Objectivism from the Source

The Objectivist Center will hold a distance learning course, "Objectivism from the Source: Ayn Rand's Philosophic System," from September 15 through December 1, 2004. Students can learn about Objectivism from their homes under the tutelage of TOC Director of Programs William Thomas.

The source in this case is Ayn Rand, and the course is organized around her writings. Readings from her writings will include essays from For the New Intellectual, The Virtue of Selfishness, and Capitalism: the Unknown Ideal.

This is not a mere lecture series—it is a real class. Participants will be required to do readings in advance of class meetings and to be prepared to discuss the readings in a thoughtful and intelligent manner. Writing projects will also be assigned, including outlines of Rand's essays and short essays summarizing her arguments. Participant performance will be graded to help the students assess their progress.

The seminar will be held weekly by teleconference on Wednesday evenings. The tentative time is from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. Eastern time, but these times could be adjusted, depending on the schedules of the students. The class will meet every Wednesday during this time period, except for the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. E-mail and Web-based materials will supplement the teleconference sessions.

Course tuition is $180; tuition for full-time students is $85. A limited number of scholarships are available. In addition to the tuition, participants will need to acquire such books as are required by the syllabus. The teleconferencing calls are included in the tuition.

"Objectivism from the Source" is open to students, activists, scholars, and local group members who want to deepen their grasp of the key elements of the philosophy. The class size will be limited in order to maintain a productive small-group setting and to maximize the benefit for each participant.

Thomas is the author of "Ayn Rand: Radical for Capitalism" (in Frost and Sikkenga, eds., History of American Political Thought) he is the editor of the forthcoming book The Literary Art of Ayn Rand and his lectures on Objectivism, including his six lecture introduction "The Essence of Objectivism," are available on CD from the Objectivism Store.

he application deadline for "Objectivism from the Source" is August 23, and admission decisions will be announced by August 31. The application form is available on the TOC Web site or by contacting the Center.