Thank you for the many responses to the proposal for an Ayn Rand Scholarship program. We will be expanding the program to include fellowships. I have received exciting and substantial responses to the proposal from individuals and organizations. Discussions are continuing. The next steps are: Establish a system to search for the brightest and best…
Objectivism
This section of my blog is for Objectivists and those interested in Ayn Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism. You may repost and/or translate anything found here, provided you do so a) without editing the content in any way and b) link back to the original source.
OCON – History with Pictures
While cleaning up my old home at Lake Tahoe, I came across two photographs and a certificate from September 1, 1985. I believe that this was the first OCON, at that time named The Jefferson School. (Correction: A friend emailed to let me know that the first TJS conference was in 1983.) This “OCON” was…
Making Ayn Rand’s Book Sales Soar Again
The mission of my Prometheus Foundation is to promote Ayn Rand and advance her philosophy of Objectivism. Two of the most effective ways to do this are to inspire people to read Rand’s books, especially The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged—and to promote and deliver Leonard Peikoff’s courses. Prometheus Foundation is achieving these aims in various…
A Wonderful (and Long-Overdue) Conference
A few weeks ago, more than 250 life-loving people gathered in beautiful Newton, MA for four days of fellowship and “philosophy for freedom and flourishing,” at TOS-Con 2021. The topics ranged from art to racism to self-development to capitalism, and all were unified by a single theme: the unique powers of reason and freedom to…
An Ayn Rand Scholarship Foundation
Ayn Rand declared, “What we need today are ‘new intellectuals’,” which she said includes “any man or woman who is willing to think, meaning: any man or woman who knows that man’s life must be guided by reason, by the intellect, not by feelings, wishes, whims, or mystic revelations. Any man or woman who values…
Ayn Rand’s Treasures Online
The Ayn Rand Institute announced a “goal to make much more of the [Ayn Rand] archives available online.” This is an exciting and valuable activity for the Ayn Rand Institute. Stay tuned for future updates; I will be periodically checking on their progress.
Update to Millions Exposed to Ayn Rand: Is This Wrong?
In this post, I wrote that the video of Jordan Peterson at OCON 2018 had only 30,000 views on ARI’s YouTube channel. A reader informed me that the video is also posted on Dave Rubin’s channel and that it has 288,000 views there. The reader also pointed out that Peterson was onstage for 100 minutes,…
OCON Canceled Me
I’ve been going to OCON for about the last 40 years (before it was even called OCON). I’ve enjoyed catching up with friends each year, and I would miss them if I didn’t go to OCON. At this year’s conference, there’s going to be a tribute to Leonard Peikoff, and I would enjoy being part…
Peter Schwartz Claims “Unjust Attacks on ARI”
Peter Schwartz wrote in a forum, among many of my friends, colleagues, and associates, that he has “no objection to someone who criticizes ARI’s policies or strategies,” but that I’ve gone too far. I’ve been criticizing ARI over the last several months, and he says I’ve engaged in “smears and half-truths.” He makes two claims…
A Few Corrections to “Good News Regarding Leonard Peikoff”
I want to clarify two things about my recent post, “Good News Regarding Leonard Peikoff.” Regarding Lisa Van Damme’s operetta presentation, I wrote: “… he [Leonard] expects to deliver [it] in April.” The April date was mentioned casually and was not intended as a firm date. There’s still much to be done, and Leonard and…
