On Sunday, December 31, 2023, at 1 p.m. U.S. Pacific Time, the U.S. Transhumanist Party will stream classic presentations by Gennady Stolyarov II from 2008 to 2014, analyzing Ayn Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism and some of the contemporary developments regarding it, responding to certain arguments made by Ayn Rand, and providing commentary on the complementarity between Objectivism and Transhumanism, as well as ways of bridging some differences among some adherents of these philosophies. There will be a live chat, and a short musical segment at the end, in which two remastered compositions by Gennady Stolyarov II will be played – the Dance of Reason, Op. 11 (2002) as remastered by Prince Avery in 2014, and Rational Happiness, Op. 45 (2005), as remastered by Jason Geringer in 2022. Objectivism – Strengths and Weaknesses – Recorded on April 11, 2011 Mr. Stolyarov comments on the merits and shortcomings of Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism and its contemporary incarnations. He considers himself an Objectivist in the broad sense, but not in the narrow sense, and a strong advocate for an open, evolving, interacting, and continually expanding philosophy of Objectivism. Mr. Stolyarov suggests areas of improvement for objectivism in pursuing integrations with (i) economics, (ii) classical liberal thought, (iii) transhumanism, and (iv) the thoughts of creative, innovative Objectivists who are willing to take the philosophy into new territory. Refuting Ayn Rand's "Immortal Robot" Argument – Recorded on December 26, 2008 Many proponents of Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism believe that indefinite life would turn human beings into "immortal, indestructible robots" that, according to Ayn Rand, would have no genuine values. Mr. Stolyarov refutes both claims. Eternal life would not turn humans into indestructible robots, nor would an indestructible robot with human abilities have no values and no motivation for doing great things. In Ayn Rand's own words, "Achieving life is not the equivalent of avoiding death." Refuting Ayn Rand on War – Recorded on March 4, 2012 Mr. Stolyarov directly responds to Ayn Rand's statements regarding the morality of war and refutes her point by point. Mr. Stolyarov shows that war, because of the deaths of innocent civilians, is thoroughly anti-individualistic, and Ayn Rand's position on war is inconsistent with the fundamental ethical principles of her philosophy of Objectivism. Thoughts on Zoltan Istvan's "The Transhumanist Wager" – A Review – Recorded on May 20, 2013 Zoltan Istvan's 2013 novel "The Transhumanist Wager" has been compared to Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged". But to what extent are the books alike, and in what respects? In this review, Mr. Stolyarov compares and contrasts the two novels and explores the question of how best to achieve radical life extension and general technological progress for the improvement of the human condition. The Strengths and Weaknesses of “Atlas Shrugged: Part III” – Recorded on September 15, 2014 Mr. Stolyarov reviews the final installment in the "Atlas Shrugged" film trilogy. Although Mr. Stolyarov favorably reviewed the first two installments, in his view the third film fails to do full justice to the culmination of Ayn Rand’s magnum opus, where one would expect to witness the coalescence into an integrated worldview of all of the philosophical and plot pieces that Rand meticulously introduced during the first two parts. Atlas Shrugged: Part III is not without its merits, and it is inspiring in certain respects – especially in its conveyance of Rand’s passionate defense of the creator-individualist. However, the film is also not a great one, and the creators could have made Rand’s source material shine consistently instead of glowing dimly while occasionally emitting a bright flicker. Join the U.S. Transhumanist Party for free, no matter where you reside: https://transhumanist-party.org/membership #Transhumanism #Objectivism #AynRand #LifeExtension #Immortality #Philosophy #RationalPhilosophy #TranshumanistWager #AtlasShrugged #VirtualEnlightenmentSalon ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhVR9CeNiOs