Introductory Semester Schedule

Individual Rights and Capitalism

Suggested campus talks

Andrew Bernstein: "Global Capitalism: The Solution to World Oppression and Poverty"
Harry Binswanger: "Laissez-Faire Capitalism: The System of Freedom and Justice"
John Ridpath: "Rights, Reason, Reality: Ayn Rand's Answer to the Intellectual Crisis of Our Time"
Richard Salsman: "A Utopia of Greed: Ayn Rand's Defense of Laissez-Faire Capitalism"

Video Recordings

John Ridpath: "Rights, Reason, Reality: Ayn Rand's Answer to the Intellectual Crisis of Our Time"
Richard Salsman: "A Utopia of Greed: Ayn Rand's Defense of Laissez-Faire Capitalism"
Harry Binswanger: "Individualism: The Moral Basis of Freedom" (30-min. video)
Harry Binswanger: "Socialism = Fascism" (30-min. video)
Peter Schwartz: "Conservatism: The Antithesis of Capitalism" (30-min. video)
Toronto debate: "Capitalism or Socialism: Which Is the Moral System?" (Leonard Peikoff and John Ridpath)
Chicago debate: "Capitalism or Socialism: Which Is the Moral System?" (Harry Binswanger and John Ridpath)

Audio Recordings

Ayn Rand interview: "The Nature of Rights"
Leonard Peikoff: "The Philosophic Basis of Capitalism" (2 tapes)

Suggested reading list

Ayn Rand: "Man's Rights" The Virtue of Selfishness / Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal
Ayn Rand: "Collectivized 'Rights'" The Virtue of Selfishness
Ayn Rand: "The Nature of Government" The Virtue of Selfishness / Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal
Ayn Rand: "What Is Capitalism?" Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal
Ayn Rand: "America's Persecuted Minority: Big Business" Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal (pamphlet available from ARI)
Ayn Rand: "The Obliteration of Capitalism" Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal
Ayn Rand: "Conservatism: An Obituary" Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal
Leonard Peikoff: Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand, chapters 10-11
"Man's Rights" and "The Nature of Government" (pamphlet available from ARI)


Note: If you decide to work through selections from Leonard Peikoff's Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand, a good approach is to read a section as homework before each meeting.