Jason G. Rheins

This chapter focuses on Ayn Rand's characteristic approach to metaphysical concepts and principles. It first concerns the axioms of existence and identity, their respective concepts, and then their validation and cognitive roles. The chapter also considers Rand's view of entities and causation. Next, it describes consciousness, and its dependence on existence (i.e., the primacy of existence). The chapter then discusses Rand's view of free will (a fundamental feature of human consciousness) and the related distinction Rand draws between metaphysically given and man‐made facts. Just as free will is a case of causality, so too is it a case of identity. Rand's endorsement of self‐created character and free will is not an endorsement of the existentialist positions that human nature or identity is contrary to or negated by choice. The chapter concludes by describing the relationship between the primacy of existence and Rand's conception of objectivity.

The Middle Platonist Compendiosa Expositio gives dialogue-by-dialogue summaries of doctrines allegedly expounded in Plato’s works. According to Justin Stover, the principle of division used by the work for arranging Plato’s dialogues is the dominant philosophical influence in each case. I argue that there is no principle of division, and that the dialogues are arranged, not on the basis of influence, but according to their main speaker. One thing this allows, I suggest, is for the author of the ce to assert the dependence of the Stoics on Plato.