Freedom Party International

CALL FOR PAPERS

Freedom Party International (FPI) is preparing to launch a new (as yet un-named) newsletter, which it aims to distribute in hardcopy to members of its affiliated political parties. If you are well versed in the philosophy of Ayn Rand (i.e., Objectivism), FPI is inviting you to submit your educational articles for consideration/publication.

The function of FPI's new newsletter will be to provide its readers with philosophically and psychologically educational content that facilitates the identification of good government policy/laws; that facilitates a better identification of the ideas, agendas, and proponents of bad government policy/laws; that assists FP candidates to understand their audience's beliefs, their audience's modes of forming beliefs, their audience's attempts to rationalize bad policy/law; that assists advocates of freedom to avoid advocating freedom by means of non-essentials, etc.. The goal is to facilitate the making and proper understanding of good party policies (which are the foundation of FP election platforms and advocacy efforts), and to prepare candidates for the debates and opposition that they will face when advocating rational policy during or between elections.

As examples, articles might include topics relating to:

  • What facts should/should not be considered when developing government policy/laws? Why/Why not?

  • How does one go about identifying the essence of a problem, and the essential elements of a good governmental response to it.

  • What is the correct means for deciding government policy/laws (e.g., faith vs. consensus vs. reason)?

  • What are (and what are not) the roles of metaphysics, epistemology and ethics in the formation of government policy/laws?

  • Why is the idea that all relations between individuals should be consensual not an axiom? What is the practical importance of understanding consent's philosophical underpinning?

  • How do non-essential arguments undermine efforts to achieve a society in which rational conduct is legal and defended by government?

  • In what sorts of a situations might a candidate fall into the self-destructive trap of sanctioning anti-rational conduct, beliefs, movements or associations?

  • Why can't individual freedom be achieved by stealth, dishonesty, or coercion? What happens when one tries to do so?

  • Who is more likely to be receptive to a pro-rationality, pro-freedom message? Why?

  • How should one deal with smears, and how might one make attempted smears ineffective?

  • et cetera

In short, articles should provide the newsletter's readers with the intellectual ammunition they need to more effectively advocate individual freedom and capitalism.

Length: We expect the newsletter to be printed on a single 17"x11" leaf, single-fold (i.e., four-page) format. Try to keep your articles in the 1200 to 2500 word range. In some cases, consideration will be given to publishing articles in installments (e.g., Part I, Part II, etc.)

Style: Articles might make/demonstrate an argument by referring to current events, to new discoveries, to examples of good advocacy or bad advocacy, to cultural trends, to new "art" (e.g., movies, music) etc.. However, articles should explain/demonstrate timeless truths: your article should be as instructive 20 years from now as it is today.

Audience: Though many of our readers are well versed in philosophy, contributors should assume that the broader audience does not have an education in philosophy, and should write their articles for lay person. Articles need not be simple to understand, but they should be written such that they can be understood by an intelligent reader who has not read much, if anything, about metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, Objectivism, etc..

Editing, Copyright & Remuneration: Articles selected for publication may be edited, and the title of an article selected for publication will be that selected by the editor. You will retain copyright in your article but, by submitting your article to FPI for consideration, you will implicitly grant FPI and its affiliated political parties a non-transferable licence to reproduce your article in whole or in part, in any medium, at any time. You understand and agree that FPI will pay you neither for your article nor for its use.

This call for papers is a general and ongoing call for continued contribution. Submit all papers to: pmckeever@freedomparty.org. So that we can contact you about your article, please, include your e-mail address, your home or office address, and your telephone number: this information will not be published without your consent. Also, articles will normally begin with a brief statement concerning the background of the author. For that purpose, please include information such as any degrees, your current profession/employment situation, any information that you might consider interesting to the reader, and any contact information you would like published.


ABOUT FREEDOM PARTY INTERNATIONAL

Founded in 2002 as a successor to the educational efforts of Freedom Party of Ontario (an officially registered political party in Ontario, Canada), Freedom Party International is not itself a political party, but is an organization that serves as the hub of its affiliated political parties. It sets the terms for affiliation, and it holds intellectual property in FP's various symbols, logos etc. Freedom Party International also aims to provide to members of its affiliated political parties with materials to help them understand the philosophical underpinnings of good government policy (hence, of good party policy and of good election platforms). You can learn more about Freedom Party International by visiting our new website: http://www.freedomparty.org

Freedom Party International
240 Commissioners Road West
London, Ontario
CANADA N6J 1Y1

Tel: 519-681-3999
www.freedomparty.org