Podcasts by New Ideal, from the Ayn Rand Institute
The New Ideal Podcast features a curated selection of content from the pages of New Ideal, the journal of the Ayn Rand Institute. At New Ideal, we explore pressing cultural issues from the perspective of Rand
Further podcasts by Ayn Rand Institute
Podcast on the topic Philosophie
All episodes
Effective Egoism: Making the Case for Selfishness from 2023-12-11T14:05
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Nikos Sotirakopoulos interviews Don Watkins about his new book Effective Egoism: An Individualist’s Guide to Pride, Purpose, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Nikos a...
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Should We Have Immigration in a Welfare State? from 2023-12-07T15:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Agustina Vergara Cid discuss recent controversies surrounding immigrants and allegations that they are abusing the welfare state, and they explain...
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Milei’s Election in Argentina: Is There an Ayn Rand Connection? from 2023-11-27T14:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer, Nikos Sotirakopoulos and Agustina Vergara Cid discuss the recent election of Javier Milei as President of Argentina. Among the topics covered:How Pe...
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What Antisemitism Is from 2023-11-26T15:00
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 expla...
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Jordan Peterson’s Sophomoric Attack on Ayn Rand from 2023-11-20T18:00
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. A...
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Ayaan Hirsi Ali Abandons Atheism for Christianity from 2023-11-19T14:00
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 unco...
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International Law vs. War from 2023-11-17T12:10:15
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 hamp...
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The Ongoing Debate Over Reading Education from 2023-11-13T14:00
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...
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The Morality of Self-Defense and Innocent Deaths in War from 2023-11-12T10:04:33
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....
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Why Iran Fuels the Mideast War from 2023-11-10T14:00
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 th...
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The Unstable Foundation of Marc Andreessen’s Techno-Optimism from 2023-11-06T12:00
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 manifest...
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Global Protests: Anti-war, or Pro-Hamas? from 2023-11-04T14:00
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 thes...
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Did Israel Steal Palestinian Land? from 2023-10-30T13:00
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. Th...
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The Absurdity of Calling the U.S.-Mexico Border Crisis an‘Invasion’ from 2023-10-29T17:00
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 r...
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How to Think about the Death of Innocents in War from 2023-10-23T13:00
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 co...
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Rand and Oppenheimer: The Atomic Bomb Movie that Wasn’t from 2023-10-21T12:14:40
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 i...
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The Suffering of Moral Saints from 2023-10-21T11:49:13
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,...
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Civilization vs. Barbarism: Ongoing Analysis of the Hamas War on Israel from 2023-10-16T13:00
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 c...
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The Hamas War on Israel from 2023-10-09T19:07:07
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 Isl...
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Cristiano Ronaldo and Joe Biden Whitewash Saudi Arabia from 2023-10-09T15:00
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 t...
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Libertarianism: Big Tent or Big Mess? from 2023-10-02T08:00
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 ...
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Independence in an‘Interdependent’World from 2023-09-25T09:30
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...
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Q&A on Ayn Rand’s Ethics with Dan Schwartz and Ziemowit Gowin from 2023-09-18T12:30
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...
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Ayn Rand’s Distinctive View of Romantic Art from 2023-09-12T14:00
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 confe...
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Ayn Rand’s Repudiation of Original Sin from 2023-09-11T15:00
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...
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The U.S.-Iran Prisoner Swap: Biden’s Policy of Delusion from 2023-09-03T17:49:57
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-o...
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The Moral Justification of the Atomic Bomb from 2023-08-28T14:00
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...
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Chinese Foreign Policy Toward Taiwan: With Scott McDonald from 2023-08-21T13:30
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 Secretar...
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Ayn Rand on Watergate from 2023-08-14T03:00
In 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 attentio...
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The Knowledge Gap Highlights a Failing of America’s Schools from 2023-08-12T10:19:47
In this episode, Sam Weaver reads aloud his article, “The Knowledge Gap Highlights a Failing of America’s Schools.” In that essay, he examines The Knowledge Gap, a 2019 book by education writer Nat...
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Will Europe’s Immigration Problems Happen in the U.S.? from 2023-08-05T04:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate, Nikos Sotirakopoulos, and Agustina Vergara Cid discuss Europe’s immigration policies, its failure to assimilate immigrants and adopt rational policie...
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In Defense of Life Extension from 2023-07-30T17:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Dan Schwartz and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss the significance of Dr. Peter Attia’s new book Outlive and challenge some common arguments against life extension. ...
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Religious Skeptics Should Question Their Moral Theology from 2023-07-29T19:54:08
In this episode, Ben Bayer reads aloud his article, “Religious Skeptics Should Question Their Moral Theology.” In that essay, he argues that even though more secular people have rejected God and re...
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Special Announcement: We’re Releasing a Huge Trove of Essays on Rand’s Fiction and Philosophy from 2023-07-29T19:27:20
In this special episode, Ben Bayer and Elan Journo preview the release of scores of in-depth historical, literary, and philosophical essays on Ayn Rand’s novels. Originally included in a series of ...
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Philip Kitcher’s Critique of Today’s Useless Philosophy from 2023-07-25T13:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer, Mike Mazza and Aaron Smith discuss What's the Use of Philosophy?, a recent book by leading philosopher Philip Kitcher, in which Kitcher calls out acade...
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What is a Woman? and Gender War Tribalism from 2023-07-17T13:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss Matt Walsh’s film What Is a Woman? and how it reflects a deeper tribalism about sex and gender roles within the so-ca...
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In Defense of Self-Esteem from 2023-07-10T13:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ziemowit Gowin and Tristan de Liège defend self-esteem against attacks and misrepresentations by presenting Ayn Rand’s distinctive view of self-esteem as a psycho...
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The Debate on Immigration and National Security from 2023-06-29T03:49
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Agustina Vergara Cid and Onkar Ghate analyze the impact of immigrants on national security and evaluate the argument that America’s national security requires str...
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OCON 2023: The Pre-Game Show from 2023-06-23T13:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo is joined by four of the Ayn Rand Institute’s fellows to preview talks they will be giving at our upcoming Objectivist Summer Conference 2023. Amon...
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The‘Social Justice’War on Science from 2023-06-19T15:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Sam Weaver and Mike Mazza discuss a recent paper,"In Defense of Science,"which examines the increasing intrusion of"Critical Social Justice Epistemology"on scient...
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The Perpetual War on Israel: 1948-2023 from 2023-06-12T06:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss the movements and regimes which have sought to destroy Israel since its founding seventy-five years ago. Among the...
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Ayn Rand’s Devastating Critique of ‘Liberals’ from 2023-06-04T05:32:49
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, ...
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‘Intellectual Humility’vs. Intellectual Ambitiousness from 2023-05-29T16:25:13
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer is joined by professor and clinical psychologist Gena Gorlin to discuss the widespread notion that “intellectual humility” is the rational antidote to d...
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Conservatives for Stagnation from 2023-05-22T14:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Nikos Sotirakopoulos and Elan Journo discuss recent calls by Tucker Carlson and other conservative voices to resist technological and economic progress in the nam...
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Threats to Regulate Artificial Intelligence from 2023-05-13T13:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Mike Mazza are joined by software engineer Chad Mills to discuss recent developments in AI and the ethics of AI development. Among the topics cov...
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The Meaning of the Iraq War from 2023-05-08T17:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Elan Journo explore the moral and political lessons of the Iraq War. Among the topics covered:Why Americans need to examine the lessons of the ...
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Effective Altruism’s Faith-Based Sacrifice for the Future from 2023-05-05T17:49:53
In this episode, Ben Bayer reads aloud his article, “Effective Altruism's Faith-Based Sacrifice for the Future.” In that essay, he examines"longtermist"philosophy and its relation to"effective altr...
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Libertarian Apologists for Putin from 2023-05-01T13:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss the libertarian support for Putin and other authoritarian regimes. They explore the libertarian movement's decades-lo...
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Ayn Rand vs.‘Liberals’ from 2023-04-21T18:23
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 ...
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Robert Reich’s Unjust Crusade against Billionaire Producers from 2023-04-17T14:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Agustina Vergara Cid and Nikos Sotirakopoulos challenge Robert Reich’s unjust crusade against billionaires. Agustina and Nikos unpack the pernicious motivations b...
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Exciting New Courses at the Ayn Rand University from 2023-04-07T14:00
In 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 ...
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Why Nationalism Is Hostile to America from 2023-04-05T14:20:52
In this episode, we read aloud “Why Nationalism Is Hostile to America,” an article written by Yaron Brook and Elan Journo. In that essay, they examine the true nature and consequences of the rise o...
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‘Heckler’s Veto’at Stanford Law School from 2023-04-03T10:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Elan Journo discuss the heckling and public shaming of Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan by Stanford Law School (SLS) students and the school’s associate d...
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Q&A on the Best Objections to Objectivism from 2023-03-27T07:56:46
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Mike Mazza respond to several common and plausible philosophic objections to Objectivism that were sent in by viewers. Among the topics covered:W...
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The Debate Over the Right to Immigrate from 2023-03-20T14:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Agustina Vergara Cid discuss the immigration debate from a philosophical perspective. They address questions such as whether foreigners have a rig...
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The Anti-Individualism of Affirmative Action from 2023-03-13T09:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Elan Journo discuss two landmark cases before the Supreme Court of the United States on the legality of using race in college admissions. They exp...
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Systemic Altruism from 2023-03-06T14:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Ben Bayer discuss the pervasive influence of altruism on the culture and draw lessons from it about the systemic racism debate. Among the topic...
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Finding Morality and Happiness Without God from 2023-03-04T11:49:56
American popular culture is filled with pieces that gently mock, satirize and ridicule religion, especially Judeo-Christian beliefs. To cite but three instances, Stephen Colbert’s periodic Late Sho...
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One Year of War in Ukraine: The View from Europe from 2023-02-28T12:30
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Nikos Sotirakopoulos and Ziemowit Gowin mark the one-year anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine by discussing European attitudes towards Russi...
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DeSantis’ Push to Ideologically Transform Florida Colleges from 2023-02-20T11:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Sam Weaver discuss Ron DeSantis’ push to ideologically transform Florida colleges, and evaluate its potential to bring about greater freedom in the ...
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Natalie Wexler’s Critique of the‘Knowledge Gap’in Schools from 2023-02-13T12:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Sam Weaver discuss Natalie Wexler’s argument that many American elementary schools have abandoned the responsibility of teaching factual content, ...
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Ayn Rand, the Valuer from 2023-02-06T14:30
In 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 c...
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The Old Morality of the New Religions from 2023-02-02T19:37:34
Why does the “antiracist” movement mobilize to deplatform or fire anyone who slights or asks the wrong questions about the dominant views of “social justice”? What explains the irrational fervor of...
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How to Deal with Arbitrary Claims: Lessons from the Pandemic from 2023-01-26T16:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Nikos Sotirakopoulos and Mike Mazza are joined by Dr. Amesh Adalja to discuss the phenomenon of skepticism towards COVID-19 vaccines. They argue that this skeptic...
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Hamline University’s Shameful Attack on Education from 2023-01-23T16:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Aaron Smith discuss the recent incident at Hamline University, where art history professor Erika López Prater was dismissed for showing her studen...
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Q&A on God and Religion with Aaron Smith and Mike Mazza from 2023-01-16T15:00
Our experts take your questions on arguments for God, whether morality depends on religion, and other issues related to religion.
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From Russia with Evil: The Philosophy of Alexander Dugin from 2023-01-07T14:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Nikos Sotirakopoulos and Ziemowit Gowin discuss the political philosophy of Alexander Dugin, a Russian philosopher whose collectivist theory has been influential ...
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The Illustrated Fountainhead: Serializing a Classic Novel from 2023-01-04T19:30:22
On May 7, 1943, as World War II raged across the globe, Ayn Rand’s novel The Fountainhead was published in America. Due to sparse reviews and minimal publicity, sales were initially low. Then an un...
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Why New Year’s Resolutions Fail from 2023-01-02T09:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Don Watkins and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss New Year’s resolutions, what makes them difficult to maintain, and how integrated, contextual thinking can help autom...
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Musk, Twitter, and Free Speech; Ransoming Brittney Griner from 2022-12-23T15:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Elan Journo discuss two recent news stories: Elon Musk's controversial management of Twitter and Brittney Griner's return from captivity in Russia...
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The Philosophical Bankruptcy of‘Effective Altruism’ from 2022-12-19T15:12
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Elan Journo discuss the philosophical bankruptcy of effective altruism and the movement’s role in FTX’s financial collapse. Among the topics cove...
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How the Qatar World Cup Abets Authoritarian‘Sportswashing’ from 2022-12-12T18:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Agustina Vergara Cid and Nikos Sotirakopoulos explain how authoritarian states such as Qatar use international sporting events like the World Cup to launder their...
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The Toxic Ideas Behind the Quest for‘Zero Covid’ from 2022-12-04T09:27
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Dr. Amesh Adalja discuss the ethics of infectious disease and evaluate the continued push for stringent paternalistic measures to combat Covid, incl...
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‘Practicing Gratitude’Evaluated: A Chat with Gena Gorlin from 2022-11-28T20:15:37
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer interviews professor and clinical psychologist Gena Gorlin about the value of gratitude, possible misconceptions about it, and how it’s being understood...
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Discussing Ayn Rand on World Philosophy Day 2022 from 2022-11-18T18:00
In 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 (...
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Why John Mearsheimer Gets Ukraine Wrong from 2022-11-17T20:33:25
The international response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been extraordinary. Rarely have so many nations united so quickly to impose such heavy economic and diplomatic sanctions on Russia. Ev...
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The Midterm Elections: A Philosophical Postmortem from 2022-11-14T14:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Elan Journo discuss the midterm elections and offer a philosophical analysis of the state of American politics. Among the topics covered:The va...
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What Does Xi Jinping’s China Want? from 2022-11-09T14:00
What makes China tick? What animates the ruling Communist Party? What does Xi Jinping’s third term as “paramount” leader portend? Elan Journo interviews Scott McDonald, a scholar of Chinese politic...
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Inviting in the Vandals: The Just Stop Oil Protests from 2022-11-07T17:30
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss the recent attacks conducted by the Just Stop Oil activists and offer a moral and political evaluation of both the gr...
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Dismantling the‘Neoliberalism’Straw Man from 2022-10-31T15:43:21
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss the attacks on"neoliberalism,"an alleged ideology that critics blame for many of today’s political, social and econom...
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Q&A on Free Will vs. Determinism with Ben Bayer and Mike Mazza from 2022-10-24T11:32
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer, Mike Mazza and Sam Weaver address questions about free will submitted by the podcast’s audience. Among the topics covered:Ayn Rand’s view of free wi...
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What Students Need to Find Literature Fascinating from 2022-10-20T20:29:21
Enrollment in college English departments is declining, with literature concentrations experiencing a particularly precipitous drop in student interest. This may sound like no great loss. Increasin...
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What Liberalism and Its Discontents Gets So Wrong from 2022-10-17T14:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss Liberalism and Its Discontents, a recent book by the well-known political scientist Francis Fukuyama. They analyze th...
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The Protests in Russia and Iran from 2022-10-08T09:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss the recent protests against the authoritarian regimes of Iran and Russia. They analyze the common causes that animate t...
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Why MacAskill Is Wrong about What We Owe the Future from 2022-10-04T10:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer, Don Watkins, and Mike Mazza discuss Oxford philosophy professor William MacAskill’s new book, What We Owe the Future. The book advocates “Longtermism,”...
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Political Battles Over Education from 2022-09-25T09:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Sam Weaver discuss political controversies that have erupted in the last two years around the discussion of controversial issues, like race or gen...
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The Banality of Putin and Xi from 2022-09-23T15:24:52
No death toll can truly capture the devastation that Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Pol Pot and their ilk inflicted upon the world. Think of the engineered Great Famine in Ukraine (Holodomor), the Holocaust,...
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The Attacks on ‘Hustle Culture’ from 2022-09-19T16:22
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Nikos Sotirakopoulos, Elan Journo and Tristan de Liège discuss the phenomenon known as “hustle culture,” an attitude toward work that promotes relentless pursuit ...
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How America’s 9/11 Response Destroyed Trust in Institutions from 2022-09-11T22:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Elan Journo discuss America’s failed response to 9/11 and some of its consequences, including the discrediting of American political and intellect...
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Modernized Stoicism Critiqued from 2022-09-03T14:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Aaron Smith, Dan Schwartz, and Tristan de Liège discuss Stoic Wisdom: Ancient Lessons for Modern Resilience, a recent book by Nancy Sherman that promotes the phil...
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National Conservatism vs. Americanism from 2022-08-25T20:05:33
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss the Statement of Principles recently released by leaders of the “National Conservatism” movement outlining the ideas ...
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The Sorry Legacy of Our Policy Toward Iran from 2022-08-20T14:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate, Agustina Vergara Cid and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss Iran’s recent attempts — on American soil — to assassinate Masih Alinejad, a journalist and cri...
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Not Everyone Who Is Mistaken Is Evil — But Some Are from 2022-08-15T18:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Onkar Ghate discuss the idea held by critics of “cancel culture,” such as John McWhorter and Bari Weiss, that we should not call our political oppon...
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New ARU Course: Foundations of Physical Science from 2022-08-05T18:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Mike Mazza interviews Keith Lockitch about the Ayn Rand University and his upcoming course, Foundations of Physical Science, one of the many new courses being off...
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Objectivism Q&A with Ben Bayer and Dan Schwartz from 2022-08-01T16:04:36
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer, Dan Schwartz and Agustina Vergara Cid address questions on Objectivism submitted by the podcast’s audience about the meaning of the term “objectivity,”...
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Ayn Rand’s Radical View of the United Nations from 2022-07-27T14:53:07
In 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 argument...
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Engaging Honestly with Critical Race Theory’s Irrationality from 2022-07-25T01:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss critical race theory — a theory that claims to address racial injustice in the United States but does so through a co...
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Whitewashing a‘Pariah’State: Biden’s Visit to Saudi Arabia from 2022-07-18T03:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss President Biden’s decision to visit Saudi Arabia and meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in spite of Biden’s c...
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Panel on America’s Culture: Live from OCON 2022 from 2022-07-11T18:58:47
In this episode of New Ideal Live, broadcast live from OCON 2022, Onkar Ghate, Gregory Salmieri, Tara Smith and Yaron Brook discuss the tumultuous events of the last few years and how we should eva...
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The Death of Abortion Rights in America: A Postmortem from 2022-06-30T21:19:09
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate, Ben Bayer and Yaron Brook discuss the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturns Roe v. Wade and allows ...
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Roe Is Overturned: ARI’s Response from 2022-06-26T23:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer, Agustina Vergara Cid and Don Watkins discuss their initial reactions to the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, which overturn...
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Ayn Rand on the Necessity of Moral Judgment from 2022-06-26T22:00
In 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 ...
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The Virulent Pull of Tribalism from 2022-06-20T03:11:16
Tribalism is resurging, most obviously in politics. But it is also rampant on college campuses. Tribalism has moved from the fringes of society to the mainstream. We live in what’s becoming a triba...
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The January 6 Hearings from 2022-06-15T23:16:04
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Onkar Ghate discuss the public hearings of the House committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. They analyze the phi...
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Kathleen Stock’s Reasoned Critique of Gender Ideology from 2022-06-11T23:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate, Dan Schwartz and Ben Bayer discuss British philosopher Kathleen Stock’s book Material Girls, in which Stock bravely challenges “gender identity theor...
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Alex Epstein’s Powerful Case for More Fossil Fuel Energy from 2022-06-05T23:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Keith Lockitch and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss Fossil Future, a powerful new book on energy and climate change written by former Ayn Rand Institute fellow Alex E...
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Philosophers’Unprofessional Treatment of Ayn Rand from 2022-05-31T00:00
In 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 liv...
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The Possible Dream from 2022-05-19T18:04:58
In this episode of New Ideal Live, philosopher Harry Binswanger argues that moral perfection is both possible and desirable."We hear from all sides that perfection is an'impossible dream,'an ideal ...
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Understanding the Principles of Montessori Education from 2022-05-19T15:40:01
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Sam Weaver interviews Matt Bateman, vice president of pedagogy at Higher Ground Education, about the educator Maria Montessori, creator of the Montessori method. ...
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Why‘Realists’Get Ukraine So Wrong from 2022-05-13T16:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss the claim by University of Chicago professor John Mearsheimer, that the West, not Putin, is fundamentally to blame fo...
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The Supreme Court Abortion Leak vs. the Rule of Law from 2022-05-08T23:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Ben Bayer discuss the leak of an opinion by Justice Samuel Alito that appears to be the draft of a majority Supreme Court decision in favor of ove...
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Objectivism Q&A: Aaron Smith, Mike Mazza (April 2022) from 2022-05-02T19:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Aaron Smith, Mike Mazza and Sam Weaver address questions on Objectivism submitted by the podcast’s audience. Among the topics covered:Can Peter Keating change ...
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Environmentalism vs. Human Life from 2022-04-25T20:12
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Keith Lockitch discuss the philosophic meaning of environmentalism, ranging from its quasi-religious character to the moral implications of its po...
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How Shale Revolutionized U.S. Energy: With Nick Deiuliis from 2022-04-23T23:37:22
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo interviews Nick Deiuliis, president and CEO of CNX Resources, about the shale revolution. From his insider perspective, Deiuliis describes the transfo...
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Environmentalism’s Dark History from 2022-04-23T23:20
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss the historical roots of environmentalism, how it became perhaps the most widely-accepted social movement in history wit...
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Justice Holmes and the Empty Constitution from 2022-04-19T20:48:29
Ayn Rand once observed that Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. “has had the worst philosophical influence on American law."In this New Ideal article from October 6, 2021 (read by Alex Wigger), Tom B...
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The Attempted Character Assassination of Alex Epstein from 2022-04-18T13:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate, Keith Lockitch and Alex Epstein discuss recent hit pieces by the Washington Post and DeSmog.com that attempt to smearEpstein, an energy expert, and w...
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Ukraine and the Power of Moral Judgment from 2022-04-11T13:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Agustina Vergara Cid and Ben Bayer discuss the reaction to President Biden’s off-script declaration that Vladimir Putin cannot remain in power and the important r...
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Understanding the Roots of the New Inflation: With Rob Tarr from 2022-04-03T15:30
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer interviews Rob Tarr, an expert on economics, about how Ayn Rand’s philosophical approach to economics can help us understand the nature and causes of in...
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What Was Ayn Rand’s View of‘Conservatism’? from 2022-03-30T20:32:35
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...
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Why Perfection Is Possible from 2022-03-28T16:30
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer interviews Harry Binswanger about his article “The Possible Dream” (recently republished in New Ideal), which channels Ayn Rand's philosophy to refute t...
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Nationalism and Russia’s War on Ukraine from 2022-03-17T02:23:24
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Ben Bayer analyze the concept of “nationalism,” apply it to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and draw lessons from this event for understanding the...
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Navigating Schisms in the Objectivist Movement from 2022-03-09T22:07:56
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Harry Binswanger, Onkar Ghate and Elan Journo discuss why schisms occur within intellectual movements, and the principles that guide the Ayn Rand Institute in nav...
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The Meaning of Russia’s War on Ukraine from 2022-03-02T21:07:09
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Aaron Smith, Onkar Ghate and Elan Journo discuss the philosophic meaning of Russia’s war on Ukraine, the global reactions to it and the war’s wider implications f...
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Taking ‘Climate Anxiety’ to a Whole New Level from 2022-02-23T21:41:49
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Keith Lockitch and Elan Journo discuss how the film Don’t Look Up fuels “climate anxiety.” Among the topics covered:“Climate anxiety” and its consequences for ...
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A Companion to Ayn Rand: Jason Rheins Interview from 2022-02-18T21:59:08
Chapter contributor Jason Rheins discusses A Companion to Ayn Rand, part of the Blackwell Companions to Philosophy series.
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A Companion to Ayn Rand: Adam Mossoff Interview from 2022-02-18T21:53:21
Chapter contributor Adam Mossoff discusses A Companion to Ayn Rand, part of the Blackwell Companions to Philosophy series.
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A Companion to Ayn Rand: Harry Binswanger Interview from 2022-02-18T21:49:31
Chapter contributor Harry Binswanger discusses A Companion to Ayn Rand, part of the Blackwell Companions to Philosophy series.
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A Companion to Ayn Rand: Tara Smith Interview from 2022-02-18T21:43:45
Chapter contributor Tara Smith discusses A Companion to Ayn Rand, part of the Blackwell Companions to Philosophy series.
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A Companion to Ayn Rand: Gregory Salmieri Interview from 2022-02-18T21:38:22
Coeditor Gregory Salmieri discusses A Companion to Ayn Rand, part of the Blackwell Companions to Philosophy series.
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Conservatives, Libertarians, Anarchists vs. Rand on Politics from 2022-02-18T20:58:15
One 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 relate...
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Ayn Rand on Economics: How Capitalism Hinges on Philosophy from 2022-02-18T20:49:27
Ayn 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 distorte...
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Ayn Rand on Free Speech and Church-State Separation from 2022-02-18T20:28:57
What 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 o...
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The Russia-Ukraine Crisis and U.S. Foreign Policy from 2022-02-16T22:00:53
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Agustina Vergara Cid discuss Russia’s possible imminent invasion of Ukraine, America’s stake in this crisis and U.S. foreign policy toward Russia....
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The New Religion of ‘Woke’ from 2022-02-10T00:10:30
“Woke” anti-racism is ascendant in our culture. But contrary to the claims of its advocates, it encourages, rather than combats, racism. And it actively harms, rather than helps, the people it clai...
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Powerful Life Lessons from Ayn Rand from 2022-02-07T14:00
In 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 t...
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The Tyranny of Need and the Rational Alternative from 2022-01-31T17:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo interviews Peter Schwartz, former chairman of the board and currently a distinguished fellow at the Ayn Rand Institute, on his new book, The Tyranny o...
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Health Care Workers’Battle with ‘Moral Distress’ from 2022-01-24T14:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Elan Journo discuss the philosophical ideas that worsen the “moral distress” currently plaguing doctors and nurses. Among the topics covered:How ...
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Ayn Rand’s Unique Understanding of Racism from 2022-01-17T14:00
In 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 fundamenta...
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Philosophy, Science, Religion: Álvarez Interviews Mayhew from 2022-01-12T14:05
Religion threatens the human mind and scientific progress.
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After Omicron, Should We Be Aiming at ‘Zero Covid’? from 2022-01-10T14:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Agustina Vergara Cid interviews Amesh Adalja, a well-known expert on pandemic preparedness, about the Omicron variant, the idea of “zero Covid,” and other issues ...
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Impacting Minds, Advancing Objectivism from 2022-01-03T16:32:25
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Aaron Smith and Sam Weaver share with the audience how the Ayn Rand Institute is advancing its mission to spread awareness and understanding of the philosophy of ...
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What ‘9 Life Lessons from Ayn Rand’ Gets Right (and Wrong) from 2021-12-27T17:39:10
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’...
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Ayn Rand on the Welfare State’s Real Villains from 2021-12-27T14:00
The most contemptible parasites are the power-lusters who relentlessly expand the system, argues Ben Bayer in this podcast of his article in New Ideal, the journal of the Ayn Rand Institute, on Jul...
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Quillette’s Anti-Intellectual Treatment of Ayn Rand from 2021-12-20T16:24:58
In 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...
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Roe v. Wade on the Brink from 2021-12-13T17:18:15
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Ben Bayer discuss the recent oral arguments in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case before the Supreme Court. They analyze what t...
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Stoicism vs. Objectivism: Is Free Will Magic? from 2021-12-13T14:00
In this episode, Aaron Smith reads aloud his article,"Stoicism vs Objectivism: Is Free Will Magic?"In that essay, he argues that a common (but mistaken) conception of causation leads many scientifi...
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Talking with John McWhorter about the Racist ‘Woke’Religion from 2021-12-08T14:00
“Woke” anti-racism is ascendant in our culture. But contrary to the claims of its advocates, it encourages, rather than combats, racism. And it actively harms, rather than helps, the people it clai...
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Steven Pinker’s Half-Hearted Defense of Rationality from 2021-11-22T14:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Ben Bayer discuss Steven Pinker’s latest book, Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, and Why It Matters, and whether it makes a solid argu...
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How Radicals Advocate for Reform from 2021-11-15T17:25:41
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Ben Bayer discuss what it takes to effect real cultural change for people with radical ideas that challenge the status quo. Among the topics co...
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America’s Stakes in Taiwan Strait: With Scott McDonald from 2021-11-10T14:05
In this episode of the New Ideal podcast, Ben Bayer interviews Scott McDonald, an international relations PhD candidate at Tufts University and an expert on Chinese political theory and foreign pol...
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What Jonah Goldberg’s Rejection of Ayn Rand Reveals from 2021-11-08T16:22:35
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 covere...
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Whistleblowers Blowing Smoke: Recent Attacks on Facebook from 2021-11-01T13:17:10
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Elan Journo discuss the philosophical assumptions behind the calls to regulate Facebook in light of recent allegations of a former Facebook employee...
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The New Republican Attacks on Economic Freedom from 2021-10-22T21:09:38
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Ben Bayer discuss the Republican Party’s brazen attacks on free markets. Among the topics covered:Why conservatives once appeared to be defende...
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Objectivism Q&A with Ben Bayer and Tristan de Liège from 2021-10-18T16:14:56
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer, Tristan De Liège and Sam Weaver answer questions about Objectivism submitted by the podcast’s audience. Among the topics covered:Is atheism a neces...
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The Ayn Rand University: ARI’s Expanded Educational Program from 2021-10-11T00:39:13
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 t...
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Peter Boghossian’s Resignation and the Collapse of Academia from 2021-10-04T15:30:53
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate, Mike Mazza and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss philosophy professor Peter Boghossian’s resignation from Portland State University, prompted by a backlas...
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The Vigilante Injustice of the Texas Abortion Law from 2021-09-24T21:40:41
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Agustina Vergara Cid discuss Texas’s recent anti-abortion legislation, SB8. Among the topics covered:Key facts about the new Texas law;How the la...
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The Value of Ayn Rand’s Anthem to Today’s Students from 2021-09-20T18:21:17
In 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 overvi...
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The Real Meaning of 9/11 from 2021-09-15T03:08:52
In this special joint episode of New Ideal Live and The Yaron Brook Show, Onkar Ghate and Elan Journo join Yaron Brook to discuss the key events and turning points since 9/11, and provide a retrosp...
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20 Years Since 9/11: ARI’s Distinctive Philosophic Analysis from 2021-09-13T01:33:20
In this special episode of New Ideal Live, we bring you a compilation of some of ARI’s distinctive commentary and analysis on foreign policy over the last twenty years. The articles mentioned ar...
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Objectivism Q&A: Live from OCON from 2021-09-07T16:34:22
In this episode of New Ideal Live, recorded live at the 2021 Objectivist Summer Conference in Austin, Texas, philosophers Onkar Ghate, Ben Bayer, Mike Mazza and Aaron Smith answer questions about O...
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Vaccines vs. the Delta Variant: Talking with Dr. Amesh Adalja from 2021-08-27T16:17:47
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer interviews Dr. Amesh Adalja, a well-known expert on pandemic preparedness, about the resurgence of Covid infections around the country due to the Delta ...
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Why Are Objectivists So Negative? from 2021-08-23T13:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Onkar Ghate discuss the reasons why Objectivist commentary usually appears to emphasis the negative. Among the topics covered:Whether it’s true t...
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The Fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban from 2021-08-17T15:57:30
In this special episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Elan Journo discuss the Taliban’s capture of Kabul, and what explains the fall of Afghanistan. Among the topics covered:A summary of th...
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Ayn Rand’s Repudiation of the UN from 2021-08-16T13:00
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 comme...
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The Pure Hatred of the New Antitrust from 2021-08-06T15:37:02
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Ben Bayer discuss the signs of growing animus against business"monopolies,"motivated by changing attitudes about antitrust law. Among the topic...
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Why So Much Hatred Toward the Heroism of Jeff Bezos? from 2021-08-02T13:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Keith Lockitch and Agustina Vergara Cid discuss the reasons why Jeff Bezos’s recent flight to space should be admired and not mocked or vilified. Among the top...
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Objectivism Q&A with Aaron Smith and Mike Mazza from 2021-07-26T15:32:32
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Aaron Smith, Mike Mazza and Agustina Vergara Cid answer questions about Objectivism submitted by the podcast’s audience. Among the topics covered:1: Does Obj...
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Vaccine False Alternatives: Bribes vs. Mandates from 2021-07-19T13:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Onkar Ghate discuss whether governments should give out lottery prizes or other incentives for getting vaccinated, or mandate vaccination when peo...
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The Unscientific, Un-American Ethics of Vaccine Distribution from 2021-07-16T19:09:37
In this episode, Ben Bayer reads aloud his article,"The Unscientific, Un-American Ethics of Vaccine Distribution."In that essay, he argues that it's absurd to treat philosophers’ “intuitions” as st...
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Why Ayn Rand Rejected‘Conservatism’ from 2021-07-09T21:14:40
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...
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Understanding the Meaning of Independence Day from 2021-07-02T20:18:11
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Keith Lockitch discuss the full meaning of the"independence"in Independence Day and what we should be celebrating about America. Among the topics...
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Why Jordan Peterson Is Wrong about Faith from 2021-06-28T13:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Ben Bayer discuss a recent podcast in which Jordan Peterson interviews the Catholic bishop Robert Barron and claims that values are possible only ...
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Objectivism Q&A with Onkar Ghate and Aaron Smith from 2021-06-21T13:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate, Aaron Smith and Agustina Vergara Cid answer questions about Objectivism submitted by Objectivist Academic Center students and the audience. Amon...
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Ayn Rand on God, Reason and Atheism from 2021-06-14T13:00
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 relig...
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Against the Un-American Call for‘National Service’ from 2021-06-07T15:44:32
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Agustina Vergara Cid discuss the resurgence of demands for “national service,” which call for young people to give up a year or two of their lives t...
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What Are the Roots of War? from 2021-05-29T16:04:57
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Onkar Ghate discuss Ayn Rand’s analysis of the fundamental roots of war. Among the topics covered:Why identifying the roots of war is a task fo...
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Amesh Adalja on the Pandemic in the U.S. and Around the World from 2021-05-24T14:41:48
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Agustina Vergara Cid interviews Amesh Adalja, a well-known expert on pandemic preparedness, about the fight against the pandemic in the U.S. and around the world....
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Moral Dimensions of the Israel-Hamas War from 2021-05-19T15:00
In this special episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Aaron Smith analyze the philosophic issues behind the intensifying conflict between Hamas and Israel. Among the topics covered:The fa...
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Responding to the Push to Violate Vaccine Patents from 2021-05-14T20:19:56
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer interviews special guest Adam Mossoff, intellectual property expert and professor of law at Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, about ...
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Interview with Sandra Shaw, Organizer of Debate 1984 from 2021-05-10T21:12:56
Sandra Shaw considered herself a socialist when she enrolled at Toronto’s York University in 1981. But then she attended classes taught by John Ridpath, associate professor of economics and intelle...
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Capitalists Demolish Socialists in Debate on Systems’Morality from 2021-05-10T21:00:48
“Socialism or Capitalism: Which Is the Moral System?” That was the topic of Debate 1984 in Toronto, Canada — and it’s a topic still hotly debated today, as socialists like Bernie Sanders and Alexan...
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Objectivism Q&A with Ben Bayer and Mike Mazza from 2021-05-07T15:45:04
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer, Mike Mazza and Agustina Vergara Cid discuss answers to questions about Objectivism submitted by Objectivist Academic Center students and the audience. ...
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What to Expect from an America Without God from 2021-04-30T16:03
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Elan Journo discuss whether Americans are dropping religion or are simply substituting one set of dogmas for another. Among the topics covered:Wh...
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When Will Business Start Standing Up for Itself? from 2021-04-26T19:45:50
In this episode, ARI senior fellow Onkar Ghate challenges businesses to take a moral stand in defense of their rights. Almost sixty years after Ayn Rand described big business as “America’s persecu...
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‘Environmental Humanism’: Cure for ‘Environmental Alarmism’? from 2021-04-26T18:02:58
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Keith Lockitch discuss the emergent idea of “environmental humanism” advanced by thinkers such as Steven Pinker and Michael Shellenberger. Amon...
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Why Sam Harris Is Wrong about Free Will from 2021-04-19T15:27:29
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Onkar Ghate discuss Sam Harris’s argument against the existence of free will. Among the topics covered:Harris’s Humean argument equating causalit...
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Is Amazon Standing Up for Itself? from 2021-04-09T17:27:08
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Onkar Ghate discuss Amazon’s pushback against Elizabeth Warren’s threats to break up the company. Among the topics covered:The persecution, und...
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Evaluating the Call to‘Stop Stealing Doctors’from Overseas from 2021-04-05T15:30:05
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Agustina Vergara Cid analyze the calls to ban doctors and other health care workers from developing countries to come work in the United States. ...
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Challenging‘Cancel Culture’ from 2021-03-29T15:56:01
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Mike Mazza discuss the distinction between mob action and legitimate moral judgment, in the context of today’s “cancel culture.” Among the topi...
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What Gave Ayn Rand the Moral Right to Collect Social Security? from 2021-03-22T18:59:10
Some myths never seem to die, especially the ones that draw life support from ceaseless social media invective. You cannot follow Ayn Rand on Facebook or Twitter without repeatedly encountering the...
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Lifting the Lockdowns from 2021-03-22T13:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Onkar Ghate discuss the lifting of the lockdowns and whether they were justified in the first place. Among the topics covered:The current state o...
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Can Classics Survive the Charge of‘Whiteness’? from 2021-03-12T20:34:41
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Aaron Smith and Onkar Ghate discuss the charge against Classics of perpetuating white supremacy, and the effort to reform or eliminate this academic discipline. ...
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David S. Wilson’s‘Sequel’: Atlas Hugged or Atlas Mugged? from 2021-03-08T14:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Keith Lockitch and Ben Bayer discuss biologist David Sloan Wilson’s so-called sequel to Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged. Among the topics covered:What Wilson’s book,...
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Environmentalism’s ‘Anti-Industrial Revolution’ from 2021-03-01T14:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Keith Lockitch discuss the underlying philosophical issues that permeate today’s debate over energy and the environment. Among the topics cover...
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Meet the Conservative Authoritarians from 2021-02-25T19:49:22
In this episode, we feature Elan Journo's article"Meet the Conservative Authoritarians,"published January 6, 2021 in New Ideal. The article begins this way: Donald Trump’s rise put on display an...
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Dr. Amesh Adalja: Evaluating the Vaccine Rollout from 2021-02-20T20:07:17
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo interviews Dr. Amesh Adalja, a well-known expert on pandemic preparedness, about the Covid-19 vaccine rollout and other pandemic updates. Among oth...
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Western Apathy Toward Iran’s Religious Dictatorship from 2021-02-17T14:00
Imagine being torn away from your husband and son, brutally arrested, and tossed into solitary confinement. Imagine being prevented from calling your family or even speaking to your lawyer. Imagine...
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How Can Humanity Make Moral Progress? from 2021-02-16T17:35:44
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Mike Mazza discuss why progress in the realm of human values has stalled in comparison to scientific and technological progress. Among the topics...
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Ayn Rand’s We the Living and What It Means to Truly Live from 2021-02-09T01:13:21
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Elan Journo are joined by Robert Mayhew, professor of philosophy at Seton Hall University and ARI board member, to discuss the enduring relevance ...
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Does Social Media Censor? A Discussion with Steve Simpson from 2021-01-29T19:44:58
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer sits down with Steve Simpson, senior attorney at the Pacific Legal Foundation, to discuss whether “deplatforming” by tech companies constitutes censorsh...
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Nadine Strossen on ‘Hate Speech’ Laws vs. Free Speech from 2021-01-29T17:05:14
Every so often, the debate over “hate speech” moves to the foreground, and we hear urgent calls for the United States to enact laws banning it. Many claim that such laws would have beneficial outco...
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Racism, ‘Color Blindness,’and Tribalism from 2021-01-21T20:41:50
In this episode of New Ideal Live, on the occasion of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Elan Journo and Onkar Ghate discuss the ideal of “color blindness” and its relation to the struggle against racism....
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Talking with Glenn Loury about‘Woke’Culture and Racism Today from 2021-01-20T14:00
Amid controversy following the killing of George Floyd, many companies, organizations and universities issued statements about confronting racial injustice. The one from Brown University, emailed t...
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The Storming of the Capitol from 2021-01-18T14:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Elan Journo discuss the moral significance and the consequences of the January 6 storming of the Capitol by supporters of President Trump. Amon...
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Why Scientific Progress in Ethics Is Frozen from 2021-01-13T14:00
In this episode, Ben Bayer reads aloud his article “Why Scientific Progress in Ethics is Frozen.” In that essay, he examines some recent attempts by public intellectuals like Steven Pinker, Michael...
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The Charlie Hebdo Assassinations: Six Years Later from 2021-01-11T16:00
It’s tragic that the West has failed to take a principled stand in defense of free speech.
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Can People Change? A Conversation with Gena Gorlin from 2021-01-04T17:24:59
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer is joined by Gena Gorlin, professor and clinical psychologist, to discuss the psychology of personal change and its connections with philosophy. Amon...
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Critiquing Biden’s Agenda: Health Care from 2020-12-28T19:17:23
On the second installment of New Ideal Live’s three-part analysis of the Biden administration agenda, Ben Bayer Onkar Ghate discuss, from a philosophical perspective, the proposed health care polic...
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Critiquing Biden’s Agenda: Energy and the Environment from 2020-12-28T19:07:06
On the final installment of New Ideal Live’s three-part analysis of the Biden administration agenda, Ben Bayer and Keith Lockitch discuss, from a philosophical perspective, the environmental and en...
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Critiquing Biden’s Agenda: Overview and the Economy from 2020-12-28T19:00:46
On the first installment of New Ideal Live’s three-part analysis of the Biden administration agenda, Elan Journo and Onkar Ghate discuss and analyze, from a philosophical perspective, the overall p...
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Ayn Rand’s Critique of the‘Left’ from 2020-12-21T16:00
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 “l...
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Why Today’s Ethics Offers No Real Guidance from 2020-12-15T16:00:40
In this episode, Ben Bayer reads aloud his article “Why Today’s Ethics Offers No Real Guidance.” In that essay, he examines the strange set of cases today’s academic ethicists choose to analyze. Al...
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Changing People’s Minds about Ayn Rand’s Controversial Ideas from 2020-12-14T16:00
In 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 ...
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Flemming Rose on Islamist Threats to Free Speech from 2020-12-09T19:13
“We are living under siege, in Paris, in 2020,” said Fabrice Nicolino, a journalist who survived the massacre at the magazine Charlie Hebdo. Speaking at the trial of the alleged conspirators in tha...
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The Covid-19 Vaccines: An Interview with Dr. Amesh Adalja from 2020-12-07T16:00:36
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo interviews Dr. Amesh Adalja, a well-known expert on pandemic preparedness, about the newly developed Covid-19 vaccines and other updates about the pan...
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What to Be Thankful for in a Time of Adversity from 2020-11-25T17:00:03
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Ben Bayer discuss the real meaning of Thanksgiving and the many things we should be thankful for, even during this grim and challenging year. A...
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How Ethics Can Guide Our Lives, Not Just Resolve Dilemmas from 2020-11-23T17:00:23
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Gregory Salmieri joins Ben Bayer to discuss the approach that leads many prominent philosophers to analyze far-fetched dilemmas, an approach that offers no seriou...
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What We Owe the Real Defenders of America from 2020-11-16T17:00:26
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Elan Journo discuss what it means to honor a nation’s soldiers and veterans. They argue that the decision to go to war is a serious moral issue an...
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The Consent of the Governed from 2020-11-09T20:27:48
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Keith Lockitch take a step back from controversies about the current election season to discuss the most fundamental aspects of America’s political ...
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What Questions Would You Ask a Supreme Court Nominee? from 2020-11-02T17:00:30
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Ben Bayer explore the principles that should guide judges dedicated to interpreting a Constitution that enshrines and protects individual rights. ...
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Analyzing Paul Krugman’s New York Times Smear of Ayn Rand from 2020-10-26T16:00:10
In this special episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Elan Journo discuss Paul Krugman’s recent column in the New York Times smearing Ayn Rand and claiming that she’s responsible for the death...
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The Threat of‘National Conservatism’ from 2020-10-26T16:00:07
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Keith Lockitch discuss what’s wrong with the push from the “national conservatism” movement to restore what it takes to be traditional American va...
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The Pope’s Deeply Christian Attack on Individual Freedom from 2020-10-19T16:00:47
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Keith Lockitch discuss the newly released encyclical by Pope Francis, “Fratelli Tutti"("Brothers All"). They argue that this document is an attack o...
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Talking With Hillel Neuer About China, WHO and UN Corruption from 2020-10-14T16:00:58
At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, China faced credible accusations that it unduly delayed reporting the outbreak to the World Health Organization and manipulated that organization to deflect b...
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How Goes the Pandemic Battle? Interview with Dr. Amesh Adalja from 2020-10-12T15:51:49
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer talks with Amesh Adalja, a well-known expert on pandemic preparedness, about the latest developments in the Covid-19 pandemic. Among the topics cove...
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How to Oppose the Push for Socialism from 2020-10-05T16:04:50
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Elan Journo discuss the new push for socialism in America, and the ideas that motivate today’s socialist politicians and intellectuals. Among the...
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How Turkey Went from Secular to Islamic Authoritarianism from 2020-09-30T19:39:07
For years Turkey was deservedly hailed as a modern, secular, pro-Western society — at least, until the last decade. Turkey lies at the edge of Europe and the Middle East, not only geographically...
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Meet the New Socialism, Same as the Old from 2020-09-30T15:47:09
In this episode, Ben Bayer reads aloud his article, “Meet the New Socialism, Same as the Old.” In that essay, he examines recent arguments by socialist intellectuals like Bhaskar Sunkara who are at...
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Thinking about the U.S. Presidential Elections from 2020-09-28T18:09:49
In this episode of New Ideal Live, ARI senior fellow Onkar Ghate and ARI board members Yaron Brook and Robert Mayhew discuss the upcoming U.S. presidential election, with an emphasis on how Ayn Ran...
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Classics in Crisis: Why We Shouldn’t‘Cancel’Aristotle from 2020-09-21T18:30:56
With calls to “cancel” prominent people becoming commonplace, even major historical figures like Aristotle are likely targets. In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Aaron Smith disc...
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9/11: Learning the Right Lessons from 2020-09-14T16:00:54
Last Friday marked the 19th anniversary of September 11, 2001 — the atrocious terrorist attacks that changed America forever. In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate, Elan Journo and Ben ...
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Change Your Life. Read Atlas Shrugged. from 2020-09-07T17:26:25
September 2 has a special significance in Ayn Rand’s classic novel, Atlas Shrugged, as the date is mentioned throughout the book. It’s also the day when Ayn Rand actually started writing the novel,...
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The Assault on Expertise from 2020-08-31T16:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Elan Journo sit down to discuss the general skepticism around the role of scientific expertise, especially in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. Top...
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Lying, Voting and the Universe: Q&A with Bayer and Smith from 2020-08-24T18:00:49
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Aaron Smith answer questions, submitted by podcast viewers, about Ayn Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism. Some of the questions addressed include:W...
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Recent Antitrust Attacks on ‘Big Tech’ from 2020-08-17T15:09:05
In this episode of New Ideal Live, philosophers Onkar Ghate and Aaron Smith analyze the recent congressional hearings in which the CEOs of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google were interrogated for o...
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Supreme Court’s Half-Hearted Defense of Abortion Rights from 2020-08-10T13:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Paul Taske discuss the Supreme Court’s abortion jurisprudence in light of its recent decision in June Medical Services v. Russo. While June’s outco...
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Building and Toppling Public Statues from 2020-08-03T13:00
Statues of historical figures are being toppled or vandalized across the country. Many people claim that the statues being torn down or defaced are monuments to racism that can no longer be tolerat...
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The Fuel on the Fire of‘Cancel Culture’ from 2020-07-27T13:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Elan Journo discuss the recent controversy surrounding a letter published in Harper’s magazine. The letter sparked increased debate around a phenome...
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The False Promise of Stoicism from 2020-07-25T17:09:48
In this episode, Aaron Smith reads aloud his article, “The False Promise of Stoicism.” In that essay, he examines the ancient philosophy of Stoicism, which is enjoying a resurgence of interest toda...
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Latest Pandemic Developments with Dr. Amesh Adalja from 2020-07-20T13:00
With coronavirus cases rising across the country and some states closing up again, it’s worth asking: Have government officials learned the lessons from the first spike in cases earlier this year? ...
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The Agenda Behind Shaming ARI for Taking Government Relief from 2020-07-13T13:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Onkar Ghate discuss the controversy surrounding ARI’s acceptance of a Paycheck Protection Program loan. ARI previously announced it was seeking PP...
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The Tribal Mentality Behind Hit Pieces on Ayn Rand from 2020-07-06T14:35:53
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Keith Lockitch discuss Journo’s recent article “When Tribal Journalists Try to ‘Cancel’ Ayn Rand.” Journo analyzes two articles (one from Salon, o...
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Discussing the New Laws Needed to Combat a Pandemic from 2020-06-29T16:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer interviews Onkar Ghate, ARI’s chief philosophy officer, and Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease expert, to discuss Ghate’s recent paper “A Pro-Freedom A...
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Philosophers Discuss: Is There a Right to Mass Protest? from 2020-06-22T16:50:01
In this episode of New Ideal Live, ARI philosophers Onkar Ghate and Aaron Smith discuss Ayn Rand’s views on mass protests in the context of the recent protests and violence following the killing of...
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A Pro-Freedom Approach to Infectious Disease from 2020-06-21T04:37:22
"A Pro-Freedom Approach to Infectious Disease: Planning for the Next Pandemic"is the Ayn Rand Institute's white paper on America's response to the coronavirus pandemic, authored by the Institute's ...
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Analyzing the Concerns of Black Lives Matter Protesters from 2020-06-15T16:00
What has motivated the social unrest that has now spread to hundreds of cities around the United States? Following up on our June 1 webcast on the protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, in ...
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Who’s the Censor: Twitter or Trump? from 2020-06-10T16:00
Are social media companies a threat to free speech? President Trump seems to think so. Recently, Trump signed an executive order ostensibly aimed at preventing “censorship” by digital platforms lik...
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What Drove the Lockdowns? A Conversation with Amesh Adalja from 2020-06-08T16:00
Were the statewide lockdowns in the U.S. imposed so as to significantly reduce the number of coronavirus cases? Critics who question lifting the lockdowns seem to assume this, but was this the real...
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Condemning Lawless Violence — By the Police and the Rioters from 2020-06-03T16:00
In the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer last week, protests erupted nationwide. In this late-breaking episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer, Onkar Ghate and ...
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Legal Challenges to the Pandemic Lockdowns from 2020-06-01T16:00:54
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo sits down with Steve Simpson and Anastasia Boden, senior attorneys at the Pacific Legal Foundation, to discuss the legality of the stay-at-home orders...
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In a Time of Crisis, Is Self-Esteem a Luxury? from 2020-05-25T16:00
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, more people are understandably focused on their immediate physical well-being. There’s more urgency to stay healthy and to secure food, supplies, and employ...
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How to Think about Coronavirus Conspiracism from 2020-05-20T16:00
The recently released documentary Plandemic is a perfect example of the type of conspiratorial thinking that has emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic. The claim: that the virus was not"naturally oc...
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Should Government Just “Follow the Science”? from 2020-05-18T16:00
Several governors have announced that they will lift lockdown orders using the advice they receive from scientists and doctors. But even though scientific knowledge is obviously relevant to a gover...
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Should Government Confiscate the Coronavirus Vaccine? from 2020-05-13T16:00:40
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer interviews special guest Adam Mossoff, intellectual property expert and professor of law at Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, to dis...
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Defending Against the Assault on Homeschooling from 2020-05-11T16:00
As millions of parents are now learning how to homeschool their children in the midst of the pandemic, a recent article in the Arizona Law Review by Harvard law professor Elizabeth Bartholet advoca...
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In the Covid-19 Pandemic, “Are We All in This Together?” from 2020-05-06T18:35:29
“We are all in this together.” In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Keith Lockitch look at the different ways in which this catchphrase is being used in the context of the pandemic. ...
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Diagnosing America’s Failure to Unify against the Pandemic from 2020-05-04T16:00
Why was the United States, one of the richest and most technologically advanced countries in history, so ill-prepared to deal with the Covid-19 health crisis? A recent article by George Packer i...
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Philosophers Discuss: Should We Accept Suffering as Part of Life? from 2020-04-29T17:15:41
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and special guest Gregory Salmieri discuss recently published articles, secular and religious, that address the question of whether we can find meaning ...
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Is It Moral to Accept Government Money During Covid-19? from 2020-04-27T16:06:08
Is it morally permissible to accept government money? Does the answer change in the midst of a pandemic like Covid-19? In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Onkar Ghate discuss how to ...
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Discussing Marc Andreessen’s Rallying Cry to “Build” from 2020-04-22T16:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo is joined by Tal Tsfany, CEO of the Ayn Rand Institute and former tech entrepreneur, and Jason Crawford, writer and co-founder of several tech startup...
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Is Billionaire Philanthropy a Problem During Covid-19? from 2020-04-20T17:17:26
In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Keith Lockitch analyze a recent Vox article, “These are the trade-offs we make when we depend on billionaires to save us.” The article warns that ...
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Moral Frameworks for Addressing the Pandemic from 2020-04-15T16:00
In this episode of New Ideal Live, philosophers Aaron Smith and Onkar Ghate analyze a recent Bloomberg.com article, “How Coronavirus Is Shaking Up the Moral Universe.” That article surveys “some of...
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Seeing Through Misinformation About the Pandemic from 2020-04-13T17:12:49
How should we sort through the information about Covid-19 and distinguish fact from falsehood? In the first episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Onkar Ghate sat down to discuss the claims aroun...
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Introducing New Ideal Live from 2020-04-04T02:53
https://youtu.be/rJF56X1osco In these challenging times, people need clarity. But how can you cut through the noise? How do you step outside the bubble of commentary which puts partisan loyalty...
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Government’s Proper Role During COVID-19 Pandemic from 2020-04-01T23:20:49
As COVID-19 continues to impact every aspect of human life, government has assumed a key role in the fight againstthe pandemic. Federal, state, and local governments are implementing directives int...
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Are “Stay at Home” Orders Constitutional? from 2020-04-01T16:00
All across the United States, millions of people have been ordered to"stay at home"or"shelter in place"to slow the coronavirus pandemic. They’ve been told not to go to work, not to go to school,not...
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Experts Assess Pandemic’s Damage to the Economy from 2020-03-25T16:00
The COVID-19 pandemic is having a negative impact on all aspects of human life, and the U.S. economy is no exception. The virus outbreak and governmental reactions to it have sent the stock market ...
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Thinking Philosophically About the Pandemic from 2020-03-18T20:11:22
The COVID-19 pandemic and the responses to it from both business and government are now dominating the headlines and overwhelming our lives. As we all begin to grapple with the wide-ranging effects...
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