Teaching Objectivism with the Principle of Purpose

with Craig Biddle

6 hours total | 4 sessions, beginning January 5, 2022

Learn to teach Ayn Rand’s philosophy by reference to the life-serving purpose of its elements—or, in Francisco d’Anconia’s words, the question “What for?”*

The key to understanding Objectivism in a fully first-handed, practical way is grasping the observation-based, life-serving purpose of its methods, concepts, and principles. In this course, Craig Biddle discusses how he uses the principle of purpose to great effect in teaching these ideas, how this approach fosters genuine understanding, and how it helps to eliminate rationalism and dogmatism.

You will learn:

  • How to leverage the principle of purpose as a powerful tool for inducing and clarifying the principles of Objectivism
  • How to concretize its principles in plain language with illuminating examples
  • The crucial role of the law of excluded middle in understanding and teaching the philosophy
  • How to use an iterative, spiraling approach to show the reality-based nature and practical value of each principle—and how each unifies with the others to form a fully integrated worldview.

If you teach Objectivism, or aim to teach it, this course will enhance your ability to do so effectively.

* To enroll in this course, you must have an invitation or permission from the instructor. Request permission by emailing Craig at [email protected].

Instructor

Craig Biddle

Craig Biddle

Craig is cofounder and director of education at Objective Standard Institute, editor of The Objective Standard, and executive director of Prometheus Foundation. He is the author of Loving Life: The Morality of Self-Interest and the Facts that Support It; Rational Egoism: The Morality for Human Flourishing; and the forthcoming Moral Truths Your Parents, Preachers, and Teachers Don’t Want You to Know. Craig is currently working on his fourth book, “Thinking in Principles.”

Course & Session Schedule

  1. Jan 5, 2022, 8:00–9:30am PT
  2. Jan 12, 2022, 8:00–9:30am PT
  3. Jan 19, 2022, 8:00–9:30am PT
  4. Jan 26, 2022, 8:00–9:30am PT

How the Course Works

This course is interactive and discussion-driven, so enrollment is limited. Register early to secure your spot.

The course is held live on a video conferencing app called Zoom, which you can download for free here. Sessions are video recorded, so if you miss a session (or want to review), you can watch the recording.

The course is 6 hours long, consisting of 4 sessions of 1.5 hours each. Homework assignments are optional. Doing them may require an additional hour or more per week but will greatly enhance what you learn in this course.

Course handouts and supplementary materials are delivered via email. Course participants are invited to an exclusive OSI Courses group on Facebook, where they can post questions and engage in discussions with the instructor and other participants.

Have a question that wasn’t answered here? Read our FAQ or email us at [email protected].

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