The Intellectual Activist is offering a series of three live teleconference lectures by Andrew Bernstein, a frequent writer and lecturer on the novels and philosophy of Ayn Rand, and an Atlasphere member. The second lecture will take place on August 11, at 8:30pm-10:00pm EST. It is titled: “Kantianism vs. Objectivism in The Fountainhead”
From the description:
Even before writing Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand recognized, at least implicitly, what were the major philosophical principles shaping the battle for the world. Already in The Fountainhead, in the life-and-death struggle between “first-handers” and “second-handers,” she showed the philosophical essence of the phenomenon. In this talk, Dr. Bernstein shows how the plot, the theme, and every major character of Ayn Rand’s first great novel dramatize the philosophical struggle between Kantianism and Objectivism.
The third lecture is scheduled for August 25, and is titled: “The Mind vs. Collectivism in Ayn Rand’s Novels” This talk shows that the theme of every one of Rand’s novels is a variation on the principle of the mind vs. collectivism–and explains why collectivism, not religion, constitutes the philosophical essence of her antagonists.
The first lecture in this series, “Atlas Shrugged as the Culmination of the Romantic Novel” took place on July 28. In that lecture, Dr. Bernstein discussed the three greatest romantic novels: Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables, Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, and Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged. He analyzed the philosohpical principles at the root of the world view behind each novel and how they relate to the success or failures of the main characters.
Each lecture includes 30 minutes of Q&A. The two upcoming lectures are recommended for those who love Rand’s novels for their integration of fiction and philosophy.