Ayn Rand Centre UK Podcast

A sign of a society in disarray is the inability to agree on basic values, or to understand what constitutes the good and the bad. The Left has been attempting to monopolize the moral high ground, preaching equality and justice, whereas conservatives are attempting to fight back mobilizing notions such as a noble tradition and individual responsibility. Each side sees the culture wars of today as a fight of the good vs the evil.The question remains though: what is the good, and how does one arrive at it? Does it come from god, from society, from convention, from nature, from individual whim, or from something else? Join us to discuss morality with Craig Biddle and Douglas Murray.Consider supporting our work by becoming a member: https://aynrandcentre.co.uk/membership/

Artificial Intelligence has experienced a 21st-century resurgence, but that resurgence has been accompanied by new, insightful critiques that point to biases and other inadequacies in AI algorithms. What these critiques don’t do, however, is make the more fundamental argument that such biases are inherent in algorithms as such. Cognitive psychologists Dr. Lee Pierson and Dr. Adam Reed will discuss this argument and its implications for education and employment.Sign up here to join upcoming events live via Zoom: https://www.meetup.com/London-Ayn-Rand-Meetup/Consider supporting our work by becoming a member: https://aynrandcentre.co.uk/membership/

In present times, social media are a significant part of our life and of the public sphere. And for this reason, it can be challenging when Facebook or Twitter prevent certain ideas or people from being aired on their platforms.However, while this might be difficult or irksome, the question remains: do such practices constitute censorship, and should the state be involved in addressing it?Are social media companies denying our right to free speech when they discriminate on who they want on their platforms? Or are they exercising their own rights as private entities?Should social media be subject to different laws, because of how big and widely used they are?Yaron Brook and Toby Young, as we discuss and debate social media, free speech and censorship.This event is sponsored by the Ayn Rand Institute.Sign up here to join upcoming events live via Zoom: https://www.meetup.com/London-Ayn-Rand-Meetup/Consider supporting our work by becoming a member: https://aynrandcentre.co.uk/members

“A man’s spirit […] is his self. That entity which is his consciousness. To think, to feel, to judge, to act are functions of the ego.” — Ayn Rand, The FountainheadAyn Rand’s novel, The Fountainhead, is philosophically revolutionary. It illustrates the virtues of independence and integrity in action, and celebrates the ideal of the heroic, thinking individual.The novel inspires, moves, and is also a profound guide to self-development.In this event, we celebrate and discuss The Fountainhead, with: Andrew Bernstein, Gena Gorlin, Shoshana Milgram and Josh Dickson.This event comes ahead of our new series: The Psychology of The Fountainhead Characters, releasing later this month.Sign up here to join upcoming events live via Zoom: https://www.meetup.com/London-Ayn-Rand-Meetup/Consider supporting our work by becoming a member: https://aynrandcentre.co.uk/membership/

James Stevens Valliant’s recent book (co-authored with Warren Fahy), Creating Christ: How Roman Emperors Invented Christianity, has been described on Amazon as an “exhaustive synthesis of historical detective work”.Join us in our upcoming event with James Stevens Valliant, as we explore the historical events surrounding the birth of Christianity, and discuss questions such as:What were the historical origins of Christianity?What is the evidence that leads to this conclusion?Why is it important to understand the origins of Christianity?Sign up here to join upcoming events live via Zoom: https://www.meetup.com/London-Ayn-Rand-Meetup/Consider supporting our work by becoming a member: https://aynrandcentre.co.uk/membership/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Selfish-Path-Romance-Passion-Inspired/dp/0982411758Sign up here to join upcoming events live via Zoom: https://www.meetup.com/London-Ayn-Rand-Meetup/Consider supporting our work by becoming a member: https://aynrandcentre.co.uk/members

“[Art gives man] the experience of seeing the full, immediate, concrete reality of his distant goals.” — Ayn Rand, The Romantic ManifestoWhat is the relation of art to life, and to liberty?Does art have a role in the promotion of liberty and the opposition of tyranny?Joining us in the upcoming Meetup, to discuss this and more, is Quent Cordair, author and art gallery owner at Quent Cordair Fine Art.Quent, and his wife Linda Cordair, took a stand against the government imposed lockdown on businesses and opened their art gallery before it was permitted. He is a significant voice in the fight for liberty, and the advocacy of art as essential for living.https://theobjectivestandard.com/2020/04/kudos-to-the-cordairs-for-standing-up-to-authoritarians/The Cordairs' statement on reopening their gallery: https://napavalleyregister.com/opinion/letters/going-back-to-work-no-matter-what/article_ea43dd12-a53a-5639-945a-f56ffb08308c.htmlQuent Cordair's poem, No Sea Was Ever Sailed: https://quentcordair.com/2020/07/31/no-sea-was-ever-sailed-2/Sign up here to join upcoming events live via Zoom: https://www.meetup.com/London-Ayn-Rand-Meetup/Consider supporting our work by becoming a member: https://aynrandcentre.co.uk/membership/

Sign up here to join upcoming events live via Zoom: https://www.meetup.com/London-Ayn-Rand-Meetup/Consider supporting our work by becoming a member: https://aynrandcentre.co.uk/membership/Over the course of decades, Leonard Peikoff has been an invaluable guide to the philosophy of Objectivism—for anyone from a student beginner to an established intellectual.His lectures, talks, books and essays model rational thinking and objective communication, and his profound insights span across multiple fields—philosophy, history, education, psychology, physics, and more.Joining us in the event, to ‘toast’ to Dr. Peikoff and discuss his impact on their lives, are:Carl Barney: Founder of the Prometheus Foundation.Dr. Andrew Bernstein: Teacher, and author of Heroes, Legends, Champions: Why Heroism Matters and other books.Dr. Ellen Kenner: Clinical psychologist, co-author of A Selfish Path to Romance, and lecturer.Kira Peikoff: Author of Mother Knows Best and other books, editor at Leapsmag, and Leonard Peikoff’s daughter.Lisa VanDamme: Founder and educator at VanDamme Academy.

Sign up here to join upcoming events live via Zoom: https://www.meetup.com/London-Ayn-Rand-Meetup/Consider supporting our work by becoming a member: https://aynrandcentre.co.uk/membership/Over the past few months, people have found themselves taking a closer look at how and what their children are taught—possibly closer than they thought necessary. This may have resulted in them having some pertinent questions, such as:Are their children getting the best education available?Can educational spaces and methods be improved, from conventional arrangements? What is the role of the school today and has the pandemic made us re-evaluate the significance of schools?Such questions pave the way for innovation, and in this panel discussion, we will explore alternatives to traditional methods and perspectives on education.

Sign up here to join upcoming events live via Zoom: https://www.meetup.com/London-Ayn-Rand-Meetup/Consider supporting our work by becoming a member: https://aynrandcentre.co.uk/membership/Radical environmentalist groups like Extinction Rebellion build upon a philosophical and historical legacy of decades. Most people are familiar with the mobilisations against climate change and groups like Greenpeace and the Sierra Club, but what about Deep Ecology, earth First! and eco-terrorism? ARCUK’s Academic Advisor Nikos Sotirakopoulos will drive us through the dark history of anti-humanist ideas and actions of the radical Green movement.