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Intensive Seminar on Objectivism Part I: Foundations | 2025

This is Part I of the Intensive Seminar on Objectivism, a challenging and intensive course that looks at Objectivism as a system of philosophy and how some of Rand’s key ideas compare and contrast with those of other philosophers. Parts I and II of the Intensive Seminar compress what was a two-year course into a single year.

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Price

$3,000.00

Level

100

Timing

Q1, Q2

Format

Live

About this course

The Intensive Seminar on Objectivism compresses what was a two-year course into a single year. It is aimed at students who want a challenging and intensive study of Objectivism as a system of philosophy and how some of Rand’s key ideas compare and contrast with those of other philosophers. Each part of the intensive course is two quarters long and corresponds to a year of the original course, so the workload is roughly double that of a standard ARU course. 

The purpose of the Intensive Seminar is to help you learn how to better understand various principles of Objectivism and philosophical issues more generally, including the subject of philosophy and the fact that Objectivism’s principles often address long-standing philosophical issues and approaches. Part I, this course, focuses on foundational issues. Part II, which must be enrolled in separately, focuses on the guidance Objectivism offers in epistemology, ethics, and politics.

The cash value of gaining a better understanding of the principles of Objectivism, including some of its advice about proper philosophical methodology, is that the philosophy can become more fully an aid to your own life: to your thinking, including to your thinking about the intellectual world at large, to your work, and to your happiness. 

Prerequisites: Part I has no prerequisites or corequisites. Part II has Part I as a prerequisite.

Please note: Students who complete Part I but not Part II will receive 6 credits, but will not fulfill the Objectivism Seminar requirement. This is because key concepts in Objectivism are still to be covered in Part II. Students who fail to complete Part II of the intensive seminar must take the 16-Week Objectivism Seminar course to fulfill the ARU Certificate requirements.

Course Prerequisites

None
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Instructors

Onkar Ghate
Dr. Ghate is senior fellow, chief philosophy officer, and a board member of the Ayn Rand Institute. He specializes in Rand’s philosophy, Objectivism, and is ARI’s senior instructor and editor. He publishes and lectures on Rand’s philosophy and fiction, including application of Objectivism to cultural issues. He holds a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Calgary.
Ben Bayer
Dr. Bayer is a fellow and director of content at the Ayn Rand Institute. He teaches at Ayn Rand University and gives talks and interviews for ARI. He writes and edits for ARI’s online publication, New Ideal. Dr. Bayer holds a PhD in philosophy and his writing focuses primarily on the application of philosophy to contemporary cultural and political controversies.
Aaron Smith
Dr. Smith is an instructor and fellow at ARI where he teaches and designs educational content for the Institute’s intellectual training and e-learning programs. He also writes, speaks, and gives interviews for the Institute. Dr. Smith received his PhD in philosophy from Johns Hopkins University where his research focused on Aristotle’s theory of knowledge.

About Ayn Rand University​

Ayn Rand described Objectivism as “a philosophy for living on earth.” This idea is at the heart of the Ayn Rand University, an online school of philosophy whose mission is to educate our students about Objectivism and to provide them with the intellectual, career, and life guidance they need to flourish.
Ayn Rand University provides an online educational experience, giving you the flexibility to attend from anywhere in the world. Each quarter, you’ll take one or more courses that feature lectures, graded assignments, classroom discussion, and feedback from our expert faculty. You may also meet regularly with one of our mentors, who will work with you to help you reach your learning and career goals so you can achieve success in thought and action. Though our program is demanding, most students find that they can succeed by devoting about 10 hours a week to their studies. And while we strongly encourage live attendance, all of our classes are recorded so that you can conveniently fit our classes into your schedule.