The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast

In this episode, Ben Bayer reads aloud his article, “Debunking the Supernaturalism That Haunts Secular Ethics.” In that essay, he examines secular thinkers' approach towards ethics. As he argues, scientists like Richard Dawkins accept ethical claims that are fundamentally based on religious thinking. To combat this approach to ethics, we need a naturalistic alternative: and one has been offered by Ayn Rand. Bayer’s article was originally published in New Ideal, the Ayn Rand Institute’s journal, on October 11, 2023.

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Onkar Ghate, a critic of pro-immigration arguments, teams up with Agustina Vergara Cid, who advocates for the moral and economic benefits of immigration. They dive into the flaws of conventional pro-immigration views, revealing how these arguments often stem from altruism and can infantilize immigrants. The duo critiques diversity quotas for perpetuating racism and challenges the notion that immigrants only take jobs 'Americans won't do.' Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion on individual freedom versus collectivism in today's immigration debate.

https://youtu.be/fC2PeuDuR5E Podcast audio: In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer interviews Paul Taske, associate director of litigation at NetChoice, to discuss the Supreme Court’s recent NetChoice decision and what it means for the future of free speech in America. Among the topics covered: The Supreme Court’s decision to send the question about regulating social media platforms back to the federal district courts; Why content moderation is not censorship; How NetChoice responds to objections from the Court’s minority; How the Florida and Texas laws violate the right not to speak; Why NetChoice chose to make a facial challenge to the laws; How NetChoice responds to the idea that social media platforms are common carriers; How to think about the issue of whether the government has an interest in regulating social media platforms; How to evaluate other disagreements between the majority and the minority. Recommended in this podcast are Greg Salmieri’s article “Free Speech as a Right and a Way of Life” in Tara Smith’s The First Amendment: Essays on the Imperative of Intellectual Freedom and the previous New Ideal podcast episode “Does Social Media Censor?: A Conversation with Steve Simpson.” The podcast premiered on August 15, 2024. Listen and subscribe from your mobile device on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Watch archived podcasts here.

https://youtu.be/lOPRUlOyTMU Podcast audio: In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Mike Mazza discuss why the trans movement is essentially religious and unscientific. Among the topics covered: The religious character of the trans movement; Why many of its scientific claims are dishonest; How religious conservatives reinforce the movement’s irrationality; Why debates about gender have become so contentious; How the movement relies on force and smears to advance its agenda; Evidence that the movement is uninterested in trans people's well-being; Why the science about gender dysphoria is far from settled. Recommended in this podcast are the previous New Ideal Live episodes on “Kathleen Stock’s Reasoned Critique of Gender Ideology” and “‘What Is a Woman?’ and Gender War Tribalism.” The podcast was released on August 8, 2024. Listen and subscribe from your mobile device on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Watch archived podcasts here. Image credits: Smallman / Getty Images News via Getty Images, Alec Perkins / Wikimedia Commons / image on top with a white glowing effect.

The discussion dives into how new mandates in Louisiana and Oklahoma challenge the First Amendment by promoting the Ten Commandments in schools. It critiques the intertwining of religion and DEI principles, viewing both as threats to intellectual freedom. The hosts argue that public schools have become battlegrounds for ideological conflicts, using students to advance political agendas. Compelled speech and the indoctrination of specific beliefs raise alarms about the future of education and individual freedom.

https://youtu.be/1UvPyAQ6s5E Podcast audio: In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer examines a discussion between Richard Dawkins and Ayaan Hirsi Ali, explaining why so-called secular humanists have been unable to offer a rational moral alternative to religion. Among the topics covered: Ali's rationalizations for her religious conversion; Why Western civilization is not purely Christian; How religious belief relies on arbitrary claims; Dawkins’ failure to offer a rational moral alternative to Christianity; Why a rational morality requires an uncompromising commitment to truth. Mentioned in this podcast are Bayer’s articles “The Old Morality of New Religions,” “Debunking the Supernaturalism That Haunts Secular Ethics,” and Onkar Ghate’s essay “Finding Morality and Happiness Without God.” The podcast was recorded on July 31, 2024. Listen and subscribe from your mobile device on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Watch archived podcasts here. Image credits: Getty Images/Christian Marquardt; Getty Images/David Levenson.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHXGamIEZ6g Podcast audio: In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss how the Republican National Convention’s platform has turned away from its traditional appeal to small government and turned instead towards adopting many of the big government policies that socialists envy. Among the topics covered: The RNC platform on energy policy, regulations, and Israel; The RNC platform on entitlement programs, industrial policy, and tariffs; The Republican Party’s unprincipled view of political and economic freedom; JD Vance as a symbol of the Republican Party’s turn away from freedom; How much the Republican Party has turned away from freedom in twelve years; The new Republican Party’s turn to collectivism and central planning. Mentioned in this podcast is the New Ideal article, “Meet the Conservative Authoritarians” by Elan Journo. The podcast premiered on July 25, 2024. Listen and subscribe from your mobile device on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Watch archived podcasts here.

https://youtu.be/4ivJl__LyWw Podcast audio: In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate, Ben Bayer and Elan Journo discuss the Trump assassination attempt and the violent climate of tribalism in our culture. Among the topics covered: The evil of using physical force to settle political disagreements; Why it’s important to comment on this event; The increasing normalization of political violence in our culture; Why it is important to discuss Trump’s failure to discourage political violence; The philosophical root of today’s climate – tribalism; How tribalism is fueled by the mixed economy and attacks on reason; Manifestations of political tribalism in responses to the assassination attempt; How tribal thinking differs from the rational pursuit of truth; The role of emotions and conspiracies in tribal thinking; How to be objective in one’s thinking about political events; Why the cause of rising tribalism is philosophical, not political; The advantages of one-on-one conversations compared to group conversations. Mentioned in the discussion are Ayn Rand’s essay “The Missing Link,” and her Ford Hall Forum lectures “Global Balkanization” and “A Nation’s Unity.” This episode was recorded on July 17, 2024. Listen to the discussion below. Listen and subscribe from your mobile device on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Watch previous episodes here.

Discussion on the parallels between America and the late USSR, Ferguson's oversight of the role of ideas, the potential for authoritarianism, and misidentifying the root causes of American decline.