Objectivism is a complex and subtle philosophy that is often misunderstood, not only by those who disagree with it but also by those who proclaim to be Objectivists. Shawn E. Klein will present the essential principles and key terms of the philosophy, but also explore some of the more common misconceptions and mistakes made by those studying Objectivism. Intended not just for those new to Objectivism but also those returning to Objectivism after a long absence or those looking for a review, this course will present the basics of Objectivist philosophy including reason as the only means of knowledge, free will, life as the standard of value, the trader principle, capitalism as the only moral social system, and much, much more.

Shawn E. Klein has a masters in philosophy from Arizona State University where he is currently the Undergraduate Advisor for Philosophy and a Ph.D. student. He has taught philosophy at Mesa Community College and ASU in Arizona and at Marist College and Mount Saint Mary's College in New York. He co-edited and contributed to Harry Potter and Philosophy: If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts (Open Court 2004). He has studied Objectivism for more than a decade, and has lectured on Ayn Rand's philosophy at past TOC conferences and local discussion groups.

Ayn Rand's distinctive concept of objectivity is the basis of the Objectivist approach to knowledge, art, morality, and law. In this course, David Kelley and William Thomas will present the fundamentals of Rand's theory of objective knowledge and survey its implications for science, politics, and the moral life. The course will cover the objective-subjective-intrinsic "trichotomy"; the objective theory of concept formation, certainty, and induction; and the personal virtue of objectivity. This is a more advanced course that presupposes a familiarity with the Objectivist system and with Ayn Rand's major writings.

David Kelley is the founder of the Objectivist Center. He is the author of a major logic textbook, The Art of Reasoning, and his writings on epistemology include The Evidence of the Senses, "A Theory of Abstraction," and "Evidence and Justification."

William Thomas is Director of Programs at the Center. He is the editor of The Literary Art of Ayn Rand and author of the audio course The Essence of Objectivism.

Continuing a tradition at the Summer Seminar, Edward Hudgins, the Objectivist Center’s new executive director, will open the conference with his assessment of the current state of Objectivist ideas in politics and in the culture. He will discuss how ideas in general actually spread in a society and what approach might be most useful in furthering Objectivism. Must more individuals accept the philosophy as a whole or would the spread of distinct elements of Objectivism be more likely lead to a free, rational society? And he will consider what unique Objectivist ideas might have the most traction in the future.

Edward Hudgins is executive director of The Objectivist Center. He has a doctorate in Political Philosophy from Catholic University. His opinion writing has been published in the Wall Street Journal, Houston Chronicle, USA Today, Philadelphia Inquirer, Journal of Commerce, and Aviation Week & Space Technology. He is the author of Freedom to Trade: Refuting the New Protectionism and Space: The Free Market Frontier. He has appeared on NBC's "Dateline NBC," National Public Radio, PBS, Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC and Voice of America, among other media outlets.

An attendee of the Arizona Objectivists asked, "Does being an Objectivist really make a difference in how you live your lives? When it comes to application, don't you do the same things that a Catholic does and essentially follow the Ten Commandments?" This presentation answers his question. It analyzes, from cradle to grave, how Objectivism touches and influences our lives using examples of real Objectivists. It closes with, "If Objectivists had Ten Commandments, what would they be?" and contrasts them with the Judeo-Christian Ten Commandments. These Objectivist Ten Commandments are a helpful guide to anyone trying to figure out how to apply Objectivism to his/her own life.

Jackie Hazelton was raised as an Objectivist and is currently the co-leader of Arizona Objectivists with Shawn Klein. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Purdue University with a B.S. in Mathematics and holds an M.S. in Industrial Engineering from Northeastern University with a major in Operations Research. She is currently employed as a software engineer and project manager for America West Airlines.

Neo-conservatives have been highly influential in American foreign policy, specifically the policy of aggressively exporting democracy to such regions as the Middle East, and many contend they came by this intention by studying the work of Leo Strauss. What if anything does Leo Strauss have to do with what today is called neo-conservatism? First, what is most notable about Leo Strauss? What views, if any, did he put forth and why? Second, do his views support anything about neo-conservatism, specifically regarding foreign policy matters? Tibor Machan will discuss each of these points.

Tibor Machan is R. C. Hoiles Professor of Business Ethics & Free Enterprise at the Argyros School of Business & Economics, Chapman University. He earned is Ph.D. in philosophy at UCSB in 1971, has written 30 plus books and edited another 18. He recently co-authored Libertarianism, For and Against with Craig Duncan (Rowman & Littlefield, 2005). At present he is at work on Libertarianism Defended (Ashgate, 2006).

Christopher Baylor will give examples of the anti-capitalistic bias of the American media going back to the beginning of the 20th century. The public's reaction to the Titanic, and the way Hollywood depicted the Titanic in the 1997 movie, are good examples of how the media cater to public ignorance and use news for their own ends. He will also show how the news media can distort the truth without technically lying, using examples such as reporting on the Vietnam War and on teenage suicide in the 1990s. The latter is a good example of how to lie with statistics. These examples should help Objectivists to know how to see through the disinformation permeating American culture.

Chris Baylor is currently working on a Ph.D. in American Politics at Boston College, focusing on the American Presidency and public opinion. He received his M.A. in history from Brown University and has taught part-time at several Boston-area colleges, including Quincy College, Curry College, and Cambridge College. He has also taught AP US History, World History, and American Government at a private high school and served as a consultant to the Educational Testing Service.

According to current books on Ayn Rand, she, herself, thought she was no psychologist. The evidence, however, appears to be otherwise. Following in the footsteps of Nietzsche, Ayn Rand brilliantly analyzed the motives of many through the philosophical ideas they advocated. Looking at her fiction as well as non-fiction, we will review and analyze the implications she drew. We will also discuss why she might have thought she should steer away from psychology, as well as her general understanding of the subject. Bring the novels! We will be frequently be referring to the characters.

Marsha Familaro Enright, M.A. in Psychology, has been an educator and psychotherapist for many years. She was one of the co-founders of Chicago's New Intellectual Forum. Marsha co-founded Council Oak Montessori Elementary School in 1990 and after long service as executive director, is now the President of its board.

(Advanced Seminar session, advance registration is required. See the Advanced Seminar application form.)

Reductionism in philosophy of mind tends to draw scorn not only from many Analytic and Continental thinkers, but also from many Objectivists, who in particular are often drawn to "non-reductive" physicalist theories such as John Searle's biological naturalism. Jason Walker will argue that this is a mistake, that in fact, reductionism, properly construed, captures Objectivist premises and theories of consciousness remarkably well, and better than other competing lines of thought in philosophy of mind. A large component of this paper will argue against Searle's biological naturalism on the basis that it collapses into property dualism, and is thus vulnerable to the same objections.

Jason Walker is currently a doctoral student in philosophy at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He earned his M.A. at Tufts University, and his B.A. from the University of Texas, Austin.

Reason and Idealism in Literature—How Bad Philosophy Took Hold and How Good Philosophy Might Yet Triumph.

This lecture explores how a highly technical and convoluted philosophic system—Kantianism—was able to take such a strong hold in the culture of the 19th and 20th Century. Jack Criss argues that the poetry and literature of the German Romantics was the conduit through which Kant's philosophy was able to spread as rapidly—and as effectively—as it did. He will examine how Ayn Rand's literature might be able to take hold in the modern culture in a similar way through her works of literature.

Jack Criss is the publisher and executive editor of the Metro Business Chronicle, a monthly business newspaper based in Jackson, MS. He is also the author of Ready, Aim, Right! (Quail Ridge Press, 2004) a collection of political/philosophical essays and editorials compiled from over the past 15 years. Currently, he is completing the biography of former Mississippi governor, Kirk Fordice, entitled "Steel Will" (to be published in hardback in 2005) and the children's book, "The Great Greek Philosopher: Aristotle for Kids".

A recurrent motif of Atlas Shrugged is the search for the Fifth Piano Concerto of Richard Halley. Many Objectivists have sought a work in the real world that matches the imagined power and depth of Rand's imagined one. The piano literature of the 20th Century contains many gems to choose from. In this talk aimed at the general listener, we will examine the "concerto form" as a distinct genre in the musical literature by using three very different piano concertos—the Prokofiev 3rd Concerto, the Vaughn Williams Concerto, and the Howard Hanson Concerto—as a lens to focus on different aspects of the relationship between soloist and orchestra.

Douglas Wagoner has over 30 years of public and professional performance as a singer, instrumentalist, composer and conductor.