The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast

In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Onkar Ghate discuss the recent rise of antisemitism. They analyze why the conventional view of religious or racial animus is insufficient in explaining the explosion of overt hatred, how Ayn Rand’s identification of “hatred of the good for being the good” exposes the true nature of modern antisemitism, and what is needed to rationally combat it. A...

In 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-ex...

In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Ben Bayer discuss Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s recent conversion to Christianity, which they argue is the result of tribalism and fear. They discuss the unconcern for truth of many alleged defenders of the West, their bogus claims about the positive role of Christianity, and the failure of secular atheists to complete the Enlightenment project. Among the top...

In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Ziemowit Gowin discuss international laws of war. Challenging the very legitimacy of such laws, they emphasize how “humanitarian” laws of war hamper a free country's self-defense, make them vulnerable to belligerent regimes, and make war more palatable rather than less. Among the topics covered: How international laws of war undercut a nation's ri...

In this episode of New Ideal Live, Sam Weaver and Mike Mazza discuss the long-standing “reading wars” in American schools. They explore the historical background of the debate, different approaches to teaching reading, and why phonics has consistently proven to be far superior to whole language methods in instilling a love of reading in children. Among the topics covered: What phonics is and why i...

In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Ziemowit Gowin discuss the right to self-defense, deaths of innocents in war, and just war theory in the context of Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza. Among the topics covered: Why the responsibility for deaths of innocents in war falls on the aggressor; How the right to self-defense rests on the inalienable right to your own life; How the aggressor c...

In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate, Elan Journo and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss Iran’s central role in inspiring, supporting and funding the enemies of Israel and the West. Among the topics covered: Why the Iranian Revolution of 1979 is crucial context for understanding the proliferation and boldness of Islamist groups in the Middle East; Why Iran’s explicitly expansionist goals must...

In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Don Watkins discuss Marc Andreessen’s recent defense of “techno-optimism“ in his essay “The Techno-Optimist Manifesto,” and explain why his manifesto lacks the moral foundation required to successfully defend technological progress. Among the topics covered: Andreessen’s commendable advocacy of technological progress; The philosophical foundation of...

In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate, Elan Journo, and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss the global protests in support of the Palestinian cause. They look at the philosophical motives of these protests and the nature of their moral bankruptcy, and they explain why the “anti-war” movement actually enables warfare and destruction. Among the topics covered: The protesters’ lack of positive goal...

In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Nikos Sotirakopoulos challenge the misleading narrative of the shrinking Palestinian lands and the claim that Israel has allegedly stolen them. They explore the history of how the Israeli territories were lawfully acquired, the Palestinians’ repeated failures to form an enduring, peaceful state, and the broader philosophical questions of what mora...

In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Agustina Vergara Cid discuss the recent comparisons between America’s border crisis and the threat to Israel from Hamas terrorists. They analyze a range of claims about the alleged threat posed by immigration across the Mexican border and explain how such claims are not only unsupported but result in massive injustice and obscure the actual problems...

In this episode of New Ideal Live, and in the context of ongoing events in Israel and Gaza, Onkar Ghate and Elan Journo discuss how to think about civilian casualties in war. Among the topics covered: Why the brutal nature of war should not be sanitized, glamorized, or whitewashed; Why winning requires doing everything necessary to bring an end to the enemy’s military and political leadership; How...

In 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 th...

In this episode, Aaron Smith reads aloud his article, “The Suffering of Moral Saints.” In that essay, he analyzes Larissa MacFarquhar's book, Strangers Drowning: Grappling with Impossible Idealism, Drastic Choices, and the Overpowering Urge to Help. The central question that MacFarquhar asks is “Is it good to live as ethical a life as possible?” As Smith shows, the fundamental problem with MacFarq...

In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo, Onkar Ghate, Nikos Sotirakopoulos, and Tal Tsfany discuss the recent developments in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. They assess the cultural significance of Hamas' aggression and methods, the theocratic nature of the movement, and how Western reactions have been either impotent or, worse, encouraging violence against Israel. Among the...

In this special episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate, Elan Journo, and Boaz Arad offer the Ayn Rand Institute’s response to the invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023 by Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist militant group based in the Gaza Strip. Among the topics covered: Facts about the Hamas invasion (timeline, casualties, ongoing threats); Why the invasion was a predictable consequence of moral agn...

In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss Saudi Arabia’s lavish spending on sports celebrities, the recent American diplomatic overtures to Saudi Arabia, and the connection between the two. Among the topics covered: Recent sports and diplomatic deals with Saudi Arabia; Sports celebrities accepting lavish salaries from the Saudi government; An ominous proposal...

In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Nikos Sotirakopoulos review Matt Zwolinski and John Tomasi’s new book The Individualists: Radicals, Reactionaries, and the Struggle for the Soul of Libertarianism, and argue that the authors’ attempt to define libertarianism demonstrates that it lacks a coherent ideological identity. Among the topics covered: Zwolinski and Tomasi’s book and the libe...

In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Aaron Smith discuss the idea that our complex, division of labor society precludes real independence, and they examine what is wrong with thinking of ourselves as “interdependent.” Among the topics covered: Why Ayn Rand unequivocally rejected the idea that we are all interdependent; How globalism makes us interconnected, while only government forc...

In 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 pu...

In 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 ac...

In 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...

In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Elan Journo discuss the Biden administration’s recent prisoner swap with the Iranian regime and how it reflects the delusional attitudes and non-objective thinking that lead to America’s continuous foreign policy failures with regard to Islamic totalitarianism. Among the topics covered: The details of the prisoner swap; The often delusional attitu...

In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Nikos Sotirakopoulos analyze the moral justification and the criticisms of dropping the atomic bombs on Japan in light of the movie Oppenheimer. The episode features audio clips of Ayn Rand discussing the right of military self-defense and the issue of “innocents in war.” Among the topics covered: The claim that Japan would have surrendered before t...

In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ziemowit Gowin is joined by Scott McDonald to discuss the latest events in the ongoing dispute between China and Taiwan. Among the topics covered: What Secretary of State Blinken’s recent visit to Beijing signals about U.S. policy toward China; Why Taiwan matters to the Chinese Communist Party; How the war in Ukraine is shaping hostilities between China and Taiwa...