About the Course
Learn the moral code that helps you think clearly, live happily, and defend liberty.
Many believe morality comes from God through revelation, and is thus objective. Others believe morality is a matter of personal opinion or social convention, and is thus subjective. And practically everyone believes being moral consists in self-sacrificially serving others—whether God, the poor, your neighbors, or society.
But what if all of that is wrong? What if there is a demonstrably true morality based on observation and logic? What if it calls not for sacrificing or giving up your life-serving values, but for pursuing and achieving them while respecting the rights of others to do the same? And what if this code provides the principled guidance everyone needs in order to live a spiritually fulfilling life in peaceful harmony with others?
There is such a morality. It’s called rational egoism, and it was created by the philosopher Ayn Rand.
“The purpose of morality is to teach you, not to suffer and die, but to enjoy yourself and live,” Rand argued—and she supported her ideas with evidence and logic.
In this course, you will learn the basic principles of this morality, including:
- How rational moral principles are derived from reality by means of observation and logic (i.e., how to bridge the so-called “is-ought gap”)
- The fundamental values and virtues that are essential to the achievement of personal happiness and social harmony
- The facts that give rise to the principle of individual rights and to the proper purpose of government
- And the political conditions on which civilized society and human prosperity depend.
Discover rational egoism. Gain moral certainty. Learn how to thrive.
Cost:
$0
How This Course Works
This course is asynchronous. You can watch the videos and complete any related materials at your own pace.
The course is 2 hours long, consisting of 4 sessions of varying lengths.
Have a question that wasn’t answered here? Read our FAQ or email us at [email protected].
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].