Objectivism — VOICES for REASON

The Objectivist Academic Center (OAC) is currently accepting applications for its Fall 2011 incoming class. Designed to provide expert guidance in the study of Ayn Rand’s philosophy, this program is for those who are serious about advocating pro-reason, pro-individual rights, pro-capitalism views in the intellectual arena.

Aimed at young and ambitious students with the energy and drive to make a difference in the world, the OAC program begins with a one-year course focusing on philosophical understanding and communication skills. Students who complete the one-year course are eligible to apply to an Advanced Education Program. There is no charge for the Core Course or for the Advanced Education Program.

The application deadline for Fall admission is July 29, 2011.

The official description of this creative video contest is as enticing as it is brief:

Create a short web video, 3 minutes max, on how Ayn Rand’s epic story relates to current issues in society or in your own life. And have fun doing it.

Sponsored by the Ayn Rand Institute, videos will be judged on their intellectual strength, creativity and persuasiveness.

I can’t wait to see all the imaginative angles that creative people will be coming up with. But note: the deadline is December 8, 2010, less than a month away.

Entries are already being posted on the Atlas Shrugged website. First prize is $5,000! Viewers can also vote on their favorites, and the creator of the most popular entry will win an Apple iPad stocked with Ayn Rand’s writings.

“What we need is a moderate approach—we can’t afford to go to extremes.”

How many times have you heard that from Washington, and in how many contexts? We need to be “moderate” in our response to the financial crisis—we don’t want to strangle businesses completely with regulation, but we need to yank back their leashes a little. We need to be “moderate” in our response to North Korea—we don’t want to subject our citizens to a nuclear attack, but we can’t be too firm about it or we’ll jeopardize negotiations. We need to be “moderate” about free speech on the airwaves—we like the idea that people should have the right to speak their mind, but only if they don’t offend anyone or hold an unpopular opinion. This list could continue ad infinitum if one follows today’s news.

I was reading Objectively Speaking: Ayn Rand Interviewed, and came across a brilliant statement by Ayn Rand on her views regarding what a “moderate” means: Read the rest of this entry »

The Objectivist Academic Center is currently accepting applications for its Fall 2009 incoming class. Designed to provide a comprehensive and systematic study of the philosophy of Objectivism and the art of objective communication as well as an introduction to philosophy more broadly, this unique program is for those who are serious about advocating pro-reason, pro-individual rights, pro-capitalism views.

The program is especially designed for full-time college students, for whom there is next to no cost. Applications from professionals interested in pursuing careers as intellectual activists are also welcome.

For those who are not able to commit to a full program, the OAC offers an auditing option. Consider taking our “Seminar in Ayn Rand’s Philosophy of Objectivism.”

The final application deadline for this year is July 31, 2009.

The title of this article in The Week magazine was so perfect, I made it the title of this post. Ayn Rand was indeed a crusader for capitalism, one whose works have proven to be enduring. Just witness the surging sales of Atlas Shrugged and the burgeoning interest in her philosophy.

The article has some factual errors (such as describing Alan Greenspan’s tenure at the Federal Reserve as the “apogee of Objectivism”) and misses some big points. However, I can’t resist quoting a few of the article’s better passages: Read the rest of this entry »

On its website Playboy has posted its dynamite 1964 interview with Ayn Rand. In the interview, Rand discusses her work and some of the practical implications of her ideas. The frank, wide-ranging conversation is particularly notable for its breadth.

Among the topics covered: guilt, original sin, emotions, motherhood, religion, morality, romantic love, sex, hedonism, promiscuity, charity, compassion, literature, government, free will, foreign policy, nuclear treaties, politicians and others.

Rand’s words, as they so often do, resonate as if they were spoken yesterday.

Read the whole thing here: http://www.playboy.com/articles/ayn-rand-playboy-interview/index.html.

The Ayn Rand Lexicon is a wide-ranging guide to the thought of Ayn Rand. Drawing from Ayn Rand’s works, in particular her extensive nonfiction writings, the Lexicon presents penetrating insights by Ayn Rand on hundreds of subjects, from Keynesian economics to democracy to abortion to atheism–from laissez-faire capitalism to religious conservatives to environmentalist liberals. Each entry, in addition to providing important passages from Ayn Rand’s writings, also directs readers to the original source material which they can consult for a more thorough treatment of the issue.

Of value to the newcomer as an introductory text and to the experienced as a reference, the Lexicon is a resource for anyone interested in learning more about Ayn Rand’s unique perspective.