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The, Ayi\ Rand Institute THE,AYI\ RAND INSTITUTE f,l/ewsletter- Vol. 6, No. 1 o The Center for the Advancement of Objectivism o Februarv 1991 Fund-raisingGala Institute in Review Sef for September Unexpected successesand dramatic Library (NAL) last April, over 900 The Ayn Rand Institute is pleased to opporhrnities to reach new audiences professional philosophers-far more announce 'An Evening of Celebration," mark the Ayn Rand Institute's projects than expected-have requested and re- to take place September 28, 1991, at the over the past year. ceived complimentary copies from ARI. Vista Lrternational Hotel in New York As ARI begins its seventh year of In addition, 1990saw the publication by City. This special evening, the third of its operation, its two major projects aimed ARI Press of The Biological Basb of Tele- kind since ARI was established in 1985, at reaching high-school and college ological Concepts, Harry Binswanger's will include a banquet and fund-raising students are flourishing. The Institute work in philosophy of science. A major auction of items from Avn Rand's estate. continues to provide camPus Objectivist project for ARI in 1991 and 19P2will be Following dinner, jo(n Ridpath will clubs with valuable materials and sup- the promotion to the academic commun- preside over the auction of various port (for details on the club project, see ity of Leonard Peikoff's definitive book manuscripts, books, and memorabilia- page three of this newsletter). And 1990 on Ayn Rand's philosophy, Objectiaism: in all, twenty-seven items created, was the best year yet for the Fountainhead ThePhilosophy of Ayn Rand,scheduled for purchased, or collected by Ayn Rand. Essay Contest, with a record-breaking publication by NAL in December. Proceeds from the event will be 2,830 entries-a twenty percent increase The Institute's sponsorship of Dr. invested in ARI's various projects to over 1989. A new marketing strategy for Binswanger/s intellectual training sem- advance the philosophy of Objectivism. the 1991 contest has resulted in two to inars for Objectivist graduate students The two previous banquet/auctions-in three times the usual number of requests in philosophy continued in 1990, with Los Angeles in 1986,and in New York in for teaching materials and information four young scholars participating in 1987-were highly successful in raising about the contest, and ARI hopes for a extended workshops on philosophic funds. In addition, Objectivists from all significant increase in the number of writing; another graduate student over North America and several coun- entries. In response to suggestions from recently joined the current seminar on tries overseas enjoyed the opportunity teachers, the Institute created new essay the Objectivist ethics. ARI continues its to meet one another and celebrate the questions for this year's contest, and is subsidy of student tuitions for Objec- adrievements of Ayn Rand and of the now developing teaching materials for tivist taped lecture courses, including Ayn Rand Institute. Ayn Rand's novelette, Anthem. Dr. Peikoff's new course based on his This summer, all current mntributors On the academic front, ARI's forthcoming book, and will again offer to ARI will receive invitations to the development and promotion of the new partial scholarships to qualified stu- event as well as a catalog containing scholarly edition of lntroduction to dents wishing to attend this summer's descriptions of the auction items. Mail- Objectiaist Epistemology has been an conference at The ]efferson School. bids will be accepted from those unable important step in conveying to the While the United Statesremains the to attend. Further details will be an- philosophic profession the serious and primary focus of ARI's projects, several nounced in the next Nearleffer and in technical nature of Objectivism. Since opportunities greatly expanded the upccming issues of IMPACT. the book's publication by NewAmerican international reach of the Institute (*e Bevlew,p.4) Merrrorabilia Manuscripte (picwreddght) | "Playboy'slnterview with Ayn Rand," typed but edited in her I Cigarette lighter handwriting with some pages mmpletely handwritten €ngrarredwittr'AYN I Handwritten 'lntroduction" toTheVirtue of Setfthness and a dollar sign I Heavy glass ash- Books tray with a cat's face etched in the base I Humcn Action by Ludwig von Mises, with extensive and I Sealed box of generally negative marginal notes on 128 pages dollar-sign ciga- I L'HommeQui Rit (TheMan Wholaughs) by Vi*or Hugo, two rettes, with ",Iufio Is volumes in French lofn Qatt? filEY XIIOWAT RANDOM HOUSE"printed onthecover I Six paperback mysteries by Agatha Christie; inside each I Brass replica of the "Golden Spike," purchased by Ayn Rand cover, Ayn Rand wrote "AR" and later crossed it out, indicating from Gump's in Beverly Hills to commemoratethelohn Galt Line she had read it twice InstituteInterview: ANDREWBERNSTEIN by lGthy Kroegu knew that sincelwanted to write serious entrenched beliefs of a conservative fiction, training in philosophy would be society, Good students can't miss it- invaluable,solgotmyM.A. and Ph.D.in they seeit in RoarlCsstruggle. philosophy, instead of literahrre, at the Q: RegardingARf s asay contat on The City Uriivirsity of New York. [t was a Fountainead: youatrote the teacher's guide, horrible, agonizing experience,don- anil you'aehelped grade the essaysfrom the inated by contemporary linguistic phi- beginning;what is your aiao of the impact losophers,who are much worse, I think, that thecontat is haoing? than the ldanists or Existentialists. But A: I think the contest has been a grealt the training in philosophy has been practical step in the spread of Obiec- indispensable,not only in my develop- hvism. rhe lids who reid the novel ind ment as a writer, but in teachingas well. enter the contest are the above-average- Q: Youhaoe taught at bah thehigh-school to-excellent students, so that in itself is andcollecelnel. Whichdo vou prefq? encouraging. And the essaysfve graded A: Both lave their virtues-underappro- over the last five years have been pretty priate circumstances.Bright, motivated good; the students are certainly getting are a joy to teach' iomething out of reading the book. of philonphyat high-school.kids "ffiDr. Bernstein is aprofesnr Also, I trv to keepin mind that when vou teach, y<iu plani seecls--and then five, t#tr"#ffi:#r;:";fffi ;::ff#{;ffr''#;E?who aren't so ten years down the road, maybe some' He is the authorcf "n;);';';;E;;; lf vou.set ggdents brigh!.Pqt a.n{. teaching high thing grows there.Similarly,I think the ro The Fountainhead,;"p;;;i; b; {r *t Totivated, Recently,Ivebeenteaching contestis planting many seeds. AmericanLibrary and ilbtrihutel ui eru. sdroolishell. Q: Haaeyou taughtAtlas Shrugged? Heb cunentty ionpraiig';;t';i";;:' #'T Toi5llilsffi"i::l,TJ'ffir$: A: Yes,several times, to high-schoolsen- students.You know Q: How itiit you first becomeinterested in experienceand a.deeprealization of the ior honors English OUiecti*ni imPortanceof education.I have to say how in "understanding Objectivism," A:When I was a junior in high sdrool in thal teaching theseadqlts is the gleatest Leonard Peikoff discusses"chewing" teaching experience had. They'r9 ideas?Well,I've read Arlls Shruggdfive Brooklyn I had a very bright gym teach- -I've er wh6 managed to woik Ayn Rand's highly motivated and always prep,ared, times,and I don't think I havethorough- ideas into a f,vcieneclass. Il was the an-dI don't haveto wastetime on "class- ly drewed it-and I'm no lessintelligent spring of 1968,-iiuring the height of the Klom management" It's rcallya pleasure. than the next guy! SoI had to reccgnize Vietram War and the riots at Columbia; Q: Could you descibe your approadt to that seventeen-year-oldsare not likely politicalandmoralquestionswereinthe teachingTheFountainhead? to understand all the themes.What I iir, and occasionallythis teacher would A: I've-taught The Fountainhea'dmany want them to get is the brilliant integra- discuss the Obiectivist perspective in times,at about ten different universities tion of the plot structure on a massive class,He was iever dolmafic, but he and at a private high school. At the scale;thereG nothing in all of literature was always very firm aFout his views. collegelevel, I use it a9 one of the texts to compare to it Rand is an incredible It was th6 first [ime Id heard anything in m! moral philosophy class; I assign literary genius,and I want my students that made so mudr senseto me- That it at the end of the course, after the to recognizeher stature in that regard. summer I read all of Ayn Rand's books. shrdentshave ccmplgted a fairly tradi- Beyond that, I hope they acquire some es- Q:Howdidyourinterestinaliterarycarw tional rcading list. They definitely ggj rudimentarygrasp of the philosophy, begin?hp,oin? the contrastconilast between RandKand and the self-selt- peciallv the role of reasonand the fun- AiFor as long as I can remerrber, I've sacrifice tradition represented by Plato, hamerital nature of free will-the choice ailiwfffietlFsus; fGEFan lldarx==aiiat howdifficuft er, and fiction hasbeen my passionsince or painful,like Galt, or to willfully I was a kid. Dscovering Ayn Rand's evadereality,like Jim Taggart. novelsonly reinfored my goal; Howard Q: Do you haue a faaorite scenein Roark became my hero, a man who Avn Rand'sfictbn? not only defined his values rationally, Ai I love thd dramatic impact of RoarKs but would never sprrifice them. That secondtrial, whenWynand standsupin was a great inspiration to me. the back of the room becausejudgment being pronounced on him, too. I think Q:Diil Wu pursuea fonnal ducation in is literature? Gail Wynand's story is the greatesttraS- A: Yes,up to a point.
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