Announcing the Fall 1999 CyberSeminar in Objectivist Studies.

Beginning in 1994, the Institute for Objectivist Studies from time-to-time invited a select group of students and scholars to participate in a CyberSeminar in philosophy. CyberSeminars are graduate-level courses conducted entirely over the internet, in which the participants examine the work of prominent philosophers and develop new Objectivist scholarship under the eye of a respected Objectivist scholar who guides the discussion and enriches it with his expertise.

After a hiatus, the CyberSeminar was revived earlier this year in cooperation with the Network of Objectivist Scholars and it served as a forum on philosophic method in preparation for the Advanced Seminar . William Dale has been the organizing force behind the revival, and David Ross deserves many thanks for the fine job he has done as moderator.

This Fall, IOS/Objectivist Center Manager of Research and Training Will Thomas will be serving as moderator. The CyberSeminar in Objectivist Studies now becomes a regular course and a central feature of TOC's ongoing training efforts. IOS never had sufficient staff to maintain the CyberSeminar as a regular program, but the Objectivist Center does. The topics that we address each semester will vary, depending on the interests of participants and the resident scholar, but we will try to maintain a consistently high level of quality and intellectual energy.

TO Senior Fellow Stephen Hicks, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Rockford College, will be serving as the CyberSeminar's scholar-in-residence for this term. The topic for the Fall semester is "The Continental Origins of Postmodernism." Participants will be reading key works in the development of Postmodernism, to understand the origins of this powerful trend in contemporary thought, and to develop the background of an effective Objectivist response.

"Postmodernism is influential in contemporary academic and intellectual culture," Hicks remarks. "But most of us are trained in the analytic tradition, so we are less likely to be exposed to the major postmodern thinkers. The purpose of this seminar, accordingly, is to broadenour knowledgee of the current intellectual landscape by exploringthe distinctivelyy postmodern content, method, and style of philosophy. This will better enable us to think about how to advance Objectivismin contemporaryy academic culture."

Applying for the CyberSeminar in Objectivist Studies

The CyberSeminar is open to qualified applicants.

The purpose the CyberSeminar in Objectivist Studies is to train scholars in the Objectivist philosophic method and in technical issues that develop Objectivism in relation to academic philosophy. Applicants willbe expectedd to contribute regularly to the CyberSeminar, and should have both a systematic grasp of Objectivism and the potential to engage in scholarship concerning it. The CyberSeminar is not a typical email list. Participants will be expected to read substantial technical works and write formal essays in addition to normal email give-and-take. It's a substantial time commitment, but for those seriously interested in Objectivist scholarship, the rewards will justify the time.

To apply to participate in the CyberSeminar in Objectivist Studies, senda letterr, fax, or email to TOC detailing:

1) Your formal educational background, especially your training in philosophyy.
2) Your background in Objectivism: works read, courses attended.
3) Your scholarly writings. Please include one example (essay, article,chapter, etc.) of your scholarly writing on a philosophic topic.
4) Your reasons for participating.
5) Your plans for future scholarship.

Contacting The Objectivist Center/ The Institute for Objectivist Studies:

By land:
11 Raymond Ave. Suite 31
Poughkeepsie, New York 12603

By ether:toc@objectivistcenter.org
Tel: (914) 471-6100
Fax: (914) 471-6195