New videos on the ARC and ARI websites — VOICES for REASON

You already know about the blog, but are you aware of the other new content recently posted to the ARI and ARC websites? For starters, we’ve got a new introductory video by ARI Executive Director Yaron Brook (scroll down to the bottom of the page). Dr. Brook’s overview covers Ayn Rand’s life and novels, the importance of philosophy and the principal ideas of Objectivism, and the mission and programs of ARI. The video is a good starting point for exploring Ayn Rand’s ideas, and should be of value to anyone interested in ARI’s efforts to promote them.

On the ARC front, our December Lecture Series event is now available for viewing at www.aynrandcenter.org. In this talk, UT Austin philosophy professor Tara Smith, who holds the BB&T Chair for the Study of Objectivism at Austin, discusses the danger and the evils of pragmatism in America. She describes pragmatism as aversion to principle, and argues that it is “the guiding philosophy of our age; implicitly, and increasingly explicitly.” It infects our personal lives, our schools, our books and movies, and especially our politics. It is antithetical to good reasoning, destroying man’s ability to think long-range, and it must be confronted if the right ideas are to win out. For anyone concerned about the state of American culture, give yourself an hour and watch this talk.