BB&T has funded a Chair for the Study of Objectivism at the University of Texas.  First to occupy the chair will be Professor Tara Smith.  For details go to:

http://www.utexas.edu/news/2008/03/20/lib_arts_ayn_rand/

Congratulations to Dr. Smith and to John Allison, CEO of BB&T.

 

 

    Is capitalism good because it’s the moral and just social system or because it’s the most economically productive and efficient system? Is there any connection between the moral foundations of capitalism and its economic basis? In this lecture, Professor Richard Epstein questions whether separating the moral and economic aspects of capitalism is either useful or justified. Moral evaluation of the market system is rooted
in the idea that individuals ought to keep their promises. But is that all? Do these ethical obligations to follow through on voluntary transactions end the discussion of morality in a capitalist system? Prof. Epstein will explain how these moral and ethical ideals ought to be understood in relation to the economic aspects of a capitalist system. By investigating examples from antitrust law, telecommunications, and intellectual property, Epstein will illustrate the intimate connection between the moral and economic foundations of a capitalist system.
    Richard A. Epstein is the James Parker Hall Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago Law School and is the Director of the Law and Economics Program. Epstein is the author of over a dozen books and hundreds of articles on a diverse array of topics including antitrust law, property rights, intellectual property, medical ethics, eminent domain, tort law, contracts, legal theory, constitutional history, and many more.

Date: Wednesday, March 5, 2008.
 
Time: 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. (doors open at 4:15)
 
Place: Self Auditorium in the Strom Thurmond Institute on the Clemson University campus
 
Details: This event is free and open to the public. The lecture will be followed by a brief question and answer period. Limited employee and visitor parking is available at the Strom Thurmond Institute. Visitors to the Clemson campus should proceed to the visitor's center (109 Daniel Dr. in Clemson) to obtain a temporary parking pass.

 

NSO places this announcement here because it is an important issue in political science but we do not necessarily endorse Professor Epstein's views.

 

  

Philosopher and Author Andrew Bernstein's appearances in Greenville were outstanding successes.

On Saturday, November 10th, at 3:00 PM, Dr. Bernstein addressed a general public audience at the Coffee Underground theater, titled "The Literary Revolution of Atlas Shrugged."   It was a fascinating lecture.  Scott Crosby's notes are loaded on this site at Portals/0/lectures/Atlas Shrugged as Literature 2007-11-10.pdf

We had an attendance of about 35 people of whom around 15 were general public - total strangers but the pay off of our publicity efforts was that a high school English teacher brought 6-9 of her advanced placement students.  This is the audience we wish to reach and we succeeded.

On Thursday, November 8th, at 7:00 PM, Dr. Bernstein lectured at Furman University on the topic:  "Global Capitalism - The Solution to World Poverty and Oppression."  This was sponsored by the Furman conservative students club.  It was a great lecture describing the benefits of capitalism.  A Marxist professor asked the last question which was that the achievements of capitalism were made by slavery, expropriation of Indians, etc.  Andy hit this slow curve ball out of the park.  His answer was that slavery, expropriation, war, etc were the normal throughout most of history.  If that was the way to progress and wealth why did these not occur centuries earlier?

Check out a part of what Mr. Bernstein had to say by clicking here:  Portals/0/lectures/Global Capitalism 2007-11-08.pdf

 

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