Washington Metro Objectivism Discussion (WMOD)

                    Thursday April 17, 1997 Meeting

                     Nathaniel Branden's 
                 "Objectivism: Past & Future"  
                    taped 11/23/96 Lecture      


This meeting will be held on Thursday evening instead of Wednesday
to avoid conflict with the Wednesday Smithsonian lectures on Ayn Rand.
In earlier talks ("The Benefits and Hazards of the Philosophy of Ayn Rand,"
"Love and Sex in the Philosophy of Ayn Rand"), Branden has addressed
problems or gaps he saw in Rand's writings.  Here he goes beyond her
writings, to address important issues concerning the movement itself.  
They include:

*  How members of Rand's inner circle lived neither in the real world nor in
a world of fiction, but in an intoxicating blend of both -- and what
consequences this had for the philosophy they were beginning to propagate.

*  How "the success of Objectivism" was viewed in the Sixties and how it
would be realized today.

*  The story of how Rand modified the definition of "reason" originally
given in Galt's Speech.

*  His answer to a friend's question, "What was the atmosphere of
Objectivism like, at its best, in the early years?"

*  How Objectivism will, or will not, outgrow its ideological adolescence.

*  The historical and psychological roots of (some) Objectivists' zeal for
condemnation.

*  How to explain Objectivism convincingly, and win converts.

If time permits, some of the extensive question period will be
played.  Questions include:

*  "Ayn Rand insisted that her philosophy was an integrated whole and that
one could not logically or rationally separate her various positions.  Which
areas or positions do you think must be accepted as part of a consistent
whole and which do you consider to be optional or contradictory?"

*  "Will you write -- or have you written -- more on the subject of
psychological visibility?  It seems to be an important concept and has often
gotten minimal discussion."

*  "Do you agree that in supporting Nixon over McGovern, Ayn Rand chose the
lesser of two evils and that she should have supported the best man in that
race, John Hospers?"

*  "In *Judgment Day*, you describe what you call a 'rite of passage,' where
you read the Sunday Times Book Review of *Atlas Shrugged* until it was no
longer painful to do so.  (This was in response to the attacks Ayn was
receiving after the publication of Atlas.)  I wanted to hear elaboration on
this rite.  What were you learning in this process and how could you have
helped the younger you by the knowledge or experience you gained by this rite?"

*  "I don't understand why you don't invite Leonard Peikoff to a debate with
you." (comment from his wife, Devers Branden)

*  "What is Alan Greenspan's level of commitment to the philosophy of Ayn 
Rand?"

Thanks to Josh Zader  of the California Institute 
for Applied Objectivism 
for taping this lecture and for providing the summary above.  WMOD will
have copies for sale in case you can't make the meeting, or you want to
hear the complete session.  Each set contains a one-tape lecture and
a two-tape Q&A period, for a total of well over three hours of Nathaniel
Branden.  

         When and Where is the WMOD Meeting?

Join us on Thursday April 17.  You can either join us for
dinner at 7 pm and/or for the discussion at 8:15 pm at the
Fortune Chinese Restaurant at Baileys  Xroads, VA on Route 7
between 7 Corners and Columbia Pike (5900  Leesburg Pike
703/998-8888). You can take METRO to the West Falls  Church
stop and then take METRO buses 29A or 29B East on Route 7
toward Baileys Xroads. The Fortune is on this route. After
the meeting we can give you a ride back to a METRO station.
WMOD has arranged for a $15 fixed price dinner (including
tax and tip).  Or you can order from the menu.  Please RSVP
to WMOD (703) 820-7696 before noon Thursday 4/17 so that we
can tell the restaurant how many tables to set up.


                      DC AREA CALENDAR

4/23-5/4: DC Filmfest to Show Ayn Rand Documentary
on Sunday April 27th (2pm and 5:30pm) and Tuesday the 29th at 8:30pm.  
{I already have tickets to the Sunday 5:30 show and invite other WMOD
folks to join me then - Order your $6.50 tickets at 703/218-6500 ASAP.  
Let me know if you can't get tickets.}  The director/producer will answer
questions after every show.  The following appears at the 
http://www.capaccess.org/filmfestdc, the DC Filmfest webpage: 
....Already receiving considerable pre festival attention is 
"A Sense of  Life", the first authorized film
look at the life and work of controversial Russian-born author Ayn
Rand.  Organizers expect the film, narrated by Emmy Award winning
actress Sharon Gless (Cagney and Lacey), to be one of the jewels of
this year's festival...."  A festival hotline will be open starting April 11th  at
202-628-FILM.  Tickets can be purchased beginning on that date
by calling ProTix at 703/218-6500.  

4/14 at CATO -  David Friedman, prof of law and economics at the U of Santa Clara
will give a talk on "Encryption and the Future of Government" at Cato on
Monday 4/14 at 6 pm.  Call 202/789-5229 to RSVP.  He will sign
copies of his new book "Hidden Order: The Economics of Everyday Life"
David is the son of Milton and Rose Friedman and the author of "The
Machinery of Freedom".

4/22 FRONTLINE show on Nuclear Power  -  ..
"today ... activists like Ralph Nader proclaim "Nuclear power is
finished."  However, other countries like France and Japan view nuclear
fission as a clean, safe, and reliable source of energy.....
In "Nuclear Reaction," airing Tuesday April 22, on PBS, FRONTLINE
presents a controversial examination of America's relationship with
nuclear power.  Despite nuclear power's reputation, nobody has ever
been killed as a result of a US commercial reactor accident involving
radioactivity in forty years of operation.  The program also looks at
the psychology of human risk perception to provide insight into
America's aversion to nuclear energy.  The film, produced by Jon Palfreman,
features pulitzer-prize-winning correspondent Richard Rhodes, author of
"The Making of the Atomic Bomb".  According to IOS member Paul Drake   who supplied this information: "The show should be good.
The book is spectacular."


=====Smithsonian Institution Resident Associate Program(RAP)

* 4/16-5/28: "The Novels of Ayn Rand: The Human Ideal in Action"
by Shoshana Milgram, associate prof of English at Virginia
Polytechnic Institute, at 6pm for seven Wednesdays. RAP
members $88, general admission $136. Cosponsored by the
Ayn Rand Institute. Registration: 202/357-3030


====Institute for Objectivist Studies 1997 Summer Seminar

*7/5-13 at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA.
Contact http://ios.org, ios@ios.org, or phone 914/471-6100.

====Future of Freedom Foundation

>>>The Untouchables Lecture Series
(6 pm at the National Press Club, 529 14th St NW, Washington DC
No reservations required, free admission, 202/662-7500.

* 4/17: David Boaz, Executive vice president of the Cato Institute
on "Ending, Not Reforming the War on Drugs"

>>>The Vienna Coffee Club
  (6 pm dinner and talk $20, 7:30 talk only $5, at the Sheraton
  Premier Hotel, Rt 7 and Dulles Tollway, RSVP 703/934-6101.

*5/22: Richard M. Ebeling, prof of econ at Hillsdale College
on "The Lost Papers of Ludwig von Mises: Their Discovery and
Importance"

               WMOD Contact Information

The WMOD newsletter is $10/yr,  email newsletter is free.

Contact: Dave Saum
WMOD
PO Box 8007
Falls Church, VA 22041
Email: DSaum at infiltec.com, Phone: 703/820-7696, FAX: 703/671-9350
Web: http://www.infiltec.com/wmod.htm

----------- "Sapere aude" (dare to know) -------------------