The Nature of Government

"A government is an institution which holds the exclusive power to enforce certain rules of social conduct within a given geographical area. Do men need such an institution - and why?" This is the opening passage of Ayn Rand's essay "The Nature of Government". 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 her views on the nature and purpose of a proper political system. We will discuss Rand's essay *The Nature of Government *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.

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.

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/