| 2005 Summer Seminar |
—John Davis, Ph.D.
Course Description:
In almost all cultures are rituals and rites of passage for significant transitions in life, such as birth, adolescence, marriage, and death, in addition to ceremonies for other occurrences such as meals, meetings, events, birthdays, seasons, and accomplishments.
Is there something about our nature that compels us to have such rituals and ceremonies? Is there an Objectivist orientation or framework within which we can create appropriate ceremonies—both as to justification and content? In this presentation, John Davis will propose that we do indeed need many such ceremonies. He will give examples of possible ceremonies that may be appropriate within an Objectivist context.
John Davis has conducted extensive research on rituals and ceremonies of various cultures and religions. He has created and given Objectivist-oriented toasts as well as acknowledgments/reflections at meals (a.k.a. grace). An example of an actual Objectivist wedding will be given. Professionally, John has an academic background in mathematics and is an independent compensation consultant.
Schedule: Tuesday, 2:15-3:30 PM
Track: Applying Objectivism