John Galt School Armenia 2021: A Journey Through Objectivism
The John Galt School Armenia 2021 program explored Ayn Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism through a series of engaging lectures, discussions, and case studies led by prominent speakers.
Key Sessions & Highlights:
📌 Final Session (Nov 24) – Araksi Khoylunts wrapped up the program by summarizing previous lectures. Key takeaways included:
Using intelligence to improve our personal world
Embracing creative thinking to overcome challenges
Recognizing the difficulty of asserting one’s “I” in a collectivist society
Finding the golden mean through rational individualism
Participants shared feedback and ideas for future sessions.
📌 Ethics of Objectivism (7th Lesson) – Daniil Lubkin outlined Objectivist ethics, breaking down its hierarchy:
Politics → Aesthetics → Morality → Epistemology → Metaphysics
He emphasized that human life is the standard against which values are measured.
📌 Objective View on Economics (6th Lesson) – Hasmik Hovhannisyan explored market dynamics:
Highlighted the need for innovation to boost competition
Compared international market models, noting China’s liberal market within an anti-democratic framework
Discussed capitalism as a means to protect private interests, referencing rational egoism as supported by figures like Thatcher and Reagan.
📌 Objective View of Politics (5th Lesson) – Suren Petrosyan traced individualism’s roots:
Drew on the philosophies of Locke, Rousseau, and Hobbes
Connected these ideas to political systems and the U.S. Declaration of Independence
Analyzed Armenia’s societal structure: Traditional (rural), Industrial (urban), and Postmodernist (Yerevan center).
📌 Book Reading Club “Anthem” (4th Lesson) – Gor Badalyan led an interactive session:
Introduced key literary works by Ayn Rand
Focused on Anthem with a SWOT analysis of its characters
Engaged participants in a negotiation game representing opposing viewpoints.
📌 Self-Centered Culture as a Guarantee of Mind Changer (3rd Lesson) – Lilit Mkrtchyan emphasized:
The evolution of human thought and critical realism
Overcoming mental stereotypes with a creative mind
📌 Introduction to Objectivism (2nd Lesson) – Taron Simonyan traced the historical roots:
From Pythagoras through Socrates, Plato, Kant, and Hegel to Ayn Rand
Highlighted that while no ideology holds all answers, moderate selfishness paves the way for personal progress.
📌 Program Launch (Oct 6) – Irakli Iagorashvili kicked off the school by:
Introducing Ayn Rand’s life journey
Presenting the foundational framework of Objectivism through a structured philosophical pyramid
Throughout the program, participants actively engaged in debates, case studies, and interactive exercises, deepening their understanding of Objectivist principles in ethics, politics, economics, and personal development.
0 comments