OCON 2024: A Week of Objectivist Thought and Community

The Objectivist community gathered, June 13 through 18, in Anaheim, California, for the highly anticipated OCON 2024 conference. This year’s event was an inspiring and thought-provoking experience, filled with engaging talks, panels, and social activities that brought together donors, students, and enthusiasts of Ayn Rand’s philosophy.

The conference kicked off with a welcoming reception on Thursday evening, where attendees had the chance to meet and mingle in a relaxed but exhilarating atmosphere. This event set the tone for the week, with old friends reconnecting and new friendships developing.

Throughout the week, each day of OCON 2024 was packed with sessions that explored applications of Objectivism in today’s world. Two highlights were talks by Yaron Brook and Onkar Ghate. Brook’s lecture on the state of American politics soberly considered the prospect of dictatorship in America, and Ghate’s discussion of Ayn Rand’s concept of moral sanction explored how a religious view of morality can corrupt even long-time Objectivists’ understanding and practice of moral judgment.

For students, OCON 2024 provided excellent opportunities to deepen their understanding of Objectivism. Special events like the “How to Accelerate Your Understanding of Objectivism” session with Don Watkins and Aaron Fried offered valuable strategies for integrating Rand’s philosophy into daily life. Tara Smith’s lecture, “Egoism Without Permission—It Begins with Desire,” previewed themes from her new book. The talk explored the challenges in embracing rational egoism due to lingering subconscious premises and psychological baggage from antithetical moral codes.

In Tal Tsfany’s talk, “Spreading Objectivism: A Vision for ARI’s Future,” ARI’s CEO announced the news of a new, physical Ayn Rand Center to be built in Austin, Texas. Once constructed, the building will house ARI and the Ayn Rand Archives. It will host live classes of the Ayn Rand University, exhibits displaying exclusive material from the Ayn Rand Archives, and regular events involving Austin’s growing population of Objectivist intellectuals.

Tsfany also announced the publication of five books from ARI Press, highlighted by Why Act on Principle? an anthology of fourteen of Leonard Peikoff’s articles and talks, and The First Amendment: Essays on the Imperative of Intellectual Freedom by Tara Smith.

This year’s OCON Gala was given in honor of Harry Binswanger who, after decades of service, has retired from his position on ARI’s board of directors. (Dr. Binswanger, however, has not retired from philosophy.)

OCON 2024 was not just an intellectual retreat; it was a call to action for donors and supporters. This OCON’s closing reception and dinner included the graduation ceremony for the Ayn Rand University. The ceremony celebrated the academic achievement of graduating ARU students and anticipated their future successes. As the week wrapped up, attendees were equipped with fresh insights and energy from the week’s activities. We look forward to continuing this journey and hope to see everyone next year in Boston for OCON 2025!