July 7 (Friday) Program

2006 Summer Seminar Objectivism in Theory and Practice Chapman University in Orange, California July 1 - 8, 2006 Color Key: Art and Aesthetics Functions Applied Objectivism Philosophy Political /Cultural   8:30-9:30 Aristotelian Ethics for Objectivists 2 —Alexander Cohen, M.A., J.D. Atlas Shrugged as a Philosophical Novel 6 — David Kelley, Ph.D. & William R Thomas, M.A. Break   9:45-11:00 Neuroscience and the Measure of Man —Walter Donway The Implications of Love —Nathaniel Branden, Ph.D. Break   11:30-12:45 The Habits of Excellence —Stephen Nahm Panel on Cognitive Science and Philosophy —Jay Friedenberg, Ph.D., Walter Donway, and David Kelley, Ph.D. Lunch   2:15-3:30   The Atlas Shrugged Movie Event —Howard and Karen Baldwin with John Aglialoro   Break   4:00-5:00 Group Photograph 5:00-6:00 Free Time 6:00-12:00   Closing Banquet and Dance Speakers include John Aglialoro and Tracey Ross      Friday Course Descriptions

8:30 – 9:30 am

(Advanced Morning Course in Philosophy)

Alexander R. Cohen, M.A., J.D. – Aristotelian Ethics for Objectivists Part 2 of 2

 

The second lecture in this pair will explore a gap in Aristotle that Rand can be used to patch—and ways to use Aristotle to enhance our understanding and application of the Objectivist ethics.

Alexander R. Cohen, J.D., is a doctoral student in philosophy and has studied the Ethics in depth.

 

David Kelley, Ph.D. and William R Thomas, M.A. – Atlas Shrugged as a Philosophical Novel 6

 

(This is a six-part course. See the course description in the Sunday, July 2 schedule.)

 

 

9:45 – 11:00 am

 

Cancelled: William R Thomas, M.A. – The Government that Governs Best: Limited vs. Small Government    

 

New time:  Walter Donway – Neuroscience and the Nature of Man

(Part of the Symposium on Cognitive Science)

 

Ayn Rand attacked contemporary theories of psychology, political philosophy, and sociology for their premise that human nature, especially man’s mind, was “infinitely elastic.” Now, discoveries in neuroscience are showing that the mind has inherent characteristics in areas ranging from temperament to intelligence, from sexual psychology to learning, and from career preferences to reaction to artworks. Does brain science’s emerging view of man differ from Objectivism’s basic views or shade our interpretation of them?

            Walter Donway started the journal Cerebrum: The Dana Forum on Brain Science and edited it for eight years.  He is a trustee of The Objectivist Center.

 

Nathaniel Branden, Ph.D. – The Implications of Love

 

Nathaniel Branden asks, what do we mean if we tell someone “I love you and I want to make a life with you?” What is our lover entitled to expect? While anyone can claim to have fallen in love, handling a love relationship competently is no simple matter. It requires a high level of consciousness, self-responsibility, and empathy. If we learn to meet this challenge, the reward includes more than a happy love-life. It includes growing in maturity as a human being.

Nathaniel Branden is a lecturer, practicing psychotherapist, and author of twenty books on the psychology of self-esteem, and romantic love. His work has been translated into 18 languages and has sold over 4 million copies, and includes such titles as Taking Responsibility and The Six Pillars of Self Esteem.

 

 

11:30 – 12:45 pm

 

 Stephen X. Nahm – The Habits of Excellence

 

This lecture introduces modern quality methodology and benchmarks Objectivism's quality characteristics against those of its competition. The ideas of Objectivism are robust, yet it remains a minor force in popular culture compared to other philosophies and cultural trends. The Objectivist movement’s growth and value would benefit from the application of modern industrial quality techniques to its activities. This includes planning for quality, the use of quality tools in determining the criteria of success, and quality control methods in the deployment of Objectivist work.

Steve Nahm is Director of Quality Assurance Engineering at CNET Networks, and is certified as a Quality Manager by the American Society of Quality, the organization that administers the annual Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.  He also coordinates the Silicon Valley Objectivists, which meets monthly in the San Francisco bay area. He has lectured on diverse topics, including personal coaching.

 

 

New time! Walter Donway, Jay Friedenberg, and David Kelley – Panel Discussion on Cognitive Science and Philosophy

(Part of the Symposium on Cognitive Science)

This panel brings together the speakers who have taken part in the Seminar’s “Symposium on Cognitive Science.” Walter Donway, Jay Friedenberg, and David Kelley will bring their distinctive expertise as a researcher, an editor of the scholarly literature, and a philosopher to bear on the fascinating problem of integrating the findings of this burgeoning area of science with the general principles of Objectivist philosophy.

 

 

2:15 – 3:30 pm

Special event! Howard and Karen Baldwin  – The Atlas Shrugged Movie

The President and the Executive Vice-President of Baldwin Enternainment Group, along with co-executive producer and TAS trustee John Aglioloro, will share their vision, plans, and news about cast and director for the upcoming major motion picture based on Ayn Rand's magnum opus, Atlas Shrugged, with a screenplay by Jim V. Hart. David Kelley, who has been consulting on this project, will moderate. Among their many other achievements, the Baldwins are co-producers of the acclaimed biopic Ray, which starred Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles.

 

6:00

 

Final Banquet and Dance

 

Celebration, good food, a cash bar, and dancing to close out the Summer Seminar!

 

Speakers to include: TAS/TOC trustee and Atlas Shrugged film co-executive producer John Aglialoro and Tracey Ross, star of the daytime television drama Passions.