LevelUp 2024

Craig Biddle

You want to excel in a career you love, to build and enjoy rewarding friendships and romance, to engage in recreational activities that fuel your soul. In a word, you want to flourish. To succeed, you need a conceptual framework that clarifies and unifies two related issues: (1) why pursuing your own happiness is morally the correct purpose of your life; and (2) how to organize your values and goals with respect to their relative importance, and integrate them into a life of purpose, meaning, and joy. Craig Biddle will discuss this framework and how you can use it to think clearly and live fully.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali

From women’s suffrage to the sexual revolution to shattered glass ceilings, Western women are freer and more prosperous than ever. Yet while Ukranian women are raped by Russian soldiers, and Iranian women are beaten, imprisoned, or killed for daring to remove the hijab, modern “feminists” shriek at the way men sit on public transport, condone men boxing with women, and “contextualize” jihadist rape of Israeli women. Ayaan Hirsi Ali will discuss how we got here and how to bring feminism back to its foundations in reason, personal autonomy, and individual rights.

David Hardy

You or someone you know will experience adversity or trauma that shakes you to the core. Perhaps you already have: the sudden death of a loved one, an accident that cripples or maims, the loss of a relationship or career, a betrayal by a long-time friend. Such events can cause deep emotional pain. In some cases, they can affect one’s desire to live. But they also can be catalysts for personal growth and transformation. Judge David Hardy will discuss his experiences with severe trauma, how he redirected it to transform his life and thrive, and how you can, too.

Hannah Frankman

You’ve been told all your life to follow rules. But is this good advice? All her life, Hannah Frankman has been breaking rules, and it has served her well. She thinks it’ll serve you well, too—if you master the art. Of course, this isn’t about violating rational moral principles. That’s always self-destructive. Rather, it’s about breaking socially constructed rules that make no sense, or that fail to account for relevant context, and thus hamper your life or hold you back. Come learn the art—and virtue—of breaking such rules. Your future self will be glad you did.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali, David Wolpe, Craig Biddle, and Timothy Sandefur

Classical liberalism is the idea that the individual is sovereign, that his own mind should guide his life, and that individual rights, freedom of speech, and economic freedom are essential to civilized society. But what undergirds these values? What must we understand and communicate in order to support and defend them? Are the underpinnings religious or secular? How can we know? Join Ayaan Hirsi Ali, David Wolpe, Craig Biddle, and Timothy Sandefur for a discussion of these and related questions. And bring your questions for the lengthy Q&A.

Carl Barney

Why do some people achieve happiness while others fail? And why do some succeed spectacularly yet others only moderately? What are the keys to achieving and sustaining a life you love? Carl Barney will discuss a tool he’s developed for this very purpose. Based on his book-in-progress, “The Happiness Experiment,” Carl will present a framework for developing your personal happiness plan: an integrated set of strategies and action steps for making your life the best, happiest life it can be.

Craig Biddle, Wilfred Reilly, Eric Daniels, and Christopher Rufo

The ideology known as “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” (DEI) has influenced American universities, culture, and politics for decades, shaping curriculums, the arts, and laws that restrict our lives. Advocates of liberty generally agree that something is deeply wrong with these ideas, but they often disagree on the nature of the problem and how to solve it. What exactly is DEI? What ideas does it encompass and imply? If those ideas are wrong, why—and which ideas should replace them? Join Craig Biddle, Wilfred Reilly, Eric Daniels, and Christopher Rufo for a discussion of these and related questions. Bring your questions for the lengthy Q&A.

Angel and Thomas Walker-Werth

“Romance requires sacrifice and unconditional love.” So you’ve been told. But don’t healthy romances involve gaining from each other’s qualities of character, personality, and gestures—and from wonderful experiences together, including sex? And why would lovers love each other “unconditionally”? Aren’t their respective qualities and shared values precisely the conditions that give rise to their love for each other? Angel and Thomas Walker-Werth have built their romance on the principle of trade: the idea that both are in this to benefit from and enjoy each other deeply. They’ll discuss this principle and how they leverage it to light up their lives together.

Kiyah Willis

The wars underway in the Middle East and Eastern Europe have caused misery, death, and destruction that is hard to fathom. Likewise for wars throughout history. Why all this hell? What are the causes of war? And what ideas must people and governments understand and embrace in order to live in peace? Kiyah Willis will address these questions, focusing on what she sees as the central cause of war—collectivism—and its deeper corollary: mysticism. The way to end and avoid war, she will argue, is for people and governments to embrace individualism and reason.

Craig Biddle and Alex O’Connor

Are human actions right or wrong based on facts and logic? Or are claims about right and wrong merely expressions of emotions or feelings? Craig Biddle and Alex O’Connor, both atheists, will discuss these and related questions. Craig will argue that objective morality exists and is derived from the factual requirements of human life and happiness. Alex will argue that there’s no such thing as objective morality and that moral claims are merely expressions of emotion. There will be a lengthy Q&A—so bring your questions and join the conversation!

Jon Hersey

Adam Smith and Ayn Rand are widely regarded as similar, in that both advocated free markets, free people, free societies. Although Smith never used the word “capitalism,” he is widely regarded as “the father of capitalism”—and Rand referred to herself as a “radical for capitalism” and has been called “the goddess of the market.” But, Jon Hersey will argue, in our fight for political and economic freedom, the differences between these thinkers are greater and more important than the similarities. Come gain a clearer picture of Smith and Rand, their respective roles in shaping history, and the intellectual tools each provides for advancing freedom today.

Timothy Sandefur

It’s one of the most popular musical pieces in history: Antonin Dvorak’s New World Symphony. Written during a brief residency in the United States—just when capitalism was revolutionizing life in America and around the world—Dvorak’s symphony helped Americans fashion their own distinctive musical style. But it also expressed a remarkable new sense of life, rooted in freedom, prosperity, and peace. In this talk, Timothy Sandefur describes the fascinating history of Dvorak’s masterpiece, and explores why it became—for people worldwide—the song of a new world.

Max Lugavere

Everything good in your life depends on your physical health: Clear thinking requires energy and focus; disease, physical problems, and suboptimal health sap these. Romance requires mental, emotional, and physical engagement—as do work, career, friendships, and recreation. Poor physical health saps these, too. And, of course, good health enables you to live longer so you can enjoy more of everything you love. Max Lugavere will discuss how to optimize your nutrition, exercise, and sleep so you can live the longest, healthiest, happiest life possible.

Ely Lassman

We all have a philosophy: a view of the world and human nature, and of how we know what’s true and what’s good. The philosophy we accept—whether consciously or by default—has a profound impact on our lives. And the history of this field sheds vital light on this fact. It’s a fascinating story brimming with characters, ideas, problems, and solutions—all of which can help you to think better and live better. Ely Lassman will survey some of this history and discuss how his life has improved by studying the history of philosophy, and how yours can too.

Craig Biddle

You’ve heard of a “God-shaped hole”—the idea that if you don’t believe in God and accept him into your life you’ll be deprived of spiritual values such as meaning and purpose. Craig Biddle will discuss the self-shaped hole: the void resulting from denying the existence of the self (à la Sam Harris)—or failing to revere and develop yourself (as many people do)—or subordinating yourself to a group (via collectivism, tribalism, wokeism) or to an alleged God (as religion prescribes). Biddle will examine the secular nature of the self, focusing on its evidence-based elements and the corresponding values we must understand and embrace in order to be spiritually whole—and thus love our lives to the fullest.

Dress comfortably! We recommend casual attire for the opening banquet and daily lectures, and cocktail attire for the closing banquet and dance.

Internet access for conference attendees is free throughout the hotel.

We do not plan to livestream the conference.

Registration will remain open until the conference sells out. We encourage you to register and book your hotel room early, as space is limited.

If for any reason LevelUp 2024 is canceled—or if for any reason you personally cannot attend—LevelUp will refund your registration fees, including banquet tickets, in full through June 19, the day the conference begins.

In the event that the conference is canceled, refunds will be issued automatically. In the event that you personally cannot attend, you need only email us at [email protected] with the subject line “Cancel LevelUp Registration,” and we will refund your registration fees in full. It’s that simple.

For Active-Mind Scholarship recipients, please understand that we will NOT reimburse you for unused travel tickets. We recommend you purchase refundable travel tickets and/or appropriate cancellation insurance.