About the Course
Deepen your understanding of Ayn Rand’s life-serving philosophy by studying Dr. Leonard Peikoff’s systematic presentation of the ideas.
Ayn Rand was one of the most influential and, according to polls, inspiring writers of the 20th century. In her bestselling novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, she illustrated her philosophy of reason, rational self-interest, and individual rights—a philosophy she later called Objectivism. She spent the final decades of her life applying Objectivism to all manner of cultural and political issues but, despite her stated intention to publish a systematic overview of the entire philosophy, she never did.
That job was left to Rand’s longtime student and friend, philosopher Leonard Peikoff, whose Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand (OPAR) provided the first comprehensive explanation of Rand’s Objectivism.
The job of philosophy is to answer life’s broadest questions, such as: Is this a world in which I can succeed? How do I know what I know? What should I do with my life? Rational philosophy thereby provides tremendous leverage for defining and living one’s best life.
What is Ayn Rand’s philosophy, what are its principles, and how can they help you understand the world and kick your life into high gear? Explore these and related questions in OSI’s OPAR reading group.
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How This Course Works
This course is interactive and discussion-driven, so enrollment is limited. Register early to secure your spot.
The course is held live on Zoom, which you can download for free here. Sessions are video recorded, so if you miss a session (or want to review), you can watch the recording. OSI may sell course recordings and/or use them for marketing, promotional, or educational purposes.
The course is 21 hours long, consisting of 14 sessions of 1.5 hours each. Homework assignments will require up to an additional hour per week.
If you don’t have a copy of the book, you need to get one so you can read the chapters we’ll be discussing each week. You can purchase the book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, BetterWorldBooks, or practically any other bookstore. We recommend a print copy of the book, but if you prefer an electronic copy, that is fine, too. (If your financial situation is such that you cannot afford to purchase a copy of the book, please let us know by emailing [email protected], and we will help you get one.)
Course handouts and supplementary materials are delivered via email. Course participants are invited to an exclusive OSI Courses group on Facebook, where they can post questions and engage in discussions with the instructor and other participants.
Have a question that wasn’t answered here? Read our FAQ or email us at [email protected].
By enrolling, you agree to OSI’s Course Terms and Conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
OSI courses are live, interactive, and discussion-driven, so enrollment is limited. Register early to secure your spot.
Courses are held on Zoom, and sessions are recorded, so if you miss a session (or want to review), you can watch the recording. You can download Zoom for free here.
Courses vary in length. And some involve homework. Please see the specific course pages for details.
Course handouts and supplementary materials are delivered via email (please register with an active email address). Participants have access to an exclusive OSI Courses group on Facebook.
Zoom is a free video-conferencing app that we use to conduct our courses. You can download it here.
Sessions are video recorded, so if you miss a session (or want to review), you can watch the recording. That said, we highly recommend attending each live session so that you can ask questions and engage with your instructor(s) and other participants.
If you do miss a session, we recommend that you watch the recording before attending the next session.
Anyone aged 29 or younger may apply for an OSI scholarship to cover the full cost of a course. For information on how the scholarships work, please visit our Scholarships page.
You can see all current and past courses here.
If you have a question that isn’t answered in the FAQ or course description, please email us at [email protected].
