

The Atlas Society Presents - Objectively Speaking
The Atlas Society
We promote open Objectivism: the philosophy of reason, achievement, individualism, and freedom.
Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism was set forth in such works as her epic novel Atlas Shrugged, and in her brilliant non-fiction essays. Objectivism is designed as a guide to life, and celebrates the remarkable potential and power of the individual. Objectivism also challenges the doctrines of irrationalism, self-sacrifice, brute force, and collectivism that have brought centuries of chaos and misery into the lives of millions of individuals. It provides fascinating insights into the world of politics, art, education, foreign policy, science, and more, rewarding you with a rich understanding of how ideas shape your world. Those who discover Objectivism often describe the experience as life-changing and liberating.
Ayn Rand's philosophical works have been praised as presenting historic breakthroughs in thinking. At the Atlas Society, our scholars work to further develop this philosophy born in the mid-twentieth century. We present the empowering principles of Objectivism to a global audience, and offer those principles as a rational and moral alternative in the marketplace of philosophical ideas.
Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism was set forth in such works as her epic novel Atlas Shrugged, and in her brilliant non-fiction essays. Objectivism is designed as a guide to life, and celebrates the remarkable potential and power of the individual. Objectivism also challenges the doctrines of irrationalism, self-sacrifice, brute force, and collectivism that have brought centuries of chaos and misery into the lives of millions of individuals. It provides fascinating insights into the world of politics, art, education, foreign policy, science, and more, rewarding you with a rich understanding of how ideas shape your world. Those who discover Objectivism often describe the experience as life-changing and liberating.
Ayn Rand's philosophical works have been praised as presenting historic breakthroughs in thinking. At the Atlas Society, our scholars work to further develop this philosophy born in the mid-twentieth century. We present the empowering principles of Objectivism to a global audience, and offer those principles as a rational and moral alternative in the marketplace of philosophical ideas.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 16, 2024 • 1h 1min
What is the Philadelphia Declaration? with Hicks and Kelley
Join Atlas Society founder and Senior Scholar David Kelley, Ph.D., along with Senior Scholar and Professor of Philosophy at Rockford Stephen Hicks, Ph.D., for a special webinar discussing a new initiative to unify liberty advocates across the secular-religious spectrum to forge common cause against common foes: collectivism, irrationalism, and authoritarianism.
Learn more about The Philadelphia Declaration: https://www.atlassociety.org/post/philadelphia-declaration

Oct 9, 2024 • 1h 1min
Who Was Ayn Rand? with Alexandra Popoff
Regulars enjoyed previous interviews with Rand biographers Anne Heller and Jennifer Burns, so naturally we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to interview the author of the latest addition to this genre with Alexandra Popoff’s Ayn Rand: Writing a Gospel of Success. Popoff began her career as a journalist working in Moscow, later emigrated to Canada where she lectured in Russian literature, and is the award-winning author of literary biographies such as Sophia Tolstoy (2010), The Wives: The Women Behind Russia’s Literary Giants (2012),Tolstoy’s False Disciple: The Untold Story of Leo Tolstoy and Vladimir Chertkov (2014), and Vasily Grossman and the Soviet Century (2019).

Oct 3, 2024 • 59min
Why We Make Bad Decisions with Todd Rose
Join CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 222nd episode for The Atlas Society Asks where she interviews Todd Rose. Todd Rose is the CEO of the nonpartisan think tank Populace and a former Harvard faculty member and director of the Laboratory for the Science of Individuality at Harvard. His several bestselling books include The End of Average: How We Succeed in a World That Values Sameness and Dark Horse: Achieving Success Through the Pursuit of Fulfillment, and most recently, Collective Illusions: Conformity, Complicity, and the Science of Why We Make Bad Decisions, which draws on cutting-edge neuroscience and social psychology research to demonstrate how so much of our thinking is informed by faulty assumptions—making us dangerously mistrustful as a society and needlessly unhappy as individuals.

Sep 25, 2024 • 59min
Nicaraguan Political Prisoner Speaks with Félix Maradiaga
Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 221st episode of The Atlas Society Asks, where she interviews Nicaraguan academic, political activist, and former presidential candidate Félix Maradiaga. Don't miss as the duo discuss Maradiaga's work to promote the ideas of liberty in Nicaragua and his unlawful imprisonment by the Daniel Ortega regime for speaking about against government repression.
Speaking out against the repression by the Daniel Ortega government, Félix was arrested on June 8, 2021 and held in solitary confinement for the alleged crime of “conspiracy to undermine national integrity." In February 2023, Félix was released from captivity and flown to the U.S., along with 221 other political prisoners from Nicaragua, where he was reunited with his family. After serving as the youngest-ever Secretary General of the Ministry of Defense, Felix has dedicated himself to strengthening peace, democracy, and the rule of law in Nicaragua.

Sep 18, 2024 • 59min
A Critical Look Into Venezuela with Juan Pina, Antonella Marty, and Robert Tracinski
Join Atlas Society Senior Fellow Antonella Marty and Senior Fellow Robert Tracinski along with special guest, Secretary General of FundaLib, Juan Pina for the 220th episode of The Atlas Society Asks where the trio sit down for an Objectivist analysis of current events in Venezuela and what it means for the future of liberalism in the country.
Juan Pina is the Secretary General for Fundación para el Avance de la Libertad based out of Madrid, Spain. A career in public affairs and lobbying, Juan is an advocate for free market ideas and formerly served as presided of P-LIB, Spain's libertarian ideas.

Sep 11, 2024 • 57min
How to Reinvent Your Life? with Henry Oliver
Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 220th episode of The Atlas Society Asks where she interviews writer, speaker, and brand consultant Henry Oliver about his new book "Second Act: What Late Bloomers Can Tell You About Reinventing Your Life," which encourages people to think about themselves as late bloomers and realize that it is never too late to discover our hidden talents and accomplish our goals.
Henry Oliver is a writer, speaker, and brand consultant. Oliver writes regularly for outlets like The New Statesman, The Critic, and UnHerd, and writes The Common Reader Substack.

Sep 4, 2024 • 58min
What’s Causing Housing Shortages? with Bryan Caplan
Bryan Caplan is the author of Build, Baby, Build: The Science and Ethics of Housing Regulation, which takes readers on a journey through what is wrong with housing regulations—and what we can do about it. A Professor of Economics at George Mason University, Caplan is also a New York Times bestselling author of several books, including The Myth of the Rational Voter, Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids, and The Case Against Education. When not teaching or publishing new articles for outlets like The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, or TIME, Caplan spends his time as editor and chief writer for the Bet On It Substack hosted by the Salem Center for Policy at the University of Texas.

Aug 28, 2024 • 1h 8min
The Ethics, Economics, and Politics of Immigration with Richard Salsman & Robert Tracinski
Join Atlas Society Senior Senior Scholar and Professor of Political Economy at Duke, Richard Salsman, Ph.D., and Senior Fellow Robert Tracinski for the 217 episode of The Atlas Society Asks where the duo discuss "open" borders vs. "closed" borders vs. "managed" borders, whether the "Ellis Island model" is irrelevant given our current welfare state, and more.

Aug 21, 2024 • 1h 1min
How to Profit in Politically Polarized Times? with James P. Pinkerton
Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 216th episode of The Atlas Society Asks where she interviews author James P. Pinkerton about his book "The Secret to Directional Investing: Making Money Amidst the Red-Blue Rumble," which offers a new way of thinking about investing, steeped in culture and history.
James “Jim” P. Pinkerton is a columnist and political analyst who has written for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and is a longtime contributing editor at The American Conservative. He worked in the White House domestic policy offices of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush and in the 1980, 1984, 1988, and 1992 presidential campaigns.

Aug 7, 2024 • 1h 1min
Venezuela: Can Maduro Last? with Juan Pio Hernandez
Join CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 215 episode of The Atlas Society Asks where she interviews Executive Director of Plan Pais, Juan Pio Hernandez, about the history of Venezuela, the current controversy over election results, protests against Nicolás Maduro’s socialist regime, and Hernandez’s outlook for what is to come.
Juan Pio Hernandez is the Executive Director of Plan País, a U.S.-based non-profit organization that connects and educates the Venezuelan diaspora and youth through a platform for the exchange of knowledge, talent, and ideas.


