Fifteenth Summer Seminar to Be Held in Vancouver

From July 3 through July 9, The University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada will host the fifteenth annual TOC summer seminar. Attendees will experience a rich week of courses, lectures, workshops, and performances. But, as always, the seminar will offer much more.

The foundation of the seminar is a strong program of fifty-eight lectures, presented by an outstanding faculty. The program includes major figures in the Objectivist movement: David Kelley, Nathaniel Branden, Robert Bidinotto, and Lindsay Perigo. Also delivering talks will be leading scholars of Objectivism: Stephen Hicks, Eric Mack, Douglas Rasmussen, and Tibor Machan. Headliners from the fight for economic and political freedom will be present as well: Ed Hudgins of TOC and Cato, Sam Kazman of CEI, Robert Poole of Reason Foundation, and Michael Walker of the Fraser Institute. And there will be leaders from the movement for an artistic renaissance: Michael Newberry and Alexandra York. The seminar will include presentations on political, ethical, and cultural topics; practical workshops in psychology, nutrition, acting, and even physical fitness; as well as enriching lectures on the arts—all brought together in a program based in Objectivism and its core values of reason, individualism, achievement, and freedom.

Every year, the seminar provides a first-class Objectivist education in an informal setting. Most of the faculty stay for the week to discuss their ideas over dinner or late into the night in the common room. As Michael Huemer, a faculty member from the University of Colorado, has stated, "It's the best vacation I can think of. The seminar is filled with intelligent, intellectual people dedicated to thinking and reasoning about important ideas. It's the most interesting philosophy conference in the world."

But, as noted, the program is only one aspect of the seminar. It is the people attending who have always made the conference such a rewarding experience. Colleen Briscoe, of Hillsdale, New Jersey, said, "I think the key to all of this is that this group consists of a lot of highly talented, smart, sociable people who have a positive vision of their own lives and the society in which they want to live. It is the quality of the people that makes this group." Last year the seminar drew people from thirty-three American states and seven foreign countries; the participants ranged in age from high-school students to retirees and represented a vast spectrum of professions. To make it easy for people to get to know each other, the center hosts a reception for first-time attendees and then an opening-day picnic. Every night, the common room is open into the small hours for conversation and debate. And the conference ends with a gala banquet with dinner and dancing.

There will be plenty of time for socializing, entertainment, and recreation, both on campus and throughout the surrounding area. Vancouver is a city with unmatched opportunities for exploring the outdoors. One can rock climb, hang-glide off a mountaintop, or dare white-water rivers on a raft. Within the city limits, Vancouver offers world-class concerts, plays, museums, and galleries. There are four-star restaurants, quaint coffeehouses, pubs, and comedy clubs.

Discover what has made The Objectivist Center's annual summer seminar a "must" for hundreds of admirers of Ayn Rand and her ideas. Enjoy a summer vacation unlike any other. Join The Objectivist Center on July 3 in Vancouver - the "Atlantis" of the Pacific-for a thrilling week of ideas and inspiration, fun and fellowship.

The full program can be found in the seminar brochure, which will be mailed and posted on TOC's Web site in early February.