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Advanced Seminar on Objectivism

Through this course, you’ll gain a better understanding of the principles of Objectivism, including some of its advice about proper philosophical methodology. The cash value is that philosophy can become more fully an aid to your own life, thinking, work and happiness.

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Price

$1,750.00

Level

100

Length

60 Hours

Format

Flex

About this Course

This self-paced course is based on an original 24-unit live seminar by Onkar Ghate exploring Objectivism as a philosophical system. That course has been divided into four 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 four courses comprise our Advanced Seminar on Objectivism course. They must be taken in order as the content of each presupposes completion of the preceding courses.

The purpose of the course is to help you learn how to better understand various principles of Objectivism and philosophical issues more generally. It explores in some depth some of the key principles of Objectivism, especially in ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology, and it considers a bit about what Objectivism teaches about proper philosophical methodology. 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, thinking, work and happiness.

Course Prerequisites

Recommended: Objectivism through Ayn Rand's Fiction

What's Included

Objectivism, Philosophy, and the Foundations of Ethics
This is the first in a four-course track exploring Objectivism as a system of philosophy. This course focuses on Objectivism’s distinctive conception of philosophy and its role in human life, including what a proper philosophical methodology looks like.
Introduction
Unit 1: Objectivism and Its View of Philosophy
Unit 2: The False Method of Rationalism
Unit 3: The Subject of Morality
Unit 4: The Foundations of the Objectivist Ethics
Unit 5: The Cardinal Values: Reason
Unit 6: The Cardinal Values: Purpose and Self-Esteem
Metaphysics and the Foundations of Knowledge
In this second course, we focus on the core of the Objectivist metaphysics and epistemology. We will explore the distinctions between the metaphysically given and the man-made, the axioms of existence, consciousness, and identity, and their implications for understanding reality.
Introduction
Unit 1: The Subject of Metaphysics
Unit 2: The Primacy of Existence
Unit 3: Idealism and Materialism
Unit 4: The Subject of Epistemology
Unit 5: Arguments Against the Validity of the Senses
Unit 6: Free Will
Concept-Formation, Objectivity, and Certainty
In this third course, we will explore Objectivism’s approach to concept-formation, definitions, logic, and the relationship between reason and emotions. We begin with Rand’s take on the problem of universals and the process of concept formation.
Introduction
Unit 1: Concept Formation: The Problem of Universals
Unit 2: Concept Formation: Isolation and Abstraction
Unit 3: Definitions and Objectivity
Unit 4: Logic: Context and Hierarchy
Unit 5: Reason and Emotions
Unit 6: The Arbitrary and Certainty
Virtue, Politics, and Esthetics
The final course in this four-course track focuses on moral virtues, happiness, the rejection of force, and Objectivism’s view of art. We will discuss the virtues of independence, integrity, honesty, justice, productiveness, and pride, and relate them back to the “master” virtue: rationality.
Introduction
Unit 1: The Derivative Virtues: Independence and Integrity
Unit 2: The Derivative Virtues: Honesty and Justice
Unit 3: The Derivative Virtues: Productiveness and Pride
Unit 4: Happiness
Unit 5: The Initiation of Force, Rights, and Government
Unit 6: Esthetics and Art
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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.