Taxes understandably are an unpleasant subject for Objectivists, and a subject Objectivists have not explored in depth. While some Objectivists contend that whatever functions a minimalist government must perform (national defense, policing, courts, etc.) can be financed entirely by user fees and voluntary contributions, it may be that those sources of funding will be insufficient, in which case taxes will have to be levied to cover the spending shortfall. This talk will first outline the myriad of taxes a government might levy and then discuss the criteria by which the positive and negative virtues of each type of tax can be assessed. Based on these criteria, Bert Ely will then propose which types of taxes might be "least-bad" from an Objectivist perspective. Ely anticipates a vigorous discussion following his presentation.

Bert Ely is a financial institutions and monetary policy consultant in Alexandria, Virginia. Bert was an early predictor of the S&L crisis, in 1986, and an early predictor, in 1992, of the taxpayer bailout of Japan's banking system. He has developed the cross-guarantee concept for privatizing banking regulation and deposit insurance and he has demonstrated that financial markets are fully capable of setting all interest rates, thereby eliminating the need for central banks. More recently, he has published a proposal for privatizing Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks. He received his M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School and his B.B.A. from Case Western Reserve University.

In this course, 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. Jack Criss is a non-academic, non-degree'd business professional who made it on his own terms.

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 over the past 15 years and is a former ad agency executive and popular talk show host.

Epidemiological reasoning uses statistical associations to measure causal connections. In an epidemic, statistical associations provide useful evidence because a new causal factor is presumed. In other situations, epidemiological reasoning may be less helpful and may constitute epistemic abuse. Epidemiological reasoning was first applied to public policy in the case of smoking and lung cancer. Subsequent U.S. Surgeon General Reports identified obesity and second-hand smoke as causes of health problems. The 2004 U.S. Surgeon General's Report, Milo Schield will argue, is the worst such report in terms of the epistemic violence done to our understanding of causation.

Dr. Milo Schield teaches statistical literacy to humanities majors and directs the W. M. Keck Statistical Literacy Project at Augsburg College. In his latest book, "More Damned Lies and Statistics", Joel Best cited Milo as "the leading voice" of the statistical literacy movement.

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.

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

Cognitive Poetics is a new academic discipline that relates the structure of literary texts to the mental effect produced by these texts. Until recently, the study of poetry has been confined to the text's intrinsic qualities or to the reader's subjective response. Cognitive Poetics attempts to provide a link between these two approaches. The parallel to the role of objectivity in resolving the intrinsic-subjective dichotomy is intriguing. Objectivism can reinforce the reliability of objectivity in Cognitive Poetics.

Immediately before the publication of The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand removed an epigram by Friedrich Nietzsche because of her deep differences with his philosophy. Yet this quotation suggests that there might be an interesting philosophical—not merely literary or emotional—connection between The Fountainhead and Nietzsche's ideas. Lester Hunt, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, will argue that this connection merits a much closer look than it has ever been given heretofore. Not only is the presence of Nietzschean themes in Rand's novel deep and pervasive, but the book actually contains a very interesting and powerful internal critique of one of Nietzsche's most characteristic ideas, a criticism based in large part on values and assumptions that Nietzsche and Rand share. Lester Hunt is the author of Nietzsche and the Origin of Virtue, among other works.

Dagny Taggart shoots guns and flies airplanes. Madeleine Cosman invites Objectivists to understand the value of these two exhilarating skills. In Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, Dagny flies a single engine airplane that she crash-lands on the hidden mountain runway of Galt's Gulch, and later she shoots and kills a recalcitrant guard when rescuing imprisoned John Galt. Objectivists should exult in flying and shooting because they require mental and physical discipline, preparation, practice, and bravura technique. Both "philosophical" sports liberate the practitioner from fear and vulnerability, enhance self-esteem, and use tools to soar beyond bodily restrictions. Dr. Cosman is a medical lawyer based in San Diego who flies and shoots. She is a Director of California Rifle and Pistol Association and writes a monthly column for Firing Line called "Madeleine's Guns and Medicine." As a Jewish child during World War II she learned the value of both survival sports.

Kay Nolte Smith was the most prolific, original and successful novelist to come out of Ayn Rand's circle. Her first novel The Watcher won the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Allan Poe award. She published six more novels and a translation of Edmond Rostand’s play Chantecler. Smith tackled political, social and ethical issues from a perspective similar to Rand's, but her approach was psychological rather than philosophical. In this talk, Michelle Fram Cohen argues that Smith’s novels are probably the best literary expression of Objectivist ideas by a writer other than Rand.

Michelle Fram Cohen is an avid fan of Kay Nolte Smith’s fiction and a published literary scholar. She has a B.A. in English from Tel Aviv University and an M.A. in Comparative Literature from the State University of New York at Binghamton. Michelle published literary essays and book reviews in Navigator, The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies, Full Context and The Atlasphere. She gave talks on literary and philosophical topics to the Association of Literary Scholars and Critics, West Virginia Philosophical Association, The Objectivist Center, and Objectivist clubs in Washington DC, Phoenix and New York City.