Prometheus Foundation for Advancing Objectivism: Founder’s Intent

Below is the Founder-Donor’s Intent for the Prometheus Foundation (PF), a nonprofit organization established by Carl Barney to provide funding for ventures that advance Ayn Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism, scholarships for students who are pursuing careers that advance these ideas, and grants for proven Objectivist intellectuals to boost their productive output.

I am honored to serve on the board of directors of PF, along with Carl Barney, Jim Brown, Lenny Esmond, David Hardy, Rony Miller, and C. Bradley Thompson.

If you think that you or anyone you know might qualify for funding, visit Prometheus Foundation’s website for details and application guidelines. (Note: The website is currently called “Objectivist Venture Fund,” but will soon be updated to “Prometheus Foundation,” which subsumes both the Objectivist Venture Fund and the New Intellectuals Fund.)

Here’s to Ayn Rand for developing a philosophy for living on earth!

And here’s to Carl Barney for funding its advancement! —Craig Biddle

PROMETHEUS FOUNDATION

For Advancing Objectivism

FOUNDER/DONOR’S INTENT

Money is a great power because . . . it is a frozen form of productive energy. And, therefore, the spending of money is a grave responsibility.―Ayn Rand

Money is energy. It enables potential efforts to become actual efforts, potential successes to become actual successes, ideas to become reality. Money can make the difference between an individual or organization initiating its ideas and succeeding or not. It can enable a good venture underway to succeed when otherwise it may not. Capital in the right hands can be a massive advantage.―Carl B. Barney

One of the highest values to a man of reason and self-esteem is other human beings. Of any category in the universe, human beings are of greatest importance to him.―Ayn Rand

I want others to have the same life-changing benefits as I have had from studying Ayn Rand and the Objectivist philosophy.―Carl B. Barney

The Prometheus Foundation (PF), in essence, is a store of “productive energy.” It is money that the Founder/Donor accumulated during his working life and now wishes to use to help make the world a better place for people to flourish. The only substantive, enduring way to do this is by advancing rational philosophy and rational psychology. This means advancing Ayn Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism and any psychology that integrates with it; such psychology would integrate with Objectivism, with Ayn Rand’s theory of emotions, and her work on epistemology and psycho-epistemology. PF exists solely for this purpose.

Advancing Objectivism includes promoting Ayn Rand’s novels and nonfiction works, promoting Leonard Peikoff’s books and courses, creating courses on Objectivism, and creating organizations or undertaking projects that explicitly advance the philosophy.

Every day, in many small ways, Objectivism is slowly changing the world. It is a long game. This is why, through the Objectivist Venture Fund (OVF), we want to invest in infrastructure (rather than one-off programs) that will endure. As of March 2019, examples of worthy recipients include the Ayn Rand Center in Europe, ARC Israel, the Ayn Rand Centre UK and centers in other countries, the Balkan Objectivist Center, the John Galt School, and The Objective Standard.

In addition to supporting innovative ventures, PF places high priority on encouraging and nurturing intellectuals who are committed to advancing Objectivism. Thus, the New Intellectuals Fund (NIF) will provide scholarships to very bright, up-and-coming scholars (the Scholarships Program) as well as grants to boost productiveness of proven intellectuals and promoters of Ayn Rand and Objectivism (the Productiveness Program).

Those who serve on the Board or on the Awards Committee of PF should do so with the sole intention of carrying out the intent of the Founder/Donor. The PF funds are entrusted to you for this purpose. By agreeing to work with PF, you pledge to honor the intent for their uses as set forth here and in the accompanying Charter.

Thank you for your integrity in carrying out my intent.

Carl B. Barney, Founder/Donor

About Craig Biddle

Craig is cofounder and editor of The Objective Standard, cofounder and director of education at Objective Standard Institute, and executive director of Prometheus Foundation. He is the author of Loving Life: The Morality of Self-Interest and the Facts that Support It; Rational Egoism: The Morality for Human Flourishing; and the forthcoming Moral Truths Your Parents, Preachers, and Teachers Don’t Want You to Know. He is currently working on his fourth book, “Thinking in Principles.”

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