| 2003 Summer Seminar |
—Michael Shapiro, M.A.
Course Description:
Rand’s epistemology is one of her most fundamentally important contributions to philosophy, and many of her other ideas both rely upon and imply her theory of concepts. Many people are daunted, however, by the technical complexity of Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology. In this talk, Michael Shapiro will overview Rand’s theory of concept-formation, and concretize the principal ideas across a diverse set of examples meant to make the points as clear as possible. Mr. Shapiro will tackle some common entry-level questions (e.g. What exactly is a conceptual common denominator? What measurements are omitted in the concept “Naugahyde”? Can all attributes really be quantified?) and consider some of the normative implications of Rand’s theory of ideas. Cartoons will be involved. Michael Shapiro holds a B.S. in cognitive science from Carnegie Mellon University and an M.A. in music composition from New York University. A professional composer by trade, he remains an enthusiast of cognitive psychology and epistemology. He has lectured on epistemology for Objectivist salons in Boston and Los Angeles.
Schedule: Sunday, 2:15 PM
Track: Philosophy