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Ayn Rand’s fiction has been the most effective “gateway drug” to liberty, which is why CATO Institute founder Ed Crane deemed Rand the “all time greatest recruiter for the liberty movement.”
THE CHALLENGE: How to preserve and grow that recruiting role when daily reading of books among young people has fallen from 70% in the late 1970’s to 12% today?
The Atlas Society is meeting this challenge: pioneering artistic, technologically savvy ways of marketing Rand’s ideas to new audiences through a variety of vehicles. This includes animated videos, graphic novels, social media, and both virtual and live events.
Ayn Rand's philosophical works have been praised as presenting historic breakthroughs in thinking. At the Atlas Society, our scholars work to further develop this philosophy born in the mid-twentieth century. We present the empowering principles of Objectivism to a global audience, and offer those principles as a rational and moral alternative in the marketplace of philosophical ideas.
Our content and our world-class faculty of scholars promote the principles of Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism, set forth in such works as her epic novel Atlas Shrugged, and in her brilliant non-fiction essays. Objectivism is designed as a guide to life, and celebrates the remarkable potential and power of the individual. Objectivism also challenges the doctrines of irrationalism, self-sacrifice, brute force, and collectivism that have brought centuries of chaos and misery into the lives of millions of individuals.
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David Kelley, Ph.D. founded The Atlas Society as The Institute for Objectivist Studies in 1990. In his statement at the Institute's founding (since published in The Contested Legacy of Ayn Rand), Kelley called for an open, intellectually tolerant Objectivist movement characterized by benevolence and innovation.
Our basic principle—what has always defined and distinguished us—is the conviction that Objectivism is an open philosophy. As described in our founder’s letter on Open Objectivism, the three pillars of this approach include:
1) A commitment to reasoned, non-dogmatic discussion and debate
2) The recognition that Objectivism is open to expansion, refinement, and revision
3) A policy of benevolence toward others, including fellow-travelers and critics
This approach has helped facilitate the growth of our organization by encouraging innovation and creativity, tolerating dissent, and welcoming partners for win-win collaborations.
The Atlas Society’s mission is to inspire people to embrace reason, achievement, benevolence and ethical self-interest as the moral foundation for political liberty, personal happiness, and a flourishing society.
We build on Ayn Rand’s works and ideas, and use artistic and other creative means to reach and inspire new audiences. We promote an open and empowering brand of Objectivism; we welcome engagement with all who honestly seek to understand the philosophy, and we use reason, facts and open debate in the search for truth above all else; we do not appeal to authority or conflate personalities with ideas.
We resist moral judgment without adequate facts, and believe disagreement does not necessarily imply evasion.Want to learn about how you make a difference by supporting our work? Visit our donate page HERE!
