Making Progress: December 2009

Upcoming Study Groups

Ch. 7, "The Cognitive Role of Concepts," of Ayn Rand's Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology, in a 3-week study group which begins on January 2, 2012. The study group leader is Brad Williams.

Title essay of For the New Intellectual: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand, 64 pp., in a 4-week study group which begins April 2, 2012. The study group leader is Burgess Laughlin.

After becoming a member of SGO, go to the home page, and then click: a particular study group link, the Details tab, and the Participate button.

SGO: Study Groups for Objectivists

SGO provides a platform for serious students of philosophy and history--who are also Objectivists. The brief schedule and short assignments aid individuals who are full-time students or employees. The procedure is to read each weekly assignment, take notes, and then report with a summary, an outline, a discussion of one element, or an elaborated question (explaining why the question is both important and difficult to answer). The benefits--deeper understanding and new perspectives--come from steady, scheduled, and focused study while trading insights and questions with others intrigued by the same text. See the Aug. 29, 2008 post for details.

Purpose and Scope

PURPOSE. I intend to ask questions and offer tentative answers. I welcome criticism from fellow students of Objectivism, i.e., those individuals who are (1) studying Ayn Rand's philosophy, including her philosophy of history; and (2) agree with every element studied. Criticism here means identifying errors, raising questions, and offering better answers. The learning process is a long spiral. Making progress matters.

SCOPE. My questions arise in philosophy; philosophy of history; history of philosophy; history of ideas; cultural history; intellectual history; socio-intellectual history; the arts of studying and writing history; and the reading and writing of serious fiction having historical or philosophical themes.

Burgess Laughlin, The Aristotle Adventure