9 sessions

The Romantic Manifesto Reading Group

Is artistic taste entirely subjective? Is “to each his own” the only principle we can use when judging works of art?

About the Course

Is artistic taste entirely subjective? Is “to each his own” the only principle we can use when judging works of art?

Absolutely not, said Ayn Rand—one of the most popular novelists of the 20th century, whose works continue to sell hundreds of thousands of copies each year. Underlying Rand’s success was an objective philosophy of art, which she later cataloged in her treatise on esthetics, The Romantic Manifesto. Integrating observations in metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, psychology, and more, she showed why common conceptions of art as the province of whim are wrong and offered the world a vision of what art can and ought to be.

In this reading group, Angelica Werth will lead discussions of each essay in Rand’s The Romantic Manifesto, comparing and contrasting Rand’s views and works with those of other influential novelists, artists, philosophers, and scientists. Join the discussion for a journey into the creative world of one of the 20th century’s most influential artists.

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Angelica Werth

Meet Your Instructor

Angelica Werth

Angelica is a fellow and programs manager at Objective Standard Institute, an associate editor and regular contributor to The Objective Standard (opens in a new tab), and an Ayn Rand Fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education. Her roles at OSI include developing courses, teaching writing and editing, mentoring junior fellows, and managing the Junior Fellowship and Intellectual Accelerator Programs. A voracious reader and lover of fiction, Angelica writes and makes videos about philosophic ideas as they manifest in fiction. Read her articles on her Substack, Fictionosophy (opens in a new tab), and watch her videos on her YouTube channel (opens in a new tab).

How This Course Works

This course is interactive and discussion-driven, so enrollment is limited. Register early to secure your spot.

The course is held live on Zoom, which you can download for free here (opens in a new tab). Sessions are video recorded, so if you miss a session (or want to review), you can watch the recording. OSI may sell course recordings and/or use them for marketing, promotional, or educational purposes.

Homework assignments are optional. Doing them may require an additional hour or more per week but will greatly enhance what you learn in this course.

If you don’t have a copy of the book, you need to get one so you can read the chapters we’ll be discussing each week. You can purchase the book from Amazon (opens in a new tab), Barnes & Noble (opens in a new tab), BetterWorldBooks (opens in a new tab), or practically any other bookstore. We recommend a print copy of the book, but if you prefer an electronic copy, that is fine, too. (If your financial situation is such that you cannot afford to purchase a copy of the book, please let us know by emailing [email protected], and we will help you get one.)

Course handouts and supplementary materials are delivered via email. Course participants are invited to an exclusive OSI Courses group on Facebook, where they can post questions and engage in discussions with the instructor and other participants.

Have a question that wasn’t answered here? Read our FAQ (opens in a new tab) or email us at [email protected].

By enrolling, you agree to OSI’s Course Terms and Conditions (opens in a new tab).

Frequently Asked Questions