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Objectivism through Ayn Rand’s Fiction

Rand held that art, particularly literature, was indispensable in depicting a moral ideal, her own new moral ideal emphatically included. Through examining Rand’s fiction we will learn about her new vision of the ideal.

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Price

$1,500.00

Level

100

Length

60 Hours

Format

Flex

About this Course

This self-paced course is based on an original 16-unit live seminar by Onkar Ghate, Aaron Smith, and Ben Bayer, exploring Objectivism through Ayn Rand’s novels. That course has been divided into two smaller courses using the original recordings and course content. Each of these courses is designed for students to take on their own schedule, and provides the educational value of graded assignments and (optional) live discussions with an instructor. Together, the two courses comprise our Objectivism through Ayn Rand’s Fiction track. They must be taken in order as the content of each presupposes completion of the preceding courses.

To begin to understand Rand’s distinctive worldview and to learn her new philosophy, Objectivism, there is no better place to start than with the study of her novels. They are self-consciously philosophical works, containing abstract themes, characters driven by opposing moral principles, and conflicts rooted in clashing worldviews. Spending time analyzing these, to understand the characters’ inner and outer conflicts and the opposition they face from elements within their society, illuminates Rand’s ideas.

This is what we will do in the course. We will examine the heroes and villains in her novels from the perspective of their basic ideas, values, motivations and goals in life. We will consider how Rand’s new ideas in morality—about what is good and evil—shape her stories and convey to you, the reader, how a radically different way of life from the one we’ve been traditionally presented with is both possible and desirable. Rand’s novels convey new ways of looking at an impressively wide range of subjects, from love and sex, to pride and selfishness, to work and joy, to honesty and integrity, to faith and reason. To explore these is to explore Rand’s own worldview.

Course Prerequisites

None

What's Included

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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.