The Objective Standard Blog
The Objective Standard Blog
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Citizens United and the Future of Campaign Finance Law
From the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights:
Citizens United and the Future of Campaign Finance Law
A Panel Debate in Washington, D.C.
Who: Steve Simpson, Senior Attorney, Institute for Justice
Eric Daniels, Research Assistant Professor, Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism
Tara Malloy, Associate Legal Counsel, The Campaign Legal Center
Doug Kendall, Founder and President, Constitutional Accountability Center (Invited)
Moderator: Tom Bowden, Analyst, Ayn Rand Center for Individual RightsWhat: A panel discussion on campaign finance laws.
Where: 722 12th Street NW, Suite 600, Washington, D.C. 20005 (Americans for Tax Reform's event room)
When: Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at Noon (lunch to follow)
Description: We invite you to join us for an engaging discussion on one of the most important and controversial campaign finance decisions in decades. In Citizens United, the Supreme Court held that corporations can spend unlimited amounts of money on speech during elections. Critics view Citizens United as a striking example of judicial activism that will unleash a flood of corporate money in elections. Defenders view it as a ringing endorsement of First Amendment rights. All agree that it will have a significant impact on campaign finance laws. Please join our panel of experts for a vigorous discussion and debate about this important ruling.
Admission: FREE. Open to the public.
RSVP: Please email Krissy Keys at the Institute for Justice at kkeys@ij.org by Friday, March 12th.
Sponsors:
Institute for Justice
Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights
Labels: Announcements, Events, Individual Rights and Law
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Capitalism: The Only Moral Social System
Craig Biddle will be delivering his talk “Capitalism: The Only Moral Social System” at the following universities next week:
- February 22, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Grainger Hall, Morgridge Auditorium (Room 1100) [map] 7:00pm
- February 23, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Willey Hall, Room 125 [map] 7:30pm
- February 24, Ohio State University, Wexner Center for the Arts, Performance Space [map] 6:00pm
- February 25, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Physics Building, Room 204 [map] 7:00pm
Admission is FREE and open to the public.
Description: Capitalism is widely recognized as the practical social system because, wherever and to the extent that it is implemented, it leads to wealth and prosperity. But this same system is widely regarded as immoral because it enables people to act fully in their own self-interest—that is, to act on their own judgment and to keep, use, and dispose of the product of their own effort. In this talk, Mr. Biddle demonstrates why, far from making capitalism immoral, the fact that it enables everyone to act selfishly and own property is what makes it not only the most practical but also the only moral social system ever devised.
Image: Wiki Commons
Labels: Announcements, Business and Economics, Events, Individual Rights and Law, Philosophy
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
2010 Summer Conference
Here’s an announcement from the Ayn Rand Institute:
Announcing Objectivist Summer Conference 2010!
We are pleased to introduce the Objectivist Summer Conference 2010 Web site. Objectivist Conferences is the premier venue for high-caliber presentations by Objectivist scholars, and that is what we bring you this year as Leonard Peikoff presents "The DIM Hypothesis" (part 2), the six-part sequel to the groundbreaking series of lectures that he delivered to our conference attendees in 2007. This year's conference offers eleven general session lectures, sixteen optional courses, and a variety of social activities and special events.
In addition to Dr. Peikoff's lectures, we will bring you lectures and courses on a broad spectrum of topics, including politics ("Defending Capitalism" by Yaron Brook); writing ("Writing Objectively" by Keith Lockitch); history ("The Renaissance [part 3]: Reformation and Religious Wars [1517-1648]," by Andrew Lewis); and poetry ("Making Poetry Part of Your Life," by Lisa VanDamme). We are also pleased to announce that there will be a special Q & A on ARI's 25th Anniversary, hosted by Michael S. Berliner and Yaron Brook.
This year's conference takes place in the exciting setting that only Las Vegas can provide. Besides the renowned glamour of the Vegas Strip, the area boasts excellent shopping and restaurants, and landmarks such as the Hoover Dam (subject of a general session lecture by Talbot Manvel).
We are looking forward to an inspiring and memorable conference—we hope to see you there!
Register by March 31 to take advantage of discount pricing. Details are available on our registration options and pricing page.
Note: For those who prefer to review details of Objectivist Summer Conference 2010 in print, we have made a printable PDF available online: PDF Catalog.
Labels: Announcements, Ayn Rand and Objectivism, Events
Monday, January 25, 2010
The Philosophic Foundations of Freedom: A Conference on the Principle of Individual Rights
Here’s an announcement from the UCLA Objectivist Club about an upcoming conference:
What is liberty? Why is it desirable? How is a free society achieved?
Today, it is relatively uncontroversial that freedom is good, but there is widespread disagreement about what it actually constitutes and how to implement it. Some believe that liberty amounts to the wishes of a democracy being carried out; others believe that it is being faithful to a literal interpretation of the Constitution and the Founding Fathers. But is there an objective basis in philosophy for determining what freedom is in principle and in practice?
Ayn Rand, author of Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead, laid out such philosophic principles: A free society requires limited government that enacts and enforces objective laws for the sole purpose of protecting individual rights. It is where the government does not interfere, by penalty or reward, in thought, production, or trade. It requires a separation of church and state, science and state, education and state, and economics and state.
The Philosophic Foundations of Freedom Conference will focus precisely on these philosophic fundamentals, with numerous talks and Q&A sessions, a leadership seminar on intellectual activism, as well as a panel with a special guest, Alex Kozinski, the Chief Judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Saturday, January 30, 2010–Sunday, January 31, 2010
Click here for full event details.
Labels: Announcements, Events, Individual Rights and Law, Philosophy
The Real Goal of the Green Climate Crusade
An event announcement from the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights:A talk at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
Who: Dr. Keith Lockitch, fellow focusing on science and environmentalism at the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights
What: A talk examining the drastic claims put forth by environmentalists, and a critical look at their fundamental goal
Where: Angell Hall, Auditorium C, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, MI 48105
When: Wednesday, February 3, 2010, at 7:30 p.m.
Description: Environmentalists claim that our use of carbon-based energy is altering the climate, making us more vulnerable to climate disasters. Human survival, they insist, requires the immediate abandonment of fossil fuels in favor of carbon-free sources. So why do environmentalist groups vehemently oppose projects involving every alternative form of energy ever proposed to replace fossil fuels--including wind farms and solar power plants? And why do they ignore the dramatic degree to which industrial development under capitalism has reduced the risk of harm from severe climate events? Before we rush headlong into drastic climate policies and energy rationing, a critical examination of these policies is urgently needed. Dr. Lockitch will address these important issues and answer audience questions.
Admission: FREE. Open to students and the public.
Bio: Dr. Keith Lockitch is a fellow focusing on science and environmentalism at the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights. He teaches writing courses for the Objectivist Academic Center’s undergraduate program and a history of physics course for the graduate program. His writings have appeared in publications such as the Orange County Register, San Francisco Chronicle, Australia’s Herald Sun and the Canberra Times, and USA Today magazine. Dr. Lockitch has been a frequent guest on radio shows such as The Thom Hartmann Program. Prior to joining ARI in 2003, Dr. Lockitch was a postdoctoral researcher in physics at the University of Illinois and at Pennsylvania State University. He is an alumnus of the Objectivist Graduate Center.
More information: Please e-mail Adam Gaglio, president of the University of Michigan Students of Objectivism, at agaglio@umich.edu.
Please note: The above event is organized, hosted and sponsored by an individual campus club. Although ARI provides financial support, educational materials and speakers for eligible student clubs, campus clubs are organizations independent of ARI. ARI does not necessarily endorse the content of the lectures and sessions offered.
Copyright © 2009 Ayn Rand® Institute. All rights reserved.
Labels: Announcements, Environmentalism, Events, Individual Rights and Law, Science and Technology
Monday, November 02, 2009
Debate: 'Is Government Intervention in the Free Market Moral?'
This Wednesday, November 4, I will debate UNC Adjunct Professor of Economics Ralph Byrns on the question: "Is Government Intervention in the Free Market Moral?"
When: Wednesday, November 4, 7:00 PM
Where: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Murphey 116
Website: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=178947119387&ref=ts
Labels: Announcements, Business and Economics, Events, Healthcare, Individual Rights and Law
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
John David Lewis on 'The Big Biz Show'
John David Lewis will be on “The Big Biz Show” with Bob “Sully” Sullivan & Russ “T” Nailz, Wed, Oct 7 at 2:40 p.m. Pacific Time. The show can be heard live online from 1 to 3 p.m. Pacific Time at www.businesstalkradio.net (click on “Listen Live”).
Labels: Announcements, Events
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Raymond C. Niles on 'The Big Biz Show'
Ray Niles will be on “The Big Biz Show” with Bob “Sully” Sullivan & Russ “T” Nailz, discussing his article “Property Rights and the Crisis of the Electric Grid,” on Wednesday, Sept 30, at 2:40 p.m. Pacific Time. The show can be heard live online from 1 to 3 p.m. Pacific Time at www.businesstalkradio.net (click on “Listen Live”).
Labels: Announcements, Business and Economics, Events, Individual Rights and Law
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
John David Lewis on 'The Big Biz Show'
John David Lewis will be on “The Big Biz Show” with Bob “Sully” Sullivan & Russ “T” Nailz, on Wednesday, October 7, at 2:40 p.m. Pacific Time. The show can be heard live online from 1 to 3 p.m. Pacific Time at www.businesstalkradio.net (click on “Listen Live”).
Labels: Announcements, Events
Friday, September 18, 2009
John David Lewis on Scoreboard
On Thursday, September 24, at 7:00 PM (EST) Dr. Lewis will appear on Scoreboard with David Asman (Fox Business News) to discuss why there is no ‘right’ to health care.
Labels: Announcements, Events, Healthcare
Saturday, August 22, 2009
John David Lewis on the Bill LuMaye Show August 27
Thursday, August 27, at 4:00 p.m. (EST), John David Lewis will be interviewed again on the Bill LuMaye Show (WPTF, Raleigh, NC) elaborating why there is no right to health care. The show can be heard online at www.wptf.com (click on “Listen Live”).
Labels: Announcements, Business and Economics, Events, Healthcare, Individual Rights and Law
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
John David Lewis on the Tara Servatius Show
John David Lewis will discuss the limitation on review provisions in the health bill HR3200, on the Tara Servatius Show, Thursday, August 20, at 4:30 p.m. (EST). The show can be heard online at http://wbt.com/ (click on "Live Stream").
Labels: Announcements, Business and Economics, Events, Healthcare, Individual Rights and Law
Friday, August 14, 2009
John David Lewis on BBC Radio August 14
Friday, August 14, at 1:00 p.m. EST, John David Lewis will discuss why there is no right to health care on “World Have Your Say.” The show can be heard online at www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice (click on “Listen Live”).
Labels: Announcements, Business and Economics, Events, Healthcare, Individual Rights and Law
Thursday, August 13, 2009
John David Lewis on the Bill LuMaye Show August 13
Thursday, August 13, at 4:00 p.m. (EST), John David Lewis will be interviewed on the Bill LuMaye Show (WPTF, Raleigh, NC) about why there is no right to health care. The show can be heard online at www.wptf.com (click on “Listen Live”).
Labels: Announcements, Business and Economics, Events, Healthcare, Individual Rights and Law
Craig Biddle on the Doc Thompson Show August 17
Monday, August 17, at 4:05 p.m. (EST), Craig Biddle will be interviewed on the Doc Thompson Show (WRVA, Richmond, VA) about his book Loving Life and Ayn Rand’s morality of selfishness. The show can be heard online at www.wrva.com (click on “Listen Live”).
Labels: Announcements, Ayn Rand and Objectivism, Events, Philosophy
John David Lewis on the Brian Wilson Show August 14
Friday, August 14, at 4:30 p.m. (EST), John David Lewis will be interviewed on the Brian Wilson Show (WPSD, Toledo, OH) about why there is no right to health care. The show can be heard online at www.wspd.com (click on “Listen Live”).
Labels: Announcements, Business and Economics, Events, Healthcare, Individual Rights and Law
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
TOS Contributors on ‘The Big Biz Show’
I am pleased to announce that three members of the newly formed TOS Speakers Bureau, John David Lewis, Richard M. Salsman, and Raymond C. Niles, will be interviewed at separate times in coming days on “The Big Biz Show” (www.bigbizshow.com). Alex Epstein, a TOS contributor and an analyst with the Ayn Rand Center, will be interviewed as well.
“The Big Biz Show,” with Bob “Sully” Sullivan & Russ “T” Nailz, is syndicated via Business Talk Radio Network on 150 AM stations and heard on Internet Sites via BTRN, CBS radio, Chat-About-It, AOL radio, and wsRadio. The show can be heard live online from 1 to 3 p.m. Pacific Time (10–1 EST) at www.businesstalkradio.net (click on “Listen Live”).
The interviews are scheduled as follows:
Thursday, August 13
2:10 PST: Alex Epstein—Defending the Oil Industry
2:40 PST: Richard M. Salsman—Health Care, the Economy, and the California’s Financial Crisis
Monday, August 17
2:10 PST: John David Lewis—How Obama Care will Destroy Private Health Insurance
Tuesday, August 18
2:10 PST: Raymond C. Niles—Property Rights and Crisis of the Electric Grid
Please help promote these events by posting the information to websites, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and the like.
Labels: Announcements, Business and Economics, Events, Healthcare, Individual Rights and Law
Monday, August 03, 2009
Invitation: Upcoming Ayn Rand Institute Event—The Atlas Shrugged Revolution
While Washington rapidly expands its control over our lives—exacerbating an economic crisis that was caused by government control in the first place—a hopeful countertrend is underway.
Ayn Rand’s classic best-selling novel Atlas Shrugged is flying off bookstore shelves at an unprecedented rate.
Hundreds of thousands of concerned Americans are turning to Atlas Shrugged—and discovering Ayn Rand’s morality of rational egoism and her uncompromising defense of laissez-faire capitalism.
Why is this happening? And what can those of us who uphold reason, individual rights and capitalism do to encourage and support this trend?
For an evening devoted to the discussion of these questions, we invite you to join us in New York City on September 15, 2009, for a special dinner event, The Atlas Shrugged Revolution.
At this benefit dinner event, Yaron Brook, president and executive director of the Ayn Rand Institute, and John Allison, chairman of BB&T Corporation, will discuss why Americans are turning to Rand’s magnum opus—and why the novel’s revolutionary ideas are crucial to the future of freedom in America. You’ll also learn what the Ayn Rand Institute is doing right now to promote even greater public interest in Atlas Shrugged and Ayn Rand’s philosophy.
We hope you’ll be able to join us on September 15th for The Atlas Shrugged Revolution!
Sincerely,
Mark Chapman
Vice President of Development
The Ayn Rand Institute
P.S. In addition, a number of rare Ayn Rand books and manuscripts will be auctioned at the event. Images and descriptions of the items are available for viewing on the Web site for this event at www.arievents.com.
Copyright © 2009 Ayn Rand® Institute. All rights reserved.
Labels: Announcements, Ayn Rand and Objectivism, Business and Economics, Events, Individual Rights and Law, The Arts
Friday, April 17, 2009
On April 22, Celebrate Exploit-the-Earth Day
Because Earth Day is intended to further the cause of environmentalism—and because environmentalism is an anti-human ideology—on April 22, those who care about human life should not celebrate Earth Day; they should celebrate Exploit-the-Earth Day.
Exploiting the Earth—using the raw materials of nature for one’s life-serving purposes—is a basic requirement of human life. Either man takes the Earth’s raw materials—such as trees, petroleum, aluminum, and atoms—and transforms them into the requirements of his life, or he dies. To live, man must produce the goods on which his life depends; he must produce homes, automobiles, computers, electricity, and the like; he must seize nature and use it to his advantage. There is no escaping this fact. Even the allegedly “noble” savage must pick or perish. Indeed, even if a person produces nothing, insofar as he remains alive he indirectly exploits the Earth by parasitically surviving off the exploitative efforts of others.
According to environmentalism, however, man should not use nature for his needs; he should keep his hands off “the goods”; he should leave nature alone, come what may. Environmentalism is not concerned with human health and wellbeing—neither ours nor that of generations to come. If it were, it would advocate the one social system that ensures that the Earth and its elements are used in the most productive, life-serving manner possible: capitalism.
Capitalism is the only social system that recognizes and protects each individual’s right to act in accordance with his basic means of living: the judgment of his mind. Environmentalism, of course, does not and cannot advocate capitalism, because if people are free to act on their judgment, they will strive to produce and prosper; they will transform the raw materials of nature into the requirements of human life; they will exploit the Earth and live.
Environmentalism rejects the basic moral premise of capitalism—the idea that people should be free to act on their judgment—because it rejects a more fundamental idea on which capitalism rests: the idea that the requirements of human life constitute the standard of moral value. While the standard of value underlying capitalism is human life (meaning, that which is necessary for human beings to live and prosper), the standard of value underlying environmentalism is nature untouched by man.
The basic principle of environmentalism is that nature (i.e., “the environment”) has intrinsic value—value in and of itself, value apart from and irrespective of the requirements of human life—and that this value must be protected from its only adversary: man. Rivers must be left free to flow unimpeded by human dams, which divert natural flows, alter natural landscapes, and disrupt wildlife habitats. Glaciers must be left free to grow or shrink according to natural causes, but any human activity that might affect their size must be prohibited. Naturally generated carbon dioxide (such as that emitted by oceans and volcanoes) and naturally generated methane (such as that emitted by swamps and termites) may contribute to the greenhouse effect, but such gasses must not be produced by man. The globe may warm or cool naturally (e.g., via increases or decreases in sunspot activity), but man must not do anything to affect its temperature. And so on.
In short, according to environmentalism, if nature affects nature, the effect is good; if man affects nature, the effect is evil.
Stating the essence of environmentalism in such stark terms raises some illuminating questions: If the good is nature untouched by man, how is man to live? What is he to eat? What is he to wear? Where is he to reside? How can man do anything his life requires without altering, harming, or destroying some aspect of nature? In order to nourish himself, man must consume meats, fruits, and vegetables. In order to make clothing, he must skin animals, pick cotton, manufacture polyester, and the like. In order to build a house—or even a hut—he must cut down trees, dig up clay, make fires, bake bricks, and so forth. Each and every action man takes to support or sustain his life entails the exploitation of nature. Thus, on the premise of environmentalism, man has no right to exist.
It comes down to this: Each of us has a choice to make. Will I recognize that man’s life is the standard of moral value—that the good is that which sustains and furthers human life—and thus that people have a moral right to use the Earth and its elements for their life-serving needs? Or will I accept that nature has “intrinsic” value—value in and of itself, value apart from and irrespective of human needs—and thus that people have no right to exist?
There is no middle ground here. Either human life is the standard of moral value, or it is not. Either nature has intrinsic value, or it does not.
On April 22, make clear where you stand. Don’t celebrate Earth Day; celebrate Exploit-the-Earth Day—and let your friends, family, and associates know why.
Labels: Environmentalism, Events, Philosophy, Science and Technology
John Lewis on the Proper Meaning of a Tea Party
Here’s a video of John Lewis’s excellent speech at yesterday’s tea party in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Thanks to Andy Clarkson for recording it)
Labels: Events, Individual Rights and Law
Saturday, April 11, 2009
What Is America's Stake in the Arab-Israeli Conflict?
Who: Elan Journo, resident fellow at the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights
What: A talk followed by Q&A
Where: American University (Washington DC), School of International Service building, room 203
When: Wednesday April 15, 8:30 p.m.
Contact: Jasmine Whiting, auobjectivists@gmail.com
Description: Many people claim that U.S. policy regarding the Arab-Israeli conflict has been destructive of our security—and that a change in direction is urgently needed. Echoing many of his predecessors and legions of commentators, President Obama has announced plans to make dealing with the Arab-Israeli conflict a “key diplomatic policy” of his administration. What kind of policy toward that ongoing conflict is actually in America’s interests? What policy can enhance U.S. security? What in fact have been the effects of Washington’s policy? Has it been unfair? If so, to whom—the Arab-Palestinian side, or Israel? In a presentation addressing these and other questions, Elan Journo of the Ayn Rand Institute will offer a secular moral case for principled U.S. support of Israel.
For more information on this and other ARI events, please visit www.aynrand.org/events_other.
Copyright © 2009 Ayn Rand® Center for Individual Rights. All rights reserved.
Labels: Announcements, Events, Foreign Policy and War
ARC on the Tea Parties
Dear Admirer of Ayn Rand,
Earlier this week, we wrote to you to promote a new video, titled "Atlas Shrugged and the Tea Party Revolts." Today we're writing to let you know that we are expanding this effort with two new videos, along with a new Web page of Tea Party resources.
The new videos expand upon the moral meaning of the Tea Party efforts, and the ideas that will be needed in order to make the defense of individual rights a success.
Once again, we want to bring these videos to as wide an audience as possible, and we encourage you to view them and, if you like them, pass them along to others. Remember also that you can watch our videos as they are produced by subscribing to our YouTube channel for updates.
We are also proud to present our new Web page, titled "ARC on the Tea Parties." There you'll find relevant material on the morality of capitalism, Atlas Shrugged, and ARC's tea party resources. Materials on the page include:
- Flyers that can be used as Tea Party handouts
- Speaker resources
- Video presentations by ARC spokesmen
- Radio interviews
- Recordings of Ayn Rand
- ... and much more.
I'm grateful for the outpouring of activism that we have seen from our audience in recent times. I encourage you to continue, so that we may influence the culture towards Ayn Rand's vision of individual rights and laissez-faire capitalism.
Sincerely,
Yaron Brook
Executive Director
The Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights
Copyright © 2009 Ayn Rand® Institute. All rights reserved.
Labels: Announcements, Ayn Rand and Objectivism, Events, Individual Rights and Law
Sunday, April 05, 2009
A Tea Party Without Egoism Is like a Republic Without a Chance
Going to a Tea Party? Don’t leave home without copies of this flier (PDF), which reads:
A Tea Party Without Egoism Is like a Republic Without a Chance
America was founded on the individual’s rights to life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness. But, contrary to the beliefs of many Americans, these rights are, by their very nature, egoistic. The freedom to live one’s life as one sees fit, to act on one’s judgment, to keep and use the product of one’s effort, and to pursue one’s happiness is the freedom to act in a consistently self-interested manner. The politics of freedom is the politics of self-interest—and it is entirely incompatible with the widely accepted notion that self-interest is morally wrong and self-sacrifice is morally right. This—Americans’ acceptance of the morality of self-sacrifice—is the fundamental reason we are losing our Republic.
Those who want to fight for a return to the Land of Liberty must embrace the morality on which liberty depends: the morality of egoism. And to do so, they must understand its nature and implications; they must grasp what egoism is, why it is true, and what it means in practice. The Objective Standard is a quarterly journal dedicated to elucidating the principles of egoism and applying them to the cultural and political issues of the day. Everyone concerned with the future should be reading this journal today.
The flier, which can be printed in black & white or in color, is a great way to start conversations about the root cause of America’s problems and the corresponding solution. It also brings peoples’ attention to TOS, which is the source for in-depth articles on this and other issues from an Objectivist perspective.
Please distribute the flier liberally at the tea parties—and feel free to make it available from your own blogs and websites as well.
Labels: Announcements, Events, Individual Rights and Law
Friday, April 03, 2009
What Is America's Stake in the Arab-Israeli Conflict?
Who: Elan Journo, resident fellow at the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights
What: A talk followed by Q&A
Where: Travelodge Hotel, 925 Dixon Road, Toronto, Ontario, M9W 1J8
When: April 6 at 7:00p.m.
Admission: $25 for the general public, and $10 for students with identification. No need to RSVP.
Description: Many people claim that U.S. policy regarding the Arab-Israeli conflict has been destructive of our security—and that a change in direction is urgently needed. Echoing many of his predecessors and legions of commentators, President Obama has announced plans to make dealing with the Arab-Israeli conflict a “key diplomatic policy” of his administration. What kind of policy toward that ongoing conflict is actually in America’s interests? What policy can enhance U.S. security? What in fact have been the effects of Washington’s policy? Has it been unfair? If so, to whom—the Arab-Palestinian side, or Israel? In a presentation addressing these and other questions, Elan Journo of the Ayn Rand Institute will offer a secular moral case for principled U.S. support of Israel.
For more information on this and other ARI events, please visit www.aynrand.org/events_other.
Copyright © 2009 Ayn Rand® Center for Individual Rights. All rights reserved.
Labels: Announcements, Events, Foreign Policy and War
Thursday, April 02, 2009
A Critique of Global Warming Science and Policy: A panel discussion at UCLA
What: A panel discussion challenging widely accepted views on global warming science and policy, followed by a Q&A
Who: Keith Lockitch, fellow of the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights, and Willie Soon, geoscientist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Where: UCLA Campus, Ackerman Grand Ballroom, Los Angeles, California
When: Monday, April 13, 2009, at 7 p.m.
Admission: FREE. The public and media are invited.
Sponsored by: LOGIC, the UCLA Objectivist Club
More information: Visit http://www.clublogic.org/ or e-mail info@ClubLogic.org
Description: It is now widely believed that man-made greenhouse gases are causing an unnatural warming of the earth that will have devastating consequences for human life. Environmentalists and politicians are pressing for severe restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions aimed at preventing global warming. But are these beliefs and policies justified? What does the scientific evidence actually support regarding the causes of climate variability and the role of anthropogenic greenhouse gases? Are the predictions of catastrophic changes supported by scientific fact? Is government economic intervention aimed at severely restricting greenhouse gases an appropriate policy response? Panelists will address these critical issues in a lively discussion.
Bio: Dr. Keith Lockitch has a PhD in physics from University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee and is a resident fellow focusing on science and environmentalism at the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights. He lectures publicly on these topics, and his writings have appeared in such publications as the Washington Times and USA Today magazine. Dr. Lockitch is also a professor in the Objectivist Academic Center, where he teaches undergraduate writing and a graduate course on the history of physics. Before joining the Ayn Rand Institute in 2003, Dr. Lockitch was a postdoctoral researcher in physics at the University of Illinois and at Pennsylvania State University.
Bio: Dr. Willie Soon is an astrophysicist and a geoscientist at the Solar, Stellar, and Planetary Sciences Division of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. He is also the chief science adviser of the Science and Public Policy Institute (based in Washington, D.C.). He writes and lectures on issues related to the sun, other stars, the Earth as well as general science topics in astronomy and physics. He is the author of The Maunder Minimum and the Variable Sun-Earth Connection published March 2004. (All views expressed are strictly of his own and do not reflect upon any other persons or institutions.)
Copyright © 2009 Ayn Rand® Institute. All rights reserved.
Labels: Announcements, Environmentalism, Events, Science and Technology
Thursday, March 26, 2009
The Financial Crisis: Free Markets as the Only Moral and Practical Solution
Who: Yaron Brook, executive director of the Ayn Rand Center
What: A talk followed by a Q&A
Where & When:
- Rice University, Houston, TX—March 31, 2009, 7:30pm
Keck Hall, Room 100 [map]
Contact: Manjari Narayan, rice.objectivism@hotmail.com - University of Texas, Austin, TX—April 2, 2009, 8:00pm
Jester Auditorium, Room 121A [map]
Contact: Alan McKendree, utobjectivism@gmail.com
These events are open to the public. Admission is FREE.
Description: Virtually everyone today regards the financial crisis as a failure of the free market. In this talk, Yaron Brook, executive director of the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights, will argue that in fact it is the un-free market that has failed. It was not capitalism that held interest rates below the rate of inflation, spurring massive amounts of borrowing and a housing boom. It was not capitalism that gave us Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which promoted subprime lending and helped fuel the boom. It was not capitalism that gave us deposit insurance and the "too big to fail" doctrine, which encouraged risky financial practices.
These, and many anti-capitalist measures like them, Dr. Brook will argue, laid the groundwork for the financial crisis. The only cure, according to Dr. Brook, is to set the market free. But to do that, Americans must embrace capitalism as a moral system—one that should be defended without guilt.
For more information surrounding all ARI campus club talks, including detailed campus maps and campus club contact information, please visit www.aynrand.org/education_campus_calendar.
Please note: The above events is organized, hosted and sponsored by individual campus clubs. Although ARI provides financial support, educational materials and speakers for eligible student clubs, campus clubs are organizations independent of ARI.
Copyright © 2009 Ayn Rand® Center for Individual Rights. All rights reserved.
Labels: Announcements, Business and Economics, Events, Individual Rights and Law
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
The Monopoly Myth: The Case of Standard Oil
Who: Alex Epstein, analyst at the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights
What: A talk followed by a Q&A
Where & When:
- Duke University, Durham, NC—March 30, 2009, 12:15pm
Duke Law School Building, Room 3043 [map]
Contact: Beth Laughton, Elizabeth.Laughton@law.duke.edu - University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC—March 31, 2009, 7:00pm
Fretwell Building, Room 100 [map]
Contact: James Wadsworth, jwadswor@uncc.edu - University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA—April 1, 2009, 7:30pm
New Cabell Hall, Room 138 [map]
Contact: Sara Sherris, ss5dd@virginia.edu - University of Maryland, College Park, MD—April 2, 2009, 8:00pm
Adele H. Stamp Student Union, Benjamin Banneker Room [map]
Contact: David Crawford, david.crawford@gmail.com
These events are open to the public. Admission is FREE.
Description: America’s experiment with laissez-faire capitalism in the 1800s was a disaster, historians tell us, because businessmen used anticompetitive tactics to form giant, invincible monopolies. The textbook example of these evils of Big Business is John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Trust. In an era before government regulations and antitrust laws, the story goes, Rockefeller wielded market power to squelch innovative competitors and jack up consumer prices at will.
The textbooks need to be rewritten, argues Alex Epstein of the Ayn Rand Center. In his talk, Epstein tells the true story of Rockefeller’s rise to market dominance. Rockefeller’s success was not based on shady practices but on his company’s remarkable ability to bring the best oil to millions of Americans at the cheapest prices. Did Standard Oil abolish competition? Far from it. The company’s success actually made the oil market far more competitive, innovative, and productive. The story of Standard Oil, it turns out, does not reveal evils of Big Business but illustrates its great virtues.
For more information surrounding all ARI campus club talks, including detailed campus maps and campus club contact information, please visit www.aynrand.org/education_campus_calendar.
Bio: Alex Epstein has a BA in philosophy from Duke University and is an analyst focusing on business issues at the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights.
Please note: The above events is organized, hosted and sponsored by individual campus clubs. Although ARI provides financial support, educational materials and speakers for eligible student clubs, campus clubs are organizations independent of ARI.
Copyright © 2009 Ayn Rand® Center for Individual Rights. All rights reserved.
Labels: Announcements, Business and Economics, Events
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Objectivist Summer Conference 2009 early registration discounts expire soon!
We are writing to remind you that the deadline to take advantage of our deepest price reductions is just twelve days away.
Objectivist Summer Conference 2009 will take place from July 3 to July 11, 2009, bringing you nine days of social and intellectual stimulation that you'll find nowhere else during the year.
This summer's conference will be hosted at Boston's Seaport Hotel and World Trade Center, known for its comfortable and enjoyable accommodations and meeting spaces. In the surrounding downtown area attendees can explore fine dining, shopping, and historical landmarks.
Recent months have poignantly demonstrated the importance of philosophy in human life, as current events seem to spring directly from the pages of Atlas Shrugged. As most Americans look towards government to rescue them, our speakers show what alternative solutions Ayn Rand's philosophy can offer to today's world with presentations such as "The Separation of Church and State," by Onkar Ghate; "Principled Leadership," by John Allison; “'Humanity’s Darkest Evil:' The Lethal Destructiveness of Non-Objective Law," by Tara Smith; "Free Minds and Free Markets," by Peter Schwartz; and "Property Rights—and Wrongs," by Thomas A. Bowden. Other stimulating topics will be available as well, including history, psychology, drama, epistemology, mathematics, and the nature and necessity of friendship. In all there will be ten general session lectures and sixteen optional courses. Attendees may register for the entire nine-day conference, or use à la carte registration options to choose those parts that best fit their schedule and budget.
As usual, we also bring you a variety of special events and social opportunities, including two different dance worshops (Swing and Salsa), our annual opening and closing banquets and a special Independence Day celebration.
We look forward to creating a unique and memorable conference in Boston, and we hope to see you there!
Discount reminder: Even if you missed out on our special advance-planning bonus this year, you can still claim early registration price incentives (price reductions available through March 31). Details are available on our registration options and pricing page.
For more information visit the Objectivist Conferences Web site.
Copyright © 2009 Second Renaissance, Inc. All rights reserved.
Labels: Announcements, Ayn Rand and Objectivism, Events
Monday, February 02, 2009
The Monopoly Myth: The Case of Standard Oil
Who: Alex Epstein, analyst at the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights
What: “The Monopoly Myth: The Case of Standard Oil” In this talk Epstein argues against antitrust law by illustrating the case of Standard Oil’s legal and moral rise to market dominance. A Q&A will follow.
Where: Zumberge Hall, Room 353 (ZHS 352)
Exposition Blvd and Trousdale Way, Los Angeles, CA 90089
When: Thursday, February 5, 2009, at 7:30 pm.
For maps and directions, click here: http://web-app.usc.edu/maps/
Description: Most of us were taught in school that laissez-faire capitalism was tried in the 1800s—and failed. Without government regulations and antitrust law, we learned, businessmen used "anti-competitive" tactics to become giant, unchallengeable monopolies. The most famous monopoly was John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil Trust, which supposedly used its "market power" to squelch innovative competitors and jack up consumer prices at will.
But did this really happen? Did laissez-faire really fail? No, argues Alex Epstein of the Ayn Rand Center. In "The Monopoly Myth: The Case of Standard Oil," Epstein will tell the real story of Rockefeller's rise to market dominance—and explain how his success was the result not of shady practices, but of his company's incredible ability to bring the cheapest, best oil to millions of Americans.
Epstein will argue that the case of Standard Oil raises many questions about Americans' commonly held beliefs on monopolies, competition and government. Is antitrust law really necessary to protect us against monopolies and promote competition? Was the government right to punish Microsoft for "monopolization," and is it justified in investigating Google and Yahoo for "anti-competitive" behavior? Epstein will address these questions and more in his 45-minute talk, followed by a question-and-answer period.
Admission: FREE. Open to students and the public
Bio: Alex Epstein has a BA in philosophy from Duke University and is an analyst focusing on business issues at the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights.
For more information on this talk, please e-mail Sarah Jenevein at uscobjectivists@gmail.com.
Please note: The above event is organized, hosted and sponsored by an individual campus club. Although ARI provides financial support, educational materials and speakers for eligible student clubs, campus clubs are organizations independent of ARI.
Copyright © 2009 Ayn Rand® Center for Individual Rights. All rights reserved.
Labels: Announcements, Business and Economics, Events
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Set the Market Free: The Cure for the Financial Crisis
What: A talk arguing that the financial crisis was caused by the government and can be cured only by the free market. A Q&A will follow
Who: Yaron Brook, executive director of the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights
Where: Mary Graydon Center Building, Room 3. 4400 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20016
When: Wednesday, January 28, 2009, at 7 pm
Admission: FREE and open to students and the public
Description: Virtually everyone today regards the financial crisis as a failure of the free market. In this talk, Yaron Brook, executive director of the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights, will argue that in fact it is the un-free market that has failed. It was not capitalism that held interest rates below the rate of inflation, spurring massive amounts of borrowing and a housing boom. It was not capitalism that gave us Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which promoted subprime lending and helped fuel the boom. It was not capitalism that gave us deposit insurance and the "too big to fail" doctrine, which encouraged risky financial practices. These, and many anti-capitalist measures like them, Dr. Brook will argue, laid the groundwork for the financial crisis. The only cure, according to Dr. Brook, is to set the market free. But to do that, Americans must embrace capitalism as a moral system--one that should be defended without guilt.
Bio: Dr. Yaron Brook is president and executive director of the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights and a contributing editor of "The Objective Standard." A former finance professor, he has been published in academic as well as popular publications, and his opinion-editorials appear in major newspapers. He is frequently interviewed on national TV and radio. Dr. Brook lectures on Objectivism, business ethics and foreign policy at college campuses, community groups and corporations across America and throughout the world.
Copyright © 2009 Ayn Rand® Center for Individual Rights. All rights reserved.
Labels: Announcements, Business and Economics, Events, Individual Rights and Law
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
'The Financial Crisis: Causes and Possible Cures' By John Allison
The media, politicians, and even many businessmen have blamed today’s financial meltdown on capitalism. But in this talk, John Allison—the longest-tenured CEO of a top-25 financial services company—will argue that this crisis is a legacy of the government’s anti-capitalist policies.
Mr. Allison will use his unique inside view of the financial services industry to show how massive government intervention into the U.S. economy—from the creation of the Federal Reserve in 1913 to a reckless crusade to encourage home-ownership—laid the groundwork for an unsustainable real estate boom. And he will show how the government’s response to the inevitable bust—a frenzied series of bailouts, nationalizations, and “stimulus” efforts—is only making things worse.
Finally, Mr. Allison will explain the underlying philosophical reasons for the crisis, and discuss the immediate and long-term solutions. He will show that capitalism, far from being the cause of today’s crisis, is its only cure.
Event Details:
Thursday, January 29th, 2009
Doors open: 6 PM
Lecture and Q & A: 6:30 PM
National Building Museum—Great Hall [map]
401 F St NW
Washington, DC 20001
Red Line Metro, Judiciary Square
This event is free to the public. A video recording will later be posted on the ARC Web site.
John Allison is chairman of the board of BB&T Corporation. He began his service with BB&T in 1971, became president in 1987 and was elected chairman and CEO in 1989 (serving as CEO until the end of 2008). During Mr. Allison’s tenure, BB&T has grown from $4.5 billion to $137 billion in assets.
For information on other upcoming events, visit our events page.
To view video recordings of previous Lecture Series events, visit our Lecture Series Web page.
For more information:
Phone: 949-222-6550
E-mail: events@aynrandcenter.org
Copyright © 2009 Ayn Rand® Center for Individual Rights. All rights reserved.
Labels: Announcements, Business and Economics, Events
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged: Celebrating the Best Within Us
What: A symposium offering contemporary perspectives on Ayn Rand's magnum opus, both as philosophy and as literature. All sessions will include question periods, and an open reception with the speakers will be held immediately afterwards.
Who: Speakers include Dr. Allan Gotthelf (University of Pittsburgh), Dr. Shoshana Milgram (Virginia Tech), Dr. Onkar Ghate (Ayn Rand Institute), and Jeff Britting (Associate Producer of the Academy Award-nominated documentary "Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life").
When: Date: March 4, 2009, 4:00–6:30pm (reception follows)
Where: The University of Texas at Austin, ACES Auditorium (ACES 2.302)
Admission is FREE and open to the public.
For details, visit http://www.UTBBTChairObjectivism.com/ or email objectivism@austin.utexas.edu.
Labels: Announcements, Ayn Rand and Objectivism, Events, The Arts
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
John David Lewis Speaking Twice in Israel
Who: John David Lewis, visiting associate professor of political science at Duke University
What:
- A talk on "The Defeat of Islamic Totalitarianism: A Proper Policy," at the Facing Jihad Conference, in Jerusalem, Sunday, December 14, at 10:30 a.m.
- A talk on "Israel's Moral Right to Exist," at Tel Aviv University, Monday, December 15, at 6:00 p.m.
These should be superb lectures, so if you are in Israel, be sure to attend.
Labels: Announcements, Events, Foreign Policy and War
Friday, November 21, 2008
The Menace of Pragmatism: How Aversion to Principle Is Destroying America
Who: Dr. Tara Smith, professor of philosophy at the University of Texas and speaker for the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights.
What: A talk explaining the influence and the destructive nature of pragmatism in our culture. A Q&A will follow.
Where: National Press Club, 529 14th Street NW, 13th floor, Washington, DC 20045.
When: Monday, December 8, 2008, at 6:30 pm.
Admission: FREE. The public and media are invited.
Description:
Shouldn't we be pragmatic?
While Americans disagree vehemently about all manner of moral and political issues, beneath that disagreement rests the shared presumption that the way forward is always through moderation and compromise. In intellectual method—i.e., in our way of addressing problems and disagreements—Americans are united as pragmatists. Contrary to pragmatism’s image of reason and practical good sense, however, pragmatic methodology is actually self-destructive.
This talk explains what pragmatism is and the countless ways it is manifested across the cultural spectrum. It analyzes the major elements of pragmatism’s appeal as well as its fundamental errors. It also surveys the vast damage that pragmatic methods inflict, damage that is spiritual as well as material. Finally, the talk considers the most effective means of dethroning this pervasive—and destructive—mindset.
Bio: Tara Smith is a professor of philosophy at the University of Texas, where she currently holds the Anthem Foundation Fellowship for the Study of Objectivism. She is the author of the books Moral Rights and Political Freedom, Viable Values: A Study of Life as the Root and Reward of Morality, and Ayn Rand's Normative Ethics: The Virtuous Egoist, as well as numerous articles.
For more information on this talk, please e-mail media@aynrandcenter.org.
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Dr. Tara Smith is available for interviews now and after her talk.
Contact: David Holcberg
E-mail: media@aynrandcenter.org
Phone: (949) 222-6550, ext. 226
For more information on Objectivism’s unique point of view, go to ARC’s Web site. The Ayn Rand Center is a division of the Ayn Rand Institute and promotes the philosophy of Ayn Rand, author of “Atlas Shrugged” and “The Fountainhead.”
Copyright © 2008 Ayn Rand® Center for Individual Rights. All rights reserved.
Labels: Announcements, Events, Philosophy
Monday, November 10, 2008
Financial Trauma: Causes and Possible Cures
What: A Lecture followed by Q & A
Who: Mr. John Allison, President and CEO of BB&T Corporation
When: November 19, 2008, 3:30 PM, Griffith Theatre, at the Bryan Center, Duke University (Directions)
The event is FREE and open to the public.
As the world struggles with the current financial crisis, we should listen to the executives of successful financial institutions. BB&T is such an institution.
Mr. Allison will outline the causes of today’s financial chaos, including the errors that led to the crisis. He will discuss the broader implications for the economy, including the effects on the housing and mortgage industries, and offer economic and political suggestions for both short-term and long-term cures.
John A. Allison became CEO of BB&T on July 7, 1989. At the end of 1989, BB&T was ranked 96th largest bank in the nation with $4.8 billion in assets. After 60 bank and thrift acquisitions, and the implementation of innovative training and measurement programs, the former eastern North Carolina farm bank has grown to become the nation’s 14th largest financial holding company. Assets have increased from $4.8 billion, when Allison began his tenure as CEO, to $137 billion today.
Sponsor: The Program on Values and Ethics in the Marketplace, Duke University
Contact: John Lewis, john.d.lewis@duke.edu
Labels: Announcements, Business and Economics, Events
Monday, October 27, 2008
McBama vs. America
What: A one-hour talk followed by a Q&A
Who: Craig Biddle, editor of The Objective Standard
Where: Hilton Costa Mesa, 3050 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa, California (at Bristol and the 405 Freeway) [map]
When: October 29, 2008; Bookstore opens at 6:30 PM; Lecture begins at 7:30 PM and will be followed by a one-hour Q&A
Admission is FREE and open to the public.
Description: While John McCain and Barack Obama struggle to distinguish themselves in terms of particular promises, it is crucial for Americans to recognize that these candidates are indistinguishable in terms of fundamentals. In this talk, Craig Biddle, editor of The Objective Standard, examines the candidates’ platforms, identifies essential similarities among their proposals, and shows their aims to be manifestly at odds with the American ideal of individual rights. Mr. Biddle then zeros in on the purpose of government presumed by the candidates’ goals, shows this purpose to be an expression of a particular moral philosophy shared by these men and by most Americans, and demonstrates that this morality is the root cause of the abysmal alternative we now face. Finally, Mr. Biddle specifies the moral principles that Americans must grasp if we want to generate future candidates who will return government to its proper purpose of protecting our rights to life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness.
Copyright © 2008 Ayn Rand® Center for Individual Rights. All rights reserved.
Labels: Announcements, Events, Individual Rights and Law
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Universal Health Care: The Cure or the Disease?
What: Informal debate between Professor Mark Kleiman (UCLA Department of Public Policy) and Dr. Peter LePort, M.D. (Ayn Rand Institute Board of Directors)
Where: UCLA Campus: Moore 100
When: Thursday, October 30, 2008, from 7 to 9 PM
FREE Admission
For maps and directions, click here: http://www.ucla.edu/map/
Health care has been an important issue in politics, especially in the last several years. Amidst much specific policy analysis and political quibbling over superficial issues, the fundamentals have been ignored: What are the underlying philosophic and economic considerations? Is universal health care moral? Does it achieve its stated goal? Is there an ethical and practical alternative?
Come hear Professor Mark Kleiman and Dr. Peter LePort answer your questions about the issue of universal health care.
Please note: The above event is organized, hosted and sponsored by an individual campus club. Although ARI provides financial support, educational materials and speakers for eligible student clubs, campus clubs are organizations independent of ARI. ARI does not necessarily endorse the content of the lectures and sessions offered.
Copyright © 2008 Ayn Rand® Institute. All rights reserved.
Labels: Announcements, Events, Healthcare
Notice of Special Event: Mr. Flemming Rose on 'Free Speech in a Globalized World'
What: A Lecture by Mr. Flemming Rose, editor of Jyllands-Posten, publisher of the Danish Muhhamad cartoons, on "Free Speech in a Globalized World."
When: Thursday, October 30, 2008, 7:00 PM
Where: Page Auditorium, Duke University
In September 2005 the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published a series of cartoons depicting the Islamic figure Muhammad with images of terrorism. The newspaper's publishers stated that they wanted to bring issues of free speech and censorship forward into public awareness. The result was a firestorm of protest, ordered by clerics some weeks after the publication, that highlighted the seriousness of this issue. Over one hundred people were killed in the ensuing riots.
This event will be a unique opportunity to hear the cultural editor of this publication explain the decision to publish these cartoons, the issues at stake in the decision, and the meaning of the protests and the violence that followed. A Q&A will follow the talk.
Flemming Rose is a journalist with long experience in European, Russian, and American issues. He has been awarded the "Free Speech Award" from the Danish Free Press Society.
Web Site: www.committeeforfreespeech.com
Contact: John Lewis, Visiting Associate Professor of Political Science, Duke University, john.d.lewis@duke.edu
Labels: Announcements, Events, Foreign Policy and War, Individual Rights and Law
Friday, October 17, 2008
Capitalism: The Only Moral Social System
What: A one-hour talk followed by a Q&A
Who: Craig Biddle, editor of The Objective Standard and author of Loving Life: The Morality of Self-Interest and the Facts that Support It
Two Events:
University of Texas–Austin, Jester Auditorium, October 22, 8:00 pm
Rice University, Houston, Texas, 100 Herring Hall, October 23, 7:30 pm
Admission is FREE and open to the public.
Description: Capitalism is widely recognized as the practical social system because, wherever and to the extent that it is implemented, it leads to wealth and prosperity. But this same system is widely regarded as immoral because it enables people to act fully in their own self-interest—that is, to act on their own judgment and to keep, use, and dispose of the product of their own effort. This talk demonstrates why, far from making capitalism immoral, the fact that it enables everyone to act selfishly and own property is what makes it not only the most practical but also the only moral social system ever devised.
Please note: The above event is organized, hosted and sponsored by an individual campus club. Although the Ayn Rand Center (ARC) provides financial support, educational materials and speakers for eligible student clubs, campus clubs are organizations independent of ARC. ARC does not necessarily endorse the content of the lectures and sessions offered.
Copyright © 2008 Ayn Rand® Center for Individual Rights. All rights reserved.
Labels: Announcements, Business and Economics, Events, Philosophy
Religion versus Morality
What: A talk followed by a Q&A
Who: Andrew Bernstein, professor of philosophy at Marist College
Where: Wilson Hall Room 301, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
When: October 22, 2008 at 7:00 PM
Admission is FREE and open to the public.
Description: Conventionally, most people believe that morality can only be based in religious faith—that in a world without God no principles of right and wrong could exist. Related to this, philosophers have long held that no objective, fact-based, rational code of values is possible. Regarding both points, this talk shows that the exact opposite is true. The purpose of morality is to guide human life on earth—and religion is utterly incapable of it. Flourishing life requires a code of secularism, rationality, egoism and freedom. Religious faith clashes with every principle of a proper moral code, and, as such, has led, and can only lead to, hell on earth.
Please note: The above event is organized, hosted and sponsored by an individual campus club. Although ARI provides financial support, educational materials and speakers for eligible student clubs, campus clubs are organizations independent of ARI. ARI does not necessarily endorse the content of the lectures and sessions offered.
Copyright © 2008 Ayn Rand® Center for Individual Rights. All rights reserved.
Labels: Announcements, Events, Philosophy, Religion
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Ayn Rand's Morality of Selfishness
What: A one-hour talk followed by a Q&A
Who: Craig Biddle, editor of The Objective Standard and author of Loving Life: The Morality of Self-Interest and the Facts that Support It
Where: Loshbaugh Hall, Rogers State University, Claremore, OK
When: October 20, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Admission is FREE and open to the public.
Description: Ayn Rand’s morality of selfishness, or rational egoism, is a system of observation-based principles regarding the requirements of human life, personal happiness, social harmony, and political freedom. This talk introduces the principles of rational egoism; contrasts them with the creeds of altruism, hedonism, relativism, and predation; and shows why everyone who wants to live happily and freely must repudiate those alternatives and embrace the morality of rational self-interest.
Please note: The above event is organized, hosted and sponsored by an individual campus club. Although ARI provides financial support, educational materials and speakers for eligible student clubs, campus clubs are organizations independent of ARI. ARI does not necessarily endorse the content of the lectures and sessions offered.
Copyright © 2008 Ayn Rand® Center for Individual Rights. All rights reserved.
Labels: Announcements, Ayn Rand and Objectivism, Events, Philosophy
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Totalitarian Islam and the Threat to Free Speech
What: A panel discussion on the nature of totalitarian Islam and its threat to free speech, followed by a Q&A
Who: Yaron Brook, executive director of the Ayn Rand Institute; Daniel Pipes, director of the Middle East Forum; and Flemming Rose, cultural editor of the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten
Where: Ward One, Auditorium One, American University, Washington, D.C.
When: Thursday, October 23, 2008, at 6 pm
Admission is FREE and open to the public.
Description: What is the nature of totalitarian Islam—is it limited to terrorism or is it a broader movement? Are non-Muslims its only victims? Who precisely is the enemy? Does the West bear responsibility for creating this movement? What policies can defeat it?
Defenders of Islam around the world have striven to silence critics with threats, protests and acts of violence. How should the West respond to demands for censorship, as in the Danish cartoon controversy?
Panelists will address these critical issues in a lively discussion.
Bios:
Dr. Yaron Brook is executive director of the Ayn Rand Institute and a recognized Middle East expert who has written and lectured on a variety of Middle East issues. Dr. Brook has discussed the Israeli-Arab conflict and the war on Islamic totalitarianism on hundreds of radio and TV programs, including FOX News, CNN, and a C-SPAN panel of experts on terrorism.
Daniel Pipes is director of the Middle East Forum. Abroad, he appears weekly in Israel’s Jerusalem Post, Italy’s l’Opinione, Spain’s La Razón and monthly in Canada’s Globe and Mail. His Web site, DanielPipes.org, is one of the most accessed Internet sources of specialized information on the Middle East and Islam. Mr. Pipes has appeared on ABC World News, CBS Reports, Crossfire, Good Morning America, NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Nightline, The O’Reilly Factor, The Today Show, the BBC and Al-Jazeera.
Flemming Rose is a Danish journalist, author and the cultural editor at the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. In September 2005 Mr. Rose commissioned a series of cartoons depicting Prophet Muhammad. He was concerned about the tendency toward self-censorship in Europe and some Muslims’ insistence on special treatment of their religious sensitivities in the public domain, which he wanted to bring forward for debate. The backlash from Muslims around the world caused an international crisis and the Danish government experienced its worst foreign policy crisis since the Nazi occupation during WWII.
For more information: e-mail media@aynrand.org
Please note: The above event is organized, hosted and sponsored by an individual campus club. Although ARI provides financial support, educational materials and speakers for eligible student clubs, campus clubs are organizations independent of ARI. ARI does not necessarily endorse the content of the lectures and sessions offered.
Copyright © 2008 Ayn Rand® Institute. All rights reserved.
Labels: Announcements, Events, Foreign Policy and War, Individual Rights and Law, Religion
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Capitalism Without Guilt: The Moral Case for Freedom
What: A talk inaugurating the Ayn Rand Center’s Speaker Series
Who: Dr. Yaron Brook, executive director of the Ayn Rand Center
Where: National Press Club, 529 14th Street NW, Washington, DC [map & directions]
When: Wednesday, October 22, 2008; Doors open: 6 PM; Lecture and Q & A: 6:30 PM; Reception to follow
This event is open to the public. Admission is FREE.
Description: Capitalism has an undisputed record of wealth generation, yet it has always functioned under a cloud of moral suspicion. In a culture that venerates Mother Teresa as a paragon of virtue, businessmen sit in stoic silence while their pursuit of profits is denounced as selfish greed.
Society tells businessmen to sacrifice, to serve others, to “give back”—counting on their acceptance of self-interest as a moral crime, with chronic guilt its penance. Is it any wonder that productive giants from John D. Rockefeller to Bill Gates have behaved as if profit-making leaves a moral stain that only tireless philanthropy can launder but never fully remove?
It is time America heard the moral case for laissez-faire capitalism.
Two centuries ago the Founding Fathers established a nation based on the individual’s rights to life, liberty, property—and the selfish pursuit of his own happiness. But neither the Founders nor their successors could properly defend self-interest and the profit motive in the face of moral denunciation. The result has been a slow destruction of freedom in America, leading us to today’s economic mess.
In this inaugural lecture celebrating the launch of the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights, in Washington, D.C., Executive Director Yaron Brook will demonstrate how Ayn Rand’s revolutionary ethics of rational self-interest supplied the moral foundation that previous proponents of capitalism lacked. Dr. Brook will explain why individual rights are crucial for capitalism’s survival—why productivity and profit, the “selfish greed” that conservatives abhor, are not vices but cardinal virtues. He will explain why Americans must reject McCain/Obama-style “national service” and instead proudly embrace the radical individualism their lives and happiness require.
Copyright © 2008 Ayn Rand® Center for Individual Rights. All rights reserved.
Labels: Announcements, Business and Economics, Events, Individual Rights and Law
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Islamic Totalitarianism’s Threat to Civilization
What: A panel discussion about the nature of Islamic totalitarianism and how to defeat it. A Q&A will follow.
Who: Dr. Yaron Brook, executive director of the Ayn Rand Institute, and Dr. Wafa Sultan, outspoken critic of Islam
Where: HIB (Humanities Instructional Building), Room 100, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
When: Monday, October, 13, 2008, at 7 pm
This event is open to the public. Admission is FREE.
Description: From the Iranian hostage crisis to September 11 to the London subway attacks to the Iraqi insurgency–it is clear the West faces a grave threat from a committed enemy. Conventional wisdom holds that the enemy is a rogue group of fanatics, who have hijacked a great religion in order to justify their crimes. It tells us there is no way to permanently eliminate these violent groups, that we have entered an “age of terror” and that we must give up the desire for a decisive victory . . . but is the conventional wisdom right?
Bios:
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Dr. Yaron Brook is executive director of the Ayn Rand Institute and a recognized Middle East expert who has written and lectured on a variety of Middle East issues. Dr. Brook has served in the Israeli Army and has discussed the Israeli-Arab conflict and the war on Islamic totalitarianism on numerous radio and TV programs, including FOX News, CNN and a C-SPAN panel of experts on terrorism.
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Dr. Wafa Sultan is a secular Syrian-American writer and thinker, best known for her participation in Middle East political debates, widely circulated Arabic essays and television appearances on CNN, FOX News and Al-Jazeera. She named the Islamic threat to the West as “a battle between modernity and barbarism which Islam will lose.” Her outspokenness has brought her both threats and praise. Dr. Sultan is currently working on a book to be titled “The God that Hates.”
For more information: e-mail media@aynrand.org
### ### ###
Dr. Yaron Brook is available for interviews now and after this event.
Contact: Larry Benson
E-mail: media@aynrand.org
Phone: (949) 222-6550, ext. 213
Please note: The above event is organized, hosted and sponsored by an individual campus club. Although ARI provides financial support, educational materials and speakers for eligible student clubs, campus clubs are organizations independent of ARI. ARI does not necessarily endorse the content of the lectures and sessions offered.
Copyright © 2008 Ayn Rand® Center for Individual Rights. All rights reserved.
Labels: Announcements, Events, Foreign Policy and War, Religion
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
The Looming Crisis over Free Speech
What: A lecture examining the escalating censorship in America and explaining what is needed to protect our freedom of speech
Who: Eric Daniels, research assistant professor at Clemson University’s Institute for the Study of Capitalism
Where: 101 Morgan Hall, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
When: Monday, October 6, 2008, 7 pm
Description: In this lecture, Dr. Daniels examines the state of free speech in America and finds that it is under serious threat. From campus speech codes to anti-discrimination and harassment law, from campaign finance to commercial speech, Americans today enjoy less and less freedom in communicating their ideas. Today’s colleges and universities have become a hotbed of censorship, producing generations of Americans who have accepted suppression of speech as the norm. Daniels argues that the emerging crisis is a result of the lack of a proper understanding of individual rights, especially property rights. Only by understanding the proper basis of rights can we act to secure our freedom of speech and to protect the rights that give rise to it.
Bio: Dr. Eric Daniels is a research assistant professor at Clemson University’s Institute for the Study of Capitalism. He has lectured internationally on American history, particularly on American intellectual history, business history and political history. He taught for five years at Duke University's Program on Values and Ethics in the Marketplace, where he was nominated for a university-wide teaching award. Dr. Daniels was a contributor to the recently published Oxford Companion to United States History, and wrote a chapter in The Abolition of Antitrust. He has appeared on C-SPAN and Voice of America Radio.
For more information on this lecture, please e-mail media@aynrand.org.
### ### ###
Eric Daniels is available for interviews now and after his lecture.
Contact: Larry Benson
E-mail: media@aynrand.org
Phone: (949) 222-6550, ext. 213
For more information on Objectivism’s unique point of view, go to ARI’s Web site. The Ayn Rand Institute promotes the philosophy of Ayn Rand, author of Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead.
Please note: The above event is organized, hosted and sponsored by an individual campus club. Although ARI provides financial support, educational materials and speakers for eligible student clubs, campus clubs are organizations independent of ARI. ARI does not necessarily endorse the content of the lectures and sessions offered.
Copyright © 2008 Ayn Rand® Institute. All rights reserved.
Labels: Announcements, Events, Individual Rights and Law
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Why Big Government Is Back, and How to Shrink It to Its Proper Size
Washington, D.C.—In a talk delivered last week at the Costa Mesa Hilton in Orange County, California, Yaron Brook, executive director of the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights, explained the reasons for the resurgence of big government in America and called for a moral revolution to reduce government to its proper size and function.
According to Dr. Brook, the current level of government involvement in the economy is almost unprecedented in American history. As Dr. Brook noted, even though the current housing and financial crisis was brought about by government regulations, controls, and widespread interference with the markets, all we hear from the left and the right are calls for more government regulations, controls, and interference with the markets.
In Dr. Brook’s view, these calls for bigger and bigger government are due, not to any alleged failures of the market, but to a longtime cultural hostility to its moral basis: the selfish pursuit of profit.
Capitalism and markets, observed Dr. Brook, are all inherently about self-interest and the pursuit of profit. Capitalism encourages and enables selfishness, and as long as our culture looks at profit and self-interest as vices, he argued, big government will always be preferred to free markets.
Dr. Brook also made the point that capitalism has always been defended pragmatically, on the basis that it creates wealth and economic growth—which it does; but it’s time, he said, to defend capitalism on principle, on the basis of its morality, on the basis that it protects the rights of individuals to pursue their own values and allows them freedom to act in their own self-interest.
As Dr. Brook explained, the current crisis is indisputable evidence that we need a massive reduction in the size of government, in the number of regulations and in the level of taxation. But first, he said, we will have to reject the morality of altruism, which holds that self-sacrifice, not self-interest, is the good—and adopt a new morality of rational self-interest, one that says that pursuing our own personal values and goals under freedom is a good thing; and that only a morality compatible with capitalism and private markets will save us from this crisis and prevent an even worse one in the future.
Dr. Brook’s talk is available for free at: http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=reg_ls_big_government
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Yaron Brook is executive director of the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights. He is a regular contributor to Forbes.com and a contributing editor of The Objective Standard. His articles have been featured in major newspapers such as USA Today, the Houston Chronicle, the Chicago Sun-Times, the Providence Journal and the Orange County Register. Dr. Brook is often interviewed on radio and is a frequent guest on a variety of national TV shows, having appeared in the new Fox Business Network, FOX News Channel (The O’Reilly Factor, Your World with Neil Cavuto, At Large with Geraldo Rivera), CNN (Talkback Live and the Glenn Beck Program), CNBC (Closing Bell and On the Money), and C-SPAN. Dr. Brook, a former finance professor, lectures on Objectivism, capitalism, business and foreign policy at college campuses, community groups and corporations across America and throughout the world.
To interview Dr. Brook or book him for your show, please contact Larry Benson:
949-222-6550, ext. 213
media@aynrandcenter.org
For more information on Objectivism’s unique point of view, go to ARC’s Web site. The Ayn Rand Center is a division of the Ayn Rand Institute and promotes the philosophy of Ayn Rand, author of Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead.
Copyright © 2008 Ayn Rand® Center for Individual Rights. All rights reserved.
Labels: Events, Individual Rights and Law
The Monopoly Myth: The Case of Standard Oil
What: a talk in defense of laissez-faire capitalism that will tell the real story of Rockefeller’s rise to market dominance in the oil industry
Who: Alex Epstein, fellow at the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights, a division of the Ayn Rand Institute
Where: Smith Building Room 105. Georgia Tech Campus, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332
When: Monday, September 29, 2008, at 8 pm
Description: Most of us were taught in school that laissez-faire capitalism was tried in the 1800s--and failed. Without government regulations and antitrust law, we learned, businessmen used “anti-competitive” tactics to become giant, unchallengeable monopolies. The most famous monopoly was John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Trust, which supposedly used its “market power” to squelch innovative competitors and jack up consumer prices at will. But did this really happen? Did laissez-faire really fail? No, argues Alex Epstein. In this talk Epstein will tell the real story of Rockefeller’s rise to market dominance--and explain how his success was the result not of shady practices, but of his company’s incredible ability to bring the cheapest, best oil to millions of Americans. Epstein will argue that the case of Standard Oil raises many questions about Americans’ commonly held beliefs on monopolies, competition, and government. Is antitrust law really necessary to protect us against monopolies and promote competition? Was the government right to punish Microsoft for “monopolization,” and is it justified in investigating Google and Yahoo for “anti-competitive” behavior? Epstein will address these questions and more in his 45-minute talk, followed by a question-and-answer period.
Bio: Alex Epstein has a BA in Philosophy from Duke University and is an analyst focusing on business issues at the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights. He was the editor and publisher of The Duke Review for two years. He is a contributing writer for The Objective Standard, a quarterly journal of culture and politics. His Op-Eds have appeared in such publications as the Detroit Free Press, Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle, Philadelphia Inquirer, Chicago Sun-Times, Atlanta Journal and Constitution, Arizona Republic, Canada’s National Post, Indianapolis Star, Orange County Register, Tampa Tribune, and the Washington Times. Mr. Epstein has been interviewed on numerous nationally syndicated radio programs on business topics such as income inequality, media and internet regulation, oil industry profits, social security and the FDA.
For more information on this talk, please e-mail media@aynrandcenter.org
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Alex Epstein is available for interviews now and after his talk.
Contact: Larry Benson
E-mail: media@aynrandcenter.org
Phone: (949) 222-6550, ext. 213
For more information on Objectivism’s unique point of view, go to ARC’s Web site. The Ayn Rand Center is a division of the Ayn Rand Institute and promotes the philosophy of Ayn Rand, author of Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead.
Please note: The above event is organized, hosted and sponsored by an individual campus club. Although ARI provides financial support, educational materials and speakers for eligible student clubs, campus clubs are organizations independent of ARI.
Copyright © 2008 Ayn Rand® Center for Individual Rights. All rights reserved.
Labels: Business and Economics, Events, History
Saturday, September 20, 2008
A Critique of Global Warming Science and Policy
What: A panel discussion challenging widely accepted views on global warming science and policy, followed by a Q & A.
Who: Keith Lockitch, Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights and Willie Soon, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Where: Taper Hall of Humanities (THH) Room 102
When: Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at 7:00 pm
For maps and directions, click here: http://www.usc.edu/about/visit/upc/driving_directions/
Description: It is now widely believed that man-made greenhouse gases are causing an unnatural warming of the earth that will have devastating consequences for human life. Environmentalists and politicians are pressing for severe restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions aimed at preventing global warming. But are these beliefs and policies justified? What does the scientific evidence actually support regarding the causes of climate variability and the role of anthropogenic greenhouse gases? Are the predictions of catastrophic changes supported by scientific fact? Is government economic intervention aimed at severely restricting greenhouse gases an appropriate policy response? Panelists will address these critical issues in a lively discussion.
Bios:
Keith Lockitch is a fellow of the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights, specializing in science and environmental policy. His writings have appeared in publications such as the Orange County Register, San Francisco Chronicle, Australia’s Herald Sun and Canberra Times, and USA Today magazine. Dr. Lockitch has been a frequent guest on radio shows such as The Thom Hartmann Program on Air America Radio. He is also a contributing writer for The Objective Standard, a quarterly journal of culture and politics.
Dr. Lockitch teaches for the Ayn Rand Institute’s Objectivist Academic Center; he teaches writing for the Center’s undergraduate program and a history of physics course for its graduate program. He holds a PhD in theoretical physics from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and has conducted postdoctoral research in relativistic astrophysics at the University of Illinois and at Pennsylvania State University.
Willie Soon is both an astrophysicist and a geoscientist at the Solar, Stellar and Planetary Sciences Division of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Dr. Soon is the receiving editor in the area of solar and stellar physics for New Astronomy. He is also the chief science adviser of the Science and Public Policy Institute (based in Washington DC). He writes and lectures both professionally and publicly on important issues related to the Sun, other stars, the Earth as well as general science topics in astronomy and physics. He is the author of The Maunder Minimum and the Variable Sun-Earth Connection, published March 2004. He also co-authored (with P. N. Okeke) the textbook Introduction to Astronomy that is used (now taught at the University of Nigeria) for students with little or no access to telescopes. Dr. Soon’s honors include a 1989 IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society Graduate Scholastic Award and a Rockwell Dennis Hunt Scholastic Award from the University of Southern California for “the most representative PhD research thesis” of 1991. In 2003 he was invited to testify in the United States Senate and was later recognized, with a monetary award, for “detailed scholarship on biogeological and climatic change over the past 1000 years” by the Smithsonian Institution. In June 2004 he was presented with the Petr Beckmann Award of the Doctors for Disaster Preparedness for “courage and achievement in defense of scientific truth and freedom.”
All views expressed are strictly his own and do not reflect upon any other person(s) or institutions.
Please note: The above event is organized, hosted and sponsored by an individual campus club. Although ARI provides financial support, educational materials and speakers for eligible student clubs, campus clubs are organizations independent of ARI.
Copyright © 2008 Ayn Rand® Institute. All rights reserved.
Labels: Environmentalism, Events, Science and Technology
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