The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky3VGO4AI-g Podcast audio: In this episode of The ARI Bookshelf, Tristan de Liège, Ben Bayer, Don Watkins, and Robertas Bakula discuss What Went Wrong with Capitalism by Ruchir Sharma. The book examines the history of government bailouts, Federal Reserve policy, and the growing reach of the regulatory state. Contrary to popular belief, Sharma argues, government intervention in America didn’t shrink after Reagan — it kept growing. He also offers proposals for reversing these trends. The discussion covered: How Sharma refutes the myth that America has moved towards free markets in the last fifty years; How the government and the Federal Reserve created distortions and downturns; How the regulatory state expanded and decreased productivity; Why the book’s treatment of inequality is self-defeating; How the book’s views on capital misallocation and antitrust are contradictory; How the book lacks sufficient philosophical perspective. The video was recorded on July 17, 2025 and posted on August 8, 2025.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm7PICSLkhc Podcast audio: In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Ben Bayer and Agustina Vergara Cid take a wide-ranging look at abortion bans since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, examining their destructive effects on the lives and freedoms of women and medical professionals. Among the topics covered: Ayn Rand’s distinctive defense of abortion rights; How abortion bans have impaired women’s lives; How anti-abortion laws impose arbitrary constraints against sound medical judgment; The unfortunate rise of pregnancy-related prosecutions; How abortion restrictions jeopardize doctors' freedom and careers; Why signs of resistance show abortion bans can be reversed; Evidence that the anti-abortion movement is motivated by a dark anti-sex agenda. Recommended in this podcast are the Ayn Rand Lexicon entry on Abortion, Bayer’s book “Why the Right to Abortion Is Sacrosanct,” and his article “The Dark Form of Control Even Anti-Abortion ‘Moderates’ Want.” The podcast was recorded on July 28, 2025 and posted on August 9, 2025. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Watch archived podcasts here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33MpmtvMKs0 Podcast audio: In this episode of the Ayn Rand Institute podcast, Marek Michulka and Onkar Ghate examine the Trump administration's actions against CBS — including a billion-dollar lawsuit and FCC investigation — and argue that the FCC’s regulatory power is incompatible with free speech.  Among the topics covered: How Trump's actions against CBS are targeting them for their content; How censorship in a free country relies on self-censorship; Why many critics of Trump’s actions miss the essential issue; How antitrust is being used to force editorial rooms to cater to the whims of bureaucrats; Why the realm of ideas can’t be separated from the realm of production and trade; How elite universities’ “public interest” rhetoric opened the door to government control; What the future holds. Recommended in this podcast are Ayn Rand's essay “Have Gun, Will Nudge,” her talk “Censorship: Local and Express,” and her novel, especially Part II Chapter 5.  This podcast was recorded on June 11, 2025 and posted on July 31, 2025. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Watch archived podcasts here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDVOG6tX8b8 Podcast audio: In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Onkar Ghate and Don Watkins unveil their new book, Profit Without Apology: The Need to Stand Up for Business. This book is the latest publication of ARI’s new initiative, Atlas Circle, an intellectual project aimed at standing up for business and helping business stand up for itself. Among the topics covered: Why Ayn Rand saw business as central to her moral defense of capitalism; The philosophical roots of today’s anti-business culture; How most people ignore the hard thinking that goes into business; Why understanding the morality of the profit motive is essential to standing up for business; The role of intellectuals in fostering a pro-business culture. Recommended in this podcast are the Atlas Circle’s manifesto, “Profit Without Apology: The Need to Stand Up for Business,” the title essay of the book Profit Without Apology. The podcast was recorded on July 22, 2025 and posted on July 24, 2025. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Watch archived podcasts here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hGvQj376Uw Podcast audio: The 2025 Objectivist Summer Conference, held in Boston, Massachusetts, wrapped up two weeks ago, and now you can get a taste of the wide range of topics and speakers featured at the event in a new highlights video. The compilation includes clips from the following talks: “What is Western Civilization?” by Yaron Brook; “Revolutionary Constitutionalism” by C. Bradley Thompson; “Enlightenment on Trial: The Real Lessons of the American and French Revolutions” by Don Watkins; “Saving the Enlightenment” by Onkar Ghate; “The Road to Fascism (And Are We on It?)” by Nikos Sotirakopoulos; “Immigration Enforcement and the Betrayal of Due Process” by Agustina Vergara Cid; “Principles of a Proper Foreign Policy” by Peter Schwartz; “America Should Declare Independence from Altruism” by Ben Bayer; “Conceiving Values” by Greg Salmieri. In addition, we have published two full-length lectures from the conference: Tal Tsfany’s annual address to ARI supporters, covering the Institute’s progress over the past year and its plans for the future; and Ben Bayer’s Independence Day talk, “America Should Declare Independence from Altruism.”

https://youtu.be/9PCQRzAMohQ Podcast audio: As the Ayn Rand Institute marks its 40th anniversary, its mission to spread Objectivism through education has never been more urgent. In his 2025 Objectivist Summer Conference presentation, "Spreading Objectivism: A Vision for ARI's Future," President and CEO Tal Tsfany laid out a bold vision of the “big swings” ARI is taking to bring Objectivism into the cultural mainstream. At the heart of this expansion are major advances in ARI’s educational offerings. Tsfany announced that ARI is ahead of schedule in pursuing accreditation for a Master of Arts in Objectivist Studies, aiming to become an accredited university by 2028. Meanwhile, the new ARI Live Courses program will offer quarterly classes at dramatically reduced prices. And a newly launched Intellectual Incubator will help students develop as intellectual entrepreneurs. Meanwhile, ARI is scaling its cultural outreach. The Books for Teachers program aims to distribute 500,000 books annually by 2026 utilizing a  streamlined ordering system. Supporting this outreach is a new AI-enabled Institute website launching this fall, which will provide personalized learning tracks for 750,000 annual visitors. To further Rand’s vision of an alliance between businessmen and intellectuals, ARI launched the Atlas Circle, invitation-only intellectual retreats bringing together leading businessmen and Objectivist thinkers. The Circle's first publication, Profit Without Apology: The Need to Stand Up for Business, calls on productive businessmen to push back against moral vilification. ARI’s crowning project will be the Ayn Rand Center in Austin, TX, opening September 2, 2028. In addition to improved archival storage for the Ayn Rand Archives, the center will feature a cutting-edge interactive introduction to Rand’s novels, the Ayn Rand Immersive Experience. As Tsfany emphasized, these bold initiatives represent the unity of thought and action that Rand envisioned, scaled for our time. To learn more about ARI's efforts to fight for your values, watch Tal Tsfany's 2025 OCON talk.

Ben Bayer makes a compelling case for America to break free from altruism, arguing that this ethical framework undermines individual rights and freedom. He critiques the COVID lockdowns, revealing how leaders from both parties have evaded responsibility under altruistic pressures. Bayer emphasizes the psychological effects of altruism, warning that it can stifle self-esteem and individual dignity. He calls for a cultural shift towards self-interest and moral independence, advocating for a deeper understanding of personal rights and a reevaluation of political moralities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtW5q-7XaTw Podcast audio: In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Ben Bayer and Agustina Vergara Cid discuss how arbitrary immigration laws strangle American business. Among the topics covered: How immigration restrictions impose a form of economic central planning; The role of the mixed economy in fueling the interest-group battle for legal carve-outs; How ICE raids are used to terrorize businesses and hard-working immigrants; How the Trump administration's visa rollback reveals its affinity for central planning; Why arbitrary immigration enforcement threatens to cripple every major American industry; Why supporting American business means defending the freedom to hire and trade. Recommended in this podcast are Vergara Cid’s article “Immigration Regulations Strangle American Businesses,” her OCON 2023 talk “The Immorality of the U.S. Immigration System,” and Bayer’s article “Ayn Rand on Free Trade, the ‘Essence of Capitalism’s Foreign Policy’.” The podcast was recorded on June 23, 2025 and posted on July 2, 2025. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Watch archived podcasts here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5csuEpTn69o Podcast audio: In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Samantha Watkins interviews Dr. Matt Bateman, philosopher at GT School, co-founder of Higher Ground Education, and ARU instructor, about the school choice movement and the philosophical case for education freedom. Among the topics covered: What the expanding reach of school choice programs means for parental freedom; Why parents, not the government, should invest in education; Why the school choice movement should refocus its arguments on parental rights; How bureaucratic accountability measures undermine school choice efforts; Why Rand’s tax credit proposal is better than a voucher system; The worst thing about the public school system; Rand's influence on Bateman's approach to parenting and education. Recommended in this podcast are Ayn Rand's essays "Tax Credits for Education," "The Comprachicos," and "Art and Moral Treason." This podcast was recorded Jun 3, 2025 and posted on June 26, 2025. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Watch archived podcasts here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDj_LhwM0Vw Podcast audio: In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Onkar Ghate and Elan Journo discuss two major recent events: Israel’s war against Iran and the political assassinations in Minnesota. Among the topics covered: The Israel-Iran War Why Israel's war against Iran is a positive development; Why a self-interested American foreign policy must break from the legacy of 9/11; The Minnesota assassinations How political violence is becoming a broader cultural trend; How political violence is a tribal phenomenon. The podcast was recorded on June 19, 2025 and posted on June 20, 2025. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Watch archived podcasts here.