To Jennifer:
Robert Nozick - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
He makes a correct logical point. Philosophy demands justification of all claims. Rand says she has an objective morality i.e. grounded in an undeniably true maxim. However Nozick undermines Rand's maxim by pointing out that if it is not possible to justify why being alive is better than being dead, then any theory which assumes it is a circular argument.
Saying "obviously I prefer being alive" does not constitute a justification. That IS the circular argument. Nozick is not saying that Rand's theory is definately untrue. He is saying it cannot be justified logically and is therefore meaningless. If it was a mathematical equation Rand's theory would eventually boil down to X=X. It proves nothing.