Philosophy
Arts & Culture, Philosophy, Reviews
Babylon 5: Pioneering, Philosophic Science Fiction
Thomas Walker-Werth February 21, 2023
Babylon 5 is a unique science-fiction series that tells an epic story rich in philosophic ideas and moral messages. These make it timeless and well worth watching for anyone interested in complex drama.
Philosophy, Politics & Rights
Freedom’s Furies: Timothy Sandefur on the Importance of Isabel Paterson, Rose Wilder Lane, and Ayn Rand
Jon Hersey February 21, 2023
Isabel Paterson’s The God of the Machine, Rose Wilder Lane’s The Discovery of Freedom, and Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead, all published in 1943, launched the modern American liberty movement. Freedom’s Furies by Timothy Sandefur is the first book-length exploration of these women's relationships and context.
Philosophy, Reviews
Knock at the Cabin, Written, Produced, and Directed by M. Night Shyamalan
Knock at the Cabin depicts the vile notion that it is moral to sacrifice the person you love most—your highest value—for the benefit of others and/or to appease God.
Announcements, Philosophy
Compare Ayn Rand’s Ideas with Those of Nietzsche, Emerson, Montessori, and Ibsen
Jackson Upmann October 18, 2022
Would you like to deepen your understanding of Ayn Rand’s Objectivism by comparing and contrasting her ideas with those of other world-class thinkers? You can do just that in OSI’s next iteration of Ayn Rand Integrations.
History, Philosophy, Politics & Rights
Elihu Palmer’s Journey from Religion to Reason
Thomas Walker-Werth September 27, 2022
Elihu Palmer bravely advocated a philosophy of reason, based on observation of nature, when religion and superstition dominated the culture. He did this not only in spite of fierce popular resistance but also in defiance of tragic personal circumstances.
Ayn Rand & Objectivism, Economics, Philosophy
Ayn Rand vs. Classical Economists
Martin Hooss May 21, 2022
Ayn Rand’s case for capitalism stands in marked contrast to what might be termed the classical defense of capitalism. “The classical economists attempted a tribal justification of capitalism on the ground that it provides the best ‘allocation’ of a community’s ‘resources,’” she wrote.
Philosophy, Politics & Rights
The Collectivist Roots of Russian Atrocities
Thomas Walker-Werth April 7, 2022
What is happening now in Ukraine is a kind of barbarism many in the West thought was consigned to history. The only antidote to it is a principled defense of the very ideas Putin opposes: individualism and individual rights.
History, Philosophy
Heroes and Villains in Western Philosophy
Andrew Bernstein February 21, 2022
The heroes of philosophy from Thales to Rand—and preeminently Aristotle—have provided us with a priceless gift. In sundry forms, heroes support human life. Nowhere is this truth more powerful than with the heroes of philosophy.
Economics, Philosophy
Why Jeff Bezos Is Not a “Tech Mogul” or “King of E-Commerce”
Thomas Walker-Werth February 18, 2022
A king is only a king if he maintains his rule through force. An entrepreneur cannot resort to force; his means of success is voluntary exchange. Next time you hear someone criticize “tech moguls” or the “king” of any given industry, this distinction may come in handy.
Good Living, Philosophy
Clothing and Personal Identity
Andreea Mincu February 10, 2022
Wearing clothes we like serves an important psychological function: It enables us to experience and express our identity visually and tactilely. The more we consciously identify why we like certain clothes, the more we can choose those that best express our values—and the more pleasure and confidence we can gain from wearing them.