Shows
The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastWas Ayn Rand Anti-Family?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwT-unSQu_8
Podcast audio:
In this episode of the Ayn Rand Institute podcast, Samantha Watkins and Ben Bayer tackle the common criticism that Ayn Rand is "anti-family" and analyze its philosophical roots. They examine claims that Rand's novels omit discussions of having children and explore what her actual views on parenting reveal about living a rational, selfish life.
Among the topics covered:
● Debunking the notion that Rand ignores children and parenting;● Rand’s Actual View on Children and Parenting;● How choosing to be a parent can be a rational value;● Understanding investment versus genuine sacrifice in parenti...
2025-08-1445 min
The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastWas Ayn Rand Anti-Family?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwT-unSQu_8
Podcast audio:
In this episode of the Ayn Rand Institute podcast, Samantha Watkins and Ben Bayer tackle the common criticism that Ayn Rand is "anti-family" and analyze its philosophical roots. They examine claims that Rand's novels omit discussions of having children and explore what her actual views on parenting reveal about living a rational, selfish life.
Among the topics covered:
● Debunking the notion that Rand ignores children and parenting;● Rand’s actual view on children and parenting;● How choosing to be a parent can be a rational value;● Why parenting doesn't require sacrifice;● Why "fertili...
2025-08-1445 min
Rand RadioRand Paul: Debt, Liberty, and Accountability for WashingtonKentucky Senator Rand Paul has been in the crosshairs of X posters as of late, but he is one of the few politicians who consistently expose waste, defend liberty, and hold Washington accountable.He’s told mainstream media that America is broke, and he called out Fauci when the origins of COVID and gain-of-function research were still being lied about by the NIH director and his team of imbeciles.There’s also caterwauling from Paul regarding how Congress has abdicated its responsibilities, but he couldn’t be more correct.Posters like Hannah Cox refute...
2025-06-2001 min
Rand RadioRAND PAUL: The Founding Fathers “So Feared the Power of Taxation That They Gave It Only to Congress”Do you Stand with Rand? Help support the Rand Paul Review by upgrading your subscription. We could always use your help!Rand Paul today on blocking Trump's tariffs on imports from Canada: "Despite arguments to the contrary, Americans know tariffs are a tax they are going to have to pay."The Founding Fathers “so feared the power of taxation that they gave it only to Congress.”"I stand to speak against the tariffs. I stand to speak against the idea of skipping democracy, of skipping the constitutional republic, of rejecting our founding principles."
2025-04-0329 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastWhy the Ayn Rand Institute Comments on Current Eventshttps://youtu.be/QT4O5p3oSAA
Podcast audio:
In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Onkar Ghate and Ben Bayer discuss why ARI comments on current events and why applying Objectivism to cultural issues is central to its essence as a philosophy for living on earth.
Among the topics covered:
How ARI’s commentary fits its mission;
Why applying Objectivism to current events is essential to understanding the philosophy;
Why persuading minds about Objectivism requires distinguishing it from mainstream ideas;
What is wrong with the objection that no one can speak for Ayn Rand;
What to expect fr...
2025-03-1700 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastWhy the Ayn Rand Institute Comments on Current Eventshttps://youtu.be/QT4O5p3oSAA
Podcast audio:
In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Onkar Ghate and Ben Bayer discuss why ARI comments on current events and why applying Objectivism to cultural issues is central to its essence as a philosophy for living on earth.
Among the topics covered:
How ARI’s commentary fits its mission;
Why applying Objectivism to current events is essential to understanding the philosophy;
Why persuading minds about Objectivism requires distinguishing it from mainstream ideas;
What is wrong with the objection that no one can speak for Ayn Rand;
What to expect fr...
2025-03-1700 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastWhy the Ayn Rand Institute Comments on Current Eventshttps://youtu.be/QT4O5p3oSAA
Podcast audio:
In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Onkar Ghate and Ben Bayer discuss why ARI comments on current events and why applying Objectivism to cultural issues is central to its essence as a philosophy for living on earth.
Among the topics covered:
How ARI’s commentary fits its mission;
Why applying Objectivism to current events is essential to understanding the philosophy;
Why persuading minds about Objectivism requires distinguishing it from mainstream ideas;
What is wrong with the objection that no one can speak for Ayn Rand;
What to expect fr...
2025-03-1700 min
Rand RadioRFK Jr. Is A DISRUPTOR: Rand Paul Knows That Is EXACTLY What America Needs Right NowTHE LATEST: RFK Jr was just confirmed by the Finance Committee 14-13. Next we go to a senate floor vote!The Trump Effect has rendered a major weapon in the Left’s arsenal impotent.The old definitions no longer apply. This has left Deep State bureaucrats and Leftist politicians scrambling for a new identity.For decades, the Left has worked hard to scramble traditional definitions so that freedom means licentiousness, and words like “boy” and “girl” can mean anything.On the political front, libertarian-leaning Sen. Rand Paul is backing Trump’s nomination o...
2025-02-061h 14
Rand RadioFDA Dragon Slayer: Rand Paul SAVED LivesOne of the nation’s top constitutional lawyers, Jonathan Emord “FDA Dragon Slayer” and Robert Verkerk, executive director of the Alliance for Natural Health recently joined the Kurt Wallace Show on Rand Paul Review.They delved into several important topics including lawsuits filed against the FDA, Rand Paul’s take on healthcare liberty, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s plans to Make America Healthy Again (MAHA).Powering the Push for Better Health OutcomesTo say Americans are unhealthy would be an understatement. Americans have never been fatter, less active or more dependent on Big Pharma...
2025-01-241h 20
The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastBehind-the-Scenes of Ayn Rand’s Second Interview with Mike Wallacehttps://youtu.be/rqSHMPIurKM
Podcast audio:
In this episode of New Ideal, Brandon Lisi and Agustina Vergara Cid discuss the backstory of the newly-published “lost” Mike Wallace-Ayn Rand interview from 1960.
Among the topics covered:
Historical background of the “lost” interview;
Rand’s role as a public intellectual during the 1960s;
How Rand’s intellectual confidence shines through in the interview;
How the Ayn Rand Archives recovered the recording;
Upcoming projects of the Ayn Rand Archives.
Mentioned in this podcast are Rand’s first and fourth interviews with Wallace, Letters of Ayn Rand and the online archive exhibit, and Rand’s letter “To Senat...
2024-12-1635 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastBehind-the-Scenes of Ayn Rand’s Second Interview with Mike Wallacehttps://youtu.be/rqSHMPIurKM
Podcast audio:
In this episode of New Ideal, Brandon Lisi and Agustina Vergara Cid discuss the backstory of the newly-published “lost” Mike Wallace-Ayn Rand interview from 1960.
Among the topics covered:
Historical background of the “lost” interview;
Rand’s role as a public intellectual during the 1960s;
How Rand’s intellectual confidence shines through in the interview;
How the Ayn Rand Archives recovered the recording;
Upcoming projects of the Ayn Rand Archives.
Mentioned in this podcast are Rand’s first and fourth interviews with Wallace, Letters of Ayn Rand and the online archive exhibit, and Rand’s letter “To Senat...
2024-12-1635 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastTwo Ayn Rand Biographies Not Worth Your Timehttps://youtu.be/MLF5deQWbrc
Podcast audio:
In this episode of New Ideal, Aaron Smith interviews Elan Journo to discuss his critical evaluation of two popular but deeply flawed biographies of Ayn Rand: Jennifer Burns’ Goddess of the Market and Anne C. Heller’s Ayn Rand and the World She Made.
Among the topics covered:
The standards of objectivity that the biographies fail to meet;
The authors’ disregard for how Rand thought of herself and her work;
Examples of the books’ lack of objectivity;
How the authors mishandled the biographies' sources;
Why ignoring Rand’s philosophy makes the books less interestin...
2024-10-2856 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastTwo Ayn Rand Biographies Not Worth Your Timehttps://youtu.be/MLF5deQWbrc
Podcast audio:
In this episode of New Ideal, Aaron Smith interviews Elan Journo to discuss his critical evaluation of two popular but deeply flawed biographies of Ayn Rand: Jennifer Burns’ Goddess of the Market and Anne C. Heller’s Ayn Rand and the World She Made.
Among the topics covered:
The standards of objectivity that the biographies fail to meet;
The authors’ disregard for how Rand thought of herself and her work;
Examples of the books’ lack of objectivity;
How the authors mishandled the biographies' sources;
Why ignoring Rand’s philosophy makes the books less interestin...
2024-10-2856 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastWas Ayn Rand a Jewish Thinker?https://youtu.be/sdNoDhkU_eA
Podcast audio:
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Harry Binswanger analyze Alexandra Popoff’s new biography, Ayn Rand: Writing a Gospel of Success, particularly its portrayal of Rand as a “Jewish thinker.” They address the false attempt to link Rand’s “ethnicity” to her philosophy.
Among the topics covered:
The determinism of labeling Rand as “influenced” by her ancestry vs. the central role of choice in her thought and life;
The irrelevant evidence offered for Rand’s “ethnic” identity;
Spurious evidence of Rand’s reaction to Soviet injustices in her political thinking;
Why Rand’s nov...
2024-09-1059 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastWas Ayn Rand a Jewish Thinker?https://youtu.be/sdNoDhkU_eA
Podcast audio:
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Harry Binswanger analyze Alexandra Popoff’s new biography, Ayn Rand: Writing a Gospel of Success, particularly its portrayal of Rand as a “Jewish thinker.” They address the false attempt to link Rand’s “ethnicity” to her philosophy.
Among the topics covered:
The determinism of labeling Rand as “influenced” by her ancestry vs. the central role of choice in her thought and life;
The irrelevant evidence offered for Rand’s “ethnic” identity;
Spurious evidence of Rand’s reaction to Soviet injustices in her political thinking;
Why Rand’s nov...
2024-09-1059 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastMilton Friedman vs Ayn Rand: How to Change the Worldhttps://youtu.be/Bg9BFE1-49Y
Podcast audio:
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss Milton Friedman’s impact as a public intellectual and how his advocacy of the free market differed from Ayn Rand’s radical philosophical case for capitalism.
Among the topics covered:
Why Milton Friedman is an essentially positive influence on free market thought;
How Friedman’s moral conventionality reinforced the ideas he tried to oppose;
The importance of stating the ideal when advocating for gradual reform;
Why questions of morality are at the root of economic issues;
How Friedman’s amoral...
2024-05-0658 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastMilton Friedman vs Ayn Rand: How to Change the Worldhttps://youtu.be/Bg9BFE1-49Y
Podcast audio:
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss Milton Friedman’s impact as a public intellectual and how his advocacy of the free market differed from Ayn Rand’s radical philosophical case for capitalism.
Among the topics covered:
Why Milton Friedman is an essentially positive influence on free market thought;
How Friedman’s moral conventionality reinforced the ideas he tried to oppose;
The importance of stating the ideal when advocating for gradual reform;
Why questions of morality are at the root of economic issues;
How Friedman’s amoral...
2024-05-0658 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastWhy Do Philosophers Keep Getting Ayn Rand Wrong?https://youtu.be/FjsC7I-Qa4A
Podcast audio:
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Mike Mazza and Aaron Smith discuss Mazza’s recently published article about why academic philosophers tend to get Rand’s ideas wrong so frequently and the parochialism involved in many of their critiques.
Among the topics covered:
What Mazza aimed to explain in this article;
Why responding to academic critics is important;
What it means for philosophers to engage in parochialism;
How the methods of academic philosophers are poorly suited to understanding Rand;
The inductive structure of Rand’s arguments;
The multiple factors behind philosophers’ dismissa...
2024-04-2257 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastWhy Do Philosophers Keep Getting Ayn Rand Wrong?https://youtu.be/FjsC7I-Qa4A
Podcast audio:
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Mike Mazza and Aaron Smith discuss Mazza’s recently published article about why academic philosophers tend to get Rand’s ideas wrong so frequently and the parochialism involved in many of their critiques.
Among the topics covered:
What Mazza aimed to explain in this article;
Why responding to academic critics is important;
What it means for philosophers to engage in parochialism;
How the methods of academic philosophers are poorly suited to understanding Rand;
The inductive structure of Rand’s arguments;
The multiple factors behind philosophers’ dismissa...
2024-04-2257 min
Call with the ExpertsRAND Experts Discuss the Second Anniversary of Russia's Invasion of UkraineIn this Call with the Experts podcast, Jeffrey Hiday, director of Media Relations at RAND, is joined by RAND experts William Courtney, an adjunct senior fellow; Samuel Charap, a senior political scientist; James Black, Assistant Director, Defence and Security, RAND Europe; Ann Marie Dailey, a policy researcher; and Khrystyna Holynska, an assistant policy researcher. They discuss the state of the conflict in Ukraine and its prospects, the war's global implications, possible outcomes and solutions, and what the West and the rest of the world might be doing now and once hostilities end.
2024-02-2245 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastAyn Rand: A Philosophical LifeIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer interviews Harry Binswanger about Ayn Rand’s philosophical approach to life and the invaluable lessons we can learn from the way she lived.
Among the topics covered:
How Rand integrated philosophy into her life;
How Rand used philosophy to understand herself and others;
What it was like to work with Rand on philosophical projects;
How philosophy empowered Rand to continue learning throughout her life;
What surprising conclusions Rand came to through her philosophy;
How Rand helped Binswanger develop as a philosopher.
Mentioned in this episode are "100 Voices: An Oral History of Ay...
2024-02-051h 02The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastAyn Rand: A Philosophical LifeIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer interviews Harry Binswanger about Ayn Rand’s philosophical approach to life and the invaluable lessons we can learn from the way she lived.
Among the topics covered:
How Rand integrated philosophy into her life;
How Rand used philosophy to understand herself and others;
What it was like to work with Rand on philosophical projects;
How philosophy empowered Rand to continue learning throughout her life;
What surprising conclusions Rand came to through her philosophy;
How Rand helped Binswanger develop as a philosopher.
Mentioned in this episode are "100 Voices: An Oral History of Ay...
2024-02-051h 02The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastThree Myths about Ayn RandIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Mike Mazza and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss and debunk as baseless three commonly heard myths about Ayn Rand: that she demonized the poor, that she uncritically praised the rich, and that she died penniless and hypocritically accepted Social Security at the end of her life.
Among the topics covered:
Why the claim that Rand hated the poor has no plausibility;
Rand’s focus on ambition and productive ability;
Why Rand didn’t praise being rich as such;
Rand’s praise for true wealth creation, including the creation of knowledge;
Why the claim that Ayn Rand d...
2024-01-2942 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastThree Myths about Ayn RandIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Mike Mazza and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss and debunk as baseless three commonly heard myths about Ayn Rand: that she demonized the poor, that she uncritically praised the rich, and that she died penniless and hypocritically accepted Social Security at the end of her life.
Among the topics covered:
Why the claim that Rand hated the poor has no plausibility;
Rand’s focus on ambition and productive ability;
Why Rand didn’t praise being rich as such;
Rand’s praise for true wealth creation, including the creation of knowledge;
Why the claim that Ayn Rand d...
2024-01-2942 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastJordan Peterson’s Sophomoric Attack on Ayn RandIn this special episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Ben Bayer offer the Ayn Rand Institute’s response to Jordan Peterson’s recent attack on Ayn Rand on his podcast of November 16, 2023.
Among the topics covered:
Peterson’s recent anti-Enlightenment conservative activism;
Why Rand’s view of self-interest is not hedonistic but values-based;
How Peterson argues for collectivism from the non-existence of an enduring self;
How Peterson sells collectivism by packaging sacrifice with individual responsibility;
Peterson’s impoverished view of the free market (and of science);
His shallow reading of Rand’s characters as shallow.
Mentioned in this podcast and...
2023-11-201h 01The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastJordan Peterson’s Sophomoric Attack on Ayn RandIn this special episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Ben Bayer offer the Ayn Rand Institute’s response to Jordan Peterson’s recent attack on Ayn Rand on his podcast of November 16, 2023.
Among the topics covered:
Peterson’s recent anti-Enlightenment conservative activism;
Why Rand’s view of self-interest is not hedonistic but values-based;
How Peterson argues for collectivism from the non-existence of an enduring self;
How Peterson sells collectivism by packaging sacrifice with individual responsibility;
Peterson’s impoverished view of the free market (and of science);
His shallow reading of Rand’s characters as shallow.
Mentioned in this podcast and...
2023-11-201h 01The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastRand and Oppenheimer: The Atomic Bomb Movie that Wasn’tIn this episode, Brandon Lisi reads aloud his article, “Rand and Oppenheimer: The Atomic Bomb Movie that Wasn't.” In that essay, he tells the story of Rand's work on "Top Secret," a movie about the invention of atomic bomb. Lisi explains Rand's perspective on the significance of such a movie as well as her intense research on the subject, including two interviews with J. Robert Oppenheimer, the theoretical physicist who served as scientific director of the Los Alamos Laboratory. Lisi's article was originally was originally published in New Ideal, the Ayn Rand Institute’s journal, on August 2, 2023.
Image: ullstein bild Dtl. v...
2023-10-2109 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastRand and Oppenheimer: The Atomic Bomb Movie that Wasn’tIn this episode, Brandon Lisi reads aloud his article, “Rand and Oppenheimer: The Atomic Bomb Movie that Wasn't.” In that essay, he tells the story of Rand's work on "Top Secret," a movie about the invention of atomic bomb. Lisi explains Rand's perspective on the significance of such a movie as well as her intense research on the subject, including two interviews with J. Robert Oppenheimer, the theoretical physicist who served as scientific director of the Los Alamos Laboratory. Lisi's article was originally was originally published in New Ideal, the Ayn Rand Institute’s journal, on August 2, 2023.
Image: ullstein bild Dtl. v...
2023-10-2109 minCall with the ExpertsRAND Experts Discuss Surge in Misinformation Amid Israel-Hamas WarIn this Call with the Experts podcast, Jeffrey Hiday, director of Media Relations at RAND, is joined by RAND experts Ray Block, a senior political scientist, Todd Helmus, a senior behavioral scientist at RAND, William Marcellino, a senior behavioral scientist, and Miriam Matthews, a senior behavioral and social scientist. In this call, they discuss the rapidly degrading environment for authentic information about the Israel-Hamas war, amplified by the proliferation of generative AI.
2023-10-1948 minCall with the ExpertsRAND Experts Discuss the Gaza WarIn this Call with the Experts podcast, Jeffrey Hiday, director of Media Relations at RAND, is joined by RAND experts Raphael Cohen, director of the Strategy and Doctrine Program of RAND Project Air Force and a senior political scientist, Brian Michael Jenkins, senior adviser to the RAND president and author of many books on terrorism, and Ann Daily, a policy researcher. In this call, they discuss potential military responses from the Israeli Defense Forces and the United States, Israeli-Palestinian political dynamics, non-state terror groups and hostage situations, and geopolitical implications.
2023-10-1258 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastQ&A on Ayn Rand’s Ethics with Dan Schwartz and Ziemowit GowinIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Dan Schwartz and Ziemowit Gowin answer reader-submitted questions about Ayn Rand’s Objectivist ethics.
Among the topics covered:
What are Ayn Rand’s thoughts on ambition in career?How ambition can be moral or immoral depending on the goals pursued;Career ambition versus second-handedly chasing salary increases and promotions;
Career ambition in the context of pursuing values generally, including non-career values.
How does Rand’s virtue of rationality differ from Aristotle’s virtue of practical wisdom?Practical wisdom as the ability to deliberate well about how to act rightly in a given situation;
Why Rand...
2023-09-1855 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastQ&A on Ayn Rand’s Ethics with Dan Schwartz and Ziemowit GowinIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Dan Schwartz and Ziemowit Gowin answer reader-submitted questions about Ayn Rand’s Objectivist ethics.
Among the topics covered:
What are Ayn Rand’s thoughts on ambition in career?How ambition can be moral or immoral depending on the goals pursued;Career ambition versus second-handedly chasing salary increases and promotions;
Career ambition in the context of pursuing values generally, including non-career values.
How does Rand’s virtue of rationality differ from Aristotle’s virtue of practical wisdom?Practical wisdom as the ability to deliberate well about how to act rightly in a given situation;
Why Rand...
2023-09-1855 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastAyn Rand’s Distinctive View of Romantic ArtIn this episode of New Ideal, Sam Weaver interviews Harry Binswanger and Shoshana Milgram about the Romantic movement in art and Ayn Rand’s unique account of it. They also discuss an upcoming conference, Resurrecting Romanticism, which will focus on Romanticism in music and the visual arts.
Among the topics covered:
The value of learning about Rand’s philosophy of art;
A brief summary of Rand’s account of why we need art;
The unique value of Romantic art’s portrayal of volition and values;
Terence Rattigan’s The Browning Version and the stories of O. Henry as examples of Romantic l...
2023-09-121h 13The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastAyn Rand’s Distinctive View of Romantic ArtIn this episode of New Ideal, Sam Weaver interviews Harry Binswanger and Shoshana Milgram about the Romantic movement in art and Ayn Rand’s unique account of it. They also discuss an upcoming conference, Resurrecting Romanticism, which will focus on Romanticism in music and the visual arts.
Among the topics covered:
The value of learning about Rand’s philosophy of art;
A brief summary of Rand’s account of why we need art;
The unique value of Romantic art’s portrayal of volition and values;
Terence Rattigan’s The Browning Version and the stories of O. Henry as examples of Romantic l...
2023-09-121h 13The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastAyn Rand’s Repudiation of Original SinIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Ricardo Pinto discuss Ayn Rand’s devastating critique of the idea of original sin. They explore how the notion has been understood historically, the philosophical and political uses to which it has been put, and the arguments Rand gives for regarding it as a destructive affront to morality and self-esteem.
Among the topics covered:
What original sin is and how it compares to other views;
Why Ayn Rand saw the doctrine as an offense to the very concept of morality;
Original sin’s “explanation” of why the individual is guilty of anoth...
2023-09-111h 11The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastAyn Rand’s Repudiation of Original SinIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Ricardo Pinto discuss Ayn Rand’s devastating critique of the idea of original sin. They explore how the notion has been understood historically, the philosophical and political uses to which it has been put, and the arguments Rand gives for regarding it as a destructive affront to morality and self-esteem.
Among the topics covered:
What original sin is and how it compares to other views;
Why Ayn Rand saw the doctrine as an offense to the very concept of morality;
Original sin’s “explanation” of why the individual is guilty of anoth...
2023-09-111h 11The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastAyn Rand on WatergateIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Harry Binswanger discuss Ayn Rand's little-known analysis of the Watergate scandal, fifty years after the Congressional hearings. They draw attention to how Rand's evaluation differed from the conventional commentary of the day, and her analysis of how pragmatism and the mixed economy function as the deepest causes behind political scandals like Watergate.
Among the topics covered:
Why Ayn Rand didn’t want to write about the scandal at first and why she later decided to do so;
Rand’s evaluation of Nixon in the decades before the scandal;
Rand's evaluation of t...
2023-08-141h 13The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastAyn Rand on WatergateIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Harry Binswanger discuss Ayn Rand's little-known analysis of the Watergate scandal, fifty years after the Congressional hearings. They draw attention to how Rand's evaluation differed from the conventional commentary of the day, and her analysis of how pragmatism and the mixed economy function as the deepest causes behind political scandals like Watergate.
Among the topics covered:
Why Ayn Rand didn’t want to write about the scandal at first and why she later decided to do so;
Rand’s evaluation of Nixon in the decades before the scandal;
Rand's evaluation of t...
2023-08-141h 13
Ayn Rand Institute Live!Man’s Life as the Standard of Value in the Ethics of Ayn Rand and Aristotle by Gregory Salmieri“Man’s life,” wrote Ayn Rand, “is the standard of morality.” Aristotle was the first to identify the proper standard of morality as the distinctly human form of life—the life of a rational animal. But Rand and Aristotle have importantly different views of what the human form of life is—in particular, about why reason is a value and how it relates to the faculties and the needs that human beings share with other living things. This talk explores the similarities and differences between these two ethicists.
Recorded live at Ayn Rand Con Europe 2023
2023-06-2351 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastAyn Rand’s Devastating Critique of ‘Liberals’In this episode, we read aloud Elan Journo's article, “Ayn Rand's Devastating Critique of 'Liberals'.” In that essay, he presents Rand's analysis of liberals' most fundamental moral-political goals, and their consequences. Journo shows that part of the strength of Rand's analysis is that she engaged with liberals' ideas seriously and, above all, objectively. His article was originally published in New Ideal on April 12, 2019.
2023-06-0417 minNew Ideal, from the Ayn Rand InstituteAyn Rand’s Devastating Critique of ‘Liberals’In this episode, we read aloud Elan Journo’s article, “Ayn Rand’s Devastating Critique of ‘Liberals’.” In that essay, he presents Rand’s analysis of liberals’ most fundamental moral-political goals, and their consequences. Journo shows that part of the strength of Rand’s analysis is that she engaged with liberals’ ideas seriously and, above all, objectively.
2023-06-0417 minCulture & Politics - New Ideal - Reason | Individualism | CapitalismAyn Rand vs. ‘Liberals’In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Elan Journo discuss Ayn Rand’s philosophic analysis and critique of “liberals.” They explain what makes Rand’s evaluation of “liberalism” different from that of “conservatives,” why she thought “liberals” began concealing their collectivist goals, and how today’s “liberals” are different from (and worse than) those of Rand’s time.
2023-04-211h 13New Ideal, from the Ayn Rand InstituteAyn Rand vs. ‘Liberals’In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Elan Journo discuss Ayn Rand’s philosophic analysis and critique of “liberals.” They explain what makes Rand’s evaluation of “liberalism” different from that of “conservatives,” why she thought “liberals” began concealing their collectivist goals, and how today’s “liberals” are different from (and worse than) those of Rand’s time.
2023-04-211h 13The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastAyn Rand vs. ‘Liberals’In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Elan Journo discuss Ayn Rand’s philosophic analysis and critique of “liberals.” They explain what makes Rand’s evaluation of “liberalism” different from that of “conservatives,” why she thought “liberals” began concealing their collectivist goals, and how today’s “liberals” are different from (and worse than) those of Rand’s time.
Among the topics covered:
Ayn Rand’s analysis of “liberalism” as distinctive;
Problems with the term “liberal” and how “liberalism” changed in the twentieth century;
Rand’s critique as stemming from individualism, not anti-communism;
Why Rand saw active-minded “liberals” as an audience worth reaching;
How Rand saw the...
2023-04-211h 13The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastAyn Rand vs. 'Liberals'In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Elan Journo discuss Ayn Rand’s philosophic analysis and critique of “liberals.” They explain what makes Rand’s evaluation of “liberalism” different from that of “conservatives,” why she thought “liberals” began concealing their collectivist goals, and how today’s “liberals” are different from (and worse than) those of Rand’s time.
Among the topics covered:
Ayn Rand’s analysis of “liberalism” as distinctive;
Problems with the term “liberal” and how “liberalism” changed in the twentieth century;
Rand’s critique as stemming from individualism, not anti-communism;
Why Rand saw active-minded “liberals” as an audience worth reaching;
How Rand saw the...
2023-04-211h 13The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastExciting New Courses at the Ayn Rand UniversityIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer, Ziemowit Gowin, Harry Binswanger, Shoshana Milgram, and Don Watkins discuss new course offerings at the Ayn Rand University (ARU).
Among the topics covered:
The goals of the Ayn Rand University and how students can benefit from it;
Shoshana Milgram’s course Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment: Investigating the Mind of a Murderer;
How ARU courses facilitate in-depth study of Objectivism through feedback and interaction;
Harry Binswanger’s new courses on Objectivist Logic and Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology;
The best ARU courses for those new to Objectivism;
How ARU helps to train new int...
2023-04-071h 23The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastExciting New Courses at the Ayn Rand UniversityIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer, Ziemowit Gowin, Harry Binswanger, Shoshana Milgram, and Don Watkins discuss new course offerings at the Ayn Rand University (ARU).
Among the topics covered:
The goals of the Ayn Rand University and how students can benefit from it;
Shoshana Milgram’s course Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment: Investigating the Mind of a Murderer;
How ARU courses facilitate in-depth study of Objectivism through feedback and interaction;
Harry Binswanger’s new courses on Objectivist Logic and Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology;
The best ARU courses for those new to Objectivism;
How ARU helps to train new int...
2023-04-071h 23Call with the ExpertsRAND Experts Discuss the First Year of the Russia-Ukraine WarIn this Call with the Experts podcast, Jeffrey Hiday, director of Media Relations at RAND, is joined by RAND experts Ruth Harris, director of RAND Europe's Defence and Security Group, Dara Massicot, senior policy researcher, David Ochmanek, senior international/defense researcher, Barry Pavel, vice president of RAND’s National Security Research Division, and John Tefft, adjunct senior fellow. In this call, they discuss the Western alliance providing aid to Ukraine, the expansion of NATO, the latest weapons systems and their capabilities, likely areas of upcoming fighting, prospects for an end to the war, and broader implications for global trade, diplomacy, an...
2023-02-171h 00The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastAyn Rand, the ValuerIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Aaron Smith interviews Harry Binswanger on Ayn Rand’s distinctive value-centered approach to philosophy — and to living life. As a long-time student of Rand and close friend in her final years, Binswanger shares his recollections of Rand's passionate quest of values, both as presented in her works and ideas and in her personal life.
Among the topics covered:
Ayn Rand’s integration of fact and value in philosophy and how it contrasts with traditional views;
How Rand answered long-standing philosophical questions about the basis and importance of values;
Why Rand held that material values...
2023-02-061h 04The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastAyn Rand, the ValuerIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Aaron Smith interviews Harry Binswanger on Ayn Rand’s distinctive value-centered approach to philosophy — and to living life. As a long-time student of Rand and close friend in her final years, Binswanger shares his recollections of Rand's passionate quest of values, both as presented in her works and ideas and in her personal life.
Among the topics covered:
Ayn Rand’s integration of fact and value in philosophy and how it contrasts with traditional views;
How Rand answered long-standing philosophical questions about the basis and importance of values;
Why Rand held that material values...
2023-02-061h 04New Ideal, from the Ayn Rand InstituteAyn Rand, the ValuerIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Aaron Smith interviews Harry Binswanger on Ayn Rand’s distinctive value-centered approach to philosophy — and to living life. As a long-time student of Rand and close friend in her final years, Binswanger shares his recollections of Rand’s passionate quest of values, both as presented in her works and ideas and in her personal life.
2023-02-061h 04
Policy CurrentsA Conversation with RAND’s CEO, Jason Matheny RAND has been committed to unbiased and effective analysis tackling the world’s biggest challenges since its founding 75 years ago. We invited RAND’s President and CEO, Jason Matheny, to share his vision for RAND in 2023 and beyond. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast.
2023-01-0513 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastDiscussing Ayn Rand on World Philosophy Day 2022In this episode of New Ideal Live, Aaron Smith and Mike Mazza discuss World Philosophy Day to explore what is the nature and value of philosophy. They address how philosophy is commonly perceived (especially within academia) as a useless field and how Ayn Rand's distinctive conception offers a deeper and more practical perspective that matters for life.
Among the topics covered:
What philosophy is and the kind of questions it addresses;
How people operate philosophically even when lacking a systematic outlook;
Ayn Rand’s take on philosophy as inescapable and life-impacting;
How contrasting philosophical worldviews produce different ways of living;
Ay...
2022-11-181h 06The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastDiscussing Ayn Rand on World Philosophy Day 2022In this episode of New Ideal Live, Aaron Smith and Mike Mazza discuss World Philosophy Day to explore what is the nature and value of philosophy. They address how philosophy is commonly perceived (especially within academia) as a useless field and how Ayn Rand's distinctive conception offers a deeper and more practical perspective that matters for life.
Among the topics covered:
What philosophy is and the kind of questions it addresses;
How people operate philosophically even when lacking a systematic outlook;
Ayn Rand’s take on philosophy as inescapable and life-impacting;
How contrasting philosophical worldviews produce different ways of living;
Ay...
2022-11-181h 06The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastAyn Rand’s Radical View of the United NationsIn this episode, Agustina Vergara Cid’s article “Ayn Rand’s Radical View of the United Nations” is featured. In that essay, Vergara Cid explains Ayn Rand’s unique opinion of the UN and her arguments against this organization. Rand’s arguments stand in sharp contrast to the commonly held view that the United Nations is a moral organization. Rand also rebuts the viewpoint that the UN is misguided but can be fixed, arguing instead that America's best option is to withdraw from the organization. Vergara Cid’s article was originally published in New Ideal, the Ayn Rand Institute’s journal, on Marc
2022-07-2707 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastAyn Rand’s Radical View of the United NationsIn this episode, Agustina Vergara Cid’s article “Ayn Rand’s Radical View of the United Nations” is featured. In that essay, Vergara Cid explains Ayn Rand’s unique opinion of the UN and her arguments against this organization. Rand’s arguments stand in sharp contrast to the commonly held view that the United Nations is a moral organization. Rand also rebuts the viewpoint that the UN is misguided but can be fixed, arguing instead that America's best option is to withdraw from the organization. Vergara Cid’s article was originally published in New Ideal, the Ayn Rand Institute’s journal, on Marc
2022-07-2707 minNew Ideal, from the Ayn Rand InstituteAyn Rand’s Radical View of the United NationsIn this episode, Agustina Vergara Cid’s article “Ayn Rand’s Radical View of the United Nations” is featured. In that essay, Vergara Cid explains Ayn Rand’s unique opinion of the UN and her arguments against this organization. Rand’s arguments stand in sharp contrast to the commonly held view that the United Nations is a moral organization.
2022-07-2707 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastAyn Rand on the Necessity of Moral JudgmentIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Ben Bayer discuss Ayn Rand’s provocative view of the meaning and importance of moral judgment as articulated in her fiction and in her nonfiction philosophic work.
This discussion assumes familiarity with Ayn Rand’s novel Atlas Shrugged, and listeners should note that it includes plot spoilers.
Among the topics covered:
Why Ayn Rand thought the slogan “judge not, lest ye be judged” is radically wrong;Why moral judgment is necessary for living life;The importance of moral judgment in Rand’s novels;The need for moral judgment in foreign policy;How...
2022-06-271h 14The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastAyn Rand on the Necessity of Moral JudgmentIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Ben Bayer discuss Ayn Rand’s provocative view of the meaning and importance of moral judgment as articulated in her fiction and in her nonfiction philosophic work.
This discussion assumes familiarity with Ayn Rand’s novel Atlas Shrugged, and listeners should note that it includes plot spoilers.
Among the topics covered:
Why Ayn Rand thought the slogan “judge not, lest ye be judged” is radically wrong;Why moral judgment is necessary for living life;The importance of moral judgment in Rand’s novels;The need for moral judgment in foreign policy;How...
2022-06-231h 14The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastPhilosophers’ Unprofessional Treatment of Ayn RandIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Mike Mazza discuss academic philosophers’ dismissals of Ayn Rand’s philosophy, and some of the reasons why academic philosophers often fail to live up to the profession’s scholarly standards when addressing Rand’s ideas.
Among the topics covered:
The provincial view of philosophy that leads Sidney Hook to dismiss Rand as unsophisticated in his review of her book For the New Intellectual;How Robert Nozick goes wrong in his article “On the Randian Argument” by approaching Rand’s inductive arguments as if they were deductive;James Rachels’s claim, in his widely-us...
2022-05-311h 08New Ideal, from the Ayn Rand InstitutePhilosophers’ Unprofessional Treatment of Ayn RandIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Mike Mazza discuss academic philosophers’ dismissals of Ayn Rand’s philosophy, and some of the reasons why academic philosophers often fail to live up to the profession’s scholarly standards when addressing Rand’s ideas.
Among the topics covered:
The provincial view of philosophy that leads Sidney Hook to dismiss Rand as unsophisticated in his review of her book For the New Intellectual;
How Robert Nozick goes wrong in his article “On the Randian Argument” by approaching Rand’s inductive arguments as if they were deductive;
James Rachels’...
2022-05-311h 08The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastPhilosophers’ Unprofessional Treatment of Ayn RandIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Mike Mazza discuss academic philosophers’ dismissals of Ayn Rand’s philosophy, and some of the reasons why academic philosophers often fail to live up to the profession’s scholarly standards when addressing Rand’s ideas.
Among the topics covered:
The provincial view of philosophy that leads Sidney Hook to dismiss Rand as unsophisticated in his review of her book For the New Intellectual;How Robert Nozick goes wrong in his article “On the Randian Argument” by approaching Rand’s inductive arguments as if they were deductive;James Rachels’s claim, in his widely-us...
2022-05-261h 08New Ideal, from the Ayn Rand InstituteWhat Was Ayn Rand’s View of ‘Conservatism’?By many of her fans and critics, Ayn Rand was often seen as belonging within the “conservative” movement. But Rand was not simply critical of “conservatism,” she repudiated it emphatically. Whereas she viewed the “liberals” of her time as morally corrupt for stealthily pushing the United States toward statism, she thought that there was something “more reprehensible still”: the attempt by “conservatives” to “defend freedom by stealth.” In this essay, originally published in New Ideal on June 30, 2021, Elan Journo looks at what Rand objected to, and why.
2022-03-3020 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastWhat Was Ayn Rand’s View of ‘Conservatism’?By many of her fans and critics, Ayn Rand was often seen as belonging within the “conservative” movement. But Rand was not simply critical of “conservatism,” she repudiated it emphatically. Whereas she viewed the “liberals” of her time as morally corrupt for stealthily pushing the United States toward statism, she thought that there was something “more reprehensible still”: the attempt by “conservatives” to “defend freedom by stealth.” In this essay, originally published in New Ideal on June 30, 2021, Elan Journo looks at what Rand objected to, and why.
Podcast audio:
2022-03-3020 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastConservatives, Libertarians, Anarchists vs. Rand on PoliticsOne virtue of Foundations of a Free Society is that it offers an in-depth look at Rand’s political thought. And the book helps us understand how her distinctive moral case for a free society relates to (and contrasts with) the views of other philosophers who are seen as advocates for liberty.
Elan Journo talked with one of the book’s coeditors, Gregory Salmieri, and, among many topics, they discussed the issue of how to situate Rand’s ideas on the intellectual landscape. Some of the topics touched on:
What was Rand’s case for capitalism, and how does it compare...
2022-02-1841 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastConservatives, Libertarians, Anarchists vs. Rand on PoliticsOne virtue of Foundations of a Free Society is that it offers an in-depth look at Rand’s political thought. And the book helps us understand how her distinctive moral case for a free society relates to (and contrasts with) the views of other philosophers who are seen as advocates for liberty.
Elan Journo talked with one of the book’s coeditors, Gregory Salmieri, and, among many topics, they discussed the issue of how to situate Rand’s ideas on the intellectual landscape. Some of the topics touched on:
What was Rand’s case for capitalism, and how does it compare...
2022-02-1841 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastAyn Rand on Economics: How Capitalism Hinges on PhilosophyAyn Rand’s nonfiction book Capitalism has a subtitle that is truly startling. Rand held that capitalism is “The Unknown Ideal.”
Capitalism is a social system so widely misunderstood and distorted and maligned that few understand its nature and history — let alone view it as morally good. Rand observed: “No politico-economic system in history has ever proved its value so eloquently or has benefited mankind so greatly as capitalism — and none has ever been attacked so savagely, viciously, and blindly.”
Rand’s philosophic case for laissez-faire capitalism is the focus of a superb new collection of scholarly essays, Foundations of a Free Society...
2022-02-1853 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastAyn Rand on Economics: How Capitalism Hinges on PhilosophyAyn Rand’s nonfiction book Capitalism has a subtitle that is truly startling. Rand held that capitalism is “The Unknown Ideal.”
Capitalism is a social system so widely misunderstood and distorted and maligned that few understand its nature and history — let alone view it as morally good. Rand observed: “No politico-economic system in history has ever proved its value so eloquently or has benefited mankind so greatly as capitalism — and none has ever been attacked so savagely, viciously, and blindly.”
Rand’s philosophic case for laissez-faire capitalism is the focus of a superb new collection of scholarly essays, Foundations of a Free Society...
2022-02-1853 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastAyn Rand on Free Speech and Church-State SeparationWhat is the principle of freedom of speech? How does it relate to the separation of church and state? What is the justification for such a separation? What was Ayn Rand’s view on these issues and on the connections between them? To answer these and related questions, Elan Journo sat down to talk with philosopher Onkar Ghate, senior fellow and chief philosophy officer at Ayn Rand Institute. More on the interview is available here. A few of the topics explored in the conversation:
Why freedom of speech is an aspect of the principle of intellectual freedom.
How the philosopher Jo...
2022-02-1851 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastAyn Rand on Free Speech and Church-State SeparationWhat is the principle of freedom of speech? How does it relate to the separation of church and state? What is the justification for such a separation? What was Ayn Rand’s view on these issues and on the connections between them? To answer these and related questions, Elan Journo sat down to talk with philosopher Onkar Ghate, senior fellow and chief philosophy officer at Ayn Rand Institute. More on the interview is available here. A few of the topics explored in the conversation:
Why freedom of speech is an aspect of the principle of intellectual freedom.How the philosopher Jo...
2022-02-1851 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastPowerful Life Lessons from Ayn RandIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Aaron Smith discuss major life lessons that we can learn from Ayn Rand. The discussion was held on the occasion of Rand’s birthday.
Among the topics covered:
Rand’s conviction that business is a moral activity;Why not all businessmen live up to the essence of their profession;The moral radicalism of Rand’s view of business;Rand’s portrayal of career as a source of joy;Rand’s unique view of the role of the material world in a spiritual life;The effort and thought needed to find joy in a c...
2022-02-071h 02The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastPowerful Life Lessons from Ayn RandIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Aaron Smith discuss major life lessons that we can learn from Ayn Rand. The discussion was held on the occasion of Rand’s birthday.
Among the topics covered:
Rand’s conviction that business is a moral activity;Why not all businessmen live up to the essence of their profession;The moral radicalism of Rand’s view of business;Rand’s portrayal of career as a source of joy;Rand’s unique view of the role of the material world in a spiritual life;The effort and thought needed to find joy in a c...
2022-02-071h 02New Ideal, from the Ayn Rand InstitutePowerful Life Lessons from Ayn RandIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Aaron Smith discuss major life lessons that we can learn from Ayn Rand. The discussion was held on the occasion of Rand’s birthday.
Among the topics covered:
Rand’s conviction that business is a moral activity;
Why not all businessmen live up to the essence of their profession;
The moral radicalism of Rand’s view of business;
Rand’s portrayal of career as a source of joy;
Rand’s unique view of the role of the material world in a spiritual life;
The effort and thought ne...
2022-02-071h 02New Ideal, from the Ayn Rand InstituteAyn Rand’s Unique Understanding of RacismIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss Ayn Rand’s distinctive understanding of racism.
Among the topics covered:
Why Rand thought racism is not fundamentally an issue of institutionalized power;
Why Rand thought that racism is the idea that one’s character is produced by internal physiology;
The difference between racism and having affection for one’s country;
Why racism is a version of determinist collectivism;
Whether individual freedom incentivizes racism;
How racism rationalizes the desire for the unearned;
Ayn Rand’s view of the Civil Rights Act of 1964;
The invalidi...
2022-01-171h 01The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastAyn Rand’s Unique Understanding of RacismIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss Ayn Rand’s distinctive understanding of racism.
Among the topics covered:
Why Rand thought racism is not fundamentally an issue of institutionalized power;Why Rand thought that racism is the idea that one’s character is produced by internal physiology;The difference between racism and having affection for one’s country;Why racism is a version of determinist collectivism;Whether individual freedom incentivizes racism;How racism rationalizes the desire for the unearned;Ayn Rand’s view of the Civil Rights Act of 1964;The invalidity of the concept of “stat...
2022-01-171h 01The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastAyn Rand’s Unique Understanding of RacismIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss Ayn Rand’s distinctive understanding of racism.
Among the topics covered:
Why Rand thought racism is not fundamentally an issue of institutionalized power;Why Rand thought that racism is the idea that one’s character is produced by internal physiology;The difference between racism and having affection for one’s country;Why racism is a version of determinist collectivism;Whether individual freedom incentivizes racism;How racism rationalizes the desire for the unearned;Ayn Rand’s view of the Civil Rights Act of 1964;The invalidity of the concept of “stat...
2022-01-171h 01The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastWhat ‘9 Life Lessons from Ayn Rand’ Gets Right (and Wrong)In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Onkar Ghate discuss the successes and errors of the video “9 Life Lessons from Ayn Rand,” which is an attempt to draw life guidance from Ayn Rand’s philosophy by the YouTube channel Philosophies for Life.
Among the topics covered:
Why Philosophies for Life’s treatment of Rand is worth discussing;The video’s well-intentioned but conventional attempt to present Rand’s view of reason;The video’s misunderstanding of what Rand means by selfishness and sacrifice;The contrast between Rand’s unconventional, principled conception of the virtue of honesty and the video’s conv...
2021-12-271h 06The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastWhat ‘9 Life Lessons from Ayn Rand’ Gets Right (and Wrong)In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Onkar Ghate discuss the successes and errors of the video “9 Life Lessons from Ayn Rand,” which is an attempt to draw life guidance from Ayn Rand’s philosophy by the YouTube channel Philosophies for Life.
Among the topics covered:
Why Philosophies for Life’s treatment of Rand is worth discussing;The video’s well-intentioned but conventional attempt to present Rand’s view of reason;The video’s misunderstanding of what Rand means by selfishness and sacrifice;The contrast between Rand’s unconventional, principled conception of the virtue of honesty and the video’s conv...
2021-12-271h 06The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastQuillette’s Anti-Intellectual Treatment of Ayn RandIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo, Robert Mayhew and Keith Lockitch discuss the philosophic significance of the anti-intellectual treatment of Ayn Rand in a recent article published in Quillette magazine.
Among the topics covered:
Quillette’s history of publishing heterodox, intellectually serious articles;The basic incompetence and unoriginality of Quillette’s piece on Ayn Rand;Why Rand appeals to the idealism of youth, and why critics sneer at young people’s interest in her;Why people often claim to have “outgrown” Rand;The meaning of Allan Bloom’s and Steven Pinker’s dismissals of Rand;The value of commenting...
2021-12-2052 minNew Ideal, from the Ayn Rand InstituteQuillette’s Anti-Intellectual Treatment of Ayn RandIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo, Robert Mayhew and Keith Lockitch discuss the philosophic significance of the anti-intellectual treatment of Ayn Rand in a recent article published in Quillette magazine.
Among the topics covered:
Quillette’s history of publishing heterodox, intellectually serious articles;
The basic incompetence and unoriginality of Quillette’s piece on Ayn Rand;
Why Rand appeals to the idealism of youth, and why critics sneer at young people’s interest in her;
Why people often claim to have “outgrown” Rand;
The meaning of Allan Bloom’s and Steven Pinker’s dismissals of Rand;
The v...
2021-12-2052 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastQuillette's Anti-Intellectual Treatment of Ayn RandIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo, Robert Mayhew and Keith Lockitch discuss the philosophic significance of the anti-intellectual treatment of Ayn Rand in a recent article published in Quillette magazine.
Among the topics covered:
Quillette’s history of publishing heterodox, intellectually serious articles;The basic incompetence and unoriginality of Quillette’s piece on Ayn Rand;Why Rand appeals to the idealism of youth, and why critics sneer at young people’s interest in her;Why people often claim to have “outgrown” Rand;The meaning of Allan Bloom’s and Steven Pinker’s dismissals of Rand;The value of commenting...
2021-12-2052 minPolicy CurrentsAn Update on the Campaign for RAND Brandon Baker, vice president of development at RAND, joins Deanna Lee for this special episode of Policy Currents. We discuss Tomorrow Demands Today, the most ambitious fundraising campaign that RAND has ever undertaken. Brandon updates us on the status of the campaign, how funds are being used to tackle difficult policy problems, and goals for the future. For more information, visit campaign.rand.org.
2021-12-0820 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastWhat Jonah Goldberg’s Rejection of Ayn Rand Reveals
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Onkar Ghate discuss Jonah Goldberg’s public rejection of Ayn Rand, and what that shows about the conservative movement.
Among the topics covered:
* Why Goldberg’s comments matter;* How Goldberg’s adamant rejection of Ayn Rand betrays his ambivalence about the value of freedom;* Why Goldberg says Rand doesn’t belong in the conservative movement;* Whittaker Chambers’s dishonest, anti-American article about Atlas Shrugged;* Why Ayn Rand’s opposition to religion threatens conservatives;* The irrationality of Goldberg’s conservative view that everyone must respect religion;* The anti-intellectuality of Goldberg’s reaction to Ayn...
2021-11-081h 11The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastWhat Jonah Goldberg’s Rejection of Ayn Rand RevealsIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Onkar Ghate discuss Jonah Goldberg’s public rejection of Ayn Rand, and what that shows about the conservative movement.
Among the topics covered:
Why Goldberg’s comments matter;How Goldberg’s adamant rejection of Ayn Rand betrays his ambivalence about the value of freedom;Why Goldberg says Rand doesn’t belong in the conservative movement;Whittaker Chambers’s dishonest, anti-American article about Atlas Shrugged;Why Ayn Rand’s opposition to religion threatens conservatives;The irrationality of Goldberg’s conservative view that everyone must respect religion;The anti-intellectuality of Goldberg’s reaction to Ayn...
2021-11-081h 11New Ideal, from the Ayn Rand InstituteWhat Jonah Goldberg’s Rejection of Ayn Rand RevealsIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Onkar Ghate discuss Jonah Goldberg’s public rejection of Ayn Rand, and what that shows about the conservative movement.
Among the topics covered:
Why Goldberg’s comments matter;
How Goldberg’s adamant rejection of Ayn Rand betrays his ambivalence about the value of freedom;
Why Goldberg says Rand doesn’t belong in the conservative movement;
Whittaker Chambers’s dishonest, anti-American article about Atlas Shrugged;
Why Ayn Rand’s opposition to religion threatens conservatives;
The irrationality of Goldberg’s conservative view that everyone must respect religion;
The anti-intellect...
2021-11-081h 11The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastThe Ayn Rand University: ARI’s Expanded Educational ProgramIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Aaron Smith, Ben Bayer and Keith Lockitch discuss ARI’s ambitious plans for growing the Ayn Rand University, an alternative educational institution encompassing the existing undergraduate programs of the Objectivist Academic Center plus new graduate course offerings.
Among the topics covered:
Trends toward tribalism and intellectual conformity in the culture and particularly in academia;The need to disrupt education by creating alternative institutions, especially in the humanities;The vital role of philosophy and professional intellectuals in changing the course of a culture;A history of ARI’s efforts to provide intellectual training in Obje...
2021-10-1100 minNew Ideal, from the Ayn Rand InstituteThe Ayn Rand University: ARI’s Expanded Educational ProgramIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Aaron Smith, Ben Bayer and Keith Lockitch discuss ARI’s ambitious plans for growing the Ayn Rand University, an alternative educational institution encompassing the existing undergraduate programs of the Objectivist Academic Center plus new graduate course offerings.
Among the topics covered:
Trends toward tribalism and intellectual conformity in the culture and particularly in academia;
The need to disrupt education by creating alternative institutions, especially in the humanities;
The vital role of philosophy and professional intellectuals in changing the course of a culture;
A history of ARI’s efforts to prov...
2021-10-1100 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastThe Ayn Rand University: ARI’s Expanded Educational Program
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Aaron Smith, Ben Bayer and Keith Lockitch discuss ARI’s ambitious plans for growing the Ayn Rand University, an alternative educational institution encompassing the existing undergraduate programs of the Objectivist Academic Center plus new graduate course offerings.
Among the topics covered:
* Trends toward tribalism and intellectual conformity in the culture and particularly in academia;* The need to disrupt education by creating alternative institutions, especially in the humanities;* The vital role of philosophy and professional intellectuals in changing the course of a culture;* A history of ARI’s efforts to provide intellectual training in Obje...
2021-10-1100 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastThe Value of Ayn Rand’s Anthem to Today’s StudentsIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Aaron Smith and Sam Weaver draw on their classroom experiences to discuss the impact of Ayn Rand’s novel Anthem on students.
Among the topics covered:
An overview of Anthem and how it’s used in classrooms;Why Anthem’s story interests teenagers;Anthem’s focus on the importance of intellectual independence;How individualism is portrayed in the novel;How the philosophical issues presented in Anthem are relevant to students’ lives;Some of the features that make the novel unique;The challenges in teaching Anthem, plus teachers’ guides and other resources;Why teachers like to teac...
2021-09-2000 minThe Ayn Rand Institute PodcastAyn Rand’s Repudiation of the UN
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Agustina Vergara Cid discuss Ayn Rand’s distinctive, philosophical perspective on the United Nations.
Among the topics covered:
* Ayn Rand’s commentary on the UN as an example of her engagement with the important issues of her time;* Ayn Rand’s philosophical evaluation of the UN vs. other conventional views;* The “grotesque pretense” of an organization with Soviet Russia as a charter member;* The consequences of the UN’s moral equivalence between free countries and dictatorships;* How the UN Human Rights Council provides moral cover for evil regimes such as Venezuela an...
2021-08-161h 08New Ideal, from the Ayn Rand InstituteAyn Rand’s Repudiation of the UNIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Agustina Vergara Cid discuss Ayn Rand’s distinctive, philosophical perspective on the United Nations.
Among the topics covered:
Ayn Rand’s commentary on the UN as an example of her engagement with the important issues of her time;
Ayn Rand’s philosophical evaluation of the UN vs.
2021-08-161h 08The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastWhy Ayn Rand Rejected ‘Conservatism’
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Keith Lockitch discuss the false viewpoint that Ayn Rand belonged to the “conservative” movement.
Among the topics covered:
* Why people associate Ayn Rand with the “conservative” movement;* Rand’s own experience with the conservative movement;* What people saw conservatism as standing for in Rand’s time;* Rand’s view that the defense of freedom has to be based in the morality of self-interest, not altruism;* Rand’s central charge that conservatism was intellectually bankrupt and unwilling to reject altruism;* Rand’s response to the conservative arguments for freedom;* How Rand predicted the rise...
2021-07-091h 11New Ideal, from the Ayn Rand InstituteWhy Ayn Rand Rejected ‘Conservatism’In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Keith Lockitch discuss the false viewpoint that Ayn Rand belonged to the “conservative” movement.
Among the topics covered:
Why people associate Ayn Rand with the “conservative” movement;
Rand’s own experience with the conservative movement;
What people saw conservatism as standing for in Rand’s time;
Rand’s view that the defense of freedom has to be based in the morality of self-interest, not altruism;
Rand’s central charge that conservatism was intellectually bankrupt and unwilling to reject altruism;
Rand’s response to the conservative arguments for freedom;
How R...
2021-07-091h 11The Ayn Rand Institute PodcastAyn Rand on God, Reason and Atheism
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and special guest Robert Mayhew discuss Ayn Rand’s views on God and religion.
Among the topics covered:
* What Ayn Rand meant when she said that religion “is a primitive form of philosophy”;* What differentiates philosophy from religion;* How the rise of philosophy influenced and antagonized religion;* Why Objectivism is intransigently atheistic but not militant;* Why Rand thought of religion as an unworthy adversary to her philosophy;* Whether people believe in God because of arguments, or use arguments simply to rationalize a prior belief in God;* Why the concept of God and of...
2021-06-141h 10New Ideal, from the Ayn Rand InstituteAyn Rand on God, Reason and AtheismIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and special guest Robert Mayhew discuss Ayn Rand’s views on God and religion.
Among the topics covered:
What Ayn Rand meant when she said that religion “is a primitive form of philosophy”;
What differentiates philosophy from religion;
How the rise of philosophy influenced and antagonized religion;
Why Objectivism is intransigently atheistic but not militant;
Why Rand thought of religion as an unworthy adversary to her philosophy;
Whether people believe in God because of arguments, or use arguments simply to rationalize a prior belief in God;
Why the co...
2021-06-141h 10
Ayn Rand Centre UK PodcastWas Ayn Rand Wrong About Homosexuality? | Dr. Harry Binswanger & James ValliantAyn Rand’s views on homosexuality have long been a major point of controversy—even many people who admire her ideas don’t know how to reconcile their admiration with their strong disapproval of her views on this subject.Some important points of clarification would be:What exactly were Ayn Rand’s views of homosexuality?Where do these views fit into the philosophical system of Objectivism?Was Ayn Rand wrong in holding these views?Dr. Harry Binswanger and James Valliant discuss in this event, moderated by Nikos Sotirakopoulos.Consider supporti...
2020-12-311h 53New Ideal, from the Ayn Rand InstituteAyn Rand’s Critique of the ‘Left’In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Onkar Ghate discuss the philosophy behind the “left,” and Ayn Rand’s critique of it.
Among the topics covered:
The philosophical roots of the “left” as a political phenomenon;
Why Ayn Rand thought the ideas behind socialism, communism and fascism are evil;
Why Rand thought that these nominally secular ideas were still forms of mysticism;
Why Rand thought that conservative politicians of her time failed to oppose the left on principle;
How Rand differentiated the “New Left” from the old;
Environmentalism, racism and tribalism as outgrowths of “New Left”
2020-12-211h 04New Ideal, from the Ayn Rand InstituteChanging People’s Minds about Ayn Rand’s Controversial IdeasIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate And Ben Bayer talk about the Ayn Rand Institute’s approach to promoting Rand’s ideas in the face of cultural opposition, and what is needed to change people’s mind on important philosophical issues.
Among the topics covered:
Why changing minds is important;
ARI’s long-term mission of changing the culture’s philosophical ideas, as inspired by Ayn Rand’s view of the importance of philosophy;
Why it’s important to speak up about important issues of the day;
Why knowing one’s audience is important to persuasion;
A...
2020-12-141h 06Policy CurrentsIran, Iraq, and the death of Soleimani, plus new RAND research. We discuss insights from RAND experts on Iran, Iraq, and the death of Soleimani; plus new RAND research on Russia’s hostile measures and mental health units in jails. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast.
2020-01-1007 min
Events @ RANDConversation at RAND: U.S. International Economic StrategyIn this Events @ RAND podcast, RAND President and CEO Michael Rich and Howard Shatz, RAND senior economist, discuss the economic policy choices facing the next administration.
2016-09-2700 min