suv Posted August 4, 2003 Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 Hey, I'm Suv from India. I stumbled upon Ayn Rand, when I was 15, in the midst of what I now know as "psycho-epistemological" confusion, caused by reading philosophers of the mystic-altruistic axis, and trying to reconcile their words to my conception of reality. ( They actually mean this is what I told myself...and paid a heavy price...last time I was trying to "understand"- 'The world is an illusion' ) I'm 19 now, and much happier, I play professional soccer, and would like to visit US for college. Since I was a kid, I knew there was something in the US- it was a kind of emotional connection- given the muck I live in. And when some US guys talk of one culture being as good as another and all that...it really is amusing. Which university has a strong Ayn Rand presence on campus? I mean has a strong commitment towards rationality in its outlook? 'Cause I'll apply there next fall. Thanks, Suv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielshrugged Posted August 4, 2003 Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 Which university has a strong Ayn Rand presence on campus? I mean has a strong commitment towards rationality in its outlook? 'Cause I'll apply there next fall. Welcome! No university has much of an Ayn Rand presence, but if you know what you're looking for, you can find some good ones. But it very much depends on what you're looking for. If you're studying philosophy, I would recommend either the University of Texas at Austin, which is good for philosophy AND has an Objectivist (or, next year, a couple of them) working there; or I would also recommend my own school, St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland. Our curriculum is centered on reading primary sources, the Great Books. It has its problems, so if you consider it I would do plenty of research and consider whether it's right for you. If your interest is in the sciences, you are usually safer with most universities. Beyond that, I can't give many more suggestions. Perhaps others can add some more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RationalEgoistSG Posted August 4, 2003 Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 From my own personal experiences, I would recommend going to a medium-sized to larger sized school. I currently attend Drew University in New Jersey which has an undergraduate population of roughly 1,500 people. At most universities today, there isn't all that much interest in intellectual subjects, but that problem can be the worst at small colleges. At most colleges there is a very small percentage of peope who are interested in Objectivism, and there is especially a smaller chance of finding people like that at smaller colleges like Drew. So if you're looking for an intellectual atmosphere, I'd think that you have the best chance of finding one at a medium sized or large sized college. Welcome to the forum. ----------------------- The Rational Egoist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielshrugged Posted August 4, 2003 Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 So if you're looking for an intellectual atmosphere, I'd think that you have the best chance of finding one at a medium sized or large sized college. With St. John's College being an exception. St. John's is small, 470 students or so, but it is, I'm sure, the most intellectual college in the country. And I must point out that our Objectivist club, with six members, has over one percent of the students. If an Objectivist club at the larger universities had that much success, they would have over 500 members!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidV Posted August 5, 2003 Report Share Posted August 5, 2003 Suv, I've met a suprising number of people interested in Objectivism from India. Now this may just becuase of the large population, but is how strong do you think interest in Objectivism is in India? How did you discover Ayn Rand? PS: Welcome to the forum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suv Posted August 5, 2003 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2003 That might have more to do with the Internet than anything else. There are no Objectivism clubs; press references to Ayn Rand are few and far between; the dominant culture is strongly antithetical to Objectivism. Though almost everybody, ostensibly, has read Atlas Shrugged and Fountainhead, they are like gems in their own intellectual diadem; most shrink away when you want to discuss the works. In fact, Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead are among the best sold pirated copies on the street; one can aquire one for as little as Rs 45/- or 1$. But when I went to buy the Virtue of Selfishness ( no dilledante would bother with that) the book was out-of-stock and the manager told me the book hadn't seen Activity for a long time. I sensed, it meant, there was some Activity previously. I cannot gauge interest on a macro level, but I haven't met another strongly-interested Objectivist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshRyan Posted August 9, 2003 Report Share Posted August 9, 2003 Hello Suv, welcome to the board! There's a new film about an Indian girl who wants to be a professional soccer player called Bend It Like Beckham. I quite liked it. Have you seen it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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