Ayn Rand Centre UK Podcast

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/Speech codes on campuses. Disinvitations of speakers to events. Attempts to ‘cancel’ people over political differences. There is little doubt that political discourse and activism has become magnified—and mainstream—in current times.That is why it is vital to bring under scrutiny the quality, standards and methods of political discourse that we see around us, and raise pertinent questions about it. For instance:1. Has the quality of political discussion and debate deteriorated in recent times, compared to past eras? Or has cultural and political discourse always been messy, in the context of a given time period?2. What are the right standards for engaging with others on matters of culture and politics? What should be considered when deciding whether to debate someone you disagree with, or ally with someone you have agreements with?3. What does it mean to take moral disagreements seriously? Should we ‘cancel’ those who don’t share our political beliefs, or should we regard all political differences as morally inconsequential, and irrelevant for maintaining close, personal relationships? Or is there a better approach to moral disagreement, outside this alternative?4. Are respect and moral judgement incompatible with each other? Is it possible to maintain a respectful and dignified conversation with someone, while pronouncing strong negative moral judgement on their ideas? How can we achieve this mode of discussion and debate?

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/The subject of racism has gradually snowballed over recent years, and exploded into mainstream culture over the past month.Brands are declaring their commitment to fight racism, several organisations have launched mandatory diversity trainings—even the Oscars have recently introduced certain diversity requirements for eligibility for the award. Individuals are making and denying accusations of racism in droves, and the terms ‘white fragility’, ‘systemic racism’ and ‘complicity’ have been used liberally and passionately.In order to make sense of, judge and properly respond to this new wave of events, it is essential to philosophically unpack it. What is racism? What is not racism? Is racism best countered by governmental action, organisational policy, or something else entirely?Andrew Bernstein is a philosopher and novelist. He is the author of several books, including The Capitalist Manifesto, Capitalism Unbound, and the recently-published Heroes, Legends, Champions: Why Heroism Matters.Aaron Briley, Ph.D., is a philosopher who promotes life-enhancing cultural values to black Americans, with the ultimate goal of bringing about a Black Renaissance of education, achievement, and fulfillment. He is a fellow/research associate Objective Standard Institute on race relations, cultural improvement, individualism, clear thinking, and freedom.

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/The tribalism and the toxicity of the public sphere have given rise to a tendency known as ‘cancel culture’: people being publicly shamed for their views, or for things they said in the past. While some consider ‘cancel culture’ a sign of intolerant times and of intellectual shallowness, others see it as merely holding people accountable for their views and, thus, as an expression of free speech. In this meetup with Claire Fox and Craig Biddle, we will try to understand:-what is ‘cancel culture’?-How, if in any way, is it different from previous forms of intolerance and intellectual shaming?-Is it a threat to free speech, or merely an affirmation of it?-How should one deal with reprehensible and immoral views and ideas?

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/The anti-Israel movement has gained increasing traction, and large sections of the public—and mainstream media—hold the perspective that Israel is deeply immoral, particularly in the context of the conflict between Israel and the "Palestinians". However, the conclusion that Israel is immoral is false, because it is built on faulty standards of judgement.Why is Israel so commonly vilified? Why is it unjust to be ‘anti-Israel’? And importantly, what are the standards by which one can make an objective judgement about Israel, and the conflict between the "Palestinians" and Israel?

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/Introspection on thinking (i.e., conceptually identifying what is going on in your mind while you are thinking) is not only a method of psychological investigation, but also a valuable personal practice that provides guidance for keeping your thinking on track to its goal.This form of introspection is the key skill underlying creatical thinking. “Creatical thinking” refers to the process of overriding the faulty automatic “programs” (the invalid assumptions) that make bad critical thinking and break good creative thinking. It is how you can refocus your thinking when what comes to mind automatically has left your thinking stuck, sidetracked, cognitively biased, or otherwise in error. Introspection on thinking — more specifically, identifying what to think about next to get your thinking back on track to its goal — is the skill needed for getting this process going. Introspection on thinking is, I believe, the most important cognitive skill that is not yet explicitly taught at any level of schooling.Lee Pierson, who holds a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from Cornell University, has conducted Creatical Thinking and other seminars for students from grade school to grad school and beyond, for a variety of educational and corporate clients in the United States and Canada. He is the Director of the Thinking Skills Institute.Josh Dickson is an addictions counsellor, trauma therapist and positive psychologist. He is the founder and clinical director of Resurface, providing surf therapy retreats for trauma, positivity and creativity. He also works in private practice.

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/Many people are talking about the entrepreneurial mind, the entrepreneurial spirit, or even the entrepreneurial gene. To be an entrepreneur, the story goes, one needs to possess some specific elements in terms of who they are, and how they view the world.President and CEO of Ayn Rand Institute Tal Tsfany, an experienced entrepreneur himself, will join us this Saturday to clarify the issues around the psychology and the sense of life of the productive creator and the businessman.

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 this week’s psychology event, ARCUK Psychology Fellow Josh Dickson answers questions, either specific to coping with COVID-19 and the lockdown, or any other topic relating to psychology.

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/Following the killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis last week, violent protests erupted across the US. Police officers, civilians, and property have been targeted.Do activists believe that rioting will help ease racial tensions? If not, what do they hope to achieve? What motivation is there for corporations to take a stand, in some cases using questionable “facts” to present the US as institutionally racist? And if modern activism is not the way to go, how can one fight the evil of racism?

Sign up here to join upcoming events live via Zoom: https://www.meetup.com/London-Ayn-Rand-Meetup/Learn more about Kirk Barbera’s work: https://www.troubadourmag.com/Consider supporting our work by becoming a member: https://aynrandcentre.co.uk/membership/"It is the honourable characteristic of Poetry that its materials are to be found in every subject which can interest the human mind." William WordsworthPoetry is as universal as language, and almost as ancient. It powerfully captures the strongest emotions of the human condition: exaltation, envy, love, grief, pride, bravery, and the entire spectrum of what it means to live one’s life.How can poetry help us understand the human psyche? How are we to tell good poetry from bad? Are the rules objective, or is poetry whatever talks to our heart?Our time on this earth is limited by our own perspective. We get but one life. Through poetry, we can live infinitely and vicariously through others, which serves a fundamental human requirement.Josh Dickson is an addictions counsellor, trauma therapist and positive psychologist. He is the founder and clinical director of Resurface, providing surf therapy retreats for trauma, positivity and creativity. He also works in private practice.Kirk Barbera is Editor-in-chief of Troubadour Magazine and co-host of the podcast “Surprised by Art!" W/ Luc and Kirk.

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/One of the most captivating elements of novels and works of fiction is the access we get to a protagonist’s thoughts, emotions, and mental processes. This is definitely the case with Ayn Rand’s novels, where we often bear witness to the internal monologues of the heroes and the villains. So what can literature tell us about psychology? What can it reveal to us about the human mind? Is it realistic to draw conclusions for real life based on the inner thoughts of fictional heroes? Can novels show us who we are, how we think, and why we choose as we do?Josh Dickson is an addictions counsellor, trauma therapist and positive psychologist. He is the founder and clinical director of Resurface, providing surf therapy retreats for trauma, positivity and creativity. He also works in private practice.Shoshana Milgram is an Associate Professor of English at Virginia Tech. She holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from Stanford University. Dr Milgram has lectured on Ayn Rand in undergraduate and graduate courses, at Objectivist conferences, at national and international academic conferences, and at the Smithsonian Institution.