ARI Media Feed

Over the past two years, Yaron Brook, ARI executive chairman, has given four lectures in Poland, organized by the Independent Student Association, European Students for Liberty (ESFL) Poland and the Freedom & Entrepreneurship Foundation. Link to original

The influence of Ayn Rand in the culture, and of Atlas Shrugged in particular, continues to gain recognition. Link to original

As I write this on the morning after the presidential election, one thing is clear: the outcome was predictable. Link to original

Is that statement hyperbole or prophecy? To find out, read ARI senior fellow Onkar Ghate’s careful analysis of Trump’s election to the presidency, what the election means for America and why Ayn Rand’s philosophy is more important than ever. Link to original

Here are all six of the podcasts featuring interviews with contributors to A Companion to Ayn Rand, part of the prestigious Blackwell Companions to Philosophy series, the “first volume to offer a comprehensive scholarly treatment of Rand’s entire corpus (including her novels, her philosophical essays, and her analysis of the events of her times).” (RSS generated with FetchRss) Link to original

The question of what is and is not open to one’s choice — the so-called problem of free will — has been a subject of controversy among philosophers, psychologists and theologians for centuries, but it is not simply a theoretical question; it is an important practical question that everyone must face. (RSS generated with FetchRss) Link to original

It's not whether government should do more or less, but what should it do. Is today's government dysfunctional? Of course. But not because it can't get things done. The problem is that it does so many things that it shouldn't. This op-ed was published by USA Today on January 26, 2014. Read it here. Link to original

Welcome to Obamacare, land of skyrocketing premiums, cancelled insurance policies, and a website that is exhibit A of government incompetence. If Republicans are serious about stopping this destructive law, they must criticize more than its rollout troubles, which are fixable. They must expose the law’s fundamental problems, which its supporters are determined to hide. This op-ed was published at The Daily Caller on January 23, 2014. Read it here. Link to original

[T]he health insurance industry is the shark that swims just below the water, and you don’t see that shark until you feel the teeth of that shark. —Senator Jay Rockefeller, February 2010 It was sentiments like these that President Obama’s signature legislation addresses. One of the main goals of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, signed into law on March 23, 2010, is to control health insurance, an industry plagued with problems, all of which supposedly share a common diagnosis. At the White House health summit, at which Rockefeller made the above comment, he continued (mixing metaphors), “Nobody has particular oversight of [health insurers]. . . . They can do what they want . . . . [Y]ou have to go at them to clip their wings in every way that you can.” He repeated, “This is a rapacious industry that does what it wants.” This paper was published at the Pacific Research Institute on January 22, 2014. Read it here. Link to original

As Obamacare’s troubles mount—premiums are soaring, millions of policies that people like are cancelled, and contrary to the president’s promise, many can’t keep their doctors—proponents try to convince us that the law was a good idea. How? By reiterating their fictitious tale of life before Obamacare. This op-ed was published at Forbes.com on January 22, 2014. Link to original

With Obamacare in shambles and President Obama proposing his newest one-year plan to fix it, Republicans are experiencing a moment of schadenfreude. That’s understandable, but focusing on the Democrats’ failures will not lead the Republicans to success. Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) understands this, and he is busy trying to articulate the Republican vision for America. Unfortunately, while the senator’s fans may view him as a champion of free enterprise, Lee’s vision isn’t fundamentally different from the president’s. This op-ed was published at The Daily Caller on December 9, 2013. Link to original

“Their net income was $17 billion,” says Vincent Orange, a D.C. city councilman who voted to force Walmart to pay a minimum wage of $12.50 per hour in the nation’s capital, adding, “You don’t want to share a little bit with the citizens? Come on.” OUR Walmart—a union-backed activist group—accuses the company of showing disrespect to its employees because it doesn’t pay so-called living wages. This op-ed was published at Forbes.com on November 27, 2013. Link to original

Why Is The Tea Party 'Extremist,' But Democratic Support For Big Government 'Moderate'? This interview was published at Education News on November 14, 2013. Link to original

When the Tea Party calls for real cuts in our welfare state, it is typically denigrated by the left as “extremist.” It would be a mistake though, to regard this response as mere name-calling. It is far more significant—and dangerous. This op-ed was published at Forbes.com on November 11, 2013. Link to original

Do fishermen enjoy Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea? Do generals like Tolstoy’s War and Peace? I have no idea, but I’m reasonably sure no one looks to these novels for advice on how to catch fish or wage war. The purpose of a novel is not to provide concrete advice on particular tasks, but to present a vision of man and his place in the universe. This op-ed was published at Forbes.com on November 8, 2013. Link to original

September 29, 2013: A Conference on the Mid East "Peace Process" What: A panel on U.S. policy in the Middle East and the Arab-Israel conflict. Who: Rick Richman, Mordechai Kedar and Elan Journo Moderated by Larry Greenfield Where: Oslo @ Twenty Costs and Consequences of the Peace Process – An International Conference The Olympic Collection 1130 Olympic BLVD. West Los Angeles, CA 90064 When: Sunday, September 29, 2013, 10am Admission: General Admission: $60 Students: $35 Includes full lunch, refreshments, conference source book and all materials. Registration and tickets Parking: $10 by valet About: A day-long conference sponsored by the American Freedom Alliance and Speaking for Democracy. The organizers' description of the event: The Oslo Peace Accords, signed on the White House lawn on September 13, 1993, are now 20 years old. Between 1993 and the present day, the region has absorbed so much trauma, violence and terror that the belief among those who predicted that an ultimate peace between Arabs and Israelis was close at hand has been proved illusory at best and delusional at worst. But whatever one's view of the Accords and the peace process it spawned, there remain important questions deserving answers: What were the geopolitical conditions which gave rise to the Accords? Did the Accords have any positive impact upon the region and who ultimately benefited? More important than any other question, however, is what lessons, if any, can the West draw from the Accords and their aftermath? Bios: Rick Richman is a graduate of Harvard College and NYU Law School. He edits "Jewish Current Issues" and is one of the bloggers at COMMENTARY Magazine's group blog, "Contentions." His articles have appeared in American Thinker, COMMENTARY Magazine, The Jewish Press, The New York Sun, and Pajamas Media, among other publications and websites Mordechai Kedar is an Israeli scholar of Arabic literature and a lecturer at Bar-Ilan University. He holds the Ph.D. from Bar-Ilan University. Kedar is an academic expert on the Israeli Arab population. He served for twenty-five years in IDF Military Intelligence, where he specialized in Islamic groups, the political discourse of Arab countries, the Arabic press and mass media, and the Syrian domestic arena. The Los Angeles Times' Edmund Sanders described him as "one of the few Arabic-speaking Israeli pundits seen on Arabic satellite channels defending Israel". Elan Journo is fellow and director of policy research at the Ayn Rand Institute. His book, Winning the Unwinnable War: America's Self-Crippled Response to Islamic Totalitarianism, analyzes post-9/11 U.S. foreign policy from the perspective of Rand’s philosophy. His work has appeared in Foreign Policy, the Journal of International Security Affairs, and the Whitehead Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations, and in popular media outlets. Moderator: Larry Greenfield is senior fellow of the American Freedom Alliance, and fellow in American studies at the Claremont Institute. He is also the founding executive director of the Reagan Legacy Foundation, and a noted lecturer on American politics and foreign policy. He served in the Armed Forces of the United States in Naval Intelligence and earned his BA in political science at UC Berkeley and his Law Degree at the Georgetown University Law Center. # # # The Ayn Rand Institute has speakers available for interviews. Please contact Kurt Kramer at [email protected] or call 202-609-7470 x202. Note: This event is organized, hosted and sponsored by an organization other than the Ayn Rand Institute. The Ayn Rand Institute does not necessarily agree with all of the content that will be presented. The Ayn Rand Institute is a 501©(3) organization dedicated to promoting the philosophy of Ayn Rand, author of Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead. For more information on Objectivism and Ayn Rand, visit www.aynrand.org. Link to original

Madoff didn’t seek money as a reward for his competence — he sought money to prove to others that he was competent. He aimed, not to build a great business, but to manufacture a reputation as a great businessman. He didn’t want to use his intelligence to create wealth, but to steal wealth in order to dupe others into thinking he was intelligent. This op-ed was published at The American on September 26, 2013. —ARC Media Link to original

IRVINE, Calif.—It is with great sorrow that the Anthem Foundation for Objectivist Scholarship and the Ayn Rand Institute announce the death of American philosopher Allan Stanley Gotthelf, in Philadelphia, on August 30, 2013, after an extended battle with cancer. He was 70 years old. He is survived by the Love family—Ronald and Cassandra Love and their sons Zach and Ian Barber, whom Gotthelf regarded as his family—and by his many friends and students, and by his sister, Joan Gotthelf Price. Gotthelf is best known for his scholarship on Aristotle and on Ayn Rand, with whom Gotthelf was friends. Born in 1942, he grew up in Brooklyn, New York. After completing bachelors and masters degrees in mathematics, he earned his PhD in philosophy at Columbia University in 1975. At the time of his death, he was Anthem Foundation Distinguished Fellow for Research and Teaching in Philosophy at Rutgers University. He was also emeritus professor of philosophy at The College of New Jersey and a Life Member of Clare Hall, Cambridge University. Between 2003 and 2012, he was a visiting professor of the history and philosophy of science at the University of Pittsburgh, where he held an Anthem Fellowship for the Study of Objectivism. David Charles (Oxford University) speaks of Gotthelf’s “decisive role in the renaissance of scholarly and philosophical interest in Aristotle’s biological writings,” and Alan Code (Stanford University) comments that “no scholar has had a deeper and more lasting impact on the scholarly understanding of Aristotle’s biological corpus than Allan Gotthelf.” Gotthelf made this impact through a series of path-breaking essays now collected in Teleology, First Principles, and Scientific Method in Aristotle’s Biology (Oxford University Press, 2012) and through the many conferences and workshops he organized. These events formed the basis for two books: Philosophical Issues in Aristotle’s Biology (Cambridge University Press, 1987), which Gotthelf co-edited with James G. Lennox (University of Pittsburgh), and Aristotle on Nature and Living Things (Mathesis, 1985). The latter book, which Gotthelf edited, was in honor of his friend and mentor David Balme (University of London), and after Balme’s death in 1989, Gotthelf shepherded several of his projects to publication. Over the course of his 47-year career, Gotthelf was the recipient of many honors for his work on Aristotle. In 2004 his “contributions to the study of classical philosophy and science” were celebrated at a conference at the University of Pittsburgh, which led to the volume: Being, Nature, and Life in Aristotle: Essays in Honor of Allan Gotthelf (Cambridge University Press, 2010), edited by Lennox and Robert Bolton (Rutgers University). Gotthelf’s introduction to Ayn Rand’s ideas occurred in 1961 when he first read Atlas Shrugged. He would later remark on what he learned from this first reading: “Atlas Shrugged said that the mind I valued in myself was not only a private source of pleasure but was also the means to everything I wanted out of life. I felt about the heroes of the novel that this is the way they felt about themselves and the way they lived and loved their lives was the way I wanted to feel about myself and live and love my life. This was the happiness I was looking for.” Gotthelf met Ayn Rand in 1962, in connection with lectures on her philosophy that he attended. Rand took a genuine interest in philosophy students, and over the next fifteen years, he had the opportunity for long philosophical discussions with her. He was an active participant in Rand’s famous 1969–71 workshops on Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology. From 1964 until his death, Gotthelf spoke on Objectivism countless times at colleges, universities, and for private groups throughout the United States, Canada, Bermuda, Europe, and Japan. As his own career progressed, Gotthelf often mentored young Objectivist intellectuals who were pursuing academic careers in philosophy. Gotthelf was a founding member of the Ayn Rand Society, a group affiliated with the American Philosophical Association, and he held the Society’s highest office from 1990 until his death. From April of 2013, he shared that office with Gregory Salmieri (Boston University), his former student and frequent collaborator. Gotthelf co-edited (with Lennox) and contributed essays to the first two volumes of the Society’s ongoing Philosophical Studies series, published by the University of Pittsburgh Press. He is the author of On Ayn Rand (Wadsworth, 2000) and is co-editor (with Salmieri) of Ayn Rand: A Companion to Her Works and Thought (Wiley-Blackwell, forthcoming). Of Gotthelf’s work to bring Objectivism to the attention of the academic world, Yaron Brook, president of the Anthem Foundation and executive director of the Ayn Rand Institute, said, “In the natural course of pursuing, and achieving, his values, Allan became a great ambassador for Ayn Rand’s ideas. Because of his knowledge, reputation, and benevolent persistence over the years, Objectivist ideas have begun to see a long-deserved, serious consideration in the academic world. His death is a profound loss. His legacy will inspire Aristotelians and Objectivists alike for generations to come.” Objectivist philosopher Harry Binswanger, a lifelong friend of Gotthelf, said: “Allan saw his love of Aristotle and of Ayn Rand as of a piece. He was right, because Aristotle and Rand do advocate the same fundamentals: the commitment to reason and to living life fully, realizing one’s highest potential as man.” This was an estimate shared by Rand, who said of Aristotle that “If there is a philosophical Atlas who carries the whole of Western civilization on his shoulders, it is Aristotle.” Binswanger continued, “Allan was a thinker, a philosopher. He not only taught philosophy, wrote philosophy, and read philosophy, he lived and breathed philosophy. His two heroes were Ayn Rand and Aristotle, and he made important, lasting contributions to the scholarship on each.” From all of us at the Anthem Foundation and the Ayn Rand Institute, some of whom had the honor of calling Allan a friend, thank you, Allan, for your wisdom, your knowledge, your devotion to a philosophy of reason and life, and your own shining example of a life well lived. You are deeply missed. A memorial service will be held Saturday, September 7, 10 a.m., at the St. Regis Hotel in Manhattan. Burial will be at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York, at 3 p.m. # # # The Ayn Rand Institute has speakers available for interviews. Please contact Kurt Kramer at [email protected] or call 202-609-7470 x202. The Anthem Foundation for Objectivist Scholarship is a 501©(3) organization dedicated to supporting academic scholarship on Objectivism, the philosophy of Ayn Rand. For more information, visit www.anthemfoundation.org. The Ayn Rand Institute is a 501©(3) organization dedicated to promoting the philosophy of Ayn Rand, author of “Atlas Shrugged” and “The Fountainhead.” For more information on Objectivism and Ayn Rand, visit www.aynrand.org. Link to original

September 10, 2013: A Panel Discussion and Luncheon What: A panel on U.S. policy in the Middle East and the Arab-Israel conflict. Lunch provided. Who: Aaron David Miller, Daniel Pipes, Jonathan Tobin and Elan Journo Where: National Press Club 529 14th Street Washington, DC 20045 When: Tuesday, September 10, 2013, Noon About: Twenty years ago, the American-led “peace process” ignited fervent hopes of Middle East peace. But that policy collapsed. Peace remains elusive. Why? Now, amid the rise of Islamists, the upheaval in Egypt, the Syrian civil war, and an imminently nuclear-capable Iran, what might it take to achieve peace? Following the so-called Arab Spring, how should we view the Israel-Palestinian conflict? What should America’s policy be toward the region and Israel in particular? Join the panel for a discussion of these and related questions. Bios: Aaron David Miller, Vice president for New Initiatives and Distinguished Scholar, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. For two decades he served in the Department of State as an analyst, negotiator and adviser on Middle Eastern issues to Republican and Democratic Secretaries of State. Between 2003 and 2006, he also served as president of Seeds of Peace, an internationally recognized program in conflict resolution and coexistence for young people from regions of conflict. He has written four books, including his most recent, The Much Too Promised Land: America’s Elusive Search for Arab-Israeli Peace. Daniel Pipes, President, Middle East Forum. His bi-weekly column appears regularly in the National Review and in newspapers around the globe, including the Jerusalem Post (Israel), La Razón (Spain), Liberal (Italy), National Post (Canada), and the Australian. Mr. Pipes has written twelve books dealing with Middle East issues. He sits on five editorial boards, has testified before many congressional committees, and worked on five presidential campaigns. He has also been recognized as one of Harvard University’s 100 most influential living graduates and is listed in Marquis Who's Who in the World. Jonathan S. Tobin, Senior online editor, Commentary magazine. From January 2009 to April 2011, Mr. Tobin was executive editor of the magazine. Prior to coming to Commentary, he was editor in chief of the Jewish Exponent in Philadelphia and the Connecticut Jewish Ledger. His writing has appeared in the New York Post, Jerusalem Post, Weekly Standard, New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, USA Today and many other publications. Over the course of his career, he has won more than 50 journalism awards for commentary, editorial writing, and arts criticism. Elan Journo, Fellow and director of Policy Research, Ayn Rand Institute. His book, Winning the Unwinnable War: America's Self-Crippled Response to Islamic Totalitarianism, analyzes post-9/11 U.S. foreign policy from the perspective of Rand’s philosophy. His work has appeared in Foreign Policy, the Journal of International Security Affairs, and the Whitehead Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations, and in popular media outlets. Moderator: Thomas A. Bowden, Analyst, Ayn Rand Institute. An attorney with extensive litigation and appellate experience, Mr. Bowden taught at the University of Baltimore School of Law for six years. He is the author of The Enemies of Christopher Columbus, which challenges multiculturalist myths surrounding the discovery and settlement of America, and a contributing author to The Abolition of Antitrust. He holds a J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law. RSVP: Registration required. Register here # # # Link to original

Ayn Rand's Novels Ordered in Record Numbers by High School Teachers - Rand's novella Anthem set for a Historic 75th Year IRVINE, Calif.—The Ayn Rand Institute announces that its “Books to Teachers” program has set a new record. Over 418,000 books were ordered by high school teachers in the 2012-2013 school year, edging out 2011-2012’s previous all-time high. The ARI Books to Teachers program, now in its 11th year, has sent over 2,800,000 books to teachers throughout North America. Teachers who request Rand’s novels agree to teach them to their students, and ARI provides teacher’s guides to those who wish to use them. All of Ayn Rand’s four novels are available to teachers, but Rand’s novella Anthem has been by far the most popular title. ARI has given away over 1,600,000 copies of Anthem since the program first began in 2002. 2013 is the 75th anniversary of the publication of Anthem, and this year sees the story’s arrival at New York City’s Baryshnikov Arts Center. An off-Broadway play of Anthem, adapted for the stage by Jeff Britting, will run for a limited, ten-week engagement. www.anthemtheplay.com # # # Link to original

As slogans go, “Let’s fleece our children and grandchildren” is not likely to draw much support. So proponents of the health law are trying to make their scheme palatable by arguing that it actually benefits the younger generation. This op-ed was published at Forbes.com on August 21, 2013. Link to original

This past Valentine’s Day, American Airlines and US Airways announced their intention to merge—but now, six months later, the federal government wants to cancel the wedding. This op-ed was published at FoxNews.com on August 16, 2013. Link to original

September 26 NYC Event to Draw Business Leaders, Media IRVINE, Calif.—The Ayn Rand Institute has announced its fifth annual New York fundraising dinner to benefit the work of the Ayn Rand Institute. The event will take place at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City on the evening of Thursday, September 26, 2013. The featured speaker for the evening will be Ken Moelis. Mr. Moelis is founder and chief executive officer of Moelis & Company, a global investment bank that provides financial advisory, capital raising and asset management services to a broad client base including corporations, institutions and governments. Mr. Moelis has over thirty years of investment banking experience. Prior to founding Moelis & Company, he worked at UBS from 2001 to 2007, where he was most recently president of UBS Investment Bank and, previously, Joint Global Head of Investment Banking. Mr. Moelis serves on the University of Pennsylvania Board of Trustees, the Wharton Board of Overseers, the Board of the Tourette Syndrome Association, and the Board of Governors of Cedars Sinai Hospital. ARI executive director Yaron Brook will also be a featured speaker. “Last year’s dinner was a resounding success,” said Brook, “with nearly one hundred-fifty admirers of Ayn Rand, gathered at the magnificent St. Regis, enjoying a fantastic evening and making possible the Institute’s most successful year to date. We expect this year’s dinner to top that.” There will be a live auction of various Ayn Rand-related collectibles and ephemera, with proceeds to benefit the Institute. In addition, attendees will receive complimentary tickets to a matinee performance in New York City of the Off-Broadway play Anthem, adapted for the stage by Jeff Britting (based on Ayn Rand’s novel Anthem), which runs for a limited, ten-week engagement. An Audience Talk Back, featuring Yaron Brook, will follow the performance. Visit: www.anthemtheplay.com Tickets for the Atlas Shrugged Revolution dinner event are $1,000; Table Sponsorships begin at $10,000. Register here. Where: Play: Baryshnikov Arts Center Jerome Robbins Theater 450 West 37th Street (between 9th and 10th Avenues) Reception and dinner: The St. Regis New York Two East 55th Street, at Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10022 212-753-4500 Thursday, September 26, 2013 1–2:15 PM Matinee performance: Anthem 2:15–2:30 PM Audience Talk Back, featuring Yaron Brook 6–7 PM Reception 7–9 PM Dinner and program Note: Business attire is required for the dinner event. # # # The Ayn Rand Institute is a 501©(3) organization dedicated to promoting the philosophy of Ayn Rand, author of "Atlas Shrugged" and "The Fountainhead." For more information on Objectivism and Ayn Rand, visit www.aynrand.org. Link to original

"Save People, Not Mollusks!" by Amanda Maxham If you’re looking to crush a water, engineering, or other development project, look no further than the nearest endangered species. This piece was part of a debate forum, published at Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine. Link to original

Affirmative action survives in university admissions, for the time being at least, owing to the Supreme Court’s recent ruling in the Texas case. What would novelist/philosopher Ayn Rand say about it? Today’s readers might be surprised at Rand’s distinctive, illuminating approach to the sensitive theme of racism. Ayn Rand's 1963 essay on racism was republished at Forbes.com on July 1, 2013, with an introduction by ARI's Thomas A. Bowden. Link to original