3 Selfish Reasons for Running a Campus Club

Why try to fit an Objectivist club into your busy life? Your ultimate value is your own happiness, so a campus Objectivist club should advance your own interests and ultimately improve your life. What selfish purposes are served by clubs?

1. Clubs Improve Your Understanding of Objectivism: Understanding Objectivism requires an on-going intellectual commitment. It's not enough to nod in agreement to Objectivist essays. We benefit from abstract principles of philosophy by actively integrating them with our everyday knowledge and using these principles to guide our decisions.
   
   Campus clubs help you to actively integrate. You can improve your understanding of Objectivism by explaining your ideas to those who are learning about them for the first time, by discussing questions and principles you find puzzling, and by drawing on the wisdom of more experienced Objectivists. In addition, the active study of Objectivism creates an intellectual foundation for the other activities of your club: effective activism and intellectual camaraderie among friends.
2. Clubs Spread Objectivism: When we develop our understanding of a new idea, we want to spread the word for the most selfish of reasons: to create a better, more rational culture. Our culture is filled with dangerous ideas that threaten our freedom and lives. Cultural change begins at home, and spreading better ideas on your campus can help us find our kind of people and create a more rational world in our very midst. Campus club members who have improved their understanding of Objectivism together are an effective voice for the kind of rational ideas that make this possible.
3. Clubs Bring Objectivists Together Socially: Some of our most meaningful friendships are formed in college, and since friendships are formed on the basis of common values, there can be no better place to forge new friendships than clubs built around a common concern for Objectivist values. Clubs promote networking among like minded people, not only with local Objectivists, but with others around the country through such organizations as the OCN and the Ayn Rand Institute.

As the leader of your club, it is important to encourage #1, the study of Objectivism, as it lays the foundation for the other aspects. The best way to study Objectivism will vary from person to person, so find a way that best complements your interests. It's your club, use it to make your life better!

Ben B. is a former president of the University of Illinois Objectivist Club and of the Lawrence University Students of Objectivism. He is currently a philosophy professor.