THE AYN RAND INSTITUTE Vol. 4. No. 1 . The Ayn Rand Institute: The Center for the Advancement of Objectivism 'January,1989 "The Meaning of Money" BENEFITPREMIERE The Ayn Rand Institute has Los Angeles - More than 250 film, and a dessertreception. just published its first pamphlet people attended the Institute's bene- In his introductory remarks, aimed primarily at businesspeople. fit premiere of the film version of Leonard Peikoff discussedvarious "The Meaning of Money" is a Ayn Rand's novel We the Liuing. aspects of the novel's history and reprint of Francisco d'Anconia's Held at the Director's Guild of philosophy. Then Duncan Scott, "money" speech from Atlas Shrug- America on November 19, 1988, co-producer of the restored film, ged.In that speech,Ayn Rand chal- the financially successful event who worked on the editing with lenges the idea that "money is the raised funds to help support the Miss Rand, related some of the root of all evil" and explains both Institute's projects. Guests came movie's history, including the Fas- the economic and moral signifi- from across the United States and cist authorities' attempt to confis- cance of money. as far away as Toronto and Aus- cate the film: they were foiled when The pamphlet includes a spe- tralia to enjoy an evening which the producers tricked them by sub- cial introduction by Ed Snider, included introductory talks, the (SeeBenefit, p. 4) owner of the Philadelphia Flyers and a member of the Institute's Board of Directors. In his introduc- tion, Mr. Snider explains why the "money" speech was so important to him personally: "[it] identified for me why I work and why work is noble. It explained that money is the reward but not the reason we work...." He also tracesthe reasons leading to his decision to help start the Institute: his frustration at the self-destructive policies of most business people and his growing awarenessof the anti-capitalist phi- losophy taught on college cam- puses. The purpose of the pamphlet is to interest business people in Peikoff, Michael Berliner,and Duncan Scott Objectivism and the Institute and, ultimately, to develop increased financial support for Institute pro- AYN RAND SOCIETYMEETS jects. It is hoped that more business "Perceptual (See"Money," p. 4) The first regular sessionof the paper, Appearance: Ayn Rand Society took place on Realism vs. Representationalism," December 28, 1988. The session based on his book The Euidence of was held in Washington, D.C., in the Senses.Dr. Kelley's paper was conjunction with the annual meet- followed by a prepared responseby ing of the Eastern Division of the jaegwon Kim, Brown University American Philosophical Associa- and President of the Central Divi- tion. sion of the A.P.A. The well- The featured speaker was attended session concluded with a David Kelley, who delivered a (SeeAPA, p. 4) InstituteInterview: M. NORTHRUPBUECHNER by lennifer Trainer colleaguesmake comments to me. tures at St. Iohn's. Also, while I There's been a shading of scep- was a graduate student at Virginia, ticism in what they have to say, but I helped organize the first Objec- those comments are coming frorn tivist conference ever held. It took neo-Marxists. place on the Virginia campus over a Qz Did you eaer meet Ayn Rand? weekend in the spring of tgOZ.' A: Yes. I spent the summer of 1965 About 300 people attended from all working in a bank in New York as over the United Statesand Canada. a summer intern. I attended all the The speakersincluded Dr. Peikoff, lectures and functions going on at George Reisman, and Allan Gotthelf. that time and did get to talk to her Q: Hout do you think "The Pouer occasionally after lectures-to ask of Reason" conferenceuent? M. Northrup Buechnerhas her questions. A: It was basicallyvery successful, been a professorof economicsat Then Dr. Peikoff had a semi- particularly the intellectual con- St. Iohn's Uniuersity in Queens, nar where a group of graduate stu- tent. There were two morning lec- NeutYork for 1-9years. A member dents got together to discuss her tures given to everybody. Then in of the lnslt_t4lq'sBoqtd of Aduisoyg, ideas. 4s__a_fes!{!L w-_ewere all _the-aftelnoon there w-q1-e--optional his articleshaae appearedin such invited to a meeting with Ayn courses, each of which was four publicationsas The Neu York Rand. After the general discussion, hours long, spread over 3 or 4 Times, The Journal of Economic I was lucky to catch her alone for a days. In general, the courses were Issues,Vital Speechesof the Day, minute. I told her that she had very well-attended, and it was a lot and The ObjectivistForum. totally changed my life and made it of fun, becauseit was a chance for into something wonderful that I those of us who are teachers to Q: Hou didyour interestin Obiec- knew it would not have been with- actually teach, which you really tiuismeooloe? out her, and that I wanted to thank can't do with lectureswhen you have A: There was a young lady I was her. It was a debt I couldn't begin 250 people-you can't get any real very interestedin when I was nine- to repay, I said, but if there was interactiongoing. I was able to teach teen who inspired me to quit col- anything I could do....(knowing my classwith the samemethod and lege and take a year off and that was a totally vain offer). And format that I use at St. John's. hitchhike around the country. she surprised me by saying that Qz Are you planning to do any Among other things, she recom- there was something I could do. other conferences? mendedI read The Fountainhead. "You can maintain your loyalty to A: Oh, yes. I'm making plans now When I finally found it-while reason," she said. That was quite for 1990, working as a busboy in Scottsdale, an inspiration. Qz Are you going to do anything Arizona-it was certainly the cli Qz Last year Vour company, Con- different in L990? macticmoment of my life. ceptual Conferences,put on a con- A: The most important thing I I then went back to college f erence at Wagner College on want to do is expandthe number of (LawrenceU.), finishedmy under- Staten Island. TeIl me about it, individual courses.I'm going to cut general -iteEfioolatgradgllt-ework, an{ry-en1^togradrl- A: I had been thinking fo-r many _E!k the lecturesto one-a- TF,eUnEer6itv-ifTiF veaG tbouftiting a co;iarEnie on--day, mayUetess.]h-deFin Clygoing gmla. the East Coast. I began to investi- to extend the conference to two Q: Hoto did your interest in eco- gate what would be necessary, in weeks. However, for all those people nomics det:elop? the spring of 1987' Actually, my who asked that I keep it a one-week A: When I read Atlas Shrugged in original idea had been for a four- conference, they will be able to \962, I had taken some courses in week summer school. That is still attend for only one week if they economics, and it struck me imme- my long-run goal, by the way. The want to. I'm also looking for a site diately that what I had learned in summer school was announced in that can accommodate more people those courses was antithetical to the Objectivist publications in the more comfortably-including the what I was reading and under- fall of 1987, but there was just not possibility of a resort in the Catskills. standing in Atlas Shrugged.It took enough interest to support it. When Q: What do you enioy in your off from there-I wanted to answer that was clear, I went ahead with a spare time? those argumentsfrom that point on. one-week conference, "The Power A: I'm an avid skier, I like to cook, Q: Haoe you had problems at St. of Reason," not really knowing I enjoy good wines, but those are Iohn's us{ng Obiectipism in your what I was getting into. It was an personal interests. In terms of pas- courses? enormous amount of work. sion, there really is nothing in my A: I've never had any problem. In Qz Did you haue any prior experi- life that compares with the passion the last few years it's become evi- ence tnith conferencesT I have for Objectivism. That has dent that it's now well known that I A: Not much. I had put on some been the motivating force in my life teach Ayn Rand, because I've had banquets and organized some lec- since I read The Fountainhead. o 2 Obiectivism Overseas:India The follotuing is fourth in a by "Understanding Objectivism." States and the fact that most of series of articles about Objectiztist In Calcutta, Objectivists have their members are non-earning stu- actiztitiesthroughout the toorld. formed the "Ayn Rand Radicals" dents. (As a result, they) find it In1970, a small advertisement and started a two-page monthly very hard to sustain the interest of appeared in the evening newspaper newsletter which currently has 50 their members for a long time." in Bombay, and The Ayn Rand subscribers. "Our immediate The religious climate of India ReadersClub was born. aims," said Barun Mitra, editor and also makes it difficult to spread The only qualification for president of ARR, "are threefold: Objectivism. Malkani recently sent membership, according to found- first, creating a better understand- the Institute a newspaper clipping ing member Tara Malkani, is to be ing of Ayn Rand's works through from The Times of India in which a student of Objectivism.