Our Mission and Programs

The Atlas Society challenges both the cultural left and cultural right with Objectivism, Ayn Rand's philosophy of rational, principled individualism.

The goal of The Atlas Society is to help create a new culture in our society, a culture that affirms and embodies the core Objectivist values of reason, individualism, freedom, and achievement. We seek to influence the course of debate and the climate of public opinion, and to recruit like-minded people to our cause.

Objectivism is the philosophical foundation for TAS's cultural agenda. Ayn Rand's insights about human knowledge, moral values, individual rights, the role of art in human life, and many other topics give Objectivism a unique perspective on the issues of our day. It's a perspective that transcends conventional "left-right" cultural and political thinking, offering a challenging new moral vision of human nature, individual potential, and social relationships.

In support of its cultural mission, TAS sponsors philosophical research, political and cultural advocacy, and educational programs. The organization promotes rational individualism by articulating its meaning and implications in every field of cultural significance: politics, intellectual trends, the arts, psychology, personal values and social mores, law, and business. 

We invite you to explore this website to learn more about our unique philosophy and programs -- and why thousands of people have found value in our work.

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Research
The Atlas Society's core program division, The Objectivist Center, oversees scholarly research in the philosophy of Objectivism, as well as the Center’s Objectivist education programs, such as student and activist training, seminars, scholarship programs, and academic publications.

Advocacy
From its Washington, D.C., headquarters, the Society monitors current cultural and political issues, and runs a variety of advocacy and outreach projects to spread the Objectivist philosophy throughout the world. The Society's staff produces and distributes commentary through op-eds and mailings, through the organization's website, through its monthly magazine and other publications, as well as through speeches, media interviews, independent journals, and other channels.

The New Individualist
The Atlas Society's exciting monthly magazine of politics and culture features provocative essays, interviews, reviews, and investigative journalism on controversial political and cultural topics. The New Individualist is currently available by subscription and by membership in the Society. See Membership for information.

Web Site
The Society's online presence makes available worldwide an extensive library of information about Objectivism, including an archive of past articles from The New Individualist, and summaries of Objectivism and its key ideas. The site also contains information about the Society, allows online registration for its events, and offers online purchases of its many products. It also includes a Spanish-language section.

The Objectivism Store
The Society's publishing division produces a host of books, pamphlets, original audiotapes and CDs, videotapes, and related educational products. The Objectivism Store markets these products through mass-market bookstores and Web retailers. It sells them directly to Society members and to the public through its mail-order service, which also carries works by Ayn Rand and other authors.

Events
The Atlas Society arranges conferences and seminars that allow members, opinion leaders, and members of the public to gather for learning, personal enrichment, recreation, and social opportunities. Programs include one-day conferences, such as the Fall 2004 “Success: What it Is and What it Takes,” academic and student events, and the annual weeklong Summer Seminar, held each year on a college campus in North America. The Summer Seminar is the showcase event of The Objectivist Center, TAS's research division, and features introductory and advanced courses on Objectivism; lectures on philosophy, art, politics, history, and related topics; and workshops that help participants put Objectivist principles into practice in their own lives.

Support
The Atlas Society is a non-profit, tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) educational organization. Its programs are funded by participants through tuition and attendance fees, and by contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations. The Society neither seeks nor accepts government funding. Contributions are deductible in accordance with the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Tax receipts will be provided for all contributors. Please see the membership information for more details.