Book Description
"In Defense of Advertising is a theoretical defense based on the philosophy of Ayn Rand and the economics of Ludwig von Mises. It argues that the proper foundations of advertising are reason, ethical egoism, and laissez-faire capitalism. Its theme is that the social and economic criticisms of advertising are false because they are based on a false philosophic and economic world view. Only an alternative world view can refute the charges and put forth a positive moral evaluation of advertising¿s role in human life. The author defends advertising because it appeals to the rational self-interest of consumers for the rationally selfish, profit-making gain of the capitalists."
Customer Reviews:
A Case For The Virtue of Advertising.......2007-04-21
In this book, business professor Jerry Kirkpatrick argues that advertising is an effective and necessary method of salesmanship, and that the principles of salesmanship should define the standards and principles of effective advertising. For this reason, advertising is a valid and beneficial tool of entrepreneurs that must be informative and persuasive to be effective. Advertising communications is an important mechanism through which consumers gain information about ways to satisfy and achieve the values they seek, and therefore serves a positive and beneficial role in society.
Kirkpatrick's arguments are not directed towards those who dislike any particular ad for its low-brow qualities, but rather aimed high to refute those who stand against advertising per se, on principle.
The book addresses important key questions such as:
- What is the nature of advertising?
- Is persuasive advertising wasteful or harmful?
- Does advertising benefit consumer interests or is it anti-consumer?
- Should some people determine which products are beneficial to advertise and which are not?
- Does advertising create unnecessary market instability and unwarranted competitive pressures, or are these attributes inherent benefits of market competition?
- Does advertising unnecessarily increase prices thereby `exploiting' workers and consumers, or does it ultimately lower prices by increasing sales and reducing per unit costs, thereby benefiting workers and consumers?
The arguments presented by Kirkpatrick form a basic and fundamental philosophic and economic defense of advertising aimed at refuting those who argue that advertising per se is wasteful, coercive, and generally pernicious. This book is not directed towards practitioners who seek advice on how to improve their advertising. It doesn't provide advice on how to create more effective marketing communications beyond defining the purpose of advertising.
It is unfortunate that it may be difficult for many practitioners of advertising and marketing to understand Kirkpatrick's devastating critique of the various arguments put forth by advertising's enemies. That's because the refutation of such criticisms requires the application of higher level philosophic and economic concepts that are outside of most people's general context of knowledge. Kirkpatrick does a great job explaining the essence of these concepts, but by their nature, they are not easy for the uninitiated to understand, especially when brevity of presentation is maintained.
Perhaps the most prominent criticism of advertising as a medium is that it is inherently coercive and must be addressed by an opposing coercive intervention of government. As such, the critics of advertising qua salesmanship tend to be critics of free-markets, free-speech, and personal freedom in general. Advertising is an outcome of freedom, and Kirpatrick argues that an attack on one is really an attack on the other.
Another major criticism of advertising is that it promotes individual values as against conformity to so-called `higher' values. At base, this critique of advertising rests upon the dispute in ethics between the virtue of self-interest versus social-interest, or egoism versus altruism. Economically and politically, this translates to issues of free-markets versus command economies, or capitalism versus socialism.
Kirkpatrick succeeds in addressing the philosophic attacks against advertising at all levels of the philosophic hierarchy: metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and politics. He does so by taking a scientific individualistic approach, appealing primarily to philosopher Ayn Rand and economist Ludwig von Mises as his guideposts, hence the subtitle of the book: Arguments from Reason, Ethical Egoism, and Laissez-Faire Capitalism.
The arguments in this book pose a major challenge to those who attack the benefits of advertising and take a liking to business-bashing in general. Those who are serious about understanding the deeper meaning of these attacks and the fallacies they are based on as a means to defend the nobility of the principle of freedom of trade, i.e., capitalism, should find a lot of ammunition in this important book.
Philosophy, ethics and economics explained.......2007-04-18
Reviewed by Stephanie Rollins for Reader Views (3/07)
"In Defense of Advertising" by Jerry Kirkpatrick is not a book for the general public. I do not believe that the general public realizes that advertising needs to be defended. I also believe that in order to fully grasp the concepts in "In Defense of Advertising," the reader needs to have a few semesters of economics under their belt.
For those who are interested in economics and advertising, Kirkpatrick does a brilliant job of combining philosophy, ethics, and economics to defend the need for advertising. As Kirkpatrick explained, "The critics who denigrate advertising attack not only advertising but also--by logic necessity--capitalism, ethical egoism, and reason."
Critics of advertising argue that it damages the economy. Critics claim that advertising create monopolies. It creates a barrier to the market and it increases price. Critics claim that it decreases price elasticity. "The brand loyalty, in turn, makes it difficult for competitors to enter the market and, at the same time, enables the advertiser to increase prices." In an era where all business owners want a "brand," critics argue that branding contributes to this monopoly that destroys free enterprise. "Brand loyalty of consumers, then, is the actual barrier that prevents other firms from entering the market."
Kirkpatrick explains the doctrine of determinism. This belief is based upon the idea that man does not have free will. If you follow this belief, people are controlled by forces outside themselves. Kirkpatrick explains that the doctrine of determinism is founded on the assumption that our bodies are always at war with our minds. Picture the cliché devil on one shoulder and angel on the other shoulder.
Kirkpatrick describes the connections between Marxism, Socialism, and advertising. "Again, I must emphasize that not everyone who criticizes advertising on `social' or economic grounds is a Marxist--at least, not explicitly." Outside of academic circles, we would call them Marxists.
A social criticism of advertising is that it "offends the consumer's sense of good taste by insulting and degrading his intelligence." Kirkpatrick points out that "taste" is subjective. Who is elitist enough to appoint them the "good taste" police? Why do critics of advertising think that everyone but them is too uneducated to determine what "good taste" is? "In effect, these critics charge that consumers have no free will and, consequently, helpless pawns of the advertisers."
The Austrian School of Economics does find that advertising is a "legitimate function of business entrepreneurship." I take great offense in the critics' argument that the public, including myself, is not intelligent enough to make informed decisions.
Jerry Kirkpatrick's "In Defense of Advertising" should be required reading for economics and advertising students as it shows the real-world implications of advertising. "In Defense of Advertising" has an index, so it would be a great book to use as a reference for term papers. This is a must read for people studying or working in advertising.
Should Be Required Reading For Advertising Professionals.......2007-02-27
Mr Kirkpatrick states the case for the role of advertising in a logical, reasonable and intellegent manner. This book should be required reading in every advertising classroom in the country. When I picked up this book I never expected to discover a professional that so passionately defends the importance of the postive role of advertising in a free-market system. Well written and an easy read.
A Comprehensive and Fundamental Defense of Advertising.......2007-01-23
This book constitutes a thoroughgoing philosophic analysis and defense of virtually all aspects of advertising. It traces the criticisms made of advertising to false philosophic and economic doctrines, such as determinism and the theory of pure and perfect competition. It defends advertising against such accusations as that it is coercive and monopolistic, creates artificial needs, and erects barriers to entry. The intellectual foundations of these and practically all other accusations against advertising are laid bare and Prof. Kirkpatrick carefully develops the foundations and substance of the replies to them. In the process, he sets forth the very important positive role of advertising and demonstrates its actual benevolence. This is an essential book for anyone seriously interested in understanding and defending the role of advertising in a free market. It should be of exceptional interest to Objectivists, inasmuch as it is largely inspired by the ideas of Ayn Rand.
Book Description
A collection of essays to help today's businessman understand the crucial role of philosophy in free trade, free markets, health care and business ethics. The book includes a title essay by Leonard Peikoff and two essays by Ayn Rand never before p ublished in book form: "The Money-Making Personality" and "An Answer for Businessmen." Twelve additional essays by Leonard Peikoff and other contributors are included.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent compilation of philosophical/economic thought.......2007-09-27
An excellent alternative to the nonsense offered by liberals and conservatives (and moderates, and socialists, and greens, and reds, and libertarians for that matter). Among the highlights are Harry Binswanger's excellent "'Buy American' is Un-American," along with articles addressing such perennially-hot issues as immigration, socialized medicine, etc. Great book. Don't miss it!
A Book That Is An Accolade to Efficacious Businessmen.......2003-08-02
A productive modern businessman at his most efficacious should consciously hold as much pride for organizing his sphere of business as for the profits he earns as a result of that organization. Should he ever observe an intellectual's insistence that unregulated business development is the cause for economic ills--e.g., the unfairness of using private information about the market to make profits, when competitors cannot thus prosper since they lack this information. . .or the intellectual's insistence that foreign competition is bad for the American economy . . .or the insistence that any motive for the businessman's activity other than his delight in production and in the self-serving use of his wealth, Why Businessmen Need Philosophy will both inspire the listener and galvanize him to follow the right political and economic direction.
The book is also valuable to an honest, reality focused intellectual (even if he has grasped the essential truths of Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal, which contains Rand's articles about basic economic issues). Why Businessmen Need Philosophy offers the truth about some technical, "abstruse" business methods, using historic examples to make them clear. (Several such methods are not covered in CUI.)
The style of the book's authors is simple and straightforward, which makes their articles accessible to every literate reader.
Why Businessmen Need Philosophy is an excellent companion work to CUI, because it applies economic principles in the latter to some highly specialized areas of the business world. If you read one article in this collection, read any of "Why Businessmen Need Philosophy" by Leonard Peikoff, "Wall Street Under Siege" by Richard Salsman, "'Buy American' is Un-American" by Harry Binswanger, "The Philosophical Origins of Antitrust" by John Ridpath, and "Antitrust 'Returns' With a Vengeance" by Richard Salsman--a suggestion based on the standards of lucidity, excellent grammar, and emotional impact.
Businessmen Need Philosophy but Don't Know It.......2003-05-02
Business people find themselves under continual assault from government regulations, threats of lawsuits and under-appreciation of their positive role. The media, activists, politicians and even many religious officials cling to the cliché of business people as greedy, selfish or operating at the expense of others. The positive virtues of business people-self-sufficiency, responsibility and investment in the future--often are ignored by those who see business people as exploiters, cash cows for the government, or guinea pigs for government social policies.
Those suffering under the weight of such attacks will find encouragement and articulate arguments on their behalf in Why Businessmen Need Philosophy, a book-collection of essays that champions the free market and individual rights. Published by the Ayn Rand Institute, a free market and individualism advocacy group, the book lays a solid foundation of reasoned argument of how business people in a free economy exemplify the positive principles on which this country was founded.
"Some critics point to the homeless and blame their poverty on greedy private businessmen who exploit the public. Others, such as [economist] John Kenneth Galbraith, say that American are too affluent and too materialistic, and blame greedy private businessmen...," says philosopher and commentator Leonard Peikoff, who forcefully argues against this negative attitude. "Who are the most denounced and vilified men in the country? You are-you, the businessmen."
The book is an exuberant, enthusiastic reaffirmation of the business person as providing the moral and economic foundation to the country. It provides a spirited defense of small and large business, argues the necessity of a foundation of honesty and fair dealing as growing from a free market economy and states the philosophical basis of why no one has a right to take the earnings of another.
The book argues against the welfare state that relies on the false premise that the desire for another's property creates a right to take it. "The (American) system guarantees you the chance to work for what you want-not to be given it without effort by somebody else," Peikoff says. "We are seeing a total abandonment by the intellectuals and the politicians of the moral principles on which the U.S. was founded. The rule now is for politicians to ignore and violate men's actual rights, while arguing about a whole list of rights never dreamed of in this country's founding documents-rights...."
For those weary of overflowing government regulations and laws dictating their professional lives and businesses, and for those working people who need reaffirmation of their vital role in society, this book serves them well.
Awesome reality check.......2002-02-19
This book does a terrific job at showing how one's philosophy will impact one's success (or failure) in business. It also reminds readers that the long term cannot be ignored, or one will fail in the long term.
Its not by Ayn Rand!.......2001-08-18
The front cover says "by Ayn Rand" but look at inside -- most of the essays are not by her. I think she called this secondhandedness.
Average customer rating:
- The moral case for the free market
- AMAZON! PLEASE READ THIS
- Very well written book about capitalism and democracy
- Propaganda?
- greenspan
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Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal
Ayn Rand , and
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Customer Reviews:
The moral case for the free market.......2007-09-14
For anyone interested in an economic case for capitalism, this is not the right book - Rand was a philosopher, not an economist (in spite of her sound understanding of economic theorems.) However, for anyone interested in a moral defence of the system and an understanding of its intellectual history and opponents, this is a vital piece of work. Rand includes essays on voluminous topics, such as the gold standard, distortions of what actually happened during the Industrial Revolution, the proper role of government (I disagree with her on this), and so on. It is essential to understand that Rand was not a corporate shill, nor did she approve of the status quo - to the contrary, she strongly opposed the notion of corporate welfare and the like, and believed in a free market economy. Unfortunately, her adulation of big business gave ample ammunition to her critics. She replicates her essay on the rights of individuals toward the end of the book, which is in itself an excellent read. Taken in conjunction with The Virtue of Selfishness, this work will spur the youthful mind into further inquiry on the philosophical origins and defences of laissez-faire.
AMAZON! PLEASE READ THIS.......2007-07-17
Can you please take down that disgraceful "editorial review" you've allowed to creep its slimy way onto this site (and somehow barnes and nobles as well? who is pushing this stuff?). It is a smear on this book's page, and frankly it makes your site look tawdry and muckraking.
Unless of course, you posted that review to get all of these wonderful reviews defending the author of this book from attack by its own salesman.
Take that review down and replace it with something neutral at the very least.
Really, its almost criminal.
Very well written book about capitalism and democracy.......2007-04-06
Although this book was written many years ago, it rings true for today's issues. The book is made up of multiple (25 or so) mini essays, each about 5-10 pages long.
The book has a clear and logical philosophy that is consistent. Its' basic premise is that pure capitalism is the first and only moral system for man. This is because capitalism equals freedom which frees a man from coercive oppression, and that man can only create wealth and new ideas when free to use his mind. The book states that the US briefly came close to pure capitalism in the 1700 and 1800s, but is now heading to fascism, as the state leaves property in private ownership, but the state controls output and use of the private property.
This book is the best I've read in several years, because it helped me unify my outlook on several fronts (political, economic, legal, social, etc) into one grand, consistent theory. I think this book will appeal to liberals and conservatives alike. Both are damned in this book by Rand, but I think the left, right, and center will recognize parts of Rand's philosophy that are dear to them too.
Read it for yourself to see, the book is cheap.
Propaganda?.......2007-04-06
The only "outlandish piece of propaganda" about this book is the Library Journal's unabashed hit-piece pseudo-review of it on this website. The essence of capitalism is a political-economic system based on individual rights where all property is owned privately. If you wish to engage in thought about the authentic meaning of capitalism, read Ayn Rand's articles in this book, then if you decide to reject capitalism for statism, do so with the full knowledge of what capitalism is and be prepared to take the consequences for selling your soul.
greenspan.......2007-04-05
this book with its essays by greenspan show a good example of a guy who used to fight against courruption & the federal reserve and then sold out to those who battled against.
Our money was taken from us in the middle of the night by corrupt bankers. The federal Reserve is bogus.
Average customer rating:
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Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal, Library Edition
Ayn Rand
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Americas Persecuted Minority: Big Business
Ayn Rand
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This digital document is an article from Dollars & Sense, published by Economic Affairs Bureau on January 1, 2002. The length of the article is 315 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
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Title: A little knowledge. (The Right).(Harvard Living Wage Campaign)(Brief Article)
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Dollars & Sense (Newsletter)
Date: January 1, 2002
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Rational Economics
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- Useful but slanted
- Excellent Intro to Rand
- Insightful!
- APPLIED OBJECTIVISM
- Freedom Book of the Month review of _Ayn Rand and Business_
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Ayn Rand and Business
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Rand celebrated business, especially the heavy industries that dominated America in her lifetime, and the entrepreneurs who founded and built them. Ayn Rand and Business interprets the fiction and philosophy of this self-proclaimed "radical-for-capitalism" for today's business reader.
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"In an astonishing journey, Ayn Rand transformed herself from a shopkeeper's daughter to one of the world's leading advocates of laissez-faire capitalism. She celebrated business, especially the heavy industries that dominated America, and the entrepreneurs who founded and built them. She constructed a philosophy known as Objectivism-strict adherence to reality, reason, and self-interest-to prove that her epic image of business was the right one. Ayn Rand and Business is both relevant and valuable to today's business readers, providing insightful lessons for managers, traders, and entrepreneurs alike. Rand wrote about topics including the free agent marketplace and the necessity of creating one in order to lead it, corporate strategies, individual achievement, and the relationship between employer and employee. Ayn Rand, author of The Fountainhead, and Atlas Shrugged, was one of the most controversial figures of her time and influenced many through her novels and philosophy. "
Customer Reviews:
Useful but slanted.......2003-11-16
This book does a decent job of showing how application of Ayn Rand's philosophy can improve your performance at work and your company's performance, but the authors have some incorrect notions of the scope of Ayn Rand's philosophy and it's proponents. The book can best be enjoyed by skipping the first section of the book which doesn't really pertain to the subject of the book. For the essence of her philosophy, I'd recommend Ayn Rand's "For the New Intellectual".
Excellent Intro to Rand.......2002-08-25
This book is an excellent introduction to Rand's philosophy examined from the point of view of its applications in business. Not a how-to, really, but a good launching point for further study and consideration. Well-written and very readable.
Insightful!.......2002-04-16
Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism celebrates the underlying principles of capitalism: reason, independence and just plain selfishness. Donna Greiner and Theodore Kinni lay out the fundamentals of Objectivism and attempt to describe how you can integrate its beliefs into your life and your business. The book is written in the spirit of Rand's own outlook: It is anchored in practicality, well organized and goal-oriented. Even so, some executives might lose patience with the philosophic nature of the work. We advise such readers to move on. However, we from getAbstract recommend this book to intellectually curious readers in search of a moral, ethical, or even philosophic foundation for their business life.
APPLIED OBJECTIVISM.......2002-02-14
When I first scanned "Ayn Rand and Business," I was a little skeptical about where this book was going and where its authors were coming from. But after reading it, I say it is stupendous.
I'd subtitle it "Applied Objectivism," in the same sense that one would speak of applied electronics where principles are applied to create all kinds of devices and equipment run by electricity. "Ayn Rand and Business" applies the principles of Objectivism to the business of marketing, capitalization, management, customer service, etc.
The book presents a brief biography of Ayn Rand covering her years in Russia, her coming to America, her struggles, her triumphs, the Objectivist "movement," that started with NBI (Nathaniel Branden Institute), the 1968 "break" between Branden and Rand and the ensuing excommunications, schisms and rifts that led to the sad decline in the "movement" and the quantity of her writings.
But, more importantly, the focus of the book is on the application of Objectivist principles to business life. (And to personal life, which comes before but also runs parallel with business life.) The authors take the Objectivist values and virtues, explain them so very clearly and illustrate them with concrete examples how they apply in the business world. They use characters from Ayn Rand's novels as models, but they also use real-life business people who practice these virtues and values.
Their presentation of Objectivist principles is clear and concise. This is not a treatise, but outside of the business focus, the book could be considered an excellent introduction to Objectivism. They deal with all of the heavy philosophical subjects and issues in what we used to refer to as "layman's terms."
You don't have to be a philosopher to understand Ayn Rand. Her writing is crystal clear. Nonetheless, jumping into metaphysics and epistemology cold turkey may not be the best way to get an introduction to Objectivism or any other philosophy. When, as a kid, I started to read about relativity and physics, many books that put those ideas in "layman's terms" were invaluable. "Ayn Rand and Business" does this superbly.
Fans of Ayn Rand and long time readers will find nothing new, philosophically, in the book though they should be impressed by its clarity and thoroughness in explaining Objectivism. I would particularly recommend it to people who show an interest in ideas and who might be prime candidates to become Objectivists. And because it is focused on Objectivism in business, I would highly recommend it for such prime candidates in the business world.
It's not clear where the authors discovered Ayn Rand. The biographical information is silent on this subject. But it is obvious from the sources they cite and the bibliography that they know their subject. They quote from virtually every book, article and newsletter Ayn Rand ever wrote. They appear to have read every book by or about her and Objectivism.
The only flaws I see in the book are in editing. In several instances, needed words are missing or the wrong words are used. Additionally, there are a couple of instances where the wording of a sentence initially gives the opposite impression than that intended. And it is incorrectly stated that "The Objectivist" preceded "The Objectivist Newsletter." But the errors, except for the last one, are obvious to any reader and do nothing to detract from the content.
Overall, the book gets my highest rating. For a book written so clearly and favorably about Objectivism, by two people apparently unknown in the Ayn Rand "movement," to suddenly appear on the scene is remarkable. It's something to be celebrated and is an indication that, more than anything else I've seen, Objectivism is breaking through to and is reaching the common man who Ayn Rand correctly remarked is not so "common."
Freedom Book of the Month review of _Ayn Rand and Business_.......2001-12-13
Free-Market.Net's Freedom Book of the Month
--------------------------------------------
Edited by Thomas L. Knapp. (....)
November 2001
Ayn Rand and Business
by Donna Greiner and Theodore Kinni
Texere 2001, hardcover, 209 pp.
One thing that separated Ayn Rand from many other philosophers was her insistence on that morality and practicality are not mutually excusive. Where other schools of thought dismiss commercial enterprise as either a necessary evil to be tolerated, or an unnecessary evil to be dispensed with, Objectivism celebrates trade as one of man's highest virtues.
_Ayn Rand and Business_ turns its sights to this unique aspect of Objectivism, and in so doing functions as an excellent guide for those interested both in the root principles of business ethics and of Objectivism.
Donna Greiner and Theodore Kinni begin with a short discussion of Ayn Rand and her work, including the movement that she began and which has experienced such tumult and schism. They don't pull any punches, but the view is positive overall.
From there, the book moves into its main body with sections on "Randian Work" and "Randian Management."
The section on work is a tour de force in the application of individualist principles to our everyday endeavors. Subdivided into chapters on key virtues and values including rationality, independence, integrity, honesty, justice, productiveness and pride, the book zooms in on how each of these values fits into our work and lives. It draws examples from real individuals and their real experiences and shows the application of Objectivist ideas to real situations.
By contrast, the section on management is more general, concentrating on three topic areas: "Winning Through Innovation," "Managing People to Their Ultimate Potential," and "Leading With Purpose."
"If there is one book that we'd like to see on the packed shelves of bookstores," the authors write, " it is _The Objectivist Manager_ by Ayn Rand. Unfortunately, Rand never wrote that book."
While it might go a bit far to proclaim that _Ayn Rand and Business_ is such an animal, the book will be of immense value to businesspeople interested in the principles of Objectivism, and to Objectivists or those interested in Ayn Rand's philosophy who have long sought to understand the real application of Rand's ideas to the world of enterprise.
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