Upcoming Meetings
Valuing and Desires
January 9, 2025 (at the American Philosophical Association Eastern Division Meeting)
Speakers:
Steven Warden (University of St. Andrews)
Tara Smith (University of Texas, Austin)
Gregory Salmieri (University of Texas, Austin)
Past Meetings
Paid up Members and Contributors of the Ayn Rand Society may access the following papers and materials that were presented at past ARS meetings. To gain access, please join this Substack as a paid member, then click the relevant meeting link below to be taken to a download page.
January 2023. Rand’s Conception of Metaphysics
Alex Silverman, “Ayn Rand’s New Concept of Metaphysics”
Jason Rheins, Comments on Alex Silverman’s “Ayn Rand’s New Concept of Metaphysics”
Transcript of discussion between Alex Silverman, Jason Rheins, and Gregory Salmieri
January 2022. Film Authorship
Lester Hunt, “Why Aren’t Movies Better Than They Are? Ayn Rand’s Comments on Film Aesthetics”
Andrew Kania, “Comments on Hunt’s Why Aren’t Movies Better Than They Are?”
April 2021. The Unity of Virtue
Neera Badhwar, “Aristotle and Rand on the Unity of Virtue”
Benjamin Bayer, “Ayn Rand on Moral Virtue and Moral Character”
February 2020. Aristotle and Rand on the Standard of Value
Gregory Salmieri, “Aristotle and Ayn Rand on the Standard of Value”
Joseph Karbowski, “Comment on Salmieri, Aristotle and Ayn Rand on the Standard of Value”
January 2020. Aristotle and Rand on Axioms
James G. Lennox, “Ayn Rand & Aristotle: Axioms and their Validation“
Michail Peramatzis, “Commentary on J.G. Lennox’s Ayn Rand & Aristotle: Axioms & Their Validation”
January 2019. Integrity
Carrie-Ann Biondi, “Being Integrated: A Labor of Self-Love”
Christian Miller, “Comment On Biondi’s Being Integrated: A Labor of Self-Love”
Gregory Salmieri, “Comment On Biondi’s Being Integrated: A Labor of Self-Love”
Carrie-Ann Biondi, “Response to Miller and Salmieri”
January 2017. Author Meets Critics: Tara Smith’s Judicial Review in an Objective Legal System
Onkar Ghate, “Comments on Judicial Review in an Objective Legal System”
Mark Graber, “Dispute Resolution in an Objective Legal System: Comments on Tara Smith’s Judicial Review in an Objective Legal System”
Timothy Sandefur, “Comments on Tara Smith’s Judicial Review in an Objective Legal System”
Tara Smith, “Response to Ghate”
Tara Smith, “Response to Graber’s Outline”
Tara Smith, “What is the Law? Response to Sandefur”
January 2016. Biological Collectivism and the Politics of Racial Identity
Jason Hill, “Biological Collectivism and the Politics of Racial Identity”
Gregory Salmieri, “Comment on Jason Hill’s Biological Collectivism and the Politics of Racial Identity”
December 2014. The Moral Basis of Capitalism: Adam Smith, the Austrians, and Ayn Rand
Peter Boettke, “Mises, Rand and the 20th Century”
Yaron Brook, “Ayn Rand’s Case for the Morality of Capitalism”
James Otteson, “Adam Smith’s Theory of Freedom: Or, Adam Smith’s Libertarian Paternalism”
April 2014. Ayn Rand’s Theory of Rights
Fred Miller & Adam Mossoff, “Ayn Rand’s Theory of Rights: An Exposition and Response to Critics”
Matt Zwolinski, “A Critique of Ayn Rand’s Theory of Rights”
December 2013. Rand and Nozick: Moral, Social, and Political Thought
Lester Hunt, “Ethical Bearings” (a draft chapter from Hunt’s Anarchy State and Utopia: An Advanced Guide)
Onkar Ghate, “Rand and Nozick on the State of Nature and the Principle of Individual Rights”
Historical Meetings (papers unavailable):
March 2013. Capitalism, Limited Government, and Morality.
Speaker: Michael Huemer (University of Colorado)
Commentator: Harry Binswanger (Ayn Rand Institute)
Chair: Gregory Salmieri (Boston University)
April 2012. Concepts and the Growth of Scientific Knowledge: The Case of “Temperature”.
Speaker: Travis Norsen (Smith College)
Commentators: Hasok Chang (University of Cambridge), James G. Lennox (University of Pittsburgh)
December 2011. 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)
April 2011. Rand and Punishment.
Speaker: David Boonin (University of Colorado)
Commentator: Irfan Khawaja (Felician College)
April 2010. Authors Meet Critics: Essays on Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged
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)
December 2009. 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)
April 2009. Reason, Choice, and the Creation of One’s Own Character.
Speaker: Onkar Ghate (Ayn Rand Institute)
Commentator: Jonathan Jacobs (Colgate University)
December 2008. The Objectivity of Esthetic Value.
Speakers: Harry Binswanger (Ayn Rand Institute), Bill Brewer (University of Warwick), Mitchell S. Green (University of Virginia)
March 2008. Egoistic Virtue in Nietzsche and Ayn Rand.
Speaker: Christine Swanton (University of Auckland)
Commentator: Darryl Wright (Harvey Mudd College)
December 2007. The Foundations of Ethics: Objectivism and Analytic Philosophy.
Speaker: Irfan Khawaja (University of Notre Dame)
Commentator: Paul Bloomfield (University of Connecticut)
December 2006. Author meets Critics: Tara Smith’s Ayn Rand’s Normative Ethics: The Virtuous Egoist
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)
December 2005. 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)
December 2004. Concepts and Universals: Ayn Rand and Thomas Aquinas.
Speaker: Douglas B. Rasmussen (St. John’s University)
Commentator: Robert Pasnau (University of Colorado)
December 2003. 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)
December 2001. Reason, Emotion, and the Importance of Philosophy.
Speaker: Wayne A. Davis (Georgetown University)
Commentator: Darryl Wright (Harvey Mudd College)
December 2000. 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)
December 1999. Teaching Ayn Rand in Introductory Courses.
Free Will: Allan Gotthelf (The College of New Jersey)
Ethical Egoism: Tibor Machan (Chapman University)
December 1998. A Philosophical Approach to Humor: Aristotle and Ayn Rand.
Speaker: Robert Mayhew (Seton Hall University)
Commentator: Richard Janko (University of London)
December 1997. Reason and Freedom in Ayn Rand’s Politics.
Speaker: Darryl Wright (Harvey Mudd College)
Commentator: Douglas Den Uyl (Bellarmine College)
December 1996. Egoism and Virtue.
Speaker: Lester H. Hunt (University of Wisconsin, Madison)
Commentator: Tara Smith (University of Texas, Austin)
December 1995. Recasting Business Ethics: The Moral Foundations of Business.
Speaker: Stephen Hicks (Rockford College)
Commentator: Jan Narveson (University of Waterloo)
December 1994. Multiculturalism and the Assault on Objectivity.
Speakers: Gary Hull (Claremont Grad. Sch. of Business), Susan Haack (University of Miami)
December 1993. The Fountainhead: Fifty Years Later.
Speakers: Richard Kamber (Trenton State College)
Andrew Bernstein (Pace University)
Neera Kapur Badhwar (University of Oklahoma)
December 1992. Ayn Rand on Kant’s Metaphysics.
Speaker: George Walsh (Salisbury State University)
Commentator: Fred D. Miller (Bowling Green State University)
December 1990. Ayn Rand on Obligation and Value.
Speakers: Douglas Rasmussen (St. John’s University), Allan Gotthelf (Trenton State College)
December 1989. The Biological Basis of Teleological Concepts.
Speaker: Harry Binswanger (Ayn Rand Institute)
Commentator: William Bechtel (Georgia State University)
December 1988. Perceptual Appearance: Realism vs. Representationalism.
Speaker: David Kelley (Verbank, NY)
Commentator: Jaegwon Kim (Brown University)