Washington Metro Objectivism Discussion (WMOD)

                 Wednesday, April 17, 2002
 
                  What is the ultimate value?

                       By Jan Helfeld
                   
What is the ultimate value?  Is it survival, flourishing or happiness?
How are each of these concepts defined?  What is the distinction between
then?  Why is it important to identify the ultimate value?  What are
the best arguments for each position? Who is right?  There has been a
raging debate in Objectivist circles on these questions for years.  
Jan will describe the three main positions, and offer his own analysis
for your comments. 

Jan Helfeld is an attorney who is now active in property development
and TV  interviewing.  He is attempting to introduce the Socratic technique 
in the field of public policy interviewing.  He has produced the following 
three documentaries, The Proper Function of Government; the Media Against 
Business and the Socratic Technique including interviews of many U.S. 
senators, U.S. Congressman, and high-profile TV journalists like Mike 
Wallace, Ted Kopple, Cokie Roberts and others.

Jan sponsors a weekly Objectivist discussion group and a monthly Socrates 
cafe meeting. You can contact him at JanHelfeld@aol.com. 
 
             February WMOD Meeting

Thanks to Diana Hseih for her Sunday, February 10 talk "Liar, Liar,
Pants on Fire!" After the talk she sent WMOD the following message:
"Many thanks to everyone who came to my presentation to WMOD on honesty
last week.  My talk on honesty at the TOC Summer Seminar in July will
certainly benefit from your comments and questions!  My goal is to have a
paper on the abstract issues of honesty available at seminar-time, so that
the lecture can focus on the more practical, everyday issues of honesty.
My work on honesty (including my paper on false excuses and my lecture
notes from the WMOD lecture) is now available on my website at
http://www.dianahsieh.com.  Just look under the "What's New" heading.
Thoughts, questions, or criticisms are most welcome. Diana@dianahsieh.com"

        WHEN AND WHERE IS THE WMOD MEETING?

Please join WMOD on Wednesday, April 17.  Anyone who is
interested in rational discussion of Ayn Rand's ideas is welcome.
There will be a $2 charge for the talk if you are not having 
dinner. Note that our meeting location is Metro accessible.  You can
either join us for drinks at 6:30 or for dinner at 7 PM or for
the talk at 8:15 PM at the Hunan Palace in Rosslyn, VA
just across the Key Bridge from Georgetown.  The street address is
1812 North Moore Street.  If you come by Metro, get off at the
Rosslyn Metro Exit and the Hunan Palace is only a few feet away.
Take the street exit on N. Moore Street (across street from Roy
Rogers/Burger King), go out of Metro and take a left, and the
Palace is a few feet down N. Moore Street.  If you drive, there is
a parking garage (Allstate) next door to the Palace that is free
after 6:00 PM.  Due to construction you may have to go down the
ramp to the underground level.  There will be a $15 fixed price
dinner (including tax and tip), or you can order from the menu. 
 
Please RSVP to WMOD at (703) 820-7696 before noon on the day of
the meeting so that we can tell the restaurant how many tables to
set up and how many to expect for dinner.  For more information,
call the Hunan Palace at (703) 528-8188, or call David Saum
at (703) 820-7696 (W) or (703) 671-5119 (H).  

                  FUTURE MEETINGS

WMOD meetings are generally held on the third Wednesday of each
month.  We are always looking for new stimulating meeting topics
related to Objectivism.  Please contact WMOD if you have
suggestions for meeting topics and locations, or if you can
volunteer some time to arrange meetings.

                     NEWS

Ayn Rand on C-SPAN American Writers Series
http://www.americanwriters.org/writers/rand.asp
Schedule: Sunday, May 12 3pm ET on C-SPAN
          Friday, May 17 8pm ET on C-SPAN 

                   CALENDAR

Weekly on Thursdays: Objectivist discussion group meeting  at
7:00PM at La Madelaine Restaurant - Baileys Crossroads,  at the
corner of Route # 7 and Columbia Pike next to Borders Books.
Contact Jan Helfeld: JanHelfeld@aol.com

First Monday of every month: Socrates Cafe philosophic discussion group
meeting, at 7:00PM at Borders Books at Bailey's Crossroads, VA
Contact Jan Helfeld: JanHelfeld@aol.com

TOC Summer Seminar: UCLA,  June 29 to July 6.
http://www.ios.org/events/

ARI Summer Conference:  Tysons Corner, VA June 29th to July 7th
http://aynrandbookstore.com/conferences/summer2002/

        The Objectivist Center (formerly IOS) events
http://www.objectivistcenter.org

         GMU Objectivist Club Events
http://www.gmu.edu/org/objectivist/upevnts.htm

        Cato Institute Events
http://www.cato.org/events/calendar.html

        Free-Market.Net Calendar
http://www.free-market.org/directory/events/

       Future of Freedom Foundation Events
http://www.fff.org/events/events.htm
         
       Institute for Humane Studies
http://www.theIHS.org/

  
(please let WMOD know about other events that we should list) 
                
               WMOD Contact Information

Contact:
  Dave Saum
  WMOD
  PO Box 8007
  Falls Church, VA 22041
    Email: DSaum at infiltec.com
    Phone: (703) 820-7696
    Fax: (703) 671-9350
    Web: http://www.infiltec.com/wmod.htm

--------------email list information
To subscribe to the WMOD email meeting 
announcement list, just send an email to 
WMOD-subscribe@yahoogroups.com 
or visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WMOD/.
-------------------