Intellectual Accelerator Program
The Program
The IAP is an intensive study program designed to help you achieve:
- A deep understanding of the nature and importance of philosophy, the principles of Ayn Rand’s Objectivism, and related ideas for living fully and advancing liberty;
- Writing, speaking, and teaching skills that will enable you to communicate and convey philosophic ideas clearly and effectively to others;
- A network of like-minded intellectuals who can help you level up in your career and your efforts to advance rational philosophy.
The IAP is a flexible, largely asynchronous program, and work schedules and project deadlines are developed on an individual basis. However, as a guide to the time commitment, the program can be completed in three years by putting in an average of four to six hours per week for nine months a year.
The knowledge, skills, and relationships you will develop in the IAP will help you to become a highly effective advocate of philosophy for freedom and flourishing.
The program involves:
- Reading and discussing philosophical books and essays;
- Listening to and discussing recorded courses on philosophy and the history of philosophy;
- Participating in live, online and in-person courses, writing workshops, and speaking workshops;
- Writing and speaking assignments; and
- One-on-one mentoring with OSI fellows.
The IAP curriculum includes:
Fixed Schedule
Part One
- The Virtue of Selfishness reading and discussion group
- Philosophy: Who Needs It reading and discussion group
- “How to Write Powerfully in Defense of Liberty” live, online course
- “Foundations of Western Philosophy” listening and discussion group
- Reading and discussion of We The Living
Part Two
- “Modern Philosophy” listening and discussion group
- “For the New Intellectual” (essay) reading and discussion group
- Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal reading and discussion group
- “The Philosophy of Objectivism” (1976 course) listening and discussion group
- Reading and discussion of The Fountainhead
Part Three
- Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology reading and discussion group
- “Ayn Rand’s Morality for Loving Life” live, online course
- Anthem Reading Group
- “Conceptual Clarity and Fallacies that Wreck It” live, online course
- The Art of Nonfiction reading and discussion group / writing workshop
- “Teaching Objectivism with the Principle of Purpose” live, online course
- Rest of April and May: Public Speaking practice, Atlas Shrugged discussions
- Reading and discussion of Atlas Shrugged
Tuition
Tuition for the IAP is $3,000 per part. Partial and full scholarships are available (details below).
How to Apply
To apply for the IAP, answer the following questions in a Google document and include the link in the application form below. Be sure to share the document with [email protected] so we can access it.
Application Questions
- What do you want to get out of the Intellectual Accelerator Program? (100-500 words)
- What do you regard as the correct (or best available) standard for morally evaluating people and their actions—and why? What facts support this standard? How do they support it? (800-1500 words)
Scholarships
If you would like to be considered for a partial or full scholarship to the IAP, please also answer the following two questions (in a Google document shared with [email protected]). Why does philosophy matter to you? And why should it matter to all human beings? (400-800 words)
IAP Application
"*" indicates required fields