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Volume 9, Number 6, June 2003 Local Activism: Introducing Ayn Rand’s In the Media: Dr. Brook on PBS In May 2002 Dr. Yaron Brook was a panelist on Books Into Texas Schools The McCuistion Program; the topic was “The Israel-Palestine Conflict: Solutions for Peace.” That program re-aired last month, at various The Houston Objectivism Society (HOS), an At one school she suggested that her times, on PBS and cable channels throughout independent community group that promotes the department obtain copies of Anthem and Ayn the country. study of Ayn Rand’s philosophy, has long Rand’s play Night of January 16th. As a result, supported ARI’s projects. For several years a fellow teacher is using them in class, “because . and on Fox News Channel HOS has amplified the effect of our high school she saw them on the shelves, and she remem- On April 27 Dr. Brook was interviewed on the essay contest on Anthem and The Fountainhead bered me telling her how much my students Fox News Channel show At Large With by sponsoring prizes for contest winners in the enjoyed the books,” said Ms. Wich. Geraldo. He discussed the dangers of an Houston area. Since 1995 the members of HOS Iranian-backed attempt to install an Islamic have given more than $18,000 in scholarship Books Quickly Win Fans Among Students theocracy in post-war Iraq. money to local winners. The overwhelming response to Though the efforts of HOS Anthem and The Fountainhead, . and on C-SPAN have helped to encourage teachers she continued, “was extremely In April Dr. Brook spoke on the campus of the in the area to assign Miss Rand’s positive. Many students told me University of Pennsylvania, as part of The novels in class, the organization that [The Fountainhead] was one Defense of America plans to change its approach in of the best, if not the best, book Lecture Series. His hopes of having a larger impact they’ve been assigned to read in topic was U.S.-Israel on local schools. HOS plans to high school. What shocks them relations. C-SPAN, the pool contributions and use the the most is the happy endings. public affairs cable funds to support the Institute’s new program of The main characters actually achieve their values network, recorded the offering free books to teachers who wish to assign and live to enjoy them—which is unheard of in lecture and the question Miss Rand’s novels in class. today’s high school curriculum. In fact, almost period, which it broad- every novel or play assigned in high school ends cast in May. The talk Availability of Books Makes “All the Difference” in tragedy and/or death. Students today are aired on C-SPAN 1, the The decision by HOS to change tack was based in starved for heroes and an uplifting view of life.” network’s most-watched channel. part on the experience of Janet L. Wich, a former The philosophic theme of individualism vs. The lecture series was sponsored by two high school English teacher and the president of collectivism, added Ms. Wich, resonates with ARI donors and coordinated by the campus HOS. In nine years of teaching in high schools, students. Engulfed by collectivism in their Objectivist clubs at Drexel University and the she had always incorporated one or another of Ayn classes and among their friends, they welcome a University of Pennsylvania. Previous lectures in Rand’s works into her classes. Ms. Wich found different viewpoint. Some students in one of the series were given by Dr. Harry Binswanger that, even when Anthem or The Fountainhead Ms. Wich’s advanced-placement courses have and Dr. Daniel Pipes, a Middle East scholar. were not on the official curriculum, “having them gone on to read Atlas Shrugged on their own A video of Dr. Brook’s lecture is available on the shelf made all the difference; if they were in initiative during the summer vacation. for purchase from C-SPAN’s Web site: the book room, I could and did use them.” continued on page 2 www.c-span.org. Conference Highlight: Alumni Joining the Faculty Four New Audio Books Coming The Institute’s Objectivist Academic Center Amy Peikoff is a graduate student in philos- Blackstone Audio will soon publish new (OAC) aims to find and train new intellectuals ophy at the University of Southern California. unabridged audio books of Philosophy: Who who will go on to help spread Ayn Rand’s ideas She has studied at the Objectivist Academic Needs It, The Art of Fiction, The Art of in the culture. In one form or another, ARI has Center, where she also taught an undergraduate Nonfiction and Objectivism: The Philosophy of been offering courses on the philosophy of Ayn course on logic. “My involvement in the OAC,” Ayn Rand. All of these books will be available Rand since 1987. One encouraging indication she said, “has not only increased my knowledge on cassette tape and CD; there is a possibility of progress is the number of OAC alumni who of Objectivism, it has also improved my think- that the latter title will also be offered in MP3 are on the faculty at the 2003 Objectivist ing, writing and teaching skills. Further, by format. The prices were unavailable as Impact summer conference. Of the 14 speakers who introducing me to other Objectivists who are went to press. will present general lectures, eight have studied currently pursuing academic careers, it has Blackstone has already published at ARI during the course of their careers. Eight improved my graduate school experience.” At unabridged audio books of We the Living, of the 14 minicourses will be taught by alumni. the conference, she will present the general- Anthem, The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged (Some of the alumni mentioned in this article session lecture “Fallacies as Characterization in (available in MP3), Capitalism: The Unknown and in the sidebar have completed ARI’s Atlas Shrugged.” She has also taught at previous Ideal, For the New Intellectual, The Virtue of advanced training program; others have taken conferences. Selfishness and Why Businessmen Need individual courses or seminars.) Bo Dragsdahl, who is working on a master’s Philosophy. Audio excerpts from a few of these Impact asked three members of the thesis on logic at the University of Copenhagen, audio books can be found on ARI’s Web site conference faculty to comment on their has been a student in the Institute’s advanced (www.aynrand.org/books). studies at the Institute. philosophy courses since 1998. Last year he The new audio books will be available continued on page 3 from the Ayn Rand Bookstore (www.aynrand bookstore.com). Local Activism, continued from page 1 Pooling Resources to Increase Effect The Houston Objectivism Society recognized the DISCOVERING importance of introducing Ayn Rand’s books into classrooms—and with help from ARI, found an efficient way to achieve that goal. AYN RAND’S Warren S. Ross, a member of HOS’s executive committee and a former president of PHILOSOPHY the group, observed: “Through ARI, we could eventually get [Anthem and The Fountainhead] into the book rooms of hun- Suggested Readings dreds of high schools in Houston, and eventu- Emotion vs. Reason? ally all of Texas and beyond. Considering that Each month Impact suggests readings for fans of In her essay “The Objectivist Ethics,” teachers are always strapped for money, and Ayn Rand’s fiction who wish to learn more about which appears in The Virtue of Selfishness, often teach the novels actually residing in the her philosophy, Objectivism. Ayn Rand touches on the role of emotions high school book room, this would be a large in life and how the ideas and values one step toward getting teachers to assign and lthough many people experience conflicts has accepted shape one’s emotional teach Ayn Rand’s novels.” Abetween their mind and their heart, Ayn reactions. In “Philosophy: Who Needs It” Launched in the fall of 2002, ARI’s program Rand held that there was no necessary clash (which appears in a book of the same title), aims to integrate Ayn Rand’s novels into high between a man’s reason and his emotions. she discusses how people acquire ideas, school curricula across America. Each classroom Emotions, she wrote, “are the automatic often unwittingly, which in turn shape their set that we supply to teachers includes 30 copies results of man’s value judgments integrated by thinking and emotions. of Anthem or The Fountainhead, guides on his subconscious; emotions are estimates of teaching the two novels and chapter-by-chapter that which furthers man’s values or threatens In chapter 5 of Objectivism: The lesson plans with exercises and suggestions for them, that which is for him or against him— Philosophy of Ayn Rand, Leonard Peikoff classroom activities. lightning calculators giving him the sum of his explains how emotions are a product of HOS aims to pool enough money to sponsor profit or loss. ideas. To concretize this point, he 10 classroom sets for local schools. By doing “Man is born with an emotional mecha- describes the varying emotional reactions so, they will achieve a greater effect than they nism, just as he is born with a cognitive mecha- of six different people who look at the might by acting alone. nism; but, at birth, both are ‘tabula rasa.’ It is same screen of medical slides. Dr. Peikoff The cost of 30 books, if purchased at a store, man’s cognitive faculty, his mind, that deter- also addresses at length the idea that is about $300 (including tax).