San Diego Objectivist Study Group

The Objectivist News page is redesigned with feeds from Yahoo News and Google News, each displaying 10 more or less recent stories involving objectivism.

aynrandcenter.org > Objectivist Life > Objectivist News

are up on the activity site.

The online infrastructure has to be logical and usable in the long run. Toward that end, I’ve added categoties as suggested by Thom.

Rather simple, but fun activity. How many clues do you remember without looking in the book? All clues are from The Fountainhead.

When I saw that the blog was set up, I asked myself some questions:

1. Why do I want to participate in a public web log?

Primarily, I want a web log to write so that I can improve my thinking and writing skills. Secondarily, I want to direct my writings toward a subject of interest to me, which is the philosophy of Objectivism; and I want to write about it from the thematic perspective of cultural analysis, taking up where The Ayn Rand Letter had left off in 1975—if not in quality then at least in sheer quantity. And along the process, if the writings make an impact on the readers and on the culture at large, then so much is the better, but that is a tertiary consideration.

2. How do I envision the blog to be organized?

With this tiered goal in mind and with the goal of division of labor with other potential collaborators, I think the log should have the following super structure:

“San Diego Rational Living (fora)” — the public link for anyone to see

• Objectivist Culture (motto: “The World according to Objectivism”)
• Objective News (”News aggregator for the pursuit of the good life”)
• Press Releases (”Changing the World”)
• Online Infrastructure
• Executive Board (private)

Under “Objectivist Culture”:

• Logical writings:
  This section includes blog entries on the philosophy of logic, academic logic, language, grammar, rhetoric, fallacies, argument analyses and interpretations (including debates)
• Epistemological (and ontological) writings:
  This section covers epistemology, cognition, knowledge, issues about percepts, concepts, axioms, induction, justification. For completeness, it includes topics on the philosophy of mind, the faculties of consciousness, volition.
• Ethical writings:
  Blog entries include ethical and metaethical issues, interpretations of Objectivist literature, personal applications of ethics, business ethics.
• Political (and economic) writings:
  Topics include political philosophy, philosophy of law, the nature government, objective law, rights, capitalism, the economy, political power versus economic power, the separation of state from commerce and from religion.
• Psychological writings:
  Topics include motivational psychology, methodological psychology (include psycho-epistemology), self-esteem and self-improvement issues, the art of introspection, intellectual virtues and vices, the awareness and identification of emotions and desires.
• Poetical writings:
  Topics include the esthetics of romantic realism, the nature of artworks, pedagogical approaches to the liberal and fine arts, sense of life in the culture, critical reviews of popular works of entertainment (including games, sports, recreation), attempts at actual works of art (if any).

Under the super structure itself:

• Objective News:
  Topics include first- and second-hand reports (with hyperlinks) about businesses, the marketplace, sciences, medicines, technologies, travels, people, events, etc. that are of interest or relevance in the pursuit of the good life.
• Press Releases:
  Topics includes the group’s own newsmaking events, coordinated publicity, what we are doing to enhance the culture at large for virtuous living.
• Online Infrastructure:
  This section is fine as is, and it is for metadiscussion of the blog, like this entry, and for testing purposes.
• Executive Board (private):
  This section is for keeping a running record of organizational planning. It should be private for a select few. If it can be hidden from the public, so much is the better.

3. Why don’t I want to have separate divisions for ontology, economics, and the laws at the outset?

I don’t know enough of ontology at this time to have a separate category of writings at the outset. Of course, if and when I know more and the needs arise for a separate category, then it will be added. Similarly, I don’t know enough of systematic economics at this time. Certainly, once I read George Reisman’s opus Capitalism or go through his series of audio lectures, then I will definitely have something substantive to write on the economy. Alternatively, if we can find and recruit Objectivist economists and scholars in law, we may have the proper competencies to make comments on the world markets, the economies, and the laws.

Congratulations, Frank, for setting up the online infrastructure!

Yet to be configured, but installation was successful.

Will be glad to consider any suggestions for development and improvement of the online infrastructure for the San Diego Objectivist Study Group

Moodle is up and working. Three online courses added and three course creators.

and working