Reading group -- The Romantic Manifesto

The next book of our reading group is The Romantic Manifesto, Ayn Rand's collection of essays on esthetics, i.e. art (the rarely-discussed fifth branch of philosophy). We'll meet every Sunday, starting Sep 18. This book consists of a number of stand-alone essays, so feel free to come at any time to discuss the reading for that meeting. Check abebooks.com or half.com for used copies, and aynrandbookstore.com or local bookstores for new copies. NOTE: We'll skip the Christmas week meeting.

In this profoundly original presentation of a rational esthetics, Miss Rand holds that the distinguishing characteristic of top rank Romantic writers ". . . (apart from their purely literary genius) is their full commitment to the premise of volition in both of its fundamental areas: in regard to consciousness and to existence, in regard to man's character and to his actions in the physical world. Maintaining a perfect integration of these two aspects, unmatched in the brilliant ingenuity of their plot structures, these writers are enormously concerned with man's soul (i.e., his consciousness).

"They are moralists in the most profound sense of the word; their concern is not merely with values, but specifically with moral values and with the power of moral values in shaping human character. Their characters are 'larger than life,' i.e., they are abstract projections in terms of essentials. In their stories, one will never find action for action's sake, unrelated to moral values."

"The events of their plots are shaped, determined and motivated by the characters' values (or treason to values), by their struggle in pursuit of spiritual goals and by profound value-conflicts."

"Their themes are fundamental, universal, timeless issues of man's existence—and they are the only consistent creators of the rarest attribute of literature: the perfect integration of theme and plot, which they achieve with superlative virtuosity."

"If philosophical significance is the criterion of what is to be taken seriously, then these are the most serious writers in world literature."

A profoundly original presentation of a rational esthetics.

Meeting Calendar

09/18: 1. The Psycho-Epistemology of Art
10/02: 2. Philosophy and Sense of Life
10/16: 3. Art and Sense of Life
10/23: 3. Review
10/30: 4. Art and Cognition
11/06: 4. Review
11/13: 5. Basic Principles of Literature
11/20: 5. Review
11/27: 6. What Is Romanticism?
12/04: 6. Review
12/11: 7. The Esthetic Vacuum of Our Age
12/18: 7. Review
12/25: Christmas, no meeting
01/01/12: New Year's, no meeting
01/08: 8. Bootleg Romanticism
01/15/12: 8. Review
01/22/12: 9. Art and Moral Treason
01/29/12: 9. Review
02/05/12: 10. No Meeting
02/12/12: 10. Introduction to Ninety Three
02/19/12: 11. The Goal of My Writing
02/26/12: 11. Review
03/04/12: 12. The Simplest Thing in the World
03/11/12: 12. Review