Lectures
I'm currently offering the following lectures:
Ayn Rand's Morality of Selfishness (An Introduction to the Objectivist Ethics)
Ayn Rand’s morality of selfishness, or rational egoism, is a system of observation-based principles regarding the requirements of human life, personal happiness, social harmony, and political freedom. This talk introduces the principles of rational egoism; contrasts them with the creeds of altruism, hedonism, relativism, and predation; and shows why everyone who wants to live happily and freely must repudiate those alternatives and embrace the morality of rational self-interest.
Back to topThe Source and Nature of Rights
Rights are the foundation of civilized society, but they are misunderstood by most people today; thus we hear incessantly of states’ rights, gay rights, the rights of the unborn, the rights of the poor, the right to housing and medical care and education, “stakeholder” rights, civilian rights, the right to privacy, animal rights, the rights of the brain-dead, and so on. The widespread confusion about what rights are and where they come from—along with the various pseudo rights arising from that confusion—is the cause of much political chaos and uncertainty. This talk elucidates the philosophical foundation of genuine rights, identifies their precise nature, differentiates them from pseudo rights, and surveys the broad political implications of these crucial truths.
Back to topCapitalism: The Only Moral Social System
Capitalism is widely recognized as the practical social system because, wherever and to the extent that it is implemented, it leads to wealth and prosperity. But this same system is widely regarded as immoral because it enables people to act fully in their own self-interest—that is, to act on their own judgment and to keep, use, and dispose of the product of their own effort. This talk demonstrates why, far from making capitalism immoral, the fact that it enables everyone to act selfishly and own property is what makes it not only the most practical but also the only moral social system ever devised.
Back to topImmigration and Individual Rights
This talk demonstrates that the principle of individual rights—the basic principle of America—mandates a policy of open immigration. It then debunks several common arguments for prohibiting or limiting immigration, shows why all such arguments are necessarily invalid, and indicates what Americans must do if we are to reestablish and maintain a moral, rights-respecting, ideologically American immigration policy.
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If you’d like to host a talk, please contact me.