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Individualism: The Once and Future Reign of an Ideal
The Objectivist Center
October 14-15, 2000
Marriott Marquis Hotel, Times Square
New York City
"Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness..."
The American creed of individualism was historically unique. From the
dawn of human society, the individual was an expendable member of his
family, tribe, race, or nation. But America was the first nation to regard
individual life as the highest value, and to subordinate collective might
to individual rights.
The result? A society unprecedented in personal freedom, opportunities,
creativity, and wealth.
Yet many commentators declare that individualism has become a
destructive social force. That the pursuit of personal happiness has led
to self-indulgence and irresponsibility. That unfettered freedom has
produced social atomization and alienation. That individualism fails to
address the needs of families, businesses, and cultural institutions. That
social cohesion requires us to limit personal choice, privacy, and
liberty.
Is individualism truly dead?
Or is it a living and evolving creed, still relevant in our time?
The answers to these questions will define America's future.
This fall, The Objectivist Center invites you to an important
conference where distinguished thinkers challenge conventional wisdom, and
advance a new philosophical vision for the new millennium.
The Objectivist Center is now internationally recognized as the premier
source for the research, analysis and development of Objectivism and
Objectivist ideas. The essence of Objectivism is, in the words of Ayn
Rand, the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the
moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest
activity, and reason as his only absolute. Founded in 1990, the
organization sponsors research, student training, public advocacy,
conferences and seminars, and a monthly newsletter.
Conference Program
 Saturday afternoon
12:30 - 1:30 P.M. Registration
2:00 - 3:00 P.M. David Kelley, Beauty and the Beast
The film "American Beauty" was critically acclaimed and wildly
successful at the box office. Yet many social critics denounced it for
attacking American values and glorifying a self-indulgent form of
individualism. The movie became a lightning rod for debates about
individualism in American culture, as David Kelley will explain, because
it weaves together the two strands of individualism that define a central
cultural conflict of our era. Dr. Kelley, the executive director of The
Objectivist Center, is a philosopher who writes and speaks extensively on
contemporary issues.
 Break
3:30 - 4:15 P.M. Ed Hudgins, Privacy Rights
Privacy rights function as important safeguards to liberty in a free
society. Unfortunately, the wall between the public and the private realm
is being eroded as governments launch repeated assaults on privacy, with
increasing demands for information about our finances, our mail and
e-mail, and our health care. Ed Hudgins will survey these assaults and
suggest strategies for opposing them. Dr. Hudgins served as senior
economist to the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress. He is
currently director of regulatory studies at the Cato Institute.
Break
 4:30 - 5:30 P.M. Jose Pinera, Privatizing Social Security-It Can
Be Done
In 1980—a hundred years after German Chancellor Bismarck created the
welfare state—Chile was the first country to approve a full privatization
of its state-run social security system. This initiated a worldwide
paradigm shift, with seven other Latin American countries and three
eastern European countries following its path in the 90s. After Governor
George W. Bush endorsed private retirement accounts in his presidential
campaign, Social Security privatization has been called "the mega-issue of
2000" in the United States. Dr. Jose Pinera, the architect of the Chilean
reform, is a full-time crusader for this cause and now dedicates most of
his time to the effort of privatizing the United States' Social Security
system.
Saturday banquet
 John Stossel, Liberty and the Media
John Stossel is an award-winning correspondent for ABC-TV's 20/20
newsmagazine and the creator of the "John Stossel Specials" like "Greed,"
"The Blame Game," and "What Ever Happened to Free Speech?" His
individualist views and hard-hitting coverage of government have made him
a controversial figure among his fellow journalists. In this banquet speech he
will discuss why journalists have so much trouble covering free
individuals.
Sunday morning
8:30 - 9:30 Registration
9:30 - 10:15 A.M. Franklin Brooks, Individualism at Work
In an economy driven by innovation, business firms succeed by
empowering employees to be creative, by holding them responsible for
results, and by celebrating achievement. But creating a corporate culture
based on these values is a major challenge. Franklin H. Brooks will show
how he has met that challenge: drawing on the principles of the
Objectivist ethics, he has designed management practices and training
programs for his firm that foster individual responsibility and
creativity. Mr. Brooks, a registered architect with 26 years experience,
is Managing Principal with Freeman White a design-consulting firm, in
Charlotte NC.
Break
10:30 - 11:15 A.M. David Beito, Communities of Individuals
Despite the common idea that individualism breeds social isolation,
individuals in a free society can and do organize voluntarily to meet
their common needs. Before the welfare state evolved in this century,
working people formed fraternal societies that provided values like
cooperative health care and death benefits to protect families dependent
on the worker's earnings. David Beito, a historian at the University of
Alabama, will discuss this little-known chapter of American history-and
its implications for today.
Break
11:30 - 12:30 P.M. David Kelley & Nell Robinson, Responsibility:
Entrepreneurs vs. Managers
True individualists see themselves as entrepreneurs of their own lives
rather than managers following someone else's rules. This attitude
involves a commitment to full responsibility for oneself that is both
liberating and challenging. David Kelley and Nell Robinson will discuss
the meaning of total responsibility, with illustrations from a range of
common personal and professional situations. David Kelley developed the
concept of entrepreneurial responsibility in writings for The Objectivist
Center. Nell Robinson, a theatrical producer, director, and teacher, has
taught workshops on responsibility at the Center and elsewhere.
Additional Information
Individuals or organizations interested
in exhibiting at the conference
should call Jamie Dorrian at The Objectivist Center.
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