Man's Rights

What exactly is a "right"? Where do rights come from, and how do we validate and defend them? How do we know whether something even is a right? Join us in Coeur d'Alene 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 continue our exploration of Ayn Rand's views on capitalism by examining its ethical foundation - the concept of individual rights. We will discuss Rand's essay Man's Rights from the book The Virtue of Selfishness, which is also reprinted in the book Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal. Since we have already started the book on Capitalism, page references in the discussion will be from there.

I suggest following up the subject Ayn Rand essay by reading the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights. As an exercise in critical thinking, ask yourself: which of these are legitimate human rights, which are not, and why?

Future meetings will cover other essays from the capitalism anthology. Summary information and analysis of both books as well as links to purchase copies are accessible via the above links.

Finally, in the spirit of the holiday season, I recommend Leonard Peikoff's essay Why Christmas Should Be More Commercial. This won't be a formal topic of discussion during the meeting, but is certainly consistent with our focus on capitalism and should be a fun topic for Stammtisch at the Bier Haus afterwards!

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.

The North Idaho Objectivism Society meets periodically 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/