Auraria Campus Objectivists

Next Meeting: Tuesday April 18th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm

2011-04-14T20:59:00.001-07:00

"The Esthetic Vacuum of Our Age," is what we are covering this week.
This week's essay is much shorter than the last several weeks. This will allow us to really dig in to the material!

We meet in our usual spot and we'll likely go out afterward. Below are 17 questions. Once again, I always make more questions than we'll need. Try and look over them all anyway. We have a lot to discuss this week!

Also, if you're still making lists of your favorite movies, and novels please bring them in and remind us all to discuss those.

See you all on Monday!

The Esthetic Vacuum of Our Age

1. Paragraph 1: Why has the dominant belief in mankind’s history been that he is determined by outside forces? Why did the change in literature occur during the industrial revolution?

2. Paragraph 1: Why does holding the premise of determinism mean one cannot “project what might happen to men,” only what did happen to them?

3. Paragraph 2: What does it mean to “[project] the choices men ought to make?”

4. Paragraph 4: What does it mean to “project abstractions?”

5. Paragraph 4: Why does it follow that if a literary writer records what happens around them, they cannot pronounce value-judgments?

6. In paragraph 5 Ayn Rand discusses the problem of reverting back to the literary principle of the chronicle after having developed the novel. That now, the Naturalists must present a chronicle that is invented. Why must a writer even worry about “what to regard as important?”

7. In paragraph 6 Ayn Rand gives a few example of journalistic answers to the question “What is man?” Can you think of films, plays, or books that exemplify what she is discussing?

8. (A sub question to Q7): What is different about The Fountainhead? Couldn’t one say this story “is what the architects are in New York, from 1922-1930s?”

9. Paragraph 7: How is art the integrator of metaphysics? Think of examples.

10. Paragraph 8 illustrates a logical progression of what happens when one wrongfully substitutes what one sees around one for metaphysical value-judgments. Read this section carefully, it is very important. We will discuss it thoroughly in our meeting.

11. Paragraph 12: Why is the basic premise of naturalism anti-man, anti-mind, and anti-life? Also, how is Naturalism an outgrowth of the Altruist morality, thus leading it to attempt to “escape from moral judgment?”

12. Paragraph 13: What is Symbolism?

13. Paragraph 16: Why does presenting man as a loathsome monstrosity give people the hope and demand of a moral blank check? What is a moral blank check?

14. Paragraph 17: Think of examples of various types of art that is lauded as good because it cannot be understood, thus it is profound. In music, painting, literature, etc.

15. Paragraph 19: Do you think Ayn Rand is against documentaries?

16. Paragraph 21: How is art the sum and barometer of a culture, and how does modern art demonstrate our bankruptcy?

17. What is the esthetic vacuum of our age?

Next Meeting: Tuesday April 4th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm "What Is Romanticism?"

2011-03-28T19:24:00.000-07:00

This week we are discussing Ayn Rand's essay "What Is Romanticism?"

Britannica explains romanticism as the "rejection of the precepts of
order, calm, harmony, balance, idealization, and rationality that
typified Classicism in general and late 18th-century Neoclassicism in
particular. It was also to some extent a reaction against the
Enlightenment and against 18th-century rationalism and physical
materialism in general. Romanticism emphasized the individual, the
subjective, the irrational, the imaginative, the personal, the
spontaneous, the emotional, the visionary, and the transcendental."

In one college book on literature Romanticism is defined through a
list of characteristics: "sensibility; primitivism; love of nature;
sympathetic interest in the past, especially the medieval; mysticism;
individualism; romanticism criticism; and a reaction against whatever
characterized neoclassicism."

In many online dictionaries it is defined as: "An artistic and
intellectual movement originating in Europe in the late 18th century
and characterized by a heightened interest in nature, emphasis on the
individual's expression of emotion and imagination, departure from the
attitudes and forms of classicism, and rebellion against established
social rules and conventions."

Ayn Rand would not define such an important concept as Romanticism by
such superficial means, however.
Her definition is: "A category of art based on the recognition of the
principle that man possesses the faculty of volition."

Though many definitions explain one aspect of Romanticism is the
individual, they also specify it as a category of "emotionalism." Why
does Ayn Rand give free-will primacy in her definition? How can we
properly understand Romanticism as a broad category? And how can we
understand Ayn Rand's own fiction within this category?

Discuss this and much more this coming monday on the Auraria Campus
from 6-8pm. And, as usual, we will be hanging out downtown after the
discussion.

Next Meeting: Monday March 21st from 6:00pm - 8:00pm

2011-03-16T16:30:00.000-07:00

This week we will be covering Ayn Rand's essay entitled "Basic
Principles of Literature." We will be discussing questions such as
"What makes a novel a novel?" "What attributes give rise to literature
in all its forms?" (e.g. plays, film, novels, etc). "What exactly does
Ayn Rand's term "Plot-theme" mean? And much more.

In light of our discussion this week I thought it might be helpful to
have everyone attending watch a film beforehand. My recommendation is
"McLintock!" with John Wayne, directed by Andrew V. McLaglen. You of
course do not have to watch this, but it will add to the discussion.
The film can be found streaming on Netflix and possibly other online
locations.

Also, as another optional exercise, I suggest re-watching a favorite
film of yours and summing up the abstract theme in accordance with Ayn
Rand's theory of theme as an abstract summation of the events in a
story.

Again, this is optional.

I hope to see you all on Monday March 21st.

We'll be in our usual location. Just go to the Direction tab to the left.

Also, RSVP on our facebook EVENT

Thanks,
Kirk

Ideas Matter: Ayn Rand's Message To Todays World. a national simulcast event by Dr. Yaron Brook

2011-03-07T21:56:00.000-08:00

What: Ideas Matter: Ayn Rand's Message To Todays World. a national simulcast event by Dr. Yaron Brook the President of the Ayn Rand Institute. There will also be opportunity to ask questions live!

When: Thursday, March 31st 7:00pm

Where: The Auraria Campus.
The Tivoli Building, Room 320 Section C (Baerresen Ballroom)
Click HERE for a parking map.
And click HERE for a general map of the campus. We are in BLDG 7 on the map.

Who: Yaron Brook is president of the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights. He is a columnist at Forbes.com, and his articles have been featured in major publications such as the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Investor’s Business Daily. Dr. Brook is often interviewed on radio and is a frequent guest on a variety of national TV programs. He is co-author of Neoconservatism: An Obituary for an Idea and a contributor to Winning the Unwinnable War: America’s Self-Crippled Response to Islamic Totalitarianism. Dr. Brook, a former finance professor, is an internationally sought after speaker on such topics as the causes of the financial crisis, the morality of capitalism, and U.S. foreign policy.

Dr. Brook was born and raised in Israel. He served as a first sergeant in Israeli military intelligence and earned a BSc in civil engineering from Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel. In 1987 he moved to the United States, where he received his MBA and Ph.D. in finance from the University of Texas at Austin; he became an American citizen in 2003. For seven years he was an award-winning finance professor at Santa Clara University, and in 1998 he cofounded a financial advisory firm, BH Equity Research, of which he is presently managing director and chairman.

DETAILS OF THE TALK:Today's young people face an uncertain world. Unemployment among recent college graduates is at a record high, the United States is still bogged down in two foreign wars, and the wobbling American economy is in danger of deteriorating further once the Baby Boomers retire. Voters Choose between Democrats in one landslide election and Republicans in another, expressing their discontent with each party, and seemingly, their own uncertainty about how America should move forward. Many people wonder: Where are we headed? Will America continue to be the land of opportunity, or are our best days behind us?
Dr. Yaron Brook will argue that the answer to that question depends on what ideas young people accept and fight for. Join Dr. Brook as he goes beyond the headlines, examining the basic ideas that have shaped today's events. And learn why the solution to today's problems lies in rethinking not just our political system, but in abandoning the worship of selfishness.

Next Meeting: Monday March 7th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm

2011-02-28T19:55:00.000-08:00

This next monday we will be covering Ayn Rand's essay "Art and
Cognition," where she describes how art affects us emotionally and
why. In this essay she discusses all of the major forms of art, and
what she considers secondary (though not less important) arts.

Next Meeting: Tuesday February 21st from 6:00pm - 8:00pm "Art and Sense of Life"

2011-02-09T20:44:00.001-08:00

Our last meeting was a great success! On top of discussing the concept of Sense of Life we also analyzed a few classical paintings to gain a sense of how an artist guides a viewer by the concept "important."

At our next meeting we are discussing Ayn Rand's essay "Art and Sense of Life." We'll be discussing the nature of Art and how an artists Sense of Life will determine the type of painting he will create - and how a viewers Sense of Life affects his reaction.

Come join us February 21st at the auraria campus. You can find exact directions on the "Directions" tab to the left.

We'll see you then! And don't forget, we always go out for drinks afterwards and you're more than welcome to join us!

-Kirk

Next Meeting: Tuesday February 7th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm

2011-02-01T21:21:00.000-08:00

Our next meeting is February 7th and we will be covering Ayn Rand's Essay on esthetics "Philosophy and Sense of Life"

You can join in on the discussion whenever you'd like. The essays are available in the book The Romantic Manifesto which can be purchased at any bookstore or online for around $7.

For more information on the topics and our schedule of discussions for the semester click HERE.

Next Meeting: January 31st (monday) 6-8pm

2011-01-25T21:47:00.000-08:00

Have you ever read The Fountainhead or Atlas Shrugged? Have you ever wondered about the Philosophy of Art behind the books? If so join the Auraria Campus Objectivist Club for a bi-weekly discussion starting on January 31st (Monday). We will be discussing Ayn Rand's Esthetics.

We will be covering questions like, what is the nature of art? What is its function or role in human life (i.e., what does art do)? And: why does art have such tremendous psychological power? Among many other questions.

Our first meeting of the Spring semester will be Monday the 31st of January. We will be covering Ayn Rand's essay "The Psycho-Epistemology of Art." It is found in The Romantic Manifesto. Click HERE for purchasing details (it's about $6) and for the Spring semester schedule of topics.

Also, click HERE for directions to our weekly meetings.

Next Meeting: Tuesday November 23rd from 6:00pm - 8:00pm

2010-11-15T20:19:00.000-08:00

This week we will be covering Ayn Rand's essay "What Is Romanticism?"

Romanticism is a category of art based on the recognition of the principle that man possesses the faculty of volition. - Ayn Rand

You can find the readings in the Romantic Manifesto by Ayn Rand or The Ayn Rand Reader pgs 460-477

Next Meeting: Tuesday November 9th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm

2010-10-27T21:59:00.000-07:00

This is a special meeting because we will not be covering an article by Ayn Rand, but one by Alex Epstein. Alex will be speaking on the Auraria Campus on November 8th on his topic: "Vitamin 'O': America's Healthy 'Addiction' to Oil." You can RSVP To that talk by clicking HERE to go to our facebook event page.

The article we will be covering was written by Alex for The Objective Standard and it is entitled: "Vindicating Capitalism: The Real History of the Standard Oil Company.

It is an amazing article that blows away all the myths about Rockefeller as a supposed "Robber Baron."

It is available for free on The Objective Standard website. You can access it by clicking HERE
Also you can click HERE for the audio. The Audio version is somewhat long to listen to, but you can download it and listen to it whenever you want!

This is also a reason I've changed the schedule, we won't be meeting on the 2nd to give you time to look over this article.

Here is a description of the article:
It examines the inception and rise of Standard Oil, demonstrates that the company’s immense success was the result not of so-called “anti-competitive” practices or “predatory pricing” but of its superior efficiency and productivity, and does long-overdo justice to one of the greatest producers of life-serving values in history: John D. Rockefeller

It should make for a great meeting because Alex will be talking about Oil on the 8th. We should have plenty to discuss. Plus I'll be using some of Ari Armstrong's questions from his Liberty On the Books.

Please note the schedule change because I've made the meetings every other week instead of every week. It seemed people were having difficulty coming every time and we had sporadic showings, this should make it easier on everyone.

Thanks all!
I'll see you in a few weeks
-Kirk Barbera

Speaking Event on Campus: "Vitamin 'O': America's Healthy 'Addiction' to Oil" by Alex Epstein

2010-10-19T21:37:00.000-07:00

On Monday, November 8th from 6-8pm Alex Epstein from the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights will give a talk on the Auraria Campus entitled "Vitamin 'O': America's Healthy 'Addiction' to Oil."

It will be held in the Tivoli Student Union room 250- The Turnhalle room

click HERE for a map
We will be in Building 7 - Room 250.

Also, click HERE for a parking map

Here is a description of the talk:
Every day, you use an average of three gallons of oil. This is a very, very good thing. That is the radical message of "Vitamin O," a 30-minute speech by Alex Epstein that defends our so-called addiction to oil as vital to our lives and happiness, and debunks myths associated with our "addiction to oil": that we will run out of oil, that foreign oil causes terrorism and creates dependence, that oil spills and climate change will destroy our environment, and that oil can be replaced by "clean energy."

Following his speech, Mr. Epstein will answer questions on oil and the future of energy—from sustainability to energy independence to climate change.

Here is Alex's Bio:
Alex Epstein is a fellow at the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights, focusing on business issues. He is the author of numerous articles on oil and energy, including, most recently: “Energy at the Speed of Thought: The Original Alternative Energy Industry.” His op-eds have appeared in such publications as the Wall Street Journal, Detroit Free Press, Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Times and Investor’s Business Daily. Epstein is a frequent speaker at universities around the country, a frequent guest on nationally syndicated radio programs, as well as a guest panelist on the popular “Front Page” show on PJTV.com.

Next Meeting: Tuesday October 19th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm

2010-10-14T08:39:00.000-07:00

Our next meeting is on a small portion of John Galt's Speech on Anti-Altruism. At the bottom of this post I explain where you can find this article.

It is often said that we “sacrifice” short-term fun for long-term career ambitions, or “sacrifice” personal enjoyment for the sake of raising beloved children. Actions like these are clearly noble, but do they really involve sacrifice? What is sacrifice, and are there grounds for thinking it is moral? What does the consistent surrender of values really mean for human life and happiness?

In this week’s discussion, we’ll discuss Ayn Rand’s analysis of the code of self-sacrifice, and examine why she regards it as incompatible with genuine moral values and self-esteem.

. . .

“Why is it moral to serve the happiness of others, but not your own? If enjoyment is a value, why is it moral when experienced by others, but immoral when experienced by you? If the sensation of eating a cake is a value, why is it an immoral indulgence in your stomach, but a moral goal for you to achieve in the stomach of others? Why is it immoral for you to desire, but moral for others to do so? Why is it immoral to produce a value and keep it, but moral to give it away? And if it is not moral for you to keep a value, why is it moral for others to accept it? If you are selfless and virtuous when you give it, are they not selfish and vicious when they take it? Does virtue consist of serving vice? Is the moral purpose of those who are good, self-immolation for the sake of those who are evil?
—John Galt in Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, pg. 948

Material to be discussed:
• “Anti-Altruism from Galt’s Speech”
o Pp. 94-102 in *The Ayn Rand Reader*
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0452280400
o or pp 944-951 in *Atlas Shrugged*
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0451191145

Next meeting Topic: The Meaning of Sex, and Of Living Death and Free Pizza!!!

2010-10-05T22:53:00.000-07:00

Our next meeting is Tuesday October 12th from 6-8pm, we will be covering "The Meaning of Sex,' and "Of Living Death."

Where? Auraria Downtown Campus, click HERE for directions

We will also be having a "PIZZA PARTY" afterwards. So come join us for a great discussion and free pizza and drinks! Anyone is welcome! (We will not be going to Old Chicago after the meeting this week, but anyone is welcome to stay after the meeting and enjoy great conversation and Pizza!)

Where to find the readings for this week:
They are both available in The Ayn Rand Reader. And "Of Living Death" is also available as an audio online for free: http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=reg_ar_oflivingdeath

The Meaning of Sex is also found in Atlas Shrugged, it is Francisco's talk to Rearden about the Mind-body relation in regards to sex. This is a very short two and a half page excerpt.

Of Living Death (more explanation below) identifies the connections between the Catholic Church's basic philosophy and its view of sex. This is found in The Ayn Rand Reader or you can listen to a lecture (which is a bit expanded but has a great Q&A session as well) here: http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=reg_ar_oflivingdeath

Overview of what we are covering and why:

To this day virtue is thought of as identical to chastity, and virginity is equated with a kind of moral purity. Many people today do not concern themselves with this kind of virtue or purity, but concede that it *is* virtue or purity.

At this week’s meeting, we will examine Ayn Rand’s essay “On Living Death,” which analyzes a Catholic encyclical calling for believers to abstain from contraceptives and non-procreative sex. Rand argues that it is the premise that sex is base, rather than a moral end in itself, which results in this doctrine and its destructive consequences.

“The motive of the church's doctrine on this issue is . . . psychological: if man is forbidden to regard sexual enjoyment as an end in itself, he will not regard love or his own happiness as an end in itself; if so, then he will not regard his own life as an end in itself; if so, then he will not attain self-esteem.

It is not against the gross, animal, physicalistic theories or uses of sex that the encyclical is directed, but against the spiritual meaning of sex in man's life. . . . It is not directed against casual, mindless promiscuity, but against romantic love.”
—Ayn Rand , “Of Living Death.”

Many of those who oppose abortion rights claim to do so in the name of the “sanctity of life.” By this they mean the life of the fetus, not the life and happiness of the mother. Why do they regard the first kind of life as sacrosanct, but the second as dispensable? How can those who oppose abortion on these grounds also advocate the right to “the pursuit of happiness” for adults?

“This issue is not confined to the Catholic church, and it is deeper than the problem of contraception; it is a moral crisis approaching a climax. The core of the issue is Western civilization’s view of man and of his life. The essence of that view depends on the answer to two interrelated questions: Is man (man the individual) an end in himself?—and: Does man have the right to be happy on this earth?”
—Ayn Rand , “Of Living Death.”

Next Meeting: Tuesday October 5th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm

2010-10-01T23:30:00.000-07:00

This week we will be reading "Roarks Speech" and "Why Selfishness" in the Ayn Rand Reader (pages 71-83). We will be meeting in the same location; building 1020 in 9th street park by Einsteins on the Auraria Campus. If you don't have The Ayn Rand Reader yet, make sure to read atleast Roarks Speech in The Fountainhead.

Roark's Speech:
What is the source of human progress? Do the greatest human achievements come from those who devote their lives to serving others? Conventional wisdom says that they do. Is conventional wisdom correct? And since when do we look to conventions to find wisdom?

This week’s discussion will focus on the climactic courtroom speech by Howard Roark in Ayn Rand’s novel, The Fountainhead, in which Roark breaks with tradition and asserts the primary role of the independent egoist in human history, and his moral right to exist for himself.

“Throughout the centuries there were men who took first steps down new roads armed with nothing but their own vision. Their goals differed, but they all had this in common: that the step was first, the road new, the vision unborrowed, and the response they received—hatred. The great creators—the thinkers, the artists, the scientists, the inventors—stood alone against the men of their time. . . . But the men of unborrowed vision went ahead. They fought, they suffered and they paid. But they won.”
—Ayn Rand , The Fountainhead

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And, Why Selfishness:
We'll also be discussing Ayn Rand’s essay titled “Why ‘Selfishness’?”, in which she explains her choice of the word ‘selfishness’ to denote a virtuous quality.

At the beginning of the article when Ayn Rand is asked why she uses the word selfishness, her response is: “For the reason that makes you afraid of it.” Read this essay and come to this discussion to learn what she means by this.

See you all there!

-Kirk

Next Meeting: Tuesday Sept 28th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm - Philosophy Who Needs It

2010-09-27T01:30:00.000-07:00

The topic for our next meeting this Tuesday is philosophy itself. We are going to discuss Ayn Rand's essay Philosophy: Who Needs It, and the shorter essay Introducing Objectivism.

Philosophy Who Needs It is available as the first essay in the book by the same name, it's also in one of the pamphlets we handed out for free at Fall Fest (by the way, we got a mention in an article about Fall Fest in The Advocate, go Kirk and Yuriy! Here is the link: http://www.ucdadvocate.com/news/fall-fest-brings-students-closer-1.1641727 ). The essay is also available online as an audio at the ARI site: http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=reg_ar_pwni.

The second much shorter essay, Introducing Objectivism, is available at the ARI site as well: http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=objectivism_intro

We are going back to our regular meeting location, building 1020 in the 9th street park by Einsteins which is number 26 on this map: http://www.ahec.edu/campusmaps/AHEC3D.pdf

See you all on Tuesday, and as usual we'll go out for beers and dinner afterward.

Next Meeting: Tuesday Sept 21st from 6:00pm to 8:00pm - Roark and the Dean

2010-09-20T06:50:00.000-07:00

For our next meeting tomorrow (Sept 21st) we will discuss Roark and the Dean, an excerpt from the beginning of The Fountainhead. You can read it on The Ayn Rand Sampler (we have free copies of those), on The Ayn Rand Reader (pages 3-17), or on The Fountainhead itself (pages 15 - 27).

For this week only, our location is going to be the Golda Meir house right next to St Cajetans, it's building number 18 on this map: http://www.ahec.edu/campusmaps/AHEC3D.pdf (note: we normally meet in building 1020 in the 9th street park by Einsteins which is number 26 on the map, it will only be this Tuesday that we are meeting in a different location, and this location is close to where we normally meet.)

We'll meet from 6 to 8, and then we'll go to Old Chicago for dinner/drinks.
See you all tomorrow!

Next Meeting: Sept 14 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm - The Goal of My Writing

2010-09-10T00:18:00.000-07:00

Great turnout for our first meeting this week!

For our second official meeting of the semester, we will be discussing Ayn Rand's essay "The Goal of My Writing". This essay was first published in The Romantic Manifesto, where Ayn Rand presents her theory of aesthetics, but you can also find it in The Ayn Rand Reader, and in the free booklet The Ayn Rand Sampler.

According to the synopsis in the website of the Ayn Rand Institute, in this essay "Rand articulates the goal of her own fiction writing as 'the projection of an ideal man, as an end in itself'—and explains that she originated her philosophy as a means to this end."

Most of the readings for this semester can be found in The Ayn Rand Reader, so it would be a good idea to get it, you can currently get it used from Amazon for about $1.

Next Meeting: September 7th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm

2010-09-04T07:38:00.001-07:00

Our first official meeting will be watching and discussing a short (30 minutes with quick Q&A) video by Dr. Leonard Peikoff entitled "Why Ancient Greece is My Favorite Civilization."

Here's a quick synopsis:
In this heartfelt tribute to Greek culture, Dr. Peikoff names its essential virtue as man-worship. Greece, he says, was the only fully secular civilization in history—the "only conceptual-level culture ever."

This talk offers profoundly original identifications, such as: the significance of the Olympic Games; the Greeks' attitude toward male nudity and toward homosexuality—and its parallels with the Founding Fathers' attitude toward slavery; the difference between the Greek and the Enlightenment views about emotions

Next Meeting: August 31st from 6:00pm - 8:00

2010-08-30T19:12:00.000-07:00

Our first meeting of the semester will be Tuesday the 31st of August. This meeting will primarily be a planning meeting to decide upon the course we will take in studying the ideas of Ayn Rand. Feel free to join and pitch in any ideas. We will have lots of materials to look over and pick from.

click HERE for directions.

It's building 1020 room A. The building is located on the Auraria campus' 9th street park.

See you all there!

Next Meeting: Tuesday June 8th from 6:00pm - 9:00pm

2010-06-03T11:57:00.000-07:00

We will be covering lecture 3. Our room is in North Classroom building room 1316 at 6pm.

Click HERE for the schedule.

Next Meeting: Tuesday June 1st from 6:00pm - 9:00pm

2010-05-26T22:13:00.000-07:00

Our next meeting will be June 1st (Tuesday). We will be listening to Lecture 2 and discussion will follow.

Again, Click HERE for the weekly schedule and details of the lecture.

Click HERE for a map and directions.

If you Have questions e-mail johngalt.ucd@gmail.com

Next Meeting: Tuesday May 25th from 6:00pm - 9:00pm

2010-05-22T13:01:00.000-07:00

Our first meeting for the summer lecture series will Tuesday May 25th on the Auraria Campus. We will meet at the North Classroom (NC) room 1321.

We will be going over Understanding Objectivism. Our first session will begin with a short meeting to help organize the rest of the summer's meetings.

Click HERE for a description of the lecture series.

Click HERE for directions, including a parking map, and a general map of the campus.

We will meet every tuesday at 6pm. But, for now, we don't have one room throughout the entire summer. I am still working on getting one.

e-mail me at johngalt.ucd@gmail.com

Next Meeting: Tuesday April 20th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm (part 3)

2010-04-19T17:11:00.000-07:00

So this will be our last session of the semester. Don't forget we do have our last speaking event next monday the 26th click HERE for more info.

This week we will be finishing The Objectivist Ethics. If you haven't been reading along you may still attend this last meeting!

Also, we will be continuing the club over the summer. We will concentrate on one lecture series (we haven't decided which one yet), although some of us like Leonard Peikoff's "History of Philosophy." Stay tuned for more info.

Heres the information for this last meeting:

Conventional wisdom often holds that we face a dilemma: either we surrender our interests to others or we exploit others. According to this view, there are unavoidable conflicts of interests among people.

In our final discussion on the “virtue of selfishness,” we’ll examine the psychological and social facts Ayn Rand identifies that undermine the inevitability of conflict and sacrifice, and her view of how the rejection of sacrifice supports the establishment of laissez-faire capitalism.

“[J]ust as life is an end in itself, so every living human being is an end in himself, not the means to the ends or the welfare of others—and, therefore, that man must live for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself. To live for his own sake means that the achievement of his own happiness is man's highest moral purpose.”

—Ayn Rand , “The Objectivist Ethics”

Material to be discussed:
http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ari_ayn_rand_the_objectivist_ethics

Next Meeting: Tuesday April 13th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm (part 2)

2010-04-11T09:46:00.000-07:00

This week we will be continuing our three part discussion. We will be
covering Ayn Rand's theoretical article entitled: The Objectivist
Ethics. Click HERE for the link to the full text for free.

And a supplemental audio HERE.

By the way, even if you missed the first one, just read the first 66
paragraphs and you'll be fine.

This will be Part 2 and we will cover paragraphs 34-66 (It will end on
the paragraph that starts like this):

"The Virtue of productiveness is the recognition..."

Here is an intro:

Most people are taught as children that it is wrong to be selfish, and
that living morally means surrendering one’s wealth and time to others
who are in need. In defense of this idea, little more is offered than
that some higher power commands it or that society expects it of us.

In this first discussion, we will ask, with Ayn Rand, whether there is
an alternative source of values, some rational, scientific basis—and
how the idea that selfishness is a vice looks in light of that
alternative basis.

. . .

“No philosopher has given a rational, objectively demonstrable,
scientific answer to the question of why man needs a code of
values. . . .
[M]ost philosophers have now decided to declare that reason has
failed, that ethics is outside the power of reason, that no rational
ethics can ever be defined, and that in the field of ethics . . . man
must be guided by something other than reason. . . .Today, as in the
past, most philosophers agree that the ultimate standard of ethics is
whim . . . and the battle is only over the question or whose whim:
one's own or society's or the dictator's or God's. . . .
If you want to save civilization, it is this premise of modern ethics—
and of all ethical history—that you must challenge.”
—Ayn Rand , “The Objectivist Ethics.”

Next Meeting: Tuesday April 6th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm

2010-04-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

This week we will be starting a three part discussion. We will be covering Ayn Rand's theoretical article entitled: The Objectivist Ethics.

This will be Part 1 and we will cover paragraphs 1-33. (It will end on the paragraph that starts like this: "The higher organisms possess a much more potent form of consciousness: they possess the faculty of retaining sensations, which is the faculty of perception. A “perception” is a group of sensations automatically retained and integrated by the brain of a living organism, which gives it the ability to be aware, not of single stimuli, but of entities, of things."

Here is an intro:

Most people are taught as children that it is wrong to be selfish, and that living morally means surrendering one’s wealth and time to others who are in need. In defense of this idea, little more is offered than that some higher power commands it or that society expects it of us.

In this first discussion, we will ask, with Ayn Rand, whether there is an alternative source of values, some rational, scientific basis—and how the idea that selfishness is a vice looks in light of that alternative basis.

. . .

“No philosopher has given a rational, objectively demonstrable, scientific answer to the question of why man needs a code of values. . . .
[M]ost philosophers have now decided to declare that reason has failed, that ethics is outside the power of reason, that no rational ethics can ever be defined, and that in the field of ethics . . . man must be guided by something other than reason. . . .Today, as in the past, most philosophers agree that the ultimate standard of ethics is whim . . . and the battle is only over the question or whose whim: one's own or society's or the dictator's or God's. . . .
If you want to save civilization, it is this premise of modern ethics—and of all ethical history—that you must challenge.”
—Ayn Rand , “The Objectivist Ethics.”

Our Unwinnable Middle East Wars? A talk By Elan Journo

2010-03-30T22:02:00.000-07:00

Come see Elan Journo Discuss America's war policy in the Middle East. The talk is entitled "Our Unnwinnible Middle East Wars?"

Elan Journo is a fellow at the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights focusing on foreign policy issues. He is the editor of and chief contributor to Winning the Unwinnable War: America's Self-Crippled Response to Islamic Totalitarianism. His articles have appeared in such publications as the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Philadelphia Inquirer, Houston Chronicle, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Chicago Sun-Times, and Orange County Register. Mr. Journo's articles have also been published in major newspapers abroad, including Australia's Herald Sun, Canberra Times and Canada's Globe and Mail. Mr. Journo is also a contributing writer for The Objective Standard, a quarterly journal of culture and politics. Mr. Journo has lectured in college campuses and has given numerous radio interviews on foreign policy and the threat of Islamic totalitarianism. Specialties: Foreign Policy, Foreign Aid, Islamic Terrorism, National Security, Individual Rights

WHEN: Monday, April 26th From 6:00pm - 8:00pm

WHERE: North Classroom (NC) Room 1539 on the Downtown Auraria Campus.

RSVP on our Facebook Event Page

Click HERE for a map of the Auraria Campus and all the parking lots. The Lecture will be in the North Classroom, which on the map is building 3.

WHAT: Below is a description of the event.

The regrouped Taliban and their Islamist allies are waging a fierce comeback in Afghanistan--the launching pad for 9/11--and are actively hatching plots against us. The Islamist regime in Iran--which began an anti-American holy war decades prior to 9/11--appears poised to acquire its own nuclear weapon. Pakistan struggles to fend off Islamist forces seeking to dominate the nuclear-armed state. Many now believe that America's military operation in Afghanistan is unwinnable--even as new threats, from Iran and Pakistan, loom large.

Is there a way out of this seemingly hopeless and worsening mire?

Elan Journo of the Ayn Rand Institute explains that a key problem in U.S. policy since 9/11 has been Washington’s failure to clearly identify the enemy. The Taliban, Al Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Iranian regime are not separate problems to be dealt with piecemeal. They are part of the Islamist movement, the state-supported, ideological enemies whose members share the goal of imposing totalitarian Islamist rule worldwide, and they regard America as a prime enemy. To protect ourselves from the Islamist movement, Mr. Journo argues, requires a thorough understanding of this foe and the willingness to defeat its state supporters. Had we done that after 9/11, we could have ended the Islamist threat years ago--and we still could today. Q&A follows.

Next Meeting: Tuesday March 30th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm

2010-03-26T11:14:00.000-07:00

We will be covering Ayn Rand's Essay "Collectivized Rights." Click HERE for the text.

The Preamble of the UN Charter claims to derive its authority from the “the sovereign equality of all its Members.” Article 51 also speaks of the right to “collective self-defense” of each of its members, as Article 55 speaks of the importance of “respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples.”

Can every nation or people be said to have rights, in the same way that every individual can be said to have rights? Is there a basis for the claim that economic, racial, ethnic, sexual groups enjoy special rights? This week we will discuss Ayn Rand’s essay, “Collectivized Rights,” in which she claims that there are no such rights independent of the rights of individuals.

. . .

“The notion of ‘collective rights’ (that notion that rights belong to groups, not to individuals) mean that ‘rights’ belong to some men, but not to others—that some men have the ‘right’ to dispose of others in any manner they please—and that the criterion of such privileged position consists of numerical superiority.”
—Ayn Rand, “Collectivized Rights.”

Material to be discussed:
• “Collectivized Rights,” pp. 439-45 in *The Ayn Rand Reader*

o Full text online: http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ari_ayn_rand_collectivized_rights

Also, for future meetings you will need to order the book "The Ayn Rand Reader" Which is where many of our future discussions will come from.

click HERE for the link to order the book.

Next Meeting: Tuesday March 16th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm

2010-03-10T22:20:00.000-08:00

This week we will be covering Ayn Rand's essay entitled: Man's Rights.
Below is a description.
Click HERE to download a free copy of the essay.
And HERE Is a supplemental audio file to listen to.

The Declaration of Independence says that “men . . . are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The UN’s Universal Declaration of Human rights declares that “freedom from fear and want” have been “proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people.”

Are rights really God-given, or merely social proclamations? Or is there another source? This week we will discuss Ayn Rand’s essay, “Man’s Rights,” which describes a third possible source. Her view has the distinctive implication that the rights to life, liberty and property are only the rights of an individual to take action in pursuit of one’s interests—not the rights to demand the resources of others.

. . .

“The concept of individual rights is so new in human history that most men have not grasped it fully to this day. In accordance with the two theories of ethics, the mystical or the social, some men assert that rights are a gift of God—others, that rights are a gift of society. But, in fact, the source of rights is man’s nature.”
—Ayn Rand , “Man’s Rights.

Next Meeting: Tuesday March 9th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm

2010-03-03T00:24:00.000-08:00

Our next topic will be on Free Speech. We will watch a one hour panel discussion entitled: Free Speech and the Danish Cartoons. Then we'll have a one hour discussion on it.

The Panelists are:
Dr. Yaron Brook, Executive Director of the Ayn Rand Institute
Dr. Daniel Pipes, Director of Middle East Forum

The Moderator is Dr. Edwin A Locke, Deans Professor Emeritus of Leadership and Motivation. (This is the speaker that was on our campus last wednesday discussing "Christianity vs. Objectivism"

Here is the synopsis of the discussion:

The Danish Cartoons depicting muhammad have sparked worldwide controversy. Death threats and violent protests have sent the cartoonists into hiding and have had the intended effect of stiffling freedom of expression. The reaction to these cartoons raises urgent questions whose significance goes far beyond a set of drawings.

1. What is freedom of speech? Does it include the right to offend?
2. What is the significance of the worldwide Islamic reaction to the cartoons?
3. How should Western governments have responded to this incident?
4. How should the western media have responded?

After the hour panel discussion we will spend an hour discussing the idea of free speech and where it derives it's power from. As well as many of the issues that are raised in this fascinating dissection of an event in our recent history.

Spring Schedule of Topics

2010-02-26T14:36:00.001-08:00

Do you want to learn about Ayn Rand's (the author of Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead) philosophy of art? If so join the Auraria Campus Objectivist club every two weeks to discuss some of her essays on esthetics. (The Spring schedule is at the bottom)

DIRECTIONS: The Auraria Campus Objectivist Club will meet every other Monday from 6pm-8pm on the Auraria Campus. We will be meeting in building 1020 on the 9th street historic park, click HERE for directions.

Every other week we will be covering different selections of Ayn Rand's non-fiction regarding her philosophy of art. If you are interested in discussing the esthetics behind her literature feel free to join us any time. There are no obligations, and you can come and go as you please!

THE BOOK: If you plan on attending there is one book you will need to purchase. The book is called "The Romantic Manifesto." It contains a series of Ayn Rand's essays on esthetics. You can find it for around $6 at any Borders or Barnes and Noble, and most other bookstores. You can also buy it on AMAZON for around $6.

Here is a description of the Book from the Ayn Rand Bookstore where you can also purchase the book:

In this profoundly original presentation of a rational esthetics, Miss Rand holds that the distinguishing characteristic of top rank Romantic writers ". . . (apart from their purely literary genius) is their full commitment to the premise of volition in both of its fundamental areas: in regard to consciousness and to existence, in regard to man's character and to his actions in the physical world. Maintaining a perfect integration of these two aspects, unmatched in the brilliant ingenuity of their plot structures, these writers are enormously concerned with man's soul (i.e., his consciousness).

"They are moralists in the most profound sense of the word; their concern is not merely with values, but specifically with moral values and with the power of moral values in shaping human character. Their characters are 'larger than life,' i.e., they are abstract projections in terms of essentials. In their stories, one will never find action for action's sake, unrelated to moral values."

"The events of their plots are shaped, determined and motivated by the characters' values (or treason to values), by their struggle in pursuit of spiritual goals and by profound value-conflicts."

"Their themes are fundamental, universal, timeless issues of man's existence—and they are the only consistent creators of the rarest attribute of literature: the perfect integration of theme and plot, which they achieve with superlative virtuosity."

"If philosophical significance is the criterion of what is to be taken seriously, then these are the most serious writers in world literature."

A profoundly original presentation of a rational esthetics.

If you have any questions in regards to the club, feel free to e-mail us at johngalt.ucd@gmail.com

Hope to see you at our next meeting!

SPRING SCHEDULE:

1. The Psycho-Epistemology of Art – January 31st.

2. Philosophy and Sense of Life - February 7th

3. Art and Sense of Life - February 21st

4. Art and Cognitioon - March 7th

5. Basic Principles of Literature - March 21st

6. What is Romanticism? - April 4th

7. The Esthetic Vacuum of Our Age - April 18th

8. Bootleg Romanticism - May 2nd

9. Art and Moral Treason - May 16th.

Next Meeting: Tuesday March 2nd from 6:00pm - 8:00pm

2010-02-26T14:32:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday we will watch Dr. Yaron Brook (President of the Ayn Rand Institute) give a talk entitled: "Neoconservatives vs. America: A Critique of U.S. Foreign Policy Since 9/11." The talk is about one hour, and then we will discuss the talk for an hour.

See you all there!

Click HERE for directions to the meeting place.

Next Meeting: Tuesday February 23rd from 6:00pm - 8:00pm

2010-02-17T15:02:00.000-08:00

Session 14: February 23, 2010:
*Part 3: Chapter 3: Anti-Greed

Here are the questions:

*** Chapter 3: Anti-Greed ***
* What is so evil about Dr. Stadler's endorsement of Project X? What
knowledge does he have and what choices does he face during this
unveiling? Why does he choose as he does? What will be the effects
of his endorsement of Project X on his psychology? (816-31)

* What is so striking to Dagny on her return to the world? How does
the contrast of the valley make her see the world in a new light?
(831-3)

* What is the Railroad Unification Plan? How does it function? What
will be its effects? What does it show Dagny about the looters?
(840-3)

* How does Lillian attempt to blackmail Dagny into appearing on
Bertram Scudder's radio program? What does Lillian reveal about her
views and motives in the process? (847-50)

* What does Hank Rearden say to Dagny on her return to the apartment?
What is its meaning and importance? What has Rearden learned since
the night that their affair began? (856-61)

* What is the significance of the title of this chapter?

Next Meeting: Tuesday February 16th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm

2010-02-10T21:45:00.000-08:00

Session 13: February 16, 2010: Pages 752 - 815
*Part 3: Chapter 2: The Utopia of Greed

Here are the questions for next week.

*** Chapter 2: The Utopia of Greed ***

* What kind of lesson is Ragnar attempting to teach the world by his
piracy? Is he right to do so? Why do the other strikers disapprove?
(757-8)

* Why does Dagny want to earn her keep as Galt's cook and maid? What
does the work—and the wages in gold—mean to her? (760-1)

* Why is communication with the outside world from the valley
forbidden during the vacation month? Should Dagny have asked for a
special exception to tell Hank that she is safe? (763-4, 769)

* Why did Francisco go on strike? How was Dagny the final argument
for doing so, even though that meant giving her up? Are his reasons
selfish or selfless? (765-7)

* Why does Francisco accept Dagny's taking Hank as a lover? Why does
he say that she still loves him? In what way does she love him?
(767-8)

* Why and how will Francisco be richer producing one pound of copper
in the valley than in producing tons of copper in the outside world?
What does that say about the value of wealth? (771)

* How are Dagny's feelings for John Galt different from her feelings
for Francisco? Why is the difference important to her? (770)

* Why do Dagny and Galt feel such strong sexual desire for each other—
yet refrain from consummating it? Would it be wrong at this point—and
why? (775-81)

* How are Dr. Akston's three pupils—John, Ragnar, and Francisco—both
normal men and extraordinary? (786) What were the critical points
about their education? (786-90)

* How does Dr. Akston explain the roots of Dr. Stadler's moral decay?
What choices did Stadler face? Where did he choose wrongly? Why is
Stadler the most guilty? How has he made the world in his own image?
(789-91)

* Why must Dagny hear of ever collapse in the outside world if she
stays in the valley? Why would that be unendurable for her? Why does
Galt insist on that so openly? (794)

* Why does Francisco want Dagny to stay with him for the week? Why
does Dagny want Galt to decide? What is the significance of his
decision? What would have been the effects on Dagny, Galt, and
Francisco if Galt decided otherwise? How would that act of self-
sacrifice have been faking reality? (796-8)

* Why does Dagny choose to return to the world? What does she still
have left to learn? (806-7, 811-2)

* What is the significance of the title of this chapter?

Next Meeting: Tuesday February 9th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm

2010-02-05T08:29:00.000-08:00

We are now starting part 3!

Session 12: February 9, 2010: Pages 699 - 751
*Part 3: Chapter 1: Atlantis

Here are the questions:

*** Part 3: Chapter 1: Atlantis ***

What does Dagny see in John Galt on first meeting him? Is it possible
for a person to see that much in another on first meeting? (701-2)

What critical information about Galt does Dagny learn about him on
their way to his house and then at the house? (701-16)

Why does Mulligan's car rent for a rate? Why doesn't Mulligan allow
Galt to use it as a courtesy? (714)

Is it a degradation or a waste for these great industrialists to be
farmers and ordinary workers? Why does Dagny think so? Why don't
they agree? (716-27)

Why is Dagny suprised that Andrew Stockton ruined a competitor? What
does that tell us about the values of the valley? Why do the strikers
regard competition as a positive good? (724-5)

What is Galt's oath? What is its meaning and significance? (731)

What is the essential meaning of and motive for the strike? (738-41)

Why did each of the men at the dinner party go on strike? Were they
justified in doing so? What did each man give up? What did he gain?
How are their stories similar? (741-46)

Next Meeting: Tuesday February 2nd from 6:00pm - 8:00pm

2010-01-26T19:51:00.000-08:00

Questions for our first Atlas Shrugged Reading Group of the semester. Go HERE for the full schedule of readings.

Don't forget we have changed locations, go HERE for details.

Session 11: February 2, 2010: Pages 633 - 697
*Part 2: Chapter 9: The Face without Pain or Fear or Guilt
*Part 2: Chapter 10: The Sign of The Dollar

*** Part 2: Chapter 9: The Face without Pain or Fear or Guilt ***

What is Dagny's state of mind when she returns to work after the
tunnel disaster? How and why has her attitude toward her work
changed? (633-4)

What does the revelation of Hank and Dagny's affair mean to
Francisco? Why does it mean so much to him? Why is there such a
dangerous potential for violence between the two men? (638-9)
Why has Quentin Daniels quit? How is he ready for the strikers? What
has he learned? (644-5)

What is Eddie's response to his discovery that Hank and Dagny are
lovers? Why does he respond that way? What does he discover about
himself? (650, 652-3)

*** Part 2: Chapter 10: The Sign of the Dollar ***

How does Dagny's attitude and response to the train moving and then
stopping differ from her attitude when due to the signal light outage?
(654-6, 672-88, 12-8)

What is the basic story of the 20th Century Motor Company? What is
the moral principle on which it operated? What does the story reveal
about the real-life effects thereof on the company's products,
profits, employees, and community? (660-72)

How does Jeff Allen explain the near-universal support for the scheme
of the 20th Century Motor Company? Is he right or wrong? Why? What
other motives might people have? What were the motives of the Starnes
heirs? (667-8)

What is the response of the passengers to the frozen train? Why is it
so wrong? Is Dagny Taggart running empty trains? (675-7, 678-9)

Christianity vs. Objectivism - A talk by Dr. Edwin Locke

2010-01-24T08:38:00.000-08:00

Come see Dr. Edwin Locke discuss the ethical philosophy behind Objectivism and Christianity. The talk is entitled: Christianity vs. Objectivism: Which is the Proper Philosophy for Living on Earth?

Edwin A. Locke, Ph.D., is Dean's Professor (Emeritus) of Leadership and Motivation at the R.H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park. He received his BA from Harvard in 1960 and his Ph.D. in Industrial Psychology from Cornell University in 1964. He has published over 285 chapters, notes and articles in professional journals, on such subjects as work motivation, job satisfaction, incentives, and the philosophy of science.

WHEN: Wednesday February, 24th 6:00-8:00pm

WHERE: ST. Cajetan's Church, on the downtown Auraria Campus

Click HERE for information on parking and how to get to St. Cajetan's on campus

Click HERE for a virtual tour, it's building 16.

Go to our Facebook page to RSVP

And here is a description of the talk. There will be a Q&A session afterwards with Dr. Locke

Christianity vs. Objectivism: Which is the Proper Philosophy for Living on Earth?

This talk argues that only Objectivism, the philosophy of Ayn Rand, provides a code of morality suitable for living successfully and happily on earth. Objectivism holds that reality is real, that reason is man's only means of knowing it and that one should act in one's own rational self-interest, with rationality being the highest virtue. Life is the objective standard of morality. In contrast, Christianity asserts that reality is governed by supernatural forces, that knowledge is based on faith and that the highest moral virtue is self-sacrifice. It will be shown that Christianity cannot be practiced consistently, destroys the integriity of man's mind, and is incompatible with living successfully and happily in the real world.

Next Meeting: Tuesday January 26th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm

2010-01-21T21:57:00.000-08:00

PLEASE NOTE THERE IS A CHANGE OF LOCATIONS! WE ARE NOW HOLDING OUR MEETINGS IN BUILDING 1020 LOCATED ON CAMPUS IN THE 9TH STREET PARK. GO HERE FOR DIRECTIONS!!!

That said, our next meeting will be January 26th from 6-8 and we will be covering an essay by Ayn Rand entitled: "The Nature of Government" found in the book The Virtue OF Selfishness

If you don't own the book you may read the text here and there is a supplemental audio track if you'd like to listen to that as well, HERE

Please have read atleast the essay, it's not very long. We are using meeting plans developed by other long standing Objectivist campus clubs to help along our discussion and to ensure a thorough study of the essay.

Next Meeting: Tuesday November 17th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm

2009-11-11T00:37:00.000-08:00

This is going to be our last meeting until February 2nd.

Session 10: November 17, 2009: Pages 567 - 632
*Part 2: Chapter 7: The Moratorium on Brains
*Part 2: Chapter 8: By Our Love

*** Chapter 7: The Moratorium on Brains ***

* Who is Clifton Locey? What kind of person is he? (568-9)

* What is Eddie Willers' state of mind while Dagny is at the cabin?
(567-71)

* Section 2: 571

* What is Rearden's view of Ragnar? Why does he feel conflicted about
him? How does he express that in action? (573-84)

* By what principles does Ragnar operate as a pirate? What is his
purpose? Is he just? Is he foolish? What will be the ultimate
effects of his piracy? (575-81)

* What are the causes of the tunnel disaster? How does it depend on
people's choices, including their thinking? (584-607)

* What responsibility to the train passengers bear for the tunnel
disaster? How do their ideas lead to the crash? Do they deserve to
die? (605-7)

*** Chapter 8: By Our Love ***

* What is Dagny's state of mind at the cabin? What dominates her
thoughts? What does she struggle with—and why? (608-12)

* In her conversation with Francisco, what does Dagny think her basic
alternatives? What has she yet to learn? What are the basic points
that Francisco attempts to explain to Dagny? (618-20)

* How does Dagny react to the news of the tunnel disaster? Why does
that drive her to return to the world? (620-2)

* What is Jim Taggart's response to the tunnel disaster? What does
that say about his character and state of mind? (622-7)

Next Meeting: Tuesday November 10th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm

2009-11-07T22:45:00.000-08:00

Session 9: November 10, 2009: Pages 496 - 566
*Part 2: Chapter 5: Account Overdrawn
*Part 2: Chapter 6: Miracle Metal

Chapter 5: Account Overdrawn

* What is the state of the world by February 15th? What are the
causes of the ever-faster decline? How and why are people at the
mercy of nature? How and why do the leaders respond as they do?
(496-501)

* Who is Mr. Weatherby? What is his purpose at the board meeting?
How do the board members treat him? (502-11)

* Why does Dagny refuse to express any opinions about what Taggart
Transcontinental should do? Why does the board want her to kill the
John Galt Line? Why are they unwilling to do it themselves? (506-11)

* Why does Dagny laugh in response to Mr. Weatherby's threat about the
railroad bonds? (510)

* What lesson does Francisco want Dagny to draw from the story of Nat
Taggart's battle to build the railroad? Does she draw that lesson?
What does he learn about her state of mind? (513-5)

* Why do Dagny Taggart and Hank Rearden want to be present at the last
run of the John Galt Line? Are their concerns merely material—or also
somehow spiritual? What does the decaying Marsh factory mean to
Dagny? (518-9)

* Why and how does Jim Taggart recognize that Lillian Rearden is the
more dependent and contemptible of the two of them? Is he right? (524)

* Why is Lillian so shocked and dismayed to discover that Dagny
Taggart is Hank Rearden's mistress? What does she grasp about its
significance? Why does she insist that he give her up? Why does he
refuse? (526-9)

Chapter 6: Miracle Metal

* What does this meeting between Mouch, Lawson, Taggart, Thompson,
Boyle, and Ferris reveal about these men? How are they different from
one another? How are they the same? (532-49)

* What is the content of Directive 10-289? What is the purpose and
likely effects of each point? Why is it so evil? (538-9)

* Why does Dagny resign immediately in response to Directive 10-289?
Why can't Eddie Willers follow, even thought he wants to do so? (552-3)

* Why does Tom Colby refuse to work under Directive 10-289? Why does
the Wet Nurse want to help Rearden to break the law? What has the Wet
Nurse learned since he began working for Rearden? More generally,
what is the response to the Directive at Rearden's mills? What is its
significance? (554-6)

* What does Rearden learn about himself and the looters in his
conversation with Dr. Ferris about the Gift Certificate? (559-66)

* Why does Rearden choose to sign the Gift Certificate? Is he right
to do so? Why or why not? (565-6)

Next Meeting: Tuesday November 3rd from 6:00pm - 8:00pm

2009-10-27T22:15:00.000-07:00

Here are the questions for next Tuesday. We will be finishing chapter 3 of part 2 and chapter 4.

Session 8: November 3, 2009: Pages 438 - 495
*Part 2: Chapter 3: White Blackmail (B)
*Part 2: Chapter 4: The Sanction of the Victim

*Part 2: Chapter 3: White Blackmail (B)

* How is Dannager changed when Dagny meets him? Does she have any
chance of reversing his decision? (443-7)

* What are Francisco's accusations of Rearden's (innocent) moral
crimes? Are they right? (451-5)

* Why does Francisco respond the way that he does to the break-out at
the mills? Why can't he continue his conversation with Hank after that? (456-60)

* What is the significance of the title of this chapter?

*** Chapter 4: The Sanction of the Victim ***

* How has Rearden's attitude toward and treatment of his family
changed since we first met them? How has it remained the same?
(461-71)

* How does Rearden's family react to the prospect of him going to
jail? Why does each person react as he/she does? (462-3)

* How and why does Hank have a more meaningful Thanksgiving with Dagny
than with his family? (474-5)

* What is Rearden's basic strategy in the trial? How is he acting on
his newly-discovered knowledge of the sanction of the victim? How do
the judges respond? What does it reveal about the nature of the
political system? To what extent is he successful? (476-82)

* Why does Hank want to talk to Francisco about Francisco's apparent
pursuit of mindless pleasures, particularly sex? Why is that topic of
personal importance to Hank? What does Hank learn from the
discussion? (489-93)

* What is the significance of the title of this chapter?

2009-10-22T21:21:00.000-07:00

Here are the questions for this next week's meeting, remember we are now meeting from 6:00pm - 8:00pm, we are still meeting in the Arts Building room AR298.

Session 7: October 27, 2009: Pages 379 - 438
*Part 2: Chapter 2: The Aristocracy of Pull
*Part 2: Chapter 3: White Blackmail (A)

*** Chapter 2: The Aristocracy of Pull ***
* How is the state of the world different on this September 2nd than
on that of one year earlier, when the novel began?(379-80)

* Why is Lillian determined to go to James Taggart's wedding with
Hank? Why does Hank want to do anything but that? (385)

* What is the significance of the manner of Jim's courtship of
Cherryl? Why and how is she pained by it? What does Jim seek and
gain from Cherryl? What does she think she gives him? What does she
want from him? (387-92)

* Why does Lillian bring Hank as a present for Jim Taggart? What does
she reveal about her aims with respect to her husband? What is the
non-material recompense that Lillian wants? (398-400)

* What is Francisco's response to the claims that "money is the root
of all evil" and that "love of money is the root of all evil"? What
are Francisco's basic points? How does he connect money with
production and man's mind? How is money only a tool? Why is the only
alternative to money brute force? How have the principles discussed
by Francisco in this speech been dramatized by the events of the novel
so far? (410-5)

* Why does Francisco want Rearden to see the panic of the looters?
Why are they so panicked? Is it merely the financial loss or
something deeper? (421-2)

* What is the significance of the title of this chapter?

*** Chapter 3: White Blackmail (A) ***

* Why does Hank ask Dagny now about her prior lover? Why does that
show that he has never accepted Dagny's sexual desire for him? (426-7)

* Why did Lillian suspect Hank of having an affair? Why is she
certain that his mistress must be a low person? What does that reveal
about her? Why doesn't she ask him to give up the affair? Why won't
she grant him a divorce? Why does she want to make him feel guilty?
What kind of man does she wish to make him? (428-32)

* What is Dr. Ferris' manner of dealing with Rearden? What kind of
agreement is Ferris hoping to reach with Rearden? What does Rearden
learn in his conversation with Ferris? (432-7)

The Real Goal of the Green Climate Crusade - A speech by Dr. Keith Lockitch

2009-10-16T22:10:00.000-07:00

Come see Dr. Keith Lockitch of the Ayn Rand center give a speech on what the green climate crusade is really about.

When: Wednesday November 18th 6:30-8:30pm
Where: Tivoli (room 250) Turnhale on the Auraria Campus; Denver Colorado

Tivoli Student Union 900 Auraria Parkway Denver, CO 80204 303-534-2003

click HERE for a website to help you find parking and any other information on how to get
to the Tivoli.

And click HERE for s a link showing exactly which room the event will be held in, and it includes a virtual tour.

Go HERE for the facebook event page.

The Real Goal of the Green Climate Crusade

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. Keith Lockitch will address these important issues and answer audience questions.

Next Meeting: Tuesday October 20th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm

2009-10-13T22:15:00.000-07:00

Here are the questions for this next week's meeting, remember we are now meeting from 6:00pm - 8:00pm, we are still meeting in the Arts Building room AR298.

Session 6: October 20, 2009: Pages 309 - 378
*Part 1: Chapter 10: Wyatt's Torch (B)
*Part 2: Chapter 1: The Man Who Belgonged on Earth

Chapter 10: Wyatt's Torch (B)
* What do we discover about Eugene Lawson in the course of his conversation with Dagny Taggart? What did he seek and gain from the needy people to whom he granted loans, if not wealth? (309-13)

* What is the fundamental moral difference between Lee Hunsacker and Midas Mulligan? (313-21)

* What was the basic scheme for the Twentieth Century Motor Company implemented by the Starnes heirs? Why does Dagny think that it is pure evil? (323)

* What is the Fair Share Law? What is its basic premise? Why was it passed? (333) How will it kill Colorado?

Chapter 1: The Man Who Belonged on Earth

* Why won't Stadler publicly denounce the book or demand its retraction? What does that indicate about him? Is it worse than what he permitted to happen with Rearden Metal? (348)

* What is the effect of the Fair Share Law on Taggart Transcontinental? Why is Taggart Transcontinental making more money than ever? What is Jim's response? (352)

* Why does Dagny feel greater revulsion at Dr. Stadler than Jim or Orren Boyle? (353) Is he worse than the others? Why of why not?

* Why does Rearden refuse to sell any Rearden Metal to the State Science Institute? (360, 365-6)

* What kind of change have we seen in Hank's view of and relationship with Dagny? (367-8) Why does Dagny think that she can help Hank win his deliverance from guilt, but that she cannot do so by words? (367)

Next Meeting: Tuesday October 13th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm

2009-10-06T21:26:00.000-07:00

Here are the questions for this next week's meeting, remember we are now meeting from 6:00pm - 8:00pm, we are still meeting in the Arts Building room AR298.

Also remember that the pages here are using the 35th anniversary edition of Atlas Shrugged.
Just keep in mind we are going from Chapter 9 in Part 1 to half way into chapter 10 "Wyatt's Toarch"

Session 5: October 13, 2009: Pages 253 - 309
*Part 1: Chapter 9: The Sacred and the Profane
*Part 1: Chapter 10: Wyatt's Torch (A)

Chapter 9: The Sacred and the Profane

* Why does Hank say what he says to Dagny the morning after their first sexual encounter? Why does Dagny's reaction change as she listens to him? Why does she say what she says in response? (254-6)

* What kind of person is Cherryl Brooks? How and why does Cherryl misunderstand Jim Taggart's character? What does she think of what he says? Why doesn't she see the truth about him? (257-67)

* What does Mr. Mowen reveal about his character in conversation with the worker (Owen Kellogg)? Has he changed since we first met him—and if so, in what way? (270-3)

* Why does Hank presume that his invitation to speak at the National Council of Metal Industries is a peace offering? (275) How is he wrong? Why does Dagny think him (too) generous? (274-6)

* Why does Hank want Dagny to go on a vacation with him? Why does he want her to wear the bracelet of Rearden Metal? How has his attitude changed since their first night together? Why would anyone guessing their affair be worse for him than for her? (278-9)

* While driving on vacation, why do Dagny and Hank long to see a billboard, rather than just untouched nature? What does that billboard (and the people who despise billboards) represent to them? (280)

* Why is Dagny so excited to discover the motor? What disturbs Hank about the discovery? What is the importance of the creation of the motor and the significance of it being abandoned? (287-90)

* What is the significance of the title of this chaper:

Chapter 10: Wyatt's Torch (A)

* What kind of person is Mayor Bascom of Rome? (294-8)

* How has Dagny protected Jim from the consequences of his Anti-dog- eat-dog Rule? Did she see that so clearly at the time? Why does she feel a chill on thinking that self-interest is not Jim's motive? What is the alternative? (300)

* Why does Rearden's purchasing manager say that a person is either good at the mills or in Washington? What does he mean? What are the two different skill sets? Why are they incompatible? How have we seen that dramatized in earlier chapters? (303)

* What does Lillian reveal about herself and her values in her conversation with Rearden? How does Rearden give Lillian more credit than she deserves? What does she deserve? What are her motives? (304-9)

Next Meeting: Tuesday October 6th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm

2009-10-03T16:29:00.000-07:00

Here are the questions for this next week's meeting, remember we are now meeting from 6:00pm - 8:00pm, we are still meeting in the Arts Building room AR298.

Session 4: October 6, 2009: Pages 185 - 252
*Part 1: Chapter 7: The Exploiters and the Exploited (B)
*Part 1: Chapter 8: The John Galt Line

Chapter Seven: The Exploiters and the Exploited (B)

Section 5: 185-92 * What is Dr. Stadler's basic modus operandi? What motivates him to act as he does? How does he view other people?

Section 6: 192-7 * Why does Dagny choose to take on the burden of completing the Rio Norte Line alone? What are the basic terms of the deal she offers Jim? Is the deal just or not? (193-5)

Section 7: 201-5 * What does Rearden reveal about his feelings for Dagny when she suggests that he has only ever thought of her as a man? Why does Dagny think that of him? Why does Hank think of his feelings for Dagny as a betrayal of her? (204-5)

Section 8: 205-216 * What is the basic moral difference between the request of Mrs. Rearden and the request of Mr. Ward to Hank Rearden? Why does Hank refuse the former yet work hard to satisfy the latter? (206-213) *

What is Rearden's response the passage of the Equalization of Opportunity Bill? Why does he react as he does? What does that show about his values? (212-6)

General: * What is the significance of the title of this chapter?

Chapter Eight: The John Galt Line

Section 1: 217-8 * Why does Eddie feel like a stooge for Jim Taggart? In what way is that feeling right? (218)

Section 2: 219-21 * What does Dagny's longing for "a consciousness like her own" reveal about her romantic ideal? Why doesn't Francisco or Hank satisfy that longing? (220)

Section 2: 221-7 * How does Rearden's sale of his ore mines to Paul Larkin differ from his sale of his coal mines to Ken Dannager? What do these transactions reveal about each man? (221-4)

Section 3: 227-33 * What kind of game is the delegate of the Union of Locomotive Engineers attempting to play with Dagny? How does she block it? (231-2)

Section 4: 233-6 * What does Rearden's claim that he will earn enormous profits yet benefit the public with his metal reveal about his view of harmony of interests? (235)

Section 5: 236-9 * How is the opening of the John Galt Line a true celebration for Dagny -- unlike her debut ball as a young woman? (236-9)

Section 6: 239-242 * Why do many people come to witness the first run of the John Galt Line? What does it mean to them? (242-3)

* What permits Hank Rearden to express his desire for Dagny? Why is their sex so violent? (250-2)

* What is Dagny's motivation for the affair with Hank? Why do Dagny and Hank feel such an intense desire for each other? (251)

General: * What is the significance of the title of this chapter?

Next Meeting: September 29th from 6:00pm - 7:30

2009-09-23T09:55:00.000-07:00

In this next meeting we will be covering: Pages 127 - 185
*Part 1: Chapter 6: The Non-Commercial
*Part 1: Chapter 7: The Exploiters and the Exploited (A)

As usual we will be meeting in the Arts Building room AR298
Feel free to e-mail me any questions or ideas at johngalt.ucd@gmail.com

Here are some discussion questions we will be using:

Chapter 6: The Non-Commercial

Section 1 (127-57) * What is the Equalization of Opportunity Bill? What is its analog in today's laws? Why is it so unjust? Why can't Rearden take it seriously? (130)

* What kind of philosophy does Dr. Prichett espouse? How do his comments about the nature of man and about standards relate to his support for the Equalization of Opportunity Bill? (131-3)

* Why is Dagny disappointed with Hank's response to her at the party? Why does he respond the way that he does? (137-8, 149-51)

* Why is Rearden so angry at the presence of Bertram Scudder? Why does Lillian respond the way that she does to his anger? Why did she invite Scudder? (139)

* Why does Rearden actively hate Francisco D'Anconia, whereas he cannot think much about Bertram Scudder? (140)

* How does Francisco explain the failure of the San Sebastián Mines to Jim? What kind of moral principles did Francisco adhere to in building the mine? (143)

* How does Hank Rearden reveal his view of the world in his conversation with Francisco D'Anconia? What is the difference in their basic outlooks? Why does Francisco warn Hank against the sin of forgiveness? (145-9)

* Why does Dagny want the bracelet of Readen Metal from Lillian? Why does Lillian trade it with her? Why does Hank respond the way that he does? (155-7)

Section 2 (157-61)

* What is Lillian's view of sex? Why does it torture Hank? Is he right or wrong to accept that torture? (158-60)

* Why does Hank now find it impossible to have sex with Lillian? What has changed for him? (160)

General: * What is the significance of the title of this chapter?

Chapter Seven: The Exploiters and the Exploited (A)

Section 1: 162-72
* How are the interests of all the producers in harmony, even though competitors? Why do they help each other? (163, 165-6, 168-9)

Section 2: 172-8
* What do Jim Taggart and Dagny Taggart focus on in their car ride to the New York Business Council? What does that tell us about their ideas and values? (172-5)

* Why does Dagny refuse to debate the question "Is Rearden Metal a lethal product of greed?" )175)

Section 3: 178-82
* What is the fundamental difference in manner between Hank Rearden and Dr. Potter of the State Science Institute? How is Dr. Potter like James Taggart? Why does Rearden refuse to sell Rearden Metal? (178-82)

Section 4: 182-5
* Why is the State Science Institute's statement on Rearden Metal so unjust? If Rearden Metal is good, why can't the statement be refuted? (183-5)

Next Meeting: September 22nd from 6:00pm - 7:30

2009-09-22T11:49:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday we will be coversing Part 1 chapters 4 and 5 (pages 64 -126)
Go here to read the full schedule:
http://aurariacampusobjectivists.blogspot.com/search/label/Atlas%20Shrugged%20Reading%20Group%20schedule%20and%20details

Don't forget we are now in the Arts Building in room AR298, here is the link to our directions:
Here are a few of the discussion questions we will be going over:
http://aurariacampusobjectivists.blogspot.com/2009/08/weekly-discussion-group-meetings.html

Chapter 4: Immovable Movers

*Why would Mcnamara quit when he has everything going for him?

*What is revealed about Jim & Betty’s character the morning after they sleep together? What moves Jim?

*What is the purpose of the National Alliance of Railroads? Anti dog-eat-dog?

* What does Jim's reaction to the San Sebastián nationalization tell us about his character? Is Dagny right to think that Jim can only draw one conclusion from the debacle? Has she defeated Jim?

* Why does Dagny Taggart want Dan Conway to fight the Anti-Dog-Eat-Dog Rule? At what point does she realize that her attempt is futile? Why? What has actually defeated him?

* How does the conversation between Hank and Dagny differ from the earlier meeting between Jim, Orren, et al?

* What is the significance of the title of this chapter?

Chapter 5: The Climax of the D'Anconias

*What could Jim’s “New Weapon” be?

* What does Francisco mean when he says that the only real aristocracy is the aristocracy of money? Is he right?

* How did Francisco manage to swindle Jim and his friends? How did that amount to tearing the lid off of hell?

* What is the significance of the title of this chapter?

If you have any questions regarding the ASRG make sure you sign up for our google group here: http://groups.google.com/group/ucd-objectivist?hl=en

Also, if you are interested in learning more about objectivism in a seperate meeting (tuesday 7:30-9:00pm) e-mail me at johngalt.ucd@gmail.com

Next Meeting: September 15th from 6:00pm - 7:30

2009-09-11T12:08:00.001-07:00

This will be the first Atlas Shrugged Reading Group discussion. We will discuss the first three chapters: Session 1: September 15th 2009: pages 1-63*Part 1: Chapter 1: The Theme*Part 1: Chapter 2: The Chain*Part 1: Chapter 3: The Top and the Bottom

Don't forget to look at the new directions, we are now in the Arts Building room AR298
here is a link to the page with directions: http://aurariacampusobjectivists.blogspot.com/2009/08/weekly-discussion-group-meetings.html

Here are some of the questions we will be going over in our discussion group:

Chapter 1: The Theme

* What is the state of the world in the opening scenes of Atlas? How does AR convey that? How is the world of Atlas similar to and different from the world of today?

* What does Jim Taggart reveal about his character in his conversation with Dagny about ordering rail from Hank Rearden? Why does he dislike Rearden so much? What are his worries about Rearden Metal? Are those right?

* What is Dagny's attitude toward's Jim's hatred of Rearden? What does that indicate about her character?

* What is the significance of the title of this chapter?

Chapter 2: The Chain

* Why does Rearden reject the idea of anyone else giving him the spark necessary to continue his work? How does that contrast with Eddie Willers?

* When Hank returns home after pouring his first heat of Rearden Metal, what does he want from his family? What does he get instead? Why? What is his response?

* Does Hank have an obligation to support his family? Does he owe them any affection or attention? Why or why not?

* What is the significance of the title of this chapter?

Chapter 3: The Top and the Bottom

* Orren Boyle claims to be a defender free markets (45)? Is that right? Is the only justification for private property the public interest, as he claims? How is he like some businessmen today?

* What do Jim and others gain by claiming the mantle of public good? Is it just material wealth — or something more? Why do they proclaim the necessity of sacrifice of some people to others (47-48)?

* What is Dagny's experience in her rise to her present position? What were the obstacles in her path? Why was she so frustrated by the experience? What does she want from her fellow men? Why?

* What is the significance of the title of this chapter?

Next Meeting: September 8th from 6:00 - 7:30PM

2009-09-06T12:05:00.001-07:00

In the next meeting we will be discussing Ayn Rand's Speech to the graduates of West Point entitled: Philosophy: Who Needs it?

Many people think of philosophy as a study solely in the purview of intellectuals who wear robes and sit in ivory towers—as superfluous to the everyday life of most men. Is this true? In this meeting we will discuss whether you need philosophy and whether it can benefit your life, regardless of whether you plan to be an academic or a salesman.

Having established why we all need philosophy, we will briefly discuss Ayn Rand’s own philosophy, Objectivism, which she presented as a “philosophy for living a good life.”

“A philosophic system is an integrated view of existence. As a human being, you have no choice about the fact that you need a philosophy. Your only choice is whether you define your philosophy by a conscious, rational, disciplined process of thought and scrupulously logical deliberation—or let your subconscious accumulate a junk heap of unwarranted conclusions, false generalizations, undefined contradictions, undigested slogans, unidentified wishes, doubts and fears, thrown together by chance, but integrated by your subconscious into a kind of mongrel philosophy and fused into a single, solid weight: self-doubt, like a ball and chain in the place where your mind's wings should have grown.”
—Ayn Rand , “Philosophy: Who Needs It.”

Materials to be Discussed:

1) Philosophy: Who Needs it?

*Full text of the Essay is online here: http://gos.sbc.edu/r/rand.html

*Or listen to it online here: http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=reg_ar_pwni

2) Introducing Objectivism

*Text found here: http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=objectivism_intro

*Audio found here: http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=reg_ar_introducing

FOR DIRECTIONS TO THE MEETING JOIN OUR GOOGLE GROUP HERE

Atlas Shrugged Reading Group schedule and details

2009-09-06T11:27:00.000-07:00

The Auraria Campus Objectivists hold weekly Atlas Shrugged discussion groups on the Auraria campus every tuesday from 6:00-7:30pm. For more information regarding directions go HERE.

WHY READ ATLAS SHRUGGED?

As millions of readers have discovered, Atlas Shrugged is precisely the kind of novel you cannot put down.

Atlas Shrugged sweeps the reader into its own world of larger-than-life characters—including the productive genius who becomes a worthless playboy and the great industrialist who doesn’t know that he is working for his own destruction. The story is a mystery about a man who said that he would stop the motor of the world—and did. Society disintegrates, food shortages spark riots, factories shutdown by the hundreds. Is this man a vicious destroyer—or the greatest of liberators? What is the motor of the world? What is required to restart it?

The parrallels of the book to the world of America today are astounding, and have led to record breaking sales for Atlas Shrugged since it's debut in 1957

There is also a scholarship for an essay contest of winnings up to $10,000 for this book!

JOIN THE DENVER ATLAS SHRUGGED READING GROUP LIST

The specific room will be announced at the outset of every week, and so you must be on the google group's mailing list. We will meet in the Tivoli Student Union on the Auraria Campus. To become a member of the google group click HERE or e-mail johngalt.ucd@gmail.com and request to be placed in the group.

MEMBERSHIP STANDARDS AND RULES

Participants can be anyone with a serious interest in reading the book and discussing with others. It is not necessary to have read the book before, but it does help if you have read it.

There will be certain rules discussed at the beginning of each meeting. Namely, no one will be allowed to interupt others, one person talking at a time. And we will not tolerate any ad hominem attacks on group members. These talks must be kept curteous and respectful or the infringing person shall be asked to leave. We wish to openly and safely discuss Atlas Shrugged, and bad behavior will not be tolerated.

SCHEDULE OF READINGS

The following schedule is using the 25th Anniversary Edition of Atlas Shrugged

Session 1: September 15th 2009: pages 1-63
*Part 1: Chapter 1: The Theme
*Part 1: Chapter 2: The Chain
*Part 1: Chapter 3: The Top and the Bottom

Session 2: September 22, 2009: Pages 64 - 126
*Part 1: Chapter 4: The Immovable Movers
*Part 1: Chapter 5: The Climax of the D'Anconias

Session 3: September 29, 2009: Pages 127 - 185
*Part 1: Chapter 6: The Non-Commercial
*Part 1: Chapter 7: The Exploiters and the Exploited (A)

Session 4: October 6, 2009: Pages 185 - 252
*Part 1: Chapter 7: The Exploiters and the Exploited (B)
*Part 1: Chapter 8: The John Galt Line

Session 5: October 13, 2009: Pages 253 - 309
*Part 1: Chapter 9: The Sacred and the Profane
*Part 1: Chapter 10: Wyatt's Torch (A)

Session 6: October 20, 2009: Pages 309 - 378
*Part 1: Chapter 10: Wyatt's Torch (B)
*Part 2: Chapter 1: The Man Who Belgonged on Earth

Session 7: October 27, 2009: Pages 379 - 438
*Part 2: Chapter 2: The Aristocracy of Pull
*Part 2: Chapter 3: White Blackmail (A)

Session 8: November 3, 2009: Pages 438 - 495
*Part 2: Chapter 3: White Blackmail (B)
*Part 2: Chapter 4: The Sanction of the Victim

Session 9: November 10, 2009: Pages 496 - 566
*Part 2: Chapter 5: Account Overdrawn
*Part 2: Chapter 6: Miracle Metal

Session 10: November 17, 2009: Pages 567 - 632
*Part 2: Chapter 7: The Moratorium on Brains
*Part 2: Chapter 8: By Our Love

November 24, 2009 - January 26, 2010: Winter Break

Session 11: February 2, 2010: Pages 633 - 697
*Part 2: Chapter 9: The Face without Pain or Fear or Guilt
*Part 2: Chapter 10: The Sign of The Dollar

Session 12: February 9, 2010: Pages 699 - 751
*Part 3: Chapter 1: Atlantis

Session 13: February 16, 2010: Pages 752 - 815
*Part 3: Chapter 2: The Utopia of Greed

Session 14: February 23, 2010: Pages 816 - 863
*Part 3: Chapter 3: Anti-Greed

Session 15: March 2, 2010: Pages 864 - 936
*Part 3: Chapter 4: Anti-Life
*Part 3: Chapter 5: Their Brothers Keeper (A)

Session 16: March 9, 2010: pages 936 - 999
*Part 3: Chapter 5: Their Brothers Keeper (B)
*Part 3: Chapter 6: The Concerto of Deliverance

Session 17: March 16, 2010: Pages 1000-1069
*Part 3: Chapter 7: This is John Galt Speaking (A)

March 23, 2010: Spring Break

Session 18: March 30, 2010: Pages 1000 - 1069
*Part 3: Chapter 7: This is John galt Speaking (B)

Session 19: April 6, 2010: pages 1070 - 1125
*Part 3: Chapter 8: The Egoist

Session 20: April 13, 2010: Pages 1126 - 1168
*Part 3: Chapter 9: The Generator
*Part 3: Chapter 10: In the Name of the Best Within Us

Craig Biddle Talk on Auraria Campus: "Capitalism: The only Moral Social System

2009-08-29T13:01:00.000-07:00

Come see Craig Biddle speak at the Auraria Campus about Capitalism and it's moral importance.

THE TALK:

Capitalism: The Only Moral Social System

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

Craig Biddle is an Ayn Rand Intellectual and Editor of The Objective Standard
Find out more about him on his website: craigbiddle.com

WHEN: September 21st from 7:00PM - 9:00PM

WHERE: Tivoli (room 250) Turnhale on the Auraria Campus

Tivoli Student Union 900 Auraria Parkway Denver, CO 80204 303-534-2003

Here is a website to help you find parking and any other information on how to get to the Tivoli: http://www.ahec.edu/parking/index.htm

And this is a link showing exactly which room the event will be held in, and it includes a virtual tour: http://www.tivoli.org/eventservices/turnhalle.html

Next Meeting: September 1st from 6:00PM - 7:30PM

2009-08-28T23:41:00.001-07:00

Come join us for a viewing of Dr. Onkar Ghate's speech on "Atlas Shrugged" entitled: "Atlas Shrugged - America's Second Declaration of Independence." With a discussion to follow. (See below for description of the speech)

"In 1776 Thomas Jefferson announced to the world America's plans for independence. For the first time in history, there was to be a nation and a government dedicated to the individual's rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But from inception, and from both within and without, the ideals of the new nation were under attack.

Without a full justification of an individual's moral right to pursue his own life and happiness - not serve his neighbors, God or country - the nation was vulnerable, and its founding principles were slowly chipped away. In 1957 the missing justification came with the publication of "Atlas Shrugged." On this, the book's 50th anniversary, Dr. Onkar Ghate, Senior fellow at the Ayn Rand Institute (ARI), examines the moral revolution launched by Ayn Rand, without which the political revolution of the Founding Fathers had to remain incomplete. He shows what this moral revolution has meant for America so far, and what it promises for the future. Dr. Ghate show why "Atlas Shrugged" should be considered America's second Declaration of Independence - a declaration not of political but of moral independence."

Weekly Discussion Group Meetings (Directions)

2009-08-24T22:10:00.001-07:00

We meet every Monday from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm on campus

The Meetings will be announced weekly on our google group, join HERE.

We will be meeting in Building 1020 which is in 9th street park by Einsteins. on THIS map we are in the 9th street historic park number 26.

If you have any questions on how to get to the room e-mail me at johngalt.ucd@gmail.com