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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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)