Fourteenth Annual TOC Summer Seminar

From June 28 through July 5, Bentley College in Waltham, Massachusetts, will host the Fourteenth Annual TOC Summer Seminar. From the opening picnic to the closing banquet, hundreds of people will experience a rich week of courses, lectures, workshops, and performances. And, as always, the seminar will offer much more. Over the years, the seminar has evolved into an intense experience of what it means to be an Objectivist—and of what it means to live in a thriving Objectivist community. There will be plenty of time for socializing, entertainment, and recreation, both on campus and throughout the surrounding area.

This year, for the first time, TOC is welcoming exhibitors to the seminar, to display their books, products, and services. Exhibited material must be pre-approved by TOC, and the exhibitor contribution is $500 (if an exhibitor is a for-profit company) and $250 if the exhibitor is a nonprofit. Each exhibitor will be provided with a table and two chairs and will be allowed to purchase a half-page ad in the on-site show booklet for an additional $200. For exhibitor rules, location, and hours, please contact Erin Hill at 1-800-374-1776; fax: 845-471-6195; or e-mail: tocexhibits@objectivistcenter.org.

The foundation of the seminar is a strong program of fifty-nine lectures. The program includes presentations in philosophy, political commentary, applications of Objectivism, and art. Faculty who have helped make previous seminars so successful will be returning: David Mayer will discuss the legal principles of interpreting the Constitution. Aeon Skoble will lecture on communitarianism. John Kerns will discuss Mozart's opera Don Giovanni. Susan McCloskey will lecture on love and work in The Fountainhead.

There is no better place than the seminar for learning the principles of Objectivism. Once again, the seminar will feature two morning courses on the philosophy. Diana Hsieh will teach an introductory course, "Objectivism 101," as she did last year. William Thomas will teach a new intermediate course on the ethics of Objectivism. This course will focus on the distinctive virtues advocated by Rand: their basis in fact, their contrast with traditional moral ideals, and their role in a rational, value-seeking human life. Other lectures during the week will address such topics in Objectivist theory as individual and animal rights, atheism, and the theory of concept formation. And in addition to the insights of his annual "State of the Culture" analysis, David Kelley will be offering a pair of advanced sessions on concepts and categories.

Personal security is an issue on everyone's minds in the war on terrorism. Philosopher Michael Huemer will discuss the right of gun ownership, refuting the myths often used by gun-control advocates; Paul Hsieh will speak on the personal and moral requirements of responsible gun use; and former prosecutor Bill Perry will review the law of self-defense. The seminar will feature lectures on other current issues as well: the business-accounting scandals, privacy of your medical records, environmentalism, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and many more. And, as always, participants can look forward to insight and enjoyment of the arts: music, film and theater, poetry, and literature. A special treat will be a showing of We the Living, the film of Ayn Rand's novel that was made in Italy during World War II. The viewing will be hosted by Duncan Scott, one of the producers who rediscovered the film and edited it (with subtitles). Scott will also give a session on the history of the movie and show scenes that were cut.

An array of lectures on applications of Objectivism will be offered as well. Jackie Hazelton will discuss how to start and sustain an Objectivist discussion group, as well as lecture on an Objectivist approach to dating. Jay Friedenberg will compare the fundamental principles of yoga with their Objectivist counterparts. Marsha Enright will discuss the theory of flow and Ayn Rand's conception of work. Francisco Villalobos will introduce participants to a method of high-intensity, low-force, time-efficient exercise.

Every year the seminar provides a first-class Objectivist education in an informal setting. Most of the faculty stay for the week to discuss their ideas over dinner or late into the night in the common room, giving participants an opportunity to dig deeper into ideas with them. As Michael Huemer, a faculty member from last year's summer seminar stated, "The seminar boasts constant intellectual discussion about almost any topic you might be interested in, at all hours of the day." And, from Katarina Malat, a participant from Ontario, Canada, "It was exhilarating to spend a week in a thought-provoking and rational world."

But the program is only one aspect of the seminar. It is the people attending who have always made the conference such a rewarding experience. Steve Nahm, a TOC sponsor and summer seminar veteran, said: "It's like coming back for a family reunion. When I first started coming to the seminar I was primarily getting intellectual nourishment. I now find the personal connections to be a more significant part of my experience here." Last year the seminar drew people from thirty-one American states and five foreign countries; the participants ranged in age from high-school students to retirees and represented virtually every profession. Jackie Hazelton, a participant from Tempe, Arizona, stated: "I look forward to returning again and again. I am amazed every year at how much fun it is." To make it easy for people to get to know each other, the center hosts a reception for first-time attendees and then its opening-day barbecue. Every night the common room is open into the small hours for conversation and debate. And the conference ends with a gala banquet with dinner and dancing.

Because TOC's summer seminar offers top-notch teachers sympathetic to the Objectivist outlook, college students will find the week a special treat. The seminar is the pre-eminent site for students at all levels to learn about Objectivism and a spiritual home where students can experience, if just for a week, the sense of what an intellectual community could and should be. There will be special sessions for students, including a seminar-within-the-seminar. To make it possible for as many students as possible to attend the seminar, TOC offers a variety of discounts, scholarships, and conference-assistant positions to reduce or defray tuition and room-and-board costs. See the summer seminar registration form in the brochure or on the web for more information.

The full program can be found in the seminar brochure, which was mailed in early February and is posted on TOC's Web site.