The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast

https://youtu.be/y-WB-fhVJls Podcast audio: In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Onkar Ghate and Tristan de Liège discuss why the traditional conception of forgiveness is evil and indicate how to think of it from an Objectivist perspective. Among the topics covered: How forgiveness is conventionally understood; Why the idea of “forgive and forget” enables injustice; Why forgiving a murderous dictator like Putin would be horrific; Why a rational view of forgiveness must be rooted in justice; The story of Mosab Hassan Yousef as an example of earning forgiveness; How healing from injustice comes from maintaining a positive value context, not forgiveness; Whether there is need for a separate concept of forgiveness. Recommended in this podcast are the Ayn Rand Lexicon entries on “Mercy,” “Justice,” and “Moral Judgment.” The podcast was recorded on February 14, 2025 and posted on February 19, 2025. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Watch archived podcasts here.

https://youtu.be/yOx0pcktQtI Podcast audio: What is at stake in the Russia/Ukraine and the Israel/Hamas conflicts? What are America’s interests in the chaotic Middle East? How do we evaluate China’s global ambitions and its claims on Taiwan? What’s the impact of foreign policy on the 2024 campaign trail? How does Objectivism help us unpack these and related issues? Panel discussion featuring Yaron Brook, Peter Schwartz, and Scott McDonald, moderated by Elan Journo, with extensive audience Q&A. Recorded live on June 16 in Anaheim, CA as part of OCON 2024.

https://youtu.be/9GjD66edA0g Join one of ARI's many online educational courses. Our new "Flex" option allows you to take these courses at your own pace, whenever you have the time, while also still retaining the benefit of having your questions answered and your assignments graded by a real instructor. Browse our catalog now: https://aru.aynrand.org/ In the age of social media everyone’s a self-proclaimed pundit, tweeting or posting on current events whether or not they possess any relevant knowledge or expertise. Meanwhile, our culture is saturated with stale, conventional thinking. People are taken in far too easily by false alternatives, tribalism, and superficial perspectives utterly lacking in nuance or principle. In this sample class—based on the full-length ARU course of the same name—Yaron Brook and Onkar Ghate will share their insights into how they approach thinking about current events, how they acquire sufficient knowledge to comment meaningfully on any given topic, and how they use Objectivism as a lens to clarify even the thorniest of issues. Recorded live on June 15 in Anaheim, CA as part of OCON 2024.

https://youtu.be/a-SwX91pj2Q Podcast audio: In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Elan Journo and Ben Bayer discuss the moral travesty of the Gaza deal and the intellectual bankruptcy it reveals in foreign policy thinking. Among the topics covered: Why the Gaza deal will not bring peace but ensure further aggression by Hamas; How the lopsided hostage release deal is a win for Hamas; How the Gaza deal is short-sighted and self-sacrificial; How Trump’s “real estate” deal would reward Gazans for their aggression; How the Gaza deal reveals a blindness to the role of ideas in motivating aggression. Recommended in this podcast are ARI’s “Resources on Israel, Palestine, and the Middle East," Elan Journo’s book What Justice Demands, and Ben Bayer’s article “We Ignore the Unconditional Right to Self-Defense at Our Peril." The podcast was recorded on February 12, 2025, and released on February 14, 2025. Listen and subscribe wherever you get you podcasts. Watch archived podcasts here.

Explore the profound link between philosophy and work, emphasizing how self-discovery shapes fulfilling careers. Discover the value of mentorship and continuous learning through diverse career experiences, including tech and entrepreneurship. Learn to align work with personal values to foster creativity and innovation. The discussion also highlights the journey from hobbies to careers, stressing joy and intrinsic motivation over external validation. Finally, navigate the balance between introspection and proactive decision-making for a rewarding professional life.

https://youtu.be/wmo0zqU_dIQ Podcast audio: In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Ben Bayer and Robertas Bakula discuss the latest developments of the Department of Justice’s vicious antitrust persecution of Google. Among the topics covered: How the antitrust attack on Google is driven by hatred of its productive virtues; How the DOJ's remedies for Google's alleged crime punish their success; Google’s failure to challenge the government’s right to persecute them; Why calling out the evil of antitrust would give Google the moral high ground; How the Trump administration is just as bad as Biden’s on antitrust prosecution; What Google and other persecuted businesses can do to defend themselves. Recommended in this podcast are “Open Letter to Google’s Sundar Pichai and Team,” which is the first project of ARI’s Atlas Circle initiative, the previous podcast episode on “The Vicious Antitrust Case Against Google,” and Ayn Rand’s essay, “America’s Persecuted Minority: Big Business.” The podcast was recorded on February 5, 2025 and released on February 7, 2025. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Watch archived podcasts here.

https://youtu.be/hPO8IQvENTY Podcast audio: In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Elan Journo interviews, Bud Brigham, a lifelong entrepreneur and the founder of multiple successful companies, most notably Atlas Energy Solutions. Mr. Brigham built his career on a vision of innovation and an uncompromising commitment to individualism, values deeply informed by Ayn Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism. In this interview, Mr. Brigham shares how The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged inspired him to take bold risks and create lasting value in the energy sector. Among the topics covered: Introduction to the Roundtable and to Bud Brigham; What motivates Brigham’s continuing entrepreneurship; How Brigham’s companies innovated to overcome economic and technological challenges; Brigham’s battle to build the innovative Dune Express, the world’s second-longest conveyor belt transporting fracking sand;   How Objectivist ideas have inspired and empowered Brigham’s career; How Brigham works to encourage industry peers to stand up on principle against demands for regulation;   Brigham’s advice for young entrepreneurs; Brigham’s favorite passage from Ayn Rand. The interview with Mr. Brigham occurred at a recent ARI Donor Roundtable on January 25, an event usually available exclusively for donors. If you'd like to participate in the next Roundtable event, consider joining ARI as a supporter.

https://youtu.be/fEOGBX9R05w Podcast audio: In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Ben Bayer and Elan Journo discuss Trump’s blanket pardon of all the people involved in the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Among the topics covered: How Trump’s blanket pardon lets outrageous evil off the hook; How Trump’s claims about the 2020 elections and the January 6 attack are arbitrary; How Trump and many Republicans are attempting to rewrite reality; How the pardons normalize political violence and reflect the tribalism of our culture; Why the blanket pardoning is an attack on the Constitution and the rule of law. Recommended in this podcast are the podcast episodes “The Storming of the Capitol” and “The January 6 Hearings.” The podcast was recorded and posted on January 22, 2025. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Watch archived podcasts here.

https://youtu.be/87jSEwTQLgk Podcast audio: In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Onkar Ghate and Ben Bayer analyze Mark Zuckerberg's recent comments on Facebook’s policy changes and whether they truly represent a victory for free speech. Among the topics covered: How Facebook’s content moderation is not a violation of free speech; How the government’s intimidation of Facebook is a violation of free speech; How both the Biden and Trump administrations intimidate Facebook; How CEOs, like Zuckerberg, morally sanction the attacks against them; Why CEOs, like Zuckerberg, need a principled defense from intellectuals. Mentioned in this podcast are Ayn Rand’s article “’Have Gun, Will Nudge’” in The Objectivist Newsletter and Ben Bayer’s article “Facebook: Censor or Victim?” The podcast was recorded on January 15, 2025 and released on January 16, 2025. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Watch archived podcasts here.

https://youtu.be/HYUiFLJ3_Yg Podcast audio: In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Tristan de Liège and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss David Goggins’ idea that suffering is central to the pursuit of values. Among the topics covered: The popular idea that embracing suffering is essential to a successful life; David Goggins’ incredible life and character; Why life is not fundamentally about overcoming suffering; What makes Goggins’ message inspiring, despite its misconceptions; Why Objectivism views happiness, not suffering, as the ultimate purpose of life. Recommended in this podcast are Ben Bayer’s “Don’t Resign Yourself to Suffering, Combat It” and the podcast episode on “Should We Accept Suffering as Part of Life?” The podcast was recorded on January 6, 2025 and released on January 9, 2025. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Watch archived podcasts here.