The purpose of this website is to discover and teach you how to learn Objectivism effectively. There are many steps one has to take in order to translate the written and spoken content of Objectivism into an active, functioning body of knowledge in one’s own mind; there are many pitfalls one can encounter along the way. The purpose of this website is to identify and teach you those steps so that you can successfully master Objectivism. Whether it’s listing methods for studying and understanding one of Rand’s essays or identifying the kinds of questions one needs to ask oneself when thinking through an idea, if it’s something you need to do to learn Objectivism, this website aims to cover it.
My name is Grant Parker, and I started this website because I want to help individuals create selves “without pain or fear or guilt”, selves of “serene determination and…certainty” like John Galt’s. Objectivism is the philosophy animating such a soul, and learning and integrating the philosophy into one’s mind is a crucial step to creating and maintaining that kind of self. I’ve valued self-actualization since I was in high school, and from the moment I finished Atlas Shrugged I knew it was the indispensable foundation of any self-improvement. I’ve been studying Objectivism ever since (just over 10 years). I graduated from the Objectivist Academic Center in 2018, and for my undergraduate degree double-majored in Philosophy and Cognitive Science at the University of Illinois.
I’ve spent a lot of time studying Objectivism on my own, and can see how much effective methods would’ve benefitted me at the outset. It was several years before I learned how to chew or to concretize an idea without the structure of a classroom setting, as well as learn how to effectively analyze and understand a philosophic text. To this day I’m still learning new methods for understanding philosophy, like how to use philosophy to think about current events. The Montessori Method has a developed, polished pedagogy for 3- to 6-year-olds to learn foundational skills like mathematics; I want to see the analogous version exist for Objectivism. Some people study the philosophy and immediately excel; others spin their wheels for years before making progress; others never get anywhere. More people would succeed if a method was fully expounded.
That’s what I aim to do. My goal is to discover and provide a definite, comprehensive approach to learning Objectivism, to show you how to study and to think about the philosophy in such a way that you can take the reins of your own philosophic development, gaining the power to understand and integrate the philosophy on your own.
This website is where I’ll be documenting my journey and writing up my thoughts as I figure it all out. My posts will vary widely in breadth and depth, from quick updates on my progress to long-form theoretical writing (and everything in between). I hope you’ll join me for the journey.