This is a two-quarter seminar exploring Objectivism as a philosophical system. Its goal is to help you learn how to better understand and “chew” various principles of Objectivism and philosophical issues more generally. We will focus on some of the key principles of Objectivism, especially in ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology. And we will consider a bit of what Objectivism teaches about proper philosophical methodology.
A goal of the course is to reach a better grasp of the meaning of and interrelationships among some of Objectivism’s key principles, which will enable one to better apply the philosophy in one’s thinking and life.
Prerequisites or Corequisites: Students should have completed “Objectivism through Ayn Rand’s Fiction” as a prerequisite or have completed the “Intensive Seminar on Objectivism”.
Level: 200 Start Date: April 15, 2025 Live Class: Tuesdays, 9-10:30 am PT Quarter: Q3-Q4
Assignment Groups: Assignment Groups
Live Classes
You can join the live class on Zoom using this link: Zoom Meeting Link.
(Meeting ID: 850 4339 4591 | Passcode: 613004)
Participants are strongly encouraged to attend classes live for the best experience. However, we are aware this is not always possible and recordings of live classes are posted on the course website and on the ARU App/ARI Campus website, usually within an hour or two after the conclusion of each live class. Contact aru@aynrand.org if you have any issue accessing a recording.
If you attend class live, please turn on your camera unless you are in a setting with a distracting background or your device is not on a stable surface. It makes for a much better experience for all participants when faces are visible.
Office Hours
Mike Mazza: Tuesdays, 12:45-2:45pm PT — booking page
Ricardo Birck: Fridays, 5:00-6:00am PT — booking page
Daniel Schwartz: Wednesdays, 12:00-1:00pm PT — booking page
(Please email Daniel for additional availability.)
Course Announcements:
View all announcements
ARU Discord:
ARU Discord Server
Course Communication Logistics:
- Course announcements are posted in the Announcements tab of the course website and automatically emailed to all participants. Please make sure you are receiving these emails and that they are not going to your spam folder. If you join after the start of class, be sure to check the Announcements tab for anything you may have missed.
- For questions about course content, structure or schedule, please ask during the live class or in the course channel on the ARU Discord server (see the Discord tab of the course website).
- Questions about your assignments and grades should be directed to the teaching assistant.
- For personal administrative issues (e.g., website problems), email aru@aynrand.org.
- If you have a technical issue preventing submission of an assignment, email your assignment to the TA and cc aru@aynrand.org to troubleshoot the matter.
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Level: 200 Start Date: April 15, 2025 Live Class: Tuesdays, 9-10:30 am PT Quarter: Q3-Q4
Assignment Groups: Assignment Groups
Live Classes
You can join the live class on Zoom using this link: Zoom Meeting Link.
(Meeting ID: 850 4339 4591 | Passcode: 613004)
Participants are strongly encouraged to attend classes live for the best experience. However, we are aware this is not always possible and recordings of live classes are posted on the course website and on the ARU App/ARI Campus website, usually within an hour or two after the conclusion of each live class. Contact aru@aynrand.org if you have any issue accessing a recording.
If you attend class live, please turn on your camera unless you are in a setting with a distracting background or your device is not on a stable surface. It makes for a much better experience for all participants when faces are visible.
Office Hours
Mike Mazza: Tuesdays, 12:45-2:45pm PT — booking page
Ricardo Birck: Fridays, 5:00-6:00am PT — booking page
Daniel Schwartz: Wednesdays, 12:00-1:00pm PT — booking page
(Please email Daniel for additional availability.)
Course Announcements:
View all announcements
ARU Discord:
ARU Discord Server
Course Communication Logistics:
- Course announcements are posted in the Announcements tab of the course website and automatically emailed to all participants. Please make sure you are receiving these emails and that they are not going to your spam folder. If you join after the start of class, be sure to check the Announcements tab for anything you may have missed.
- For questions about course content, structure or schedule, please ask during the live class or in the course channel on the ARU Discord server (see the Discord tab of the course website).
- Questions about your assignments and grades should be directed to the teaching assistant.
- For personal administrative issues (e.g., website problems), email aru@aynrand.org.
- If you have a technical issue preventing submission of an assignment, email your assignment to the TA and cc aru@aynrand.org to troubleshoot the matter.
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Onkar GhateDr. 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.
Mike MazzaDr. Mazza is an associate fellow at the Ayn Rand Institute. He specializes in the philosophy of science with a particular interest in causality. Dr. Mazza received his PhD in philosophy from Saint Louis University.