Meetings

UPCOMING MEETINGS
Jan2023

Ayn Rand’s Conception of Metaphysics

Author: Alex Silverman
“Ayn Rand’s New Concept of Metaphysics”
Commentator: Jason Rheins
Chair: Gregory Salmieri

This session will take place on January 5 at 11am (ET) in Montreal  as part of the American Philosophical Association’s Eastern Division Meeting.

 

 

 

 

 

PAST MEETINGS
Jan2022

Film Authorship

Author: Lester Hunt (University of Wisconsin)
“Why Aren’t Movies any Better than they Are?”
Commentator: Andrew Kania (Trinity University)
Chair: Gregory Salmieri (University of Texas)

 

 

 

 

 

 

APR2021

The Unity of Virtue

Author: Neera Badhwar (University of Oklahoma / George Mason University)
“Aristotle and Rand on the Unity of Virtue”
Commentators: Benjamin Bayer (Ayn Rand Institute)
Chair: Gregory Salmieri (University of Texas)

 

 

 

 

 

 

FEB2020

Aristotle and Rand on the Standard of Value

Author: Gregory Salmieri (Anthem Foundation & Rutgers University )
“‘Man’s Life’ in the Ethics of Rand and Aristotle”
Commentators: Joseph Karbowski (Alexander von Humboldt Foundation)
Chair: James G. Lennox (University of Pittsburgh)

 

 

 

 

JAN2020

Aristotle and Ayn Rand on Axioms

Author: James G. Lennox (University of Pittsburgh)
“Aristotle and Ayn Rand on Axioms”
Commentators: Michail Peramatzis (Oxford University)
Chair: Robert Mayhew (Seton Hall)

 

 

 

JAN2019

Integrity

Author: Carrie-Ann Biondi (Marymount Manhattan College)
“Being Integrated: A Labor of Self-Love”
Commentators: Christian Miller (Wake Forest University)
Gregory Salmieri (Anthem Foundation and Rutgers University)
 Chair: Tara Smith (University of Texas, Austin)

 

JAN2017

Author Meets Critics: Tara Smith’s Judicial Review in an Objective Legal System

Critics: Mark Graber (University of Maryland)
Timothy Sandefur (Goldwater Institute)
Onkar Ghate (Ayn Rand Institute)
Author: Tara Smith (University of Texas, Austin)
 Chair: Gregory Salmieri (Anthem Foundation and Rutgers University)
JAN2016

Biological Collectivism and the Politics of Racial Identity

Speaker: Jason D. Hill (DePaul University)
Commentator: Gregory Salmieri (Anthem Foundation & Rutgers University)
Chair: James G. Lennox (The University of Pittsburgh)
DEC2014

The Moral Basis of  Capitalism: Adam Smith, the Austrians, and Ayn Rand

Speakers: James R. Otteson (Yeshiva University)
Peter Boettke (George Mason University)
Yaron Brook (Ayn Rand Institute)
Chair: James G. Lennox (The University of Pittsburgh)
APR2014

Ayn Rand’s Theory of Rights

Speakers: Fred D. Miller, Jr. (University of Arizona)
Adam Mossoff (George Mason University)
Commentator: Matt Zwolinski (University of San Diego)
Chair: Darryl Wright (Harvey Mudd College)
DEC2013

Rand and Nozick: Moral, Social and Political Thought

Speaker: Lester H. Hunt (University of Wisconsin, Madison)
Commentator: Onkar Ghate (Ayn Rand Institute)
Chair: Robert Mayhew (Seton Hall University)
MAR2013

Capitalism, Limited Government, and Morality

Speaker: Michael Huemer (University of Colorado)
Commentator: Harry Binswanger (Ayn Rand Institute)
Chair: Gregory Salmieri (Boston University)
APR2012

Concepts and the Growth of Scientific Knowledge: The Case of “Temperature”

Speaker: Travis Norsen (Smith College)
Commentator: Hasok Chang (University of Cambridge)
James G. Lennox (University of Pittsburgh)
DEC2011

The Philosophic Basis of the Separation of Church and State: Theory and History

Speaker: Onkar Ghate (Ayn Rand Institute)
Commentator: Mark McGarvie (Univeristy of Richmond)
APR2011

Rand and Punishment

Speaker: David Boonin (University of Colorado)
Commentator: Irfan Khawaja (Felician College)
APR2010

Authors Meet Critics: Essays on Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged (ed. R. Mayhew)

Introduction: Robert Mayhew (Seaton Hall University)
Speakers: William Glod (Institute for Humane Studies)
Lester H. Hunt (University of Wisconsin, Madison)
Christine Swanton (University of Auckland)
Responses: Onkar Ghate (Ayn Rand Institute)
Allan Gotthelf (University of Pittsburgh)
Gregory Salmieri (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill)
Chair: Fred D. Miller, Jr. (Bowling Green State University)
DEC2009

The Normative Foundations of Intellectual Property: Two Perspectives

Speaker: Adam Mossoff (George Mason University School of Law)
Commentator: Eric R. Claeys (George Mason University School of Law)
APR2009

Reason, Choice, and the Creation of One’s Own Character

Speaker: Onkar Ghate (Ayn Rand Institute)
Commentator: Jonathan Jacobs (Colgate University)
DEC2008

The Objectivity of Esthetic Value

Speaker: Harry Binswanger (Ayn Rand Institute)
Bill Brewer (University of Warwick)
Mitchell S. Green (University of Virginia)
MAR2008

Egoistic Virtue in Nietzsche and Ayn Rand

Speaker: Christine Swanton (University of Auckland)
Commentator: Darryl Wright (Harvey Mudd College)
DEC2007

The Foundations of Ethics: Objectivism and Analytic Philosophy

Speaker: Irfan Khawaja (University of Notre Dame)
Commentator: Paul Bloomfield (University of Connecticut)
DEC2006

Author meets Critics: Tara Smith’s Ayn Rand’s Normative Ethics: The Virtuous Egoist (Cambridge University Press, 2006)

Speakers: Helen Cullyer (Center for Hellenic Studies and University of Pittsburgh)
Lester H. Hunt (University of Wisconsin, Madison)
Christine Swanton (University of Auckland)
Responses: Tara Smith (University of Texas, Austin)
DEC2005

Ayn Rand as Aristotelian

On Axioms: James G. Lennox (University of Pittsburgh)
On Concepts: Allan Gotthelf (University of Pittsburgh)
On ethics: Fred D. Miller, Jr. (Bowling Green State University)
On Aesthetics: Robert Mayhew (Seton Hall University)
Chair: John M. Cooper (Princeton University)
DEC2004

Concepts and Universals: Ayn Rand and Thomas Aquinas

Speaker: Douglas B. Rasmussen (St. John’s University)
Commentator: Robert Pasnau (University of Colorado)
DEC2003

Ayn Rand on Concepts, Essences, and Scientific Progress

Speaker: Allan Gotthelf (University of Pittsburgh)
James G. Lennox (University of Pittsburgh)
Commentator: Paul E. Griffiths (University of Pittsburgh)
Chair: Harry Binswanger (Ayn Rand Institute)
DEC2001

Reason, Emotion, and the Importance of Philosophy

Speaker: Wayne A. Davis (Georgetown University)
Commentator: Darryl Wright (Harvey Mudd College)
DEC2000

Book Discussion — Tara Smith’s Viable Values: A Study of Life as the Root and Reward of Morality

Speakers: Irfan Khawaja (University of Notre Dame)
David Schmidtz (University of Arizona)
Julia Driver (Dartmouth College)
Responses: Tara Smith (University of Texas, Austin)
DEC1999

Teaching Ayn Rand in Introductory Courses

Topic: Free Will
Speaker: Allan Gotthelf (The College of New Jersey)
Topic: Ethical Egoism
Speaker: Tibor Machan (Chapman University)
DEC1998

A Philosophical Approach to Humor: Aristotle and Ayn Rand

Speaker: Robert Mayhew  (Seton Hall University)
Commentator: Richard Janko (University of London)
DEC1997

Reason and Freedom in Ayn Rand’s Politics

Speaker: Darryl Wright (Harvey Mudd College)
Commentator: Douglas Den Uyl (Bellarmine College)
DEC1996

Egoism and Virtue

Speaker: Lester H. Hunt (University of Wisconsin, Madison)
Commentator: Tara Smith (University of Texas, Austin)
DEC1995

Recasting Business Ethics: The Moral Foundations of Business

Speaker: Stephen Hicks (Rockford College)
Commentator: Jan Narveson (University of Waterloo)
DEC1994

Multiculturalism and the Assault on Objectivity

Speaker: Gary Hull (Claremont Grad. Sch. of Business)
Susan Haack (University of Miami)
DEC1993

The Fountainhead:  Fifty Years Later

Speakers: Richard Kamber (Trenton State College)
Andrew Bernstein (Pace University)
Neera Kapur Badhwar (University of Oklahoma)
DEC1992

Ayn Rand on Kant’s Metaphysics

Speaker: George Walsh (Salisbury State University)
Commentator: Fred D. Miller (Bowling Green State University)
DEC1990

Ayn Rand on Obligation and Value

Speakers: Douglas Rasmussen (St. John’s University)
Allan Gotthelf (Trenton State College)
DEC1989

The Biological Basis of Teleological Concepts

Speaker: Harry Binswanger (Ayn Rand Institute)
Commentator: William Bechtel (Georgia State University)
DEC1988

Perceptual Appearance: Realism vs. Representationalism

Speaker: David Kelley (Verbank, NY)
Commentator: Jaegwon Kim (Brown University)