Donovan A.

These tests cover Chapter 7 through Chapter 19. Enjoy! The Virtue of Selfishness Test 03 The Virtue of Selfishness Test 04

I cannot state who has or has not taken CRC tests, but I can tell you there are many people that take the tests without giving their name.

I wonder what kind of disclaimer will be included? From my notes on the cassette version: "Now, of course, the question is: How do you judge whether somebody is intellectually honest or not? You cannot judge that point by the shear fact that he disagrees with you. Obviously, your ideas are not self-evident. They have to be learned, they are philosophy which is a very complex subject. Many, many many honest errors are possible along the way, particularly in a confused mixed up world such as we live in at present. Nor can you decide that someone is dishonest simply because you are unable to convince him, because perhaps you are unclear, maybe you are not arguing very well or maybe he is really badly confused even though honest. So your presentation is clear, but he just can’t get it he is so mixed up. It’s very difficult in many cases to judge. In many cases, I would say it is impossible to know. At least it’s certainly impossible for me in many cases to know and I generally follow the policy of giving the benefit of the doubt if I am not sure." - Objective Communication (1980) by Leonard Peikoff, Lecture 7, Tape 1, Side A at 12:00 Contrast with: "Now we must note that falsehood does not necessarily imply vice; honest errors of knowledge are possible. But such errors are not nearly so common as some people wish to think, especially in the field of philosophy."- Fact and Value (1989) by Leonard Peikoff

Click here to take the test! This test has been designed to assess your comprehension of The Virtue of Selfishness (VOS) [Centennial Edition]. Questions have been formed from Chapter 2 through Chapter 6. Subsequent tests will cover additional chapters of the book. It is not intended to be an open book test. There are 25 questions – each is worth 4 points. This test can be taken by students before and after reading VOS (as a pre and/or post-test). Only reading Ayn Rand’s fictional work will not be sufficient preparation to excel on this test. This assessment can help students of Objectivism and study-group organizers determine the ideal study materials and is not intended to evaluate one’s agreement with Objectivism. Test Score Range: 0-60: Minimal understanding (Low) – Basic study needed 64-68: Moderate understanding (Low-Mid) – Basic study needed 72-80: Good understanding (Intermediate) – Basic study review needed 84-88: Competent (High-Mid) – Proceed to more technical studies 92-100: Advanced (High) - Proceed to more technical studies In order to receive your test score, you will be asked to provide your name and email address. Your test score will be emailed to you. Your name and email address will be added to our general contact mailing list. Your name and test scores will not be published. All marketing emails sent from The Culture of Reason Center include the option to unsubscribe. Like this Test? Please Make a Donation to The Culture of Reason Center Constructive feedback is welcome Email: cultureofreasoncenter@gmail.com Other CRC Tests Include: The Virtue of Selfishness Test 01 Objectivism: General Knowledge (01) Objectivism: General Knowledge (02) Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology Test (Introduction, Chapters 1-8, Summary) The Ominous Parallels Test 01

Current number of submissions: 7 Average Score: 70% High Score: 90% Low Score: 55%

Hi Brant, Could you elaborate on what is the matter? Six people have taken this test and five of them have answered #15 correctly. Are you having technical difficulties? If so, you might want to try refreshing your browser. Thanks so much, Randall

Click here to take the test! This test has been designed to assess your comprehension of The Ominous Parallels (TOP). Questions have been formed from Chapter 1 and 2 only. Subsequent tests will cover additional chapters of the book. It is not intended to be an open book test. There are 20 questions – each is worth 5 points. This test can be taken by students before and after reading TOP (as a pre and/or post-test). Only reading Ayn Rand’s fictional work will not be sufficient preparation to excel on this test. This assessment can help students of Objectivism and study-group organizers determine the ideal study materials and is not intended to evaluate one’s agreement with Objectivism. Test Score Range: 0-60: Minimal understanding (Low) – Basic study needed 65-70: Moderate understanding (Low-Mid) – Basic study needed 75-80: Good understanding (Intermediate) – Basic study review needed 85-90: Competent (High-Mid) – Proceed to more technical studies 95-100: Advanced (High) - Proceed to more technical studies In order to receive your test score, you will be asked to provide your name and email address. Your test score will be emailed to you. Your name and email address will be added to our general contact mailing list. Your name and test scores will not be published. All marketing emails sent from The Culture of Reason Center include the option to unsubscribe. Like this Test? Please Make a Donation to The Culture of Reason Center Constructive feedback is welcome Email: cultureofreasoncenter@gmail.com Other CRC Tests Include: Objectivism: General Knowledge (01) Objectivism: General Knowledge (02) Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology Test (Introduction, Chapters 1-8, Summary) The Virtue of Selfishness Test 01

I have been considering adding the following statement to the test description: The questions are intended to test a person's recall of the author's views and not the actual validity of those views. For example: 11) The process of abstraction and of concept-formation is automatic. [p.21] The answer to this question is false, because that is not the position that is put forth by Ayn Rand in The Virtue of Selfishness. These self-tests are intended to be study aids and I developed the questions and answers directly from the book (with references) for that reason. Since I'm not in the position to grade hundreds of essay tests, I had to form multiple choice, fill in the blank and true/false questions, so that the process of taking the test and scoring could be automated. That being said, I think it is important that a person be able to recall/identify what Rand's actual stated views were, especially if they are going to claim understanding. Forums like like OL are a great place to debate the formulation and validity of the ideas, and I hope the tests I make encourage friendly debate and discussion.

Hello Michael, Thanks for taking my newest test, and I appreciate your support. I'd like to take the opportunity to clarify what I think Rand meant when she wrote: "The simpler organisms, such as plants, can survive by means of their automatic physical functions. The higher organisms, such as animals and man, cannot: their needs are more complex and the range of their actions is wider." (p.19) On (p.22) Rand asserts: "Consciousness—for those living organisms which possess it—is the basic means of survival." In that respect, humans, dogs, cats, etc. all must depend on their faculty of awareness in order to survive.

Click here to take the test! This test has been designed to assess your comprehension of The Virtue of Selfishness (VOS) [Centennial Edition]. Questions have been formed from the Introduction and Chapter 1 only. Subsequent tests will cover additional chapters of the book. It is not intended to be an open book test. There are 25 questions – each is worth 4 points. This test can be taken by students before and after reading VOS (as a pre and/or post-test). Only reading Ayn Rand’s fictional work will not be sufficient preparation to excel on this test. This assessment can help students of Objectivism and study-group organizers determine the ideal study materials and is not intended to evaluate one’s agreement with Objectivism. Test Score Range: 0-60: Minimal understanding (Low) – Basic study needed 64-68: Moderate understanding (Low-Mid) – Basic study needed 72-80: Good understanding (Intermediate) – Basic study review needed 84-88: Competent (High-Mid) – Proceed to more technical studies 92-100: Advanced (High) - Proceed to more technical studies In order to receive your test score, you will be asked to provide your name and email address. Your test score will be emailed to you. Your name and email address will be added to our general contact mailing list. Your name and test scores will not be published. All marketing emails sent from The Culture of Reason Center include the option to unsubscribe. Like this Test? Please Make a Donation to The Culture of Reason Center Constructive feedback is welcome Email: cultureofreasoncenter@gmail.com Other CRC Tests Include: Objectivism: General Knowledge (01) Objectivism: General Knowledge (02) Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology Test (Introduction, Chapters 1-8, Summary)

I'm working on cleaning up the notes I received from anonrobt some time ago. They are really very interesting. I'm hoping to find another set of notes from another note taker to use as a cross-reference. If anyone comes across a set of notes from Greenspan's NBI course, I would really appreciate being contacted. Of course, original audio would be fantastic. Thanks so much, Randall

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Thanks for the reply Reidy, but that article doesn't appear to have the quote I am looking for.

I'm looking for where Ayn Rand wrote about "the right not to see." I remember reading something she wrote on how one should be notified in advanced, if one is entering an area where nudity is permitted, etc. Any help finding the source would be appreciated. Thanks so much, Randall

This test has been designed to assess your comprehension of Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology (ITOE) [Expanded Second Edition, April 1990]. Questions have been formed from the Introduction, Chapters 1-8, and the Summary. It is not intended to be an open book test. There are 100 questions – each is worth 1 point. This test can be taken by students before and after reading ITOE (as a pre and/or post-test). Only reading Ayn Rand’s fictional work will not be sufficient preparation to excel on this test. This assessment can help students of Objectivism and study-group organizers determine the ideal study materials and is not intended to evaluate one’s agreement with Objectivism. Test Score Range: 0-60: Minimal understanding (Low) – Basic study needed 61-69: Moderate understanding (Low-Mid) – Basic study needed 70-80: Good understanding (Intermediate) – Basic study review needed 81-90: Competent (High-Mid) – Proceed to more technical studies 91-100: Advanced (High) - Proceed to more technical studies In order to receive your test score, you will be asked to provide your name and email address. Your test score will be emailed to you. Your name and email address will be added to our general contact mailing list. Your name and test scores will not be published. All marketing emails sent from The Culture of Reason Center include the option to unsubscribe. Click here to be taken to the test Like this Test? Please Make a Donation to The Culture of Reason Center Constructive feedback is welcome Email: cultureofreasoncenter@gmail.com

Hi Roger, The complete set of Seminars consists of over 31 hours of material and are actually moving very well on The Culture of Reason Center website. When I attempted to purchase all of the Nathaniel Branden Seminars on LP a few years ago, it was almost impossible. Finally, I was able to purchase a nearly complete set of LPs for $2,000. Individual LPs still sell anywhere from $10 - $100 on eBay, other auction sites, or from individuals. Other than the MP3 series I have just released, it's almost impossible to find a complete set of these seminars anywhere today. I think people who really want to hear these seminars will be willing to pay the price I have set for them, and I must recover my investment costs (which go far beyond the purchase of the original seminars). I understand that ARI is taking a new approach with their eStore, but for years their pricing was at least ten times what it now is, and I was one of those people that purchased many of their products at those prices. In my experience, people that are not that interested in Branden's work are not going to buy the Seminars even if the entire series was sold for only $0.99. Additionally, I'm glad that ARI has lowered its pricing, which now frees up Objectivists (and others) to have more available funds to purchase competing materials at TAS and CRC, etc. All that being said, lower pricing does not always increase sales or profits. Best regards, Randall P.S. The old adage "you get what you pay for" might apply.

Thanks Robert, please let people know. The process of making these seminars available was expensive and time consuming, and I'm still working on making the individual seminars available.

Our Price: $240.00 Nathaniel Branden Seminars Complete Series (1969 - 1973) by Nathaniel Branden Recorded Live: 48 Seminars Downloadable MP3 Format: 31 hours (est) The audio quality of this product has been enhanced, but unfortunately some residual problems are not resolvable. Nathaniel Branden Seminars: Complete Series A monthly recorded discussion by Nathaniel Branden of students' questions in the fields of psychology, philosophy, contemporary issues and events. Click here to review the complete content inventory of this series. Permission to offer this product has been given from Dr. Nathaniel Branden who holds the copyright. For further information regarding Dr. Branden, please visit his website: www.nathanielbranden.com/ Disclaimer: Nathaniel Branden's Seminars are being provided for historical study. Views expressed in these seminars do not necessarily reflect Dr. Branden's later theories or opinions. Album art redesign by Jared Dunham

I have posted Objectivism: General Knowledge (02)

Objectivism: General Knowledge (01) Update: 09-09-12 I would like to thank all of the participants who took the very first version of this test and provided valuable feedback – feedback which contributed to the improvement this test. Eight questions have been slightly revised and eight questions have been replaced. The questions have been numbered and references have been added to each question so that testers can easily review the source materials. Reference Key: OPAR: Dr. Leonard Peikoff, Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand VAR: Nathaniel/Barbara Branden, The Vision of Ayn Rand (The Basic Principles of Objectivism) ET, NB, L9: Efficient Thinking (guest lecture by Nathaniel Branden), Lecture 9 VOS: The Virtue of Selfishness CUI: Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal ARC: The Ayn Rand Column LPP (02-27-12): Dr. Leonard Peikoff’s Podcast (02-27-12) OPAR: 64 Questions VAR: 21 Questions ET, NB, L9: 1 Question VOS: 4 Questions CUI: 7 Questions ARC: 1 Question LPP: 1 Question OPAR + VAR: 1 Question Like this Test: Please Make a Donation to The Culture of Reason Center

I posted a defense of my test on RoR.

Could you list the other questions/answers you regard as questionable and why? I welcome the feedback and discussion. Randall, I admire your initiative, in this effort and in other offerings through your organization. But, with this exam, I think that you have stepped-out onto thin ice. Your selected answers for your questions will be challenged. Continually. This could be avoided, or at least muted, by adding literature references for the correct answers. Ultimately, such challenges (which are already occurring, judging from responses here on OL) will require that your selection and justification for the correct answer be published. Avoid the deluge and fix this now. Secondly, requiring test takers to submit their completed exam for scoring (rather than providing a method for self-scoring) will strike some as an attempt as a "loyalty test." It does not matter that your intent was for no such thing. The fact that you are not using it for this purpose does not mean that it could not be used in this manner. And that will be the accusation. Critics of the Objectivist movement have often accused its advocates as spouting individualism, yet demanding conformity. Unfortunately, the critics have been able to find ample examples that appear to support their accusations. It has not enhanced the image of Objectivism as a philosophy that advocates reason, individualsm, and independent thought. Some here on OL may accuse me of exaggerating that your exam will be so interpreted. My answer: watch. Hi Jerry, From time to time, I think it is okay to test the ice, no pun intended. So far, I have received only minimal criticism in regard to the questions and the answers. To some extent, I don't mind debating the criticisms, because if I'm wrong, I'll learn something, and the test can certainly be modified. An Objectivist philosopher that I very much admire has taken the test, and I have asked for his feedback. Nobody is obligated to take the test, and if someone thinks a question is unfair, they are free to email me. As I said, I'm working on additional tests, and I plan on offering references on those tests so that the test takers can look up the answers and decide for themselves if they agree with the arguments given by Rand, Branden or Peikoff, etc. The vast majority of the feedback has been positive. Some people have described taking the test as a "wakeup call." Other people have expressed that they are too intimidated to take it and there are people taking the test without giving their real name. Overall, I'm happy with the test as it is. It has increased traffic to my website and I think will encourage people to purchase products that will help them understand Objectivism more clearly. On facebook, a person wrote the following objection: I responded with quotes from OPAR that deal with the issue more in depth, but ultimately the discussion ended with this comment by me: Another person wrote: Thank you so much for your input, Randall

Hi Brant, I suppose that depends on what one regards as a passing grade. The test isn't intended to determine who is an Objectivist, but to asess one's basic understanding and familiarity with Objectivist ideas. A person's score might indicate a lack of knowledge, or gaps, or outright disagreement with Objectivism. As a self-assessment, it can help a person learn that they might want to review some of Ayn Rand's works. As a study group organizer, the test can help me discover which lecture courses to offer. I agree with you that an essay test would provide even more information, but it would also be impossible for me to implement. Thanks so much, Randall

I think the letter is authentic and I even think Peikoff probably heard those same ideas espoused by Rand at some point. Here is my evidence. This is from Peikoff's radio-show on terrorism (I do not have the exact date of broadcast available). - Leonard Peikoff on Terrorism Tape 13, Side B, at 4:51. I am happy I came across this thread today, because I have recently been giving some thought to the relationship of faith to altruism. Rand held that altruism could not be defended in reason, but that the foundation and justification of altruism was faith. However, I've been contemplating if faith, by its nature must logically lead a person to altruism. I'm leaning toward no, as my answer. Although there are clearly many fundamental problems with faith, I don't think it logically and necessarily leads to any particular set of moral conclusions. Part of the reason why I find this topic interesting is because I don't know of any religions that do not preach altruism, but I'm beginning to think that it has more to do with the intentions or goals of the leaders of religious movements. The strong correlation between faith and altruism raised the issue for me. For example, in a recent article posted on dallasnews.com, a panel of religious experts contributed their various views (everything that I read was negative) on Ayn Rand. I haven't finished reading it, but I read enough that I think it should demonstrate my point.