What we’re about
To many people, philosophy is an esoteric, abstract subject that is of interest only to professors and other academic types who speak and write in obscure, impenetrable language, disconnected from real life. Who needs it?
Ayn Rand’s answer is: Everyone.
In her novels "The Fountainhead" and "Atlas Shrugged", Ayn Rand dramatically illustrates the crucial importance of philosophy in man’s life. Her characters demonstrate the consequences of accepting and acting on various philosophic premises, whether held consciously and explicitly or accepted unconsciously. Her heroes portray an ideal vision of man's life as it could be and ought to be.
To create these heroic characters in the face of over two thousand years of western civilization’s philosophic errors, she developed a radical new philosophy that she called Objectivism. In the years following the publication of "Atlas Shrugged", Rand created an extensive body of non-fiction writings to more explicitly develop this philosophy.
Objectivism is a comprehensive, consistent, integrated philosophic system that serves as a guide to living and flourishing on Earth. It is based on the existence of objective reality independent of consciousness, recognizes reason as man's only means of cognition, and advocates egoism, individual rights, and capitalism.
The purpose of the North Idaho Objectivism Society is to facilitate wider exposure to and deeper understanding and acceptance of Ayn Rand's philosophy. It provides a venue for people who are interested in the writings and ideas of Ayn Rand to meet, study, and discuss her philosophy and its applications. We hope to facilitate friendships among people committed to Reason, Individualism, and Capitalism, to broaden and deepen our own understanding of Objectivism, and to increase the awareness and understanding of Ayn Rand and Objectivism in the community.
We use the writings of Ayn Rand and other Objectivist intellectuals as well as other resources as the basis for our discussions and activities, in order better to understand the philosophy of Objectivism and how to apply it to help us flourish in our own lives.
Our Statement of Purpose is here: NIOS Statement of Purpose
Whether you have read all of Ayn Rand’s works or none of them, whether you are a beginner or already have an advanced understanding, if you are interested in the impact of ideas on our culture and in your own life, we encourage you to come join us to learn more!
The North Idaho Objectivism Society uses Meetup.com to coordinate our activities. Please join the society on Meetup.com both to be kept informed of future events.
We also have a Dropbox that contains discussion outlines from past events as well as additional resources for learning about Objectivism: Dropbox Link
For further information, please email me at bjfcda@gmail.com.
Upcoming events (1)
See all- Apollo and DionysusCoeur d'Alene Public Library, Coeur d'Alene, ID
July 20th, 1969: the date that Man first walked on the moon. What did that event represent philosophically, and how was it viewed by the people of the time? What did the response to Apollo 11 say about our culture, and how is it relevant to us today? Join us in Coeur d'Alene on the anniversary of the first moon landing to discuss Ayn Rand's answer to these questions according to her philosophy of Objectivism - a philosophy for living on Earth.
This month we will discuss Ayn Rand's view of the Apollo 11 moon landing, its philosophic meaning, and its relation to the dominant philosophy of our culture. Our primary reading will be the essay Apollo and Dionysus , which was originally a talk given at Ford Hall Forum. Both audio and text versions may be found at the above link. The essay is also contained in the books The New Left: The Anti-Industrial Revolution as well as its later expanded version, The Return of the Primitive.
Optional supplementary reading: The essay Apollo 11, available through the link and also in the book The Voice of Reason. This essay was Ayn Rand's personal favorite, and contains a wonderful description of the launch of Apollo 11, which she witnessed first-hand at Cape Kennedy. The book also contains the follow-up essay Epitaph for a Culture, describing the end of the Apollo program in 1972 and what it meant.
Whether you have read all of Ayn Rand’s works or none of them, whether you are a beginner or already have an advanced understanding, if you are interested in the impact of ideas on our culture and in your own life, you are welcome to take part in the discussion.
In case you cannot make it to the library, the meeting will also be accessible via Zoom. If you plan to attend via Zoom, please join the meeting a little early so we can make sure everything is working for you.
Zoom Link for July 20th Meeting
The North Idaho Objectivism Society meets monthly in Coeur d'Alene to discuss the works and ideas of Ayn Rand and other Objectivist thinkers. Please connect with us on Meetup.com to be kept informed of future events. Further information may be found here: https://www.meetup.com/north-idaho-objectivism/
