[Lecture Four] The Art of Thinking
by Dr. Leonard Peikoff
Total Time: 1 hour, 4 minutes
Course summary: In this course Dr. Peikoff explains what happens in the mind when one thinks and offers a structure for how to get better at thinking. He applies the key principles of Objectivist epistemology to everyday thinking. The course explains the mental process of changing one’s mind, the role of integration and essentialization in proper thinking, and the application of thinking in principle and what certainty means. Read more »
In this lecture: Q&A Session
Q&A Guide
Below is a list of questions from the audience taken from this lecture, along with (approximate) time stamps.
| 1:00 | Could you talk about what’s essential to a movie version of Atlas Shrugged? |
| 16:08 | Could you ask for a disclaimer that says that the finished film is totally antithetical… |
| 16:56 | You mentioned your second favorite chapter in The Ominous Parallels. I’m curious as to your favorite chapter. |
| 18:53 | Could you give us the essence of Ayn Rand’s personality? |
| 20:42 | Why did you include Ayn Rand’s article on a woman president in The Voice of Reason if you say that view was only her opinion? |
| 25:16 | Would you reduce the concept of honor and give a definition? |
| 26:35 | Could you give an example of horizontal as against a hierarchical integration? |
| 30:00 | Could you comment on judging people when you don’t have access to their motivations? |
| 34:08 | Did Ayn Rand say anything about athletics? |
| 35:56 | In one of your lectures on education you said it was good for children to go through hardship. Do you make a distinction for babies and especially for toddlers between wants and needs? |
| 40:38 | In 1957 you were optimistic that Atlas Shrugged would change the culture. Are you more or less optimistic now about the future? |
| 43:07 | Do you have any techniques for philosophy students as to how to keep “dual accounting” between what your professors think and what you think? |
| 46:50 | Miss Rand said that Objectivism is a dangerous philosophy if you accept it partially. Is it more dangerous than other philosophies? |
| 49:07 | Could you say a few words on what Ayn Rand meant by “man-worship” or “hero worship”? |
| 51:57 | What are the essentials of the Democratic and Republican parties? |
| 53:40 | What is the difference between how the conservatives defend capitalism and your analysis of the essence of the movie version of Atlas Shrugged? |
| 57:45 | Do you think there is a time when it’s most appropriate in a child’s development to introduce them to Objectivism? |