Philosophy
Scholars discuss the meaning of
Objectivist principles, their extension to new areas, and their relationships with other
ideas, historical and contemporary.
 Stephen Hicks, PhD
The Counter-Enlightenment (2 sessions)
In the 1780s, the Enlightenment was in full bloom in England, America, and France. One
generation later, the Counter-Enlightenment had won: various forms of primitivism,
irrationalism, and collectivism had replaced Enlightenment cosmopolitanism, rationality,
and individualism. How did this happen? Stephen Hicks will present a case study in the
power of ideas, reviewing the impact of intellectuals such as Rousseau, Kant and Herder;
of the French Revolution; and of the Romantic movement in art and philosophy. Dr. Hicks is
professor of philosophy at Rockford College, author of a forthcoming book on business
ethics, and a frequent speaker at previous Summer Seminars.
Susan Dawn Wake,
MA
Francis Bacon as a Voice for the Enlightenment (2 sessions)
In order for the Enlightenment focus on reason, productive achievement, and liberty to
take hold, the West had to turn away from the Pre-Enlightenment focus on faith, spiritual
salvation, and authority. Francis Bacon was at the forefront of this intellectual battle,
inspiring the founding fathers of the Scientific Revolution as well as the founding
fathers of the American Revolution. Susan Dawn Wake will examine Bacon's central
ideas, explain their historical significance, and show how we can apply Bacon's
strategies in our current battle to reaffirm the Enlightenment. Ms. Wake has taught logic
and the history of philosophy at St. Mary's University in Canada; she currently lives
in Rochester N.Y. and is completing her doctoral dissertation on John Locke.
David Kelley, PhD
Objectivity
A key element in the postmodern rejection of Enlightenment values is its assault on
objectivity. Reviewing the arguments put forward by contemporary thinkers, David Kelley
will show that they reduce to a few basic patterns, a few underlying philosophical
arguments—to which the Objectivist epistemology provides the answer. Dr. Kelley, the
Institute's executive director, is the author of The Evidence of the Senses
among other works in epistemology.
 This week has been one of the best of my life. I feel
refueled and ready to return to my home, my job, my friends and my family with a better
sense of who I am as an Objectivist and how I can improve each of these areas of my life.
I've also made some wonderful friends, and finally have faces to match all the names.
— Samantha Johnston
George Marklin,
PhD
Einstein, Ether, and Epistemology (2 Sessions)
George Marklin will discuss the serious philosophical problems underlying Einstein's
theory of relativity using principles from Objectivist epistemlogy. Einstein's theory
will be compared and contrasted with its alternative, the Lorenz ether theory. The first
session will use non-technical language and focus on philosophical issues. The second
session will be geared to a technical audience and assume some familiarity with
Einstein's theory. It will present a detailed mathematical derivation of the Lorenz
ether theory. Dr. Marklin holds a doctorate in physics from the University of Maryland. He
spent 10 years working in computational plasma physics at the Los Alamos National Lab, the
Princeton Plasma Physics Lab, and the Air Force Research Lab. Dr. Marklin has published
dozens of papers in leading physics journals. He is currently a private consultant and
engages in research on relativity and the ether in his own time.
Lindsay Perigo
Flirting with Friedrich
What free spirit would not be tempted by Nietzsche's dancing, mocking Zarathustra,
who seems indeed a summons to greatness? But Lindsay Perigo will explain why appearances
are deceiving: Nietzsche's Dionysian spirit is merely the flip side of the plodding
and repressed world view he opposes; he is not in fact the individualist he purports to
be. As host of the radio show "Politically Incorrect" and editor of The Free
Radical, Mr. Perigo is New Zealand's most effective activist for reason and
freedom.
Please note: This talk has been cancelled.
 Marsha Enright, MA
The Habit of Hope
What are the developmental, psychological and conceptual sources of the "benevolent
universe premise"? What is its relationship to hope and optimism? How does it affect
one's psycho-epistemology and motivation? How does it affect one's actions and
experiences? How does it foster strength of character in the face of adversity and
tragedy? Marsha Enright will address these questions, relating Objectivist ideas to
similar concepts in the thinking of other major philosophers and psychologists. Ms.
Enright received an M.A. in Psychology from the New York School for Social Research. After
practicing as a psychotherapist, she founded and serves as executive director of Council
Oak Montessori Elementary School.
David Kelley,
PhD
Choosing Life
For several decades, Objectivists have debated whether life is a value because one chooses
to live, or whether one should choose life because it is a value. David Kelley will
illuminate the logic of this abstract issue, and then show its concrete meaning in our
lives. He will discuss the choice of values that give life meaning and show how the
exercise of the choice to live takes shape in the pursuit of achievement and experience.
In addition to his writings in epistemology, Dr. Kelley has written extensively on a wide
range of topics in philosophy and politics. His most recent books are Unrugged
Individualism: The Selfish Basis of Benevolence and A Life of One's Own:
Individual Rights in the Welfare State.
All the Government We Need
A government is an agency with the exclusive power to enforce
rules of conduct in a given territory. Is the existence of such an agency consistent with
individual rights? Is it necessary as a means to protect individual rights? What powers,
if any, should government have? Three prominent scholars will address these perennial
questions in Objectivist and libertarian thought.
David Mayer, PhD, JD
The Nature of Government
Drawing upon John Locke's Second Treatise of Government and other writings
in the radical Whig political tradition that influenced America's founders, David
Mayer will present the case for limited government as they understood it. He will compare
and contrast the Lockean case for government with Ayn Rand's view, in order to show
the crucial role of constitutionalism in Objectivist political philosophy. Dr. Mayer is
professor of law at Capital University, the author of The Constitutional Thought of
Thomas Jefferson, and a frequent speaker at the Summer Seminar.
 Randy
Barnett, JD
Polycentric Law
Classical liberals knew that "power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts
absolutely." Skeptical of "parchment barriers," they advocated reciprocity
(voting), checks and balances (federalism and separation of powers), and the power of exit
(free emigration) as means to resist the abuse of power by those authorized to enforce the
law. Randy Barnett will argue that these principles can be better implemented in a
polycentric constitutional order consisting of competing law enforcement and judicial
agencies. A former criminal prosecutor for the Cook
County State's Attorney's Office in Chicago, Randy E. Barnett is the Austin B.
Fletcher Professor at Boston University School of Law. Among his books are The Rights
Retained by the People: The History and Meaning of the Ninth Amendment (1989, 1993), Contracts
Cases and Doctrine (1995), and, most recently, The Structure of Liberty.
Panel Session
Following the presentations by Professors Mayer and Barnett, the Institute's
executive director David Kelley will lead a panel discussion on the
fundamental issues involved in the debate about government. Dr. Kelley will focus on
identifying the essential questions at stake and the kinds of evidence relevant to
resolving them. An extended question-and-answer session will allow participants, along
with the speakers, to explore these issues freely.
The Logical Structure of Objectivism
William Thomas, MA
Objectivism can be grasped in intuitive, common-sense terms,
but to understand the true power of these ideas one needs to understand them
systematically, as an integrated body of principles. Anyone who wants a thorough,
first-hand compre- hension of the philosophy, or who seeks to communicate Objectivist
ideas to a wider audience, stands to benefit from a grasp of the way in which its central
principles are validated and related logically to one another.
In this 6-lecture course, William Thomas will survey the
anatomy of Objectivism as a system, from the axioms of metaphysics and epistemology,
through ethical values and virtues, to the prin- ciples of politics. Based on the book The
Logical Structure of Objectivism, by Mr. Thomas and David Kelley, the lectures will use
basic methods of logical diagramming to outline the relationships among the ideas. Mr.
Thomas will also discuss the respective roles played by induction and deduction in the
arguments that validate the principles.
This course is an expanded and revised presentation of the
material that David Kelley presented at the Summer Seminar in 1996 and 1997. This year, in
addition to attending the lectures, participants will be expected to read the
"beta" version of the Logical Structure text, and they will be invited to
comment on it.
To allow for discussion, enroll- ment will be limited to 45
participants. Students, teachers, club leaders and writers will receive first preference,
as will those who have not attended in previous years. See the back of the registration
form for details.
William Thomas has been a Visiting Fellow at the Institute,
and has spoken at previous Summer Seminars on economics and the theory of rights. He
recently presented portions of this course in Argentina.
- Introduction
- Program
- Schedule
- Registration Information
- Registration Form - for secure online registration
- Financial Aid Application
- Logical Structure of Objectivism
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