General Meetings
Once a week during academic terms, LOGIC hosts on-campus discussion groups that cover a wide range of topics. The purpose of these meetings is to introduce members to Objectivism and to encourage critical thinking about fundamental principles and applying those principles to contemporary issues and events.
Though most meetings are based on topics established at the beginning of the term, others begin with members raising questions about issues they find particularly interesting. Topics have included determinism, concept-formation, self-interest versus altruism, theism, intellectual property, children’s rights, sex, drugs, abortion, charity, and art.
Student-Led Debates
A program that is under expansion, student-led debates help to cultivate the critical thinking and communication skills of LOGIC members. By preparing for and arguing in debates against students in other clubs, LOGIC members learn how to think quickly and communicate ideas effectively.
Our most notable debate was in May 2006--Capitalism versus Socialism--against the UCLA Debate Team. Future debate topics under consideration include abortion, health care, and animal rights.
The Harry Binswanger List (HBL)
Dr. Harry Binswanger maintains an online email list ( www.hblist.com ) for Objectivists to discuss philosophic and cultural issues. LOGIC distributes HBL to our members, allowing them to participate in a broader Objectivist community and to apply and expand their knowledge to new issues.
The Objectivist Academic Center (OAC)
LOGIC encourages its members to go through the Ayn Rand Institute’s philosophy program--the OAC--to continue and expand their study of Objectivism in a more formal learning environment. In 2006, four LOGIC members began the four-year undergraduate OAC program.
Writing for Publication
LOGIC members regularly write op-eds and letters to the editor for our campus newspaper, the Daily Bruin. By encouraging our members to write, they learn valuable written communication skills and how to apply Objectivist principles to contemporary cultural issues. To date, we have written and submitted over 30 pieces, including
- First Amendment Should Protect All
- Stopping Iran’s Nuclear Countdown
- Danish Cartoons are Symbols Opposing Self-Censorship
- Any Means of Defense Justified
- Race-Based Admission are Racist
- Leftist Ideas Counter Free State
- Ban on Online Gambling Violates Rights
- Abortion Valid Choice for Parents
- Altruism Bad for Insurance Companies
- Minimum Wage Restricts Worker, Employer Rights
