Evangelizing Objectivism

[James Bond]

I, like many of you, feel very fortunate to have found Objectivism. Especially for finding it so young. I was 19 when I read "Atlas Shrugged"; I'm 20 now, and I'm still learning. Ironically, I feel like a lot has been lifted off my shoulders. The philosophy by its nature is freeing. For this reason, I feel it's in my own interest to expose-not inundate-my family and friends to objectivism. My parents both read AS back in college, enjoyed it, but were intimidated by its atheism. My sister has mentioned that she would like to read "The Fountainhead", and I've never mentioned Ayn Rand to her. So I think I will give her a copy of it, and I might leave a printout of John Galt's speech on the table in my house somewhere, should my parents happen to stumble upon it.

On a larger scale, the philosophy could see a surge of interest if/when the Atlas Shrugged movie comes out. (Although, I hear some people at ARI hope MGM neglects it long enough that ARI gets the rights again). I can't think of any forum that would bring more attention to objectivism than a blockbuster. One question is..do any of you feel as though the growth of objectivism should be gradual? Or is any growth good growth? This economic climate has also brought in more people reading AS, which is great.

I'm curious to know the approach any of you (wiser) objectivists take on the propagation of your beliefs.

[AndrewRyan]

In my humble opinion, getting people interested in Rand's ideas is important. Once people become interested they can then seek out and learn the finer details of Objectivism. This important if society is ever going to change. However, no good comes from a sudden growth if the people don't understand the philosophy.

Edited April 11, 2009 by AndrewRyan

[Jill]

You are so lucky to have read her so early. You have spared yourself years of aimless suffering.

I find your idea of leaving printouts behind for your parents funny, because I had my mum reading Atlas by leaving my copy behind with cash inside. She's loving it, calling Ayn Rand a visionaire. Yay!

[AndrewRyan]

You are so lucky to have read her so early. You have spared yourself years of aimless suffering.

I find your idea of leaving printouts behind for your parents funny, because I had my mum reading Atlas by leaving my copy behind with cash inside. She's loving it, calling Ayn Rand a visionaire. Yay!

YOU'RE lucky. I couldn't get my mom to read AS unless it had a half-naked man on the front.

[knast]

How to "evangelize" Objectivism? I have four general suggestions:

1. Lend/give away copies of Ayn Rand's novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. Let Rand do the talking. Especially if you're not an expert yourself and don't have a lot of experiences of discussing. Focus on rational honest people. Don't push Rand on to people who are not interested in ideas or of reading. If you do, you'll only come off as a preachy douche bag - and rightly so.

If they don't like fiction, then offer them some of Rand's non-fiction if that suits their interests better. Say you're talking with a person who seems sympathetic to capitalism, well, then lend him a copy of Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal and say that he may find the ideas in this book intriguing. Focus on the values and interests of the person you're addressing. Don't focus on polemics.

2. Write letters to the editor. Speak up. Let people know your opinion. Let them know that there is another way of looking at the current issues and problems. Again, don't push it. Only say what you want to say, if you're asked or a clear opportunity is given. Read "What Can One Do?" by Ayn Rand. It's published in Philosophy: Who Needs It.

You can buy a copy here: http://www.aynrandbookstore2.com/prodinfo.asp?number=AR07B

3. How to address people? Read "Applying Philosophy Without Preaching It" in The Art of Non-Fiction. You can buy a copy here: http://www.aynrandbookstore2.com/prodinfo.asp?number=AR64B

4. Live it. Figure out what Objectivism says. If you're convinced that it's true and rational, then live it. It's a philosophy for life. It's suppose to help you become a happier person. Let it be known that Objectivism helps you in your pursuit of happiness. If you're happy and successful, then may inspire people to take a look at the ideas that helped you get to where you are in life. If you, however, are miserable then it will be much harder, if not impossible, to convince anybody that Objectivism is a philosophy that can help you live a better, richer, more enjoyable life.

In order to live according to a philosophy you might need some help. If you need help to integrate Objectivism in your own life then I would suggest that you should listen to Understanding Objectivism by Leonard Peikoff.

You can buy it as an Internet course: http://www.aynrandbookstore2.com/prodinfo.asp?number=LP31CS

Or as a CD course: http://www.aynrandbookstore2.com/prodinfo.asp?number=LP31M

The Internet course is much cheaper, but then you can only listen to it for a year.

If you can't afford it, then try to borrow it from someone who owns it. If you don't know anybody? Well, if you're currently at a campus, then you may be able to join or start a Objectivist Campus Club, and then you can borrow the lectures for free via ARI. Read more about this at www.aynrand.org

Otherwise, I don't know what to do except the obvious: work and save money.

Edited April 11, 2009 by knast

[TheEgoist]

Get involved in local ad hoc groups, if there are more than 3 or 4 of you then form an Objectivist club if you are on a campus, distribute Objectivist materials like The Undercurrent, if you have some disposable income then give a few bucks to the ARI.

[islander]

Go to Alerts.Google.com and register to receive email alerts for blogs containing words like "Ayn Rand", "Objectivism", "Objectivist", or "Atlas Shrugged", etc. You will currently receive between 4 -12 emails per day that alert you within hours of being published.

Home in on errors about Objectivism and Rand that you think you are capable of correcting. Write your comments in your email client saving it as a draft to easily archive them and avoid losing them to any glitsch in their posting system. Develop the ability to write efficient explanations (not too long, not too short) of Objectivist positions.

I disagree with the notion that you should stick to Rand's words when replying, regardless of how new you are to the subject. The fastest way to learn is to figure out how to explain the philosophy in your own words. If you make mistakes, other Objectivists will provide a correction. Keep a link to aynrandlexicon.com in easy reach. Verify your explanations against the pertinent content of the quotes there.

Post promptly. The threads of blogs have a shelf life of less than a week. Avoid replying to entries that contain only emotional attacks and no ideas. But any mistaken substantive view is a good target, regardless, because your audience is not necessarily the blogger, but rather the lurking honest minds.

When the GoogleAlerts beta debuted last year there were at first just a few Objectivist replies among the comments. On April 2, Business Week Debate Room pit Onkar Gahte against Christina Patterson on the subject of whether the economy needs Ayn Rand. The 230 comments were overwhelmingly pro-Gahte and Rand. http://www.businessweek.com/debateroom/arc...nomy_nee_1.html

I think the presence of Objectivists on the front lines of the blog wars is a most effective means of attracting interest in the philosophy. Alone the contrast between our calm, rational, intelligible, idea-packed comments and the unsubstantiated characterizations and false assumptions of opponents from the left and right is a dramatic testimonial.

[James Bond]

Update. My sister read the Fountainhead, and said it's one of her favorite books she's read so far.