aynrand.org/impact Volume 19, Number 3, March 2013 ARI Responds ARI Campus Celebrates Ayn Rand’s Birthday to State of the o commemorate TAyn Rand’s Union Speech birthday (February 2), ARI Campus n response to President Obama’s State of the took to the social media airwaves to encour- I Union speech last month, ARI organized a age the study of Rand’s ideas via ARI’s new- webinar with executive director Yaron Brook and est educational initiative. ARI Campus is the fellow Don Watkins, in which they discussed home on the web for free, high-quality courses issues ranging from health care to trade policy. about Ayn Rand and her ideas. All new regi- “The State of the Union speech is one of the istrants to ARI Campus during the week of An example of an ARI Campus ad on Facebook most philosophical political speeches given every February 2–9 were invited to take advantage year,” explained Dr. Brook on ARI’s decision to of a limited-time offer for a free copy of one ARI Campus grew by almost 1,400 students in respond to this particular event; “It most openly of Rand’s timeless works. little more than a week. The site now has more reflects the ideological principles driving the Due to this promotional effort, which than 2,300 students actively engaged. To enroll president and always generates much debate.” included targeted ads on Facebook and Google, at ARI Campus, visit campus.aynrand.org. ARI’s webinar was streamed live over the web the day after the president’s speech. Close to four hundred people tuned in for ARI’s event and submitted questions via the web. Dr. Brook and Mr. Watkins are authors of the Free Market Revolution in Europe national best-seller Free Market Revolution: How RI executive director Ideas Can End Big Government,” Dr. Brook Ayn Rand’s Ideas Can End Big Government. A Yaron Brook recently spoke to audiences about how understanding spent a week in Europe dis- and spreading Ayn Rand’s philosophy is crucial cussing Ayn Rand’s ideas in countering growing statism throughout the and promoting his latest world. book Free Market Revolu- In London Dr. Brook spoke at two events, tion, co-authored with ARI one hosted by the Adam Smith Institute, a lead- fellow Don Watkins. “Interest in Ayn Rand ing British free market think tank, and another seems to be growing in Europe,” Dr. Brook by UCL Conservatives, a student organization reported after his trip, “and they certainly need at University College London. Dr. Brook also her ideas.” addressed students at the University of Essex Dr. Brook’s trip included stops in England, at an event organized by Essex Libertarians, Switzerland and Denmark. In the first two a campus club. The Liberales Institut, a Swiss Yaron Brook (left) and Don Watkins countries, in a talk titled “How Ayn Rand’s continued on page 4 Ayn Rand Center Israel New Academic Fellowship in Law Established Established tion, the fellowship will allow Dr. Peikoff to con- tinue to produce written scho-larship informed by Objectivism. This is just the most recent success for Dr. Peikoff, and for the Anthem Foundation. It The Anthem Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organiza- builds upon recent efforts the Anthem Foundation tion, separate from ARI, that provides funding to has made to increase the visibility of Objectivism in colleges and universities whose academics are the field of law—work that we have reported to you engaged in serious scholarship based on Objectiv- on several occasions in recent quarterly updates. ism. The following is reprinted from senior director (Along these lines, I’m happy to report that our Debi Ghate’s most recent letter to donors. To learn exhibit booth at the recent Association of Ameri- more about the Anthem Foundation, visit anthem can Law Schools conference resulted in sixty new foundation.org. contacts and the distribution of dozens of Ayn Rand books to professors and graduate students in legal Dear Anthem Donor: academia.) We look forward to Dr. Peikoff’s reports on her I am very pleased to announce experience at Southwestern—and we thank you, as ast fall the Ayn Rand Center Israel was that a Research Fellowship for an Anthem Foundation supporter, for your generos- L established in Ramat HaSharon, Israel. the Study of Objectivism has ity, without which this fellowship would not have ARCI has received an initial grant from ARI to been established at Southwest- been possible! increase awareness of Ayn Rand’s philosophy in ern Law School in Los Angeles Sincerely, Israel and the Middle East. The grant was gene- for the spring semester 2013, to rously provided by a contributor who is excited be held by Amy Peikoff. Debi Ghate about the interest in Objectivism in Israel and Southwestern has hired Senior Director the opportunity to provide intellectual fuel to Dr. Peikoff as an adjunct professor to teach a receptive minds. This is the first such grant ARI seminar on the nature of law. The Anthem Foun- PS. If you would like to make a contribution to has awarded for the promotion of Ayn Rand’s dation fellowship will make it possible for her to support our fellowship at Southwestern, our efforts ideas in a country outside the United States. participate more fully in faculty-related activities in law or any of our other activities, please contact continued on page 4 and to present at academic conferences. In addi- Duane Knight at [email protected]. The Value of ARI’s Support for an Academic Career Interview with OAC Alumnus Jason Rheins hrough their vari- that I had not even thought of. Second, you can exact title, so let’s call it “working scholar taskmas- T ous programs, really make an impact on some of the students, ter”) for Second Renaissance in 2001 and 2002, ARI and the Anthem which affects how they think and the future they the working scholars whom I mercilessly drove Objectivist Academic Center Foundation for Objec- choose for themselves. When a student tells me into exhaustion were there on ARI’s dime; later, at tivist Scholarship that my teaching has had this effect on him or her, ARI-operated Objectivist summer conferences, I provide financial and intellectual support for promis- it is profoundly gratifying. was given the opportunity to teach lecture courses. ing students interested in academic careers. The fol- Impact: How have ARI and the Anthem Foun- During my graduate school years there were lowing interview is the second in a series highlight- dation assisted you in developing your career? many philosophy workshops on advanced topics ing students in our programs who have now begun JR: In many ways—more ways than I can held in Austin, Pittsburgh, Claremont and Irvine careers in academia. For more information about easily recount. Here are some highlights in roughly that the Anthem Foundation made possible and the Anthem Foundation, see page 1. chronological order: first, I might never have picked paid for me to attend. There were also professional up a book by Ayn Rand had it not been for the development workshops that the OAC sponsored. Impact: What is your current Fountainhead high school essay contest. That fact All were very valuable, and even more valuable position, Dr. Rheins? alone changed my life. When I was an undergradu- were the relationships that these fostered between Jason Rheins: I am an ate, leading the Stanford Objectivist Club, ARI paid me and senior Objectivist scholars who have assistant professor (tenure for campus club speakers—lots of speakers, three frequently given me advice, encouragement and track) of philosophy at Loyola or more a year. In my junior and senior years I was career opportunities. University Chicago. able to lead a student-initiated course on Objectiv- At the same time, I was given travel grants, Impact: What projects ism (for credit), which would not have been possible which allowed me to attend and present my work are you currently working on? without the advice of Onkar Ghate or the numerous at many academic conferences, and a very gener- JR: I am mostly working guest lecturers that the Institute provided. ous dissertation writing grant, which helped me to on Plato’s philosophy. I am Around that time and in the years to come, finish my PhD. nearly finished with an article on his theology, and I took many good courses from ARI. This was Lastly, after I received my PhD, an Anthem I am giving conference papers on some related top- before the current OAC curriculum. I took at least fellowship gave me my first, full-time teaching ics about the soul and cosmology. I also am in the two or three courses that were more introductory position as a visiting assistant professor at UNC early stages of work on a chapter for a collection on and several at an advanced level that were part of Chapel Hill. I had taught often enough before, but the Aristotelian Problemata (Robert Mayhew will what used to be called the OGC [Objectivist Grad- in many ways I was still very green; I made lots be editing it). Basically, it’s about the differences uate Center] program. Onkar Ghate’s undergradu- of mistakes. However, I also learned a tremendous between how Plato’s Academy and Aristotle’s ate seminar on Ayn Rand’s philosophy deserves amount, especially about the responsibilities of Lyceum answered the question, “Why are humans special recognition in terms of its value for me. being a faculty member and teacher. Several fac- above the other animals (literally: why are humans ARI covered my tuition for all of these courses.