Philosopher Speaks on Author Ayn Rand’s Concept Of Egoism

NEW PALTZ — David Kelley, philosopher, teacher, and writer, will speak at the State University of New York at New Paltz on Wednesday, April 1. His topic will be “Ayn Rand’s Concept of Egoism.”

Kelley’s lecture will address Rand’s advocacy of “the virtue of selfishness” in many of her popular novels and essays. Rand defended the moral right of individuals to live for themselves and pursue their own happiness, challenging the moral tradition that prescribes self-sacrifice and service above self. Kelley will provide an overview of the key elements in Rand’s view of selfishness, the misconceptions surrounding it, and the essential differences between this ethic of egoism and other ethical viewpoints.

Kelley is the founder and executive director of the Institute for Objectivist Studies, a leading center for research and education in Objectivism, an original philosophy of Rand. His books include “The Evidence of the Senses,” “The Art of Reasoning, Truth and Toleration,” and “Unrugged Individualism: The Selfish Basis of Benevolence.” A frequent lecturer and talk show guest, Kelley is also the author of many articles on social issues and public policy that appear in such publications as Barron’s, Harper’s, The Sciences, and Harvard Business Review. He received his degree in philosophy from Princeton University and has taught philosophy, cognitive sciences, and other courses at Vassar College and Brandeis University.

The lecture, sponsored by the Philosophy Club (with the assistance of the sociology department), will be held in JFT 1010 beginning at 5 p.m.