Objectivism & Economics

Is there any "official" Objectivist take on economics? I know George Reisman is an Austrian and an Objectivist, but are there any others? Are there any Objectivists who are also neoclassical economists?

No, there is no "official Objectivist economics" or any other science. Objectivism is very clear on the limits of philosophy vis-a-vis the sciences. As far as what Objectivists usually like, they are clearly partial to the Austrian school, but also tend to appreciate the classical economists, notably Say for his methodology. There is a clear distaste for modern economics, so I know of no neoclassical Objectivists.

There is a new book coming out by M. Northrup Buechner, economics professor at St. John's University, called “Objective Economics” about the implications of Randian epistemology on economic methodology. You can read the preface here: http://objectiveeconomics.net/

Thanks for the reply, I'll definitely look into that.

Most Objectivists do appreciate Austrian Economics, they just do not like that a majority are Libertarian. For example here

The way this guy discribes trade is how Austrians would... If I trade $20,000 for a car, I value the car more than the $20,000 and the car dealer values the $20,000 more than the car...

Izzy:

The way this guy discribes trade is how Austrians would... If I trade $20,000 for a car, I value the car more than the $20,000 and the car dealer values the $20,000 more than the car...

I wouldn't say that that explanation is really a unique "Austrian" explanation. A mainstream economist could say the same thing. And Yaron Brook seems to be more of a monetarist-type fellow than an Austrian.

I read that new Ayn Rand biography.  In it, it is said that she agreed with pretty much all the economics of Mises.  I think she liked arguments from philosophy better, but she enjoyed economists who show why immoral systems do not work.  Or how they have failed in history.

She said of Mises that he was “for the most part unimpeachable” on the topic of economics.  While failing only on the subject of morality.

She once reduced her theory of altruism to be the equivalent of Mises' argument against socialist calculation, saying that 'altruism makes moral calculation impossible.'  So Mises has his sphere of influence on Objectivism, but obviously she claims the most essential aspects for herself.

I would expect that Objectivists might read Mises.  But maybe not Rothbard, since he said that Objectivism was a cult, as you probably know.

I agree the trader principle or inverse valuation of a voluntary trade is too basic to really be a uniquely Austrian explanation. But I'm pretty sure Yaron's no monetarist. The Fed is, in his words, enemy number one. However, I think there is the fact that he is a former finance professor and used to be a “hard core collectivist” in his words again, and he has told of how he used to be skeptical of the Austrians' account of the business cycle, until he studied it further.

For example, he gives a lecture The Financial Crisis: What Happened and Why, where he admits he used to think back in the day that the Fed could set an interest rate that “makes sense,” but now thinks “the Austrians really do have it right."

I would expect that Objectivists might read Mises.  But maybe not Rothbard, since he said that Objectivism was a cult, as you probably know.

I think that may have been a personal attack, since I think there is clear evidence that Rothbard was substantially influenced by Randian philosophy (and Rothbard was close to Rand for quite some time).