AIER Hosts Summit Between Atlas Society and Students for Liberty
Last weekend, AIER had the privilege of hosting a summit between Students for Liberty, the world’s largest pro-liberty student organization, and the Atlas Society, whose scholars work to further develop the Objectivist philosophy and bring the work of its creator, Ayn Rand, to a global audience. The students practiced debating their points of view, and learned essential philosophical ideas about why greater individual liberty benefits society.
Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman and founder David Kelley were joined by Professor Stephen Hicks of Rockford University, also an Atlas senior scholar. Dr. Kelley and Professor Hicks led most of the student activities and lectures, with AIER President Edward Stringham, AIER Editorial Director Jeffrey Tucker, and I also participating.
In today’s age of social media, when anyone can speak loudly and whenever they choose, acting on one’s political views can often feel like joining a team, especially on college campuses. Our guests from the Atlas Society helped the Students for Liberty participants take a step back and think about why they hold the views they do and why others may disagree. The discussions emphasized Objectivism and Rand’s writings, but the instructors also widened the lens to include other great advocates of liberty like Hayek and Mises.
Professor Hicks brought a diagram (reproduced below) that made the most lasting impression on me. It captures the many interrelated reasons why people support liberal institutions, such as individual freedom, free markets, and property rights. The chart lists over a dozen reasons, including incentives for hard work, coordinating the dispersed knowledge in society, virtuous aspects of society including tolerance and creativity, and better material outcomes. Many of today’s students who self-identify as socialist would be well served to take a close look.
After learning a great deal about Rand and the philosophical foundations of liberty, the students engaged in mock debates, with one student arguing for greater liberty and another for more government involvement in society. I was impressed by the care both sides took in constructing their points, perhaps suggesting that even in today’s polarized environment young people of differing opinions listen to each other more than we assume. The instructors offered critiques and suggestions based on the material we’d covered, and the students no doubt ended the day as more effective advocates for their cause.
As icing on the cake, Jeffrey Tucker offered some thoughts on Rand that centered around a poignant letter from economist Murray Rothbard to Rand shortly after the release of her magnum opus Atlas Shrugged. Rothbard, never shy with his opinions, wrote that
you are one of the great geniuses of the ages, and I am proud that we are friends. And Atlas Shrugged is not merely the greatest novel ever written, it is one of the very greatest books ever written, fiction or nonfiction. Indeed, it is one of the greatest achievements the human mind has ever produced. And I mean it. If Zarathustra should ever return to earth, and ask me — as representative of the human race — that unforgettable question: “what have ye done to surpass man?”, I shall point to Atlas Shrugged.
I doubt Rothbard would be surprised that Rand’s writings and philosophy continue to influence young minds today.
Max Gulker
Max Gulker is a former Senior Research Fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research. He is currently a Senior Fellow with the Reason Foundation. At AIER his research focused on two main areas: policy and technology. On the policy side, Gulker looked at how issues like poverty and access to education can be addressed with voluntary, decentralized approaches that don’t interfere with free markets. On technology, Gulker was interested in emerging fields like blockchain and cryptocurrencies, competitive issues raised by tech giants such as Facebook and Google, and the sharing economy.
Gulker frequently appears at conferences, on podcasts, and on television. Gulker holds a PhD in economics from Stanford University and a BA in economics from the University of Michigan. Prior to AIER, Max spent time in the private sector, consulting with large technology and financial firms on antitrust and other litigation. Follow @maxg_econ.
