To Imagine a Heaven and Demand It: Ayn Rand's Moral Idealism

Agenda:
8-8:30 PM - "To Imagine a Heaven and Demand It: Ayn Rand's Moral Idealism" by Ricardo Pinto, junior fellow at ARI.
8:30-9:30 PM - Open Q&A session.


Talk description:

Ever since the young Ayn Rand knew she wanted to be a writer,  she envisioned a clear purpose that she would carry throughout her whole career: to “define and present the image of an ideal man—specifically, the image of what man can be and ought to be.”When we hear of moral ideals, the image that comes to mind is that of men who sacrifice their lives, security, and wealth for their vision of the good. Yet, that's not the picture we find in Rand's novels. In her stories, we find not the saints who struggle and suffer morality, but heroes who enjoy life and are devoted to achieving happiness and success as their highest purpose. In this session, we will explore Rand's view on moral ideals, addressing questions such as: What does it mean to be an idealist? How do Rand's views differ from conventional morality? What does it take to define and achieve one's ideals?

Speaker bio:

Ricardo studies philosophy at the university level, but that hardly tells you anything about a man. Rather, he dreams philosophy, swears philosophy, and pours philosophy into his every movement. Born in Venezuela, he craved purpose and self-knowledge, so he fell in love with books, polemics, and tales about great men at a tender age. His passion for ideas is motivated by discovering where we come from and what choices, goals, and fights we must embrace for a brighter and freer future.