TAS Summer Seminar 2008

After a one summer absence, I will be back at The Atlas Society's Summer Seminar. Last summer, I was in Italy for my 5 year wedding anniversary and so I missed it. I'm excited about this seminar for a number of reasons (in no particular order):

1. I won't have an early morning presentation for the first time in years.
2. It's in Portland and I've always wanted to go to Portland.
3. I am presenting some non-traditional material.

TAS has accepted my proposals for the following:

"Did You Bullshit Today? What Frankfurt can tell us about Toohey."

Harry Frankfurt’s work on human agency and responsibility are staples of academic philosophy. But it is his popular appearances on The Daily Show that have made him one of the best-known living philosophers. In his provocative essay, “On Bullshit,” Frankfurt argues that the bullshitter is indifferent to truth and without concern for reality. Frankfurt’s analysis gives us insight into key Objectivist concepts and themes: the primacy of existence, the virtue of honesty, and the second-hander. Part One will focus on Frankfurt’s analysis of bullshit while Part Two will explore what this analysis can tell us about Objectivism.

“Playing Ball with Objectivism: The Ethics of Sports”

Sports have long been a part of human civilization and they play a significant role in the lives of most people. They also raise a wide-range of important ethical issues; and on many of these, Objectivism offers a unique and novel perspective. In this session, Prof. Klein will discuss many of these provocative issues, including good sportsmanship, fair play, and performance-enhancing technologies. He’ll also ask whether being a loyal fan of one's local sports club makes one a tribalist and whether the commercialization of sports is a positive development.

These should be a lot of fun to prepare, present, and discuss. I hope others share my enthusiasm!