Peikoff’s] book”; but it will be of keen interest to those studying the historical and political aspects of Objectivism.

[Aidan Manning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cannot recommend this book enough. Beautifully demonstrates how ideas and philosophy determine history. Peikoff approaches the hotly-debated question of how Nazi Germany happened and elucidates a clear, principled explanation of how Hitler came to power, going all the way back to the Ancient Greeks. He then proposes how a Hitler could come into power in America, and the "ominous parallels", philosophically and culturally, between modern America and the Weimar republic. It's all presented with impeccable wit and memorable writing, and most importantly, Peikoff lays out a way for America to change course and once again become the land its founders envisioned. A lot of popular conservatives nowadays are writing books that try to do something similar but they are all hopelessly inferior to The Ominous Parallels. Peikoff's clarity of thought and understanding of ideas completely dwarfs these try-hards.

[David Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful and thought provoking

I wanted to understand how Nazism took hold of a civilized people. Mr. Peikoff delivers the answer brilliantly and convincingly. His warnings to America need to be heard.

[Josh Hamm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting look into the worst kind of philosophy. Would recommend if you're into that sort of thing

[Paschalis]

elibrary

[Valdemar Christensen]

After reading this book, I am totally convinced of ideas influence on the world.

[Sam Hagadorn]

READ: 24 December 2009, Baquba, Iraq

[Ewan Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is scary good and what is mentioned, that might could happen, has happened. Our future is bleak.

[URI BARG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great connection between history and philosophy


Great point of view of historical events and the explanation to why they occurred, maybe the book could have been a bit shorter.

[D. B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peikoff makes a clear and compelling argument for his theory that post-WWI, Weimar-era Germany was much more influenced by Kantian philosophy than later philosophers (most prominently Nietzsche). The combination of historical, psychological, and philosophical insights present plausible explanations for reasons behind such seemingly unreasonable, maddening behavior.

Where the book falls short is in Peikoff's sky-is-falling comparisons to the U.S. Perhaps this is because the examples are dated, and the intervening 30 years have shown Peikoff's warnings and predictions didn't have much merit. Don't get me wrong; there certainly are parallels, and some of them are indeed ominous...but what's happening to this country much more closely resembles the slow, agonizing decay described in Atlas Shrugged, rather than a country whipped into a nationalistic fervor that bullies us quickly into a totalitarian regime.

I recently read that the book is being reissued by Plume under the title The Cause of Hitler's Germany, which will revise some of the text and excise Peikoff's ominous predictions. That is likely the better version to read.

[Aaron Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really informative look at the root causes which led to the opportunity for the Nazi's to take power in Germany. I believe that the author shows rather convincingly that the development of the philosophy of the nation was the key ingredient to the ease which the Nazi's were able to take over. During the time I spent reading I really had to grapple with myself and many things I had believed philosophically. I had always wondered about my fascination with the Nazi's and this book shows that the philosophy that I had been influenced by in my youth really has led me to be open to them. This book is essential reading not just for information on the Nazi rise to power but to the rise to power of a Nazi-like power within the United States too. There is much information on American progressives and Socialists who have shaped the United States into the country it is now, and warns us what is on the horizon if we don't do anything to stop it.

[Lion]

When americans talk about Nazis, it always feels a bit like watching someone apply makeup to a clown: they project american qualities, like flamboyant aggressiveness. Turns out the Nazis weren't americans! They were nothing like american Charlottesville types. It was German evil, not american evil — measured, calculated, bureaucratic evil. Americans don't get that, even the libertarian ones, who (correctly) say the Nazis were largely leftists. If anything they exaggerate the cartoon evil so the charge stings more. In that regard, the american left and right agree: their misconception of what the Nazis were.
It's largely a projection. Germans don't lust for world domination. Americans do.

[Cassandra Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written during the 1970s counter culture years, this subject has become very current again with the upsurge of Postmodernism. The most toxic combination? Pragmatism and dogma (both branches of the anti reason school of thought), combined with a preference for collectivism and an anti-reason epistemology.
Includes a very interesting theory regarding the death camps: Peikoff posits these were controlled experiments in mass psychology and an investigation into the moral and mental breaking point of man.
But then, all collective leaning ideologies have a special relationship with all forms of coercion: from the Nudge, controls and regulations, to Gulags.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book conclusively shows the mindset of the populous of Germany and the whole of Europe that led up to the most despotic times of the 20th Century. With so many historians, authors, and movies depicting the rather obvious reasons why the time was ripe for a totalitarian leadership, this book takes things to a much greater understanding of how a peoples gave up their rights.

Leonard Peikoff describes perfectly how the mindset of collectivism has crossed the Atlantic and has planted its seed within the core of American intellectuals. That tree has now grown far beyond anywhere it should have and without a proper individualistically reasoned philosophy we are doomed to repeat history.