8:30 – 9:30 am

Alexander R. Cohen, M.A., J.D. – Aristotelian Ethics for Objectivists Part 1 of 2

(Advanced Morning Course in Philosophy)

The first of a two-lecture series, the first session will introduce you to Aristotle’s main ethical work, the Nicomachean Ethics. Why be virtuous? What is happiness? What are pleasure and pain, and what is their role? How can we become virtuous? How much can arguments help? Can we reasonably be held responsible for the formation of our own character?

Alexander R. Cohen, J.D., is a doctoral student in philosophy and has studied Aristotle's Ethics in depth.

David Kelley, Ph.D. and William Thomas, M.A. – Atlas Shrugged as a Philosophical Novel 5

(This is a 6-part course. See the course description for Sunday, July 1). 

9:45 – 11:00 am

Robert Campbell, Ph.D. and Joe Duarte – The Positive Psychology Movement

The Positive Psychology movement has successfully put the good life and character strengths (i.e., virtues) on the research agenda for academic psychologists; it also appeals to clinical practitioners.  It is the only broadly based movement in psychology that draws on eudaimonistic moral philosophy (particularly Aristotle’s). Peterson and Seligman’s classification of Virtues in Action is one of the major contributions of Positive Psychology to date. We will show how the VIA classification exhibits both affinities and divergences with the Objectivist ethics, review some recent empirical research, and suggest future research directions. 

Robert L. Campbell, a Professor of Psychology at Clemson University, has spoken at previous Summer Seminars on such topics as self-esteem research and theories of moral development. Joe Duarte is an undergraduate psychology student and a software quality consultant, on his way to becoming a research psychologist. 

Robert James Bidinotto – The Anatomy of Cooperation

Is it ever proper to cooperate with people who do not share your philosophical principles—especially in organized intellectual or ideological endeavors? In her seminal essay "The Anatomy of Compromise," Ayn Rand offered three rules about how principles apply to situations of philosophical conflict or collaboration. But Rand noted that these three rules "are by no means exhaustive." Robert Bidinotto builds on Rand's analysis, outlining additional rules and considerations to help individuals determine when philosophical cooperation is appropriate, and when it is not. 

               A long-time Objectivist, Mr. Bidinotto is an author and an award-winning journalist. He is currently the editor of The New Individualist.

11:30 – 12:45 pm

Jack Criss – The Joy of Entrepreneurship: Using Your Head to Get Ahead in Business.

Jack Criss will draw from his personal experience of using Objectivist principles to achieve success as an entrepreneur. There is nothing as satisfying as owning one's own business, creating unique products for a receptive and satisfied customer base, and using Ayn Rand's philosophy as a guide in doing so.  As a non-academic, non-degree'd business professional who made it on his own terms, Jack Criss knows what he is talking about.

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. He has owned various business publications and is a former ad agency executive and popular talk show host.

David Kelley, Ph.D. – The Content of Perception

(Part of the Symposium on Cognitive Science)

David Kelley’s book The Evidence of the Senses (1986) was the first systematic presentation of the Objectivist theory of sense-perception. In this lecture, Kelley will discuss aspects of the theory in light of more recent work on perception in philosophy and cognitive science, focusing on questions about the content of our perceptual experiences—the way things look, feel, sound, etc., when they are present to our senses.

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

2:15 – 3:30

Philip Coates – Classical Greece: Lessons for Objectivists

Everything we believe in as Objectivists began with Classical Greece. The Greeks discovered reason, this earth, and the stature and dignity of man. They invented science, history, philosophy, drama, and equality under the law. They produced unparalleled works of art and literature. They lit a fire that has burned for 2500 years. Yet they are poorly taught in school. To study the civilization most opposed to the mind/body dichotomy is both practical and inspiring. In this talk, Philip Coates will survey their achievements and mistakes, and will draw crucial lessons from both.

Philip Coates has taught the history, literature, art, and intellectual achievements of Greece and of other civilizations. He currently teaches at a private high school in California.

Duncan Scott and guest actors – Anthem: A new theatrical adaptation of Rand’s most poetic work

“It is a sin to write this…,” thus was the thought of presenter Duncan Scott as he began adapting Rand’s revered novelette for the stage. In a play, events have to be dramatized, yet Rand wrote no description of Equality 7-2521’s experience in The Palace of Mating and no lyrics or score for The Hymn of Brotherhood. Many bits of dialogue and action had to be invented to successfully adapt Rand’s futuristic tale of young lovers trapped in a completely collectivistic society. This session presents Scott’s adaptation of Anthem to the public for the first time.  It will be presented as a staged reading, meaning there is minimal staging, no sets or props, and the actors carry their scripts. Following the reading, Scott will describe plans for an eventual full production of the play and will be available for Q & A. Should the play not be well received, Scott will be sent to The Home of the Useless.

Duncan Scott is a film and video director.  His production company is based in Santa Monica, California. Earlier in his career, he was an assistant director and worked alongside film-makers such as Woody Allen and Sidney Lumet. 

Tibor R. Machan, Ph.D. – Politics, Faith and God’s Non-Existence

Unless one person or family rules or the population is very homogenous, a faith cannot be the basis of public policy, argues Tibor Machan. Only the most minimalist theism—Aristotle’s or Spinoza’s, for example—has a chance of being rational. God in the vast majority of theist thought is personal, intentional, and mysterious: knowable only by faith. Various attempts to prove this God’s existence—first-cause arguments and the like—commit fatal fallacies, including the fallacy of the stolen concept. Another try at substantive-minimalist theism, Charles Hartshorne’s, is no theism at all. A humanist, secular foundation is needed for law in a human political community.  

8:00 PM

Barbara Branden, M.A. and Nathaniel Branden, Ph.D., with Duncan Scott– At the Signpost Up Ahead: Galt’s Gulch… Can a work of fiction be a roadmap for creating a real-life Objectivist community?

Ayn Rand created a vivid image of an Objectivist community called “Galt’s Gulch” in her novel, Atlas Shrugged.  Can such a place be fully realized, or is Galt’s Gulch more a symbolof Objectivist values and sense-of-life? To put it another way, how far can we take Rand’s fictional illustration of an Objectivist utopia and apply it to building a flesh and blood community? These are the questions that will be explored by Nathaniel Branden and Barbara Branden in their first joint presentation at an Objectivist conference in over 35 years.

In the early 1960s the Brandens created The Nathaniel Branden Institute (NBI), primarily offering lectures on Objectivism and related subjects. It soon became a Mecca for like-minded artists, scientists, educators, musicians, businessmen, and writers. NBI events ranged from lively intellectual discussions to concerts, art exhibits, sports and even fashion modeling.  Since the closing of NBI, nothing quite like it has existed.

Drawing from their experience in developing NBI, from decades-long association with Ayn Rand, and from some 55 years of involvement in the development of Objectivism, the Brandens will explore the tantalizing prospects for a real-world Galt’s Gulch. The session will be moderated by Duncan Scott, Director of The Objectivist History Project.