Attendees take this final opportunity to pose any lingering questions the conference may have raised. Recorded live at Ayn Rand Con Europe 2023
The war in Ukraine continues nearly a year and a half since Russia’s initial invasion. In this talk, Dr. Brook will illuminate the causes and consequences of this war. What were the factors that led to it, and what is its current status? What lessons can we learn about the state of our culture by looking at the response in the West to the war in Ukraine—especially the response of the American Right? Recorded live at OCON 2023
When America was attacked by terrorists on September 11, 2001, Greece was among the countries with the strongest anti-American sentiment, together with the likes of Pakistan and Iran. At the same time, it was one of the few remaining countries with a strong Communist Party, and with leftist ideas having a significant pull in society. Why do anti-Americanism and anti-capitalism go hand in hand? Why are both prevalent among modern European culture? How can societies that have contributed to and be...
This lecture clarifies the basic nature of reason and of faith. It explains the superiority of reason by highlighting its role in the acquisition of knowledge and the advance of human progress. Finally, it explores the prospects for reconciling reason with faith, finding that any attempts to partner the two serve only to destroy the benefits of reason. Recorded live at Ayn Rand Con Europe 2023
In this talk, after a quick look at the life of Aristotle and his establishment of a philosophical school at the Lyceum, Dr. Mayhew will describe the grounds and buildings of the Lyceum, its use as a school of philosophy, and the possible reasons for its steady decline as a cultural influence in the centuries following Aristotle’s death. A brief account of some of the Aristotelians who came after him (e.g. Theophrastus and Eudemus) will be included. Recorded live at Ayn Rand Con Europe 2023
“Man’s life,” wrote Ayn Rand, “is the standard of morality.” Aristotle was the first to identify the proper standard of morality as the distinctly human form of life—the life of a rational animal. But Rand and Aristotle have importantly different views of what the human form of life is—in particular, about why reason is a value and how it relates to the faculties and the needs that human beings share with other living things. This talk explores the similarities and differences between these two ...
Today’s earlier sessions were about Ayn Rand’s philosophy, Objectivism. In this panel we reflect on this philosophy in light of the nature of philosophy as a discipline and its origins in the thinkers of Ancient Athens. What is philosophy and why did it first arise in Ancient Greece and flower in Athens? What is the special significance of Socrates and Plato? Why did Rand see her “only philosophical debt“ as being to Aristotle and in what sense is her philosophy Aristotelian? What are the other ...
After reflecting on the talks so far, here is your chance to ask any questions you have about Ayn Rand’s philosophy, Objectivism. Recorded live at Ayn Rand Con Europe 2023
“If life on earth is one’s standard of value,” wrote Ayn Rand, “then the nineteenth century moved mankind forward more than all the other centuries combined.” She attributed the century’s “creative energy” and “rising standard of living” to the introduction of the only moral social system: capitalism. In this talk, Dr. Salmieri discusses why it is the only moral system, and how its moral character makes possible an unprecedented prosperity that humanity has only begun (fitfully) to achieve.Recor...
“Give back,” “Serve something higher than yourself,” “Put others first” – this is the wisdom of the ages. Raised on these platitudes from religious and secular quarters alike, most people assume that to be moral simply is to be selfless. Ayn Rand rejects this assumption. She champions the virtue of selfishness. But what does that mean? This lecture highlights some of the key elements of rational egoism to illuminate what it is and is not. By refuting common misconceptions as well as indicating w...
Everyone knows that altruism — selfless sacrifice for the sake of others — is the essence of virtue, right? But what if our understanding of the true meaning of “altruism” and “sacrifice” is completely mistaken? What if these ideas are actually destructive and harmful? From Ayn Rand’s perspective, our whole way of thinking about morality needs to be radically rethought.Recorded live at Ayn Rand Con Europe 2023
Every major philosophy gives you answers to questions about the nature of the world we live in, about human nature, about how to live one’s life and organize society. The answers we accept (implicitly or explicitly) give us guidance and a framework for living. This talk will provide an overview of Ayn Rand’s philosophy, Objectivism, and her original answers to these questions, which have sparked an idealistic movement for reason, rational self-interest and laissez-faire capitalism.Recorded live ...
We’re told that the gap between the poor and the rich has widened. Many decry the “injustice” of income and wealth inequality. But is it actually a problem and are the proposed remedies truly just? What is a fair “distribution” of income and wealth? Yaron Brook takes on these and related issues and argues that a genuinely laissez-faire capitalist society is, in fact, the only system of fairness, that is, justice.Recorded March 5, 2014
Central to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the question of whether the state of Israel has a moral right to exist. In this talk Dr. Yaron Brook argues that Israel deserves — but is not receiving — America’s moral and political support; that by sacrificing its loyal ally for the sake of appeasing our common enemies, America is undermining its own war on terrorism.Recorded December 12, 2002
Why is it that people don't seem to learn from experience? It is clear that our existing Keynesian economic policies have failed miserably. We can compare controlled economies with those less controlled, and compare more regulated sectors of our own economy with those sectors that have fewer regulations. Logic and history are on the side of those economists who have advocated for free markets. Why do those who advocate sound economic policies continue to fail in substantially rolling back govern...
Biopharmaceutical innovators responded heroically to the COVID-19 pandemic. In unprecedented time and with cutting-edge technologies, they created vaccines and other medical treatments that saved millions of lives around the world. For this extraordinary achievement, leftists and libertarians have vilified them, and politicians are actively seeking to confiscate their patents. This talk explains how patents made possible the unprecedented response to the pandemic and why these vital property rig...
Charles Darwin was far from the first person to defend the idea that new species originate by a natural evolutionary process. Between 1750 and 1850 the idea had many defenders, including his grandfather. Why did Charles Darwin succeed in convincing his fellow naturalists, when many before him had failed? Based on a decades-long study of his private notebooks and correspondence, this lecture by James Lennox will describe the inductive method that lies behind Darwin’s brilliant presentation of the...
How do we judge viewpoints — political movements, ideologies, philosophies — that seem to contain mixtures of good and bad ideas? How do we determine whether any specific element of a broader framework is good or bad? This talk discusses a range of viewpoints, from environmentalism to religion to Black Lives Matter, and examines the means by which their concrete positions should be assessed. It explains how to identify the fundamental of any systematic viewpoint, and how that must shape our judg...
In the last few years, a new intellectual community and movement has arisen, centered on the value of scientific, technological, industrial, and economic progress. These ideas have caught the attention of business leaders, academic economists, and prominent journalists. Where did this movement come from? Why is it gaining traction? And what are the key steps to maximize its positive impact? Crawford will give his viewpoint as someone who has been inside the epicenter of this movement since its b...
Mr. Scott, restorer of the film classic We the Living, will give a talk celebrating the movie’s astonishing 80-year journey—from 1942 to 2022. Scott will vividly describe the many controversies and intrigues surrounding the film’s production in war-time Italy; the heroic efforts to save the film after dictator Mussolini ordered the film destroyed; Scott’s personal experiences working alongside Ayn Rand on the initial restoration of the rediscovered movie; and the meticulous new restoration. Reco...
