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Table of Contents for The Vision-Driven Life
by Luke Setzer

Imagine a fully rational alternative to Rick Warren's religious screed The Purpose-Driven® Life. Visualize a book that takes its overall structure from the ethics of Objectivism, the philosophy of Ayn Rand. Envision using the suggested reading list of the Ayn Rand Institute -- 25 items -- as a subject of study for each chapter of such a book. See each chapter broken into seven days of brief insights, gems of advice, and thought-provoking assignments drawing on Ayn Rand and many other sage authors from a wide range of fields. Picture in your mind's eye how the conscientious completion of such a book would yield a life blueprint and how such a blueprint could chart a course for your life.

Finally, dream of what you would say if you actually had inputs into such a book.

This vision summarizes the thrust of the new discussion list for The Vision-Driven™ Life: Becoming the Self You Might Be and Ought To Be. The mission of this group seeks to draw together people who have a profound interest in living a better life in accordance with the three supreme and ruling values of reason, purpose and self-esteem. This list will post day by day sections of the book as the author writes them for constructive criticism from an audience who shares these core values.

The book, upon publication, will serve as a flagship product for a forthcoming global Objectivist club network.

Visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VisionDrivenLife/ or send an e-mail to VisionDrivenLife-subscribe@yahoogroups.com  to join the list.  Below you can read the table of contents for this book.  My challenge to myself as the author will be to write one post per day consonant with the listed table of contents.  Target date for commencement of posts stands at Sunday, June 16 for Week 00.  As list members, you will have the opportunity to comment and critique at your discretion.  Since the book and list target an audience much wider than Objectivists, expect unusual feedback that will prove useful in explaining concepts novel to most people outside Objectivism.


Table of Contents
for

The Vision-Driven™ Life

Becoming the Self You Might Be and Ought To Be


Foreword

Week 00         Introduction


Sunday             Why You Should Read This Book
Monday           Time and Energy -- Your Most Precious Commodities
Tuesday           Living Your Best Life Possible on Earth
Wednesday      Big Fat Liars and the Big Fat Lies They Tell
Thursday          Prepare for a Journey That Will Change Your Life
Friday              A Philosophy for Living on Earth
Saturday           Applying This Week's Lessons

I. Spirit -- The Need for Meaning


Week 01         The Fountainhead -- Roark's Speech


Sunday            Outline and Questions
Monday           The Human Need for Meaning
Tuesday           The Ultimate Value of Self
Wednesday      Dreams List Exercise
Thursday          Values List Exercise
Friday             Articulating Your Vision
Saturday           Applying This Week's Lessons


Week 02         Atlas Shrugged -- Galt's Speech


Sunday             Outline and Questions
Monday           The Basic Axioms
Tuesday           The Ultimate Value and the Three Supreme and Ruling Values
Wednesday      Self-Esteem
Thursday          Reason
Friday              Purpose
Saturday           Applying This Week's Lessons


Week 03         "Philosophy: Who Needs It" in Philosophy: Who Needs It


Sunday             Outline and Questions
Monday           What Philosophy Is and Is Not
Tuesday           Why You Need Philosophy
Wednesday      Philosophy versus Religion
Thursday          Intrinsicism versus Subjectivism versus Objectivism
Friday              Why You Need Objectivism
Saturday           Applying This Week's Lessons


Week 04         "Philosophy and Sense of Life" in The Romantic Manifesto


Sunday             Outline and Questions
Monday           What Is a Sense of Life?
Tuesday           Explicit Philosophy versus Implicit Sense of Life
Wednesday      Examining the Ideas in Your Head
Thursday          Testing the Ideas in Your Head
Friday              Standards by Which To Judge the Ideas in Your Head
Saturday           Applying This Week's Lessons


Week 05         "For the New Intellectual" in For the New Intellectual


Sunday             Outline and Questions
Monday           The Attila
Tuesday           The Witch Doctor
Wednesday      The Businessman
Thursday          Producers versus Destroyers
Friday              Becoming a Producer
Saturday           Applying This Week's Lessons


Week 06         "Introduction" and "The Objectivist Ethics" in The Virtue of Selfishness


Sunday             Outline and Questions
Monday           Embracing the Ultimate Value
Tuesday           Embracing Self-Esteem
Wednesday      Embracing Reason
Thursday          Embracing Purpose
Friday              Loving Life
Saturday           Applying This Week's Lessons


Week 07         "The Metaphysical Versus the Man-Made" in Philosophy: Who Needs It
 
Sunday             Outline and Questions
Monday           Accepting the Laws of Nature
Tuesday           Evaluating the Laws of Man
Wednesday      Accepting the Truth of How Things Are Now
Thursday          Envisioning How Things Might Be and Ought To Be
Friday              The Dreams List Revisited
Saturday           Applying This Week's Lessons

II. Emotions -- The Need for Bonding


Week 08         "Causality versus Duty" in Philosophy: Who Needs It
 
Sunday             Outline and Questions
Monday           The Human Need for Bonding
Tuesday           The Ruling Value of Self-Esteem
Wednesday      Name Your Top Ten Most Joyous Emotions
Thursday          Name the Causes of Your Top Ten Most Joyous Emotions
Friday              The Joy of Not "Needing" Others
Saturday           Applying This Week's Lessons


Week 09         "The Ethics of Emergencies" in The Virtue of Selfishness
 
Sunday             Outline and Questions
Monday           Name Some People Whom You Value So Much as To Risk Your Life To Save
Tuesday           What Virtues Did These People Possess To Make You Value Them So Much?
Wednesday      Name Some People Whom You Value Little as Not To Risk Your Life To Save
Thursday          What Vices Did These People Possess To Make You Value Them So Little?
Friday              The Dreams List Revisited Again
Saturday           Applying This Week's Lessons

III. Mind -- The Need for Knowing


Week 10         "The 'Conflicts' of Men's Interests" in The Virtue of Selfishness
 
Sunday             Outline and Questions
Monday           The Human Need for Knowing
Tuesday           The Ruling Value of Reason
Wednesday      Applying the Law of Identity to Human Relations
Thursday          Rationality and Its Four Component Virtues
Friday              Employing Independence, Integrity and Honesty To Achieve Justice
Saturday           Applying This Week's Lessons

Week 11         "Doesn't Life Require Compromise?" in The Virtue of Selfishness
 
Sunday             Outline and Questions
Monday           The Law of Identity Revisited
Tuesday           Common Interests versus Compromise
Wednesday      Food and Poison versus Polarity Management
Thursday          Developing Total Clarity of Your Values
Friday              Knowing When To Entrench and When To Retreat
Saturday           Applying This Week's Lessons

Week 12         "How Does One Lead a Rational Life in an Irrational Society?" in The Virtue of Selfishness
 
Sunday             Outline and Questions
Monday           Roles and Rational Egoism
Tuesday           Common Roles
Wednesday      Name Your Roles
Thursday          Name the Governing Values Tied to Each Role
Friday              Firmly Evaluating the Emotional Payoffs of Your Relationships
Saturday           Applying This Week's Lessons

Week 13         "The Cult of Moral Grayness" in The Virtue of Selfishness
 
Sunday             Outline and Questions
Monday           Good Judgment and Good Living
Tuesday           Building Good Relationships with Good People
Wednesday      Terminating Bad Relationships with Bad People
Thursday          Managing Mixed Relationships with Mixed People
Friday              Evaluating Your Relationships across Time
Saturday           Applying This Week's Lessons

IV. Body -- The Need for Acting


Week 14         "Man's Rights" in The Virtue of Selfishness
 
Sunday             Outline and Questions
Monday           The Human Need for Acting
Tuesday           The Ruling Value of Purpose
Wednesday      Why You Need Liberty
Thursday          Why You Need Property
Friday              Articulating Your Personal Mission Statement
Saturday           Applying This Week's Lessons

Week 15         "The Nature of Government" in The Virtue of Selfishness
 
Sunday             Outline and Questions
Monday           The History of Government
Tuesday           Why Anarchy Fails
Wednesday      Why Tyranny Fails
Thursday          Why Freedom Succeeds
Friday              Your Role in the Government of a Free Society
Saturday           Applying This Week's Lessons

Week 16         "What is Capitalism?" in Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal
 
Sunday             Outline and Questions
Monday           Capitalism and the Best within You
Tuesday           Translating Values into Physical Form
Wednesday      Turning Values into Goals
Thursday          Achieving Goals Virtuously
Friday              Enjoying the Achievement of Goals
Saturday           Applying This Week's Lessons

Week 17         "'Extremism,' or The Art of Smearing" in Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal
 
Sunday             Outline and Questions
Monday           Concepts and Clarity
Tuesday           The Importance of Clear Meaning
Wednesday      Ambiguity and Death
Thursday          Clarity and Life
Friday              Getting Totally Clear on Your Values
Saturday           Applying This Week's Lessons

Week 18         "The Roots of War" in Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal
 
Sunday             Outline and Questions
Monday           Defining War
Tuesday           Just and Unjust Wars
Wednesday      War and Value Preservation
Thursday          War and Value Destruction
Friday              Acting in Your Own Best Interests in Times of War
Saturday           Applying This Week's Lessons

Week 19         "Conservatism: An Obituary" in Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal
 
Sunday             Outline and Questions
Monday           Defining Conservatism
Tuesday           Defining Liberalism
Wednesday      Objectivism versus Conservatism versus Liberalism
Thursday          Why Simply Attacking an Enemy Fails
Friday              Defining and Advancing Your Own Clear Vision
Saturday           Applying This Week's Lessons

Week 20         "Racism" in The Virtue of Selfishness
 
Sunday             Outline and Questions
Monday           Tribalism
Tuesday           Racism
Wednesday      Collectivism
Thursday          How Collectivism Robs You of Your Life
Friday              Individualism as the Antidote to Collectivism
Saturday           Applying This Week's Lessons

Week 21         "The Cashing-in: The Student 'Rebellion'" in Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal
 
Sunday             Outline and Questions
Monday           Ideas and Actions
Tuesday           Unreason and the Floundering Life
Wednesday      Mob Mentalities
Thursday          Reason and the Flourishing Life
Friday              Getting an Education While Leaving Your Mind Intact
Saturday           Applying This Week's Lessons

Week 22         "The Anti-Industrial Revolution" in Return of the Primitive: The Anti-Industrial Revolution
 
Sunday             Outline and Questions
Monday           Stages of Social Evolution
Tuesday           From Hunters and Gatherers to Knowledge Workers
Wednesday      The Primitive Mindset
Thursday          Why You Need Freedom and Industry
Friday              Defending Your Mind against Primitivism
Saturday           Applying This Week's Lessons

V. Life -- The Need for Being


Week 23         "The Psycho-Epistemology of Art" in The Romantic Manifesto
 
Sunday             Outline and Questions
Monday           The Four Needs as Aspects of the Need for Being
Tuesday           Art and Spirit
Wednesday      Art and Emotions
Thursday          Art and Mind
Friday              Art and Body
Saturday           Applying This Week's Lessons

Week 24         "Art and Sense of Life" in The Romantic Manifesto
 
Sunday             Outline and Questions
Monday           The Benevolent Universe Premise
Tuesday           The Benevolent Sense of Life
Wednesday      Art as Spiritual Fuel
Thursday          Spiritual Fuel as Necessary for Genuine Productiveness
Friday              Productiveness and Benevolence
Saturday           Applying This Week's Lessons

Week 25         Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand by Leonard Peikoff -- Epilogue
 
Sunday             Outline and Questions
Monday           Fantasies of Plato versus Realities of Aristotle
Tuesday           The Bloody Trail from Plato's Caves
Wednesday      Aquinas and Aristotle Stop the Bleeding
Thursday          Immanuel Kant Opens New Wounds
Friday              The Healing Power of Ayn Rand
Saturday           Applying This Week's Lessons

Afterword -- Living Your Dreams without Pain or Fear or Guilt
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