New Ideal, from the Ayn Rand Institute
293 episodes - English - Latest episode: 11 days ago - ★★★★★ - 60 ratingsThe New Ideal Podcast features a curated selection of content from the pages of New Ideal, the journal of the Ayn Rand Institute. At New Ideal, we explore pressing cultural issues from the perspective of Rand’s philosophy: Objectivism, which upholds the ideals of reason, individualism and Capitalism.
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Episodes
What’s Wrong with California’s Ethnic Studies Mandate?
April 08, 2024 14:00 - 1 hour - 95.2 MBhttps://youtu.be/Xh0xF5hACkw Podcast audio: In this episode of New Ideal Live, Sam Weaver and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss the recent California ethnic studies mandate. They evaluate the ideological nature of the curriculum and its assault on knowledge, the philosophical ideas that made it possible, and why it must be opposed intellectually. Among the topics covered: How ethnic studies emerged from an activist assault on the idea of objective truth; Evidence that the proposed curriculum ...
The Shameful UN Resolution Demanding an Israeli Ceasefire
April 01, 2024 13:00 - 43 minutes - 59.1 MBhttps://youtu.be/L3RBJNhglek Podcast audio: In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Elan Journo discuss the recent United Nations “ceasefire” resolution. They argue it is yet another example of the West’s moral reluctance to condemn evil regimes and to provide a principled defense of Israel’s right to self-defense. Among the topics covered: The fact that Hamas seeks to destroy Israel because it is a bastion of civilization; Why the UN resolution is a pro-Hamas document; How the...
Defend Apple Against the DOJ
March 25, 2024 21:00 - 32 minutes - 44.3 MBhttps://youtu.be/UPHqvTkKFcA Podcast audio: In this special episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Elan Journo discuss the recent announcement of the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust case against Apple and analyze the injustice of criminalizing a company for giving customers an experience they want. Among the topics covered: Why the DOJ’s antitrust case against Apple is significant to all American business; How Apple is targeted because of its business success, not its failures...
A Legal Crisis in Immigration
March 25, 2024 17:32 - 1 hour - 95.6 MBhttps://youtu.be/07j7MQNdJhQ Podcast audio: In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Agustina Vergara Cid discuss the state of the immigration debate between Democrats and Republicans. They show how both parties appeal to fear and collectivism in their opposition to immigration, and explain why a proper solution to the border crisis requires policies that favor free economic migration. Among the topics covered: How both Democrats and Republicans are hostile to immigration; How ...
Biden’s Price Control ‘Strike Force’
March 18, 2024 13:00 - 51 minutes - 71.1 MBhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTvoxqlq9x4 Podcast audio: In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Nikos Sotirakopoulos examine President Biden’s State of the Union address and what it reveals about the goals of today’s political leadership. They discuss the anti-mind premise driving both political tribes and how it leads to statist policies that destroy wealth and create economic hardship. Among the topics covered: Understanding the values of the current political leadership; B...
Does Fear of God Ground Morality?
March 13, 2024 13:10 - 18 minutes - 25.6 MBhttps://youtu.be/oV-deDzZNH8?si=MbfQzzp1Qa6D4tLC Podcast audio: In this special episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer responds to a PragerU video which argues that moral wisdom requires a “fear of God.” Bayer argues that a fear of God undercuts moral wisdom and is driven by a fear of the intellectual independence that moral wisdom requires. Among the topics covered: The proposal that a fear of God provides the basis for an objective morality; How the fear of God makes objective moral guid...
Zack Snyder on The Fountainhead
March 13, 2024 13:00 - 24 minutes - 34.2 MBhttps://youtu.be/s4xpmys7ejo Podcast audio: In this special episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo comments on Zack Snyder’s recent conversation with Joe Rogan about his admiration for Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead and why his film adaptation was rejected by Netflix. Journo discusses why so many creators like Snyder find Rand’s novels so compelling yet she is still considered “taboo,” the philosophical motives behind the hostility towards Rand, and the immense value readers can get from her h...
How Biden Subverts Israel’s War on Hamas
March 11, 2024 13:00 - 38 minutes - 53.4 MBhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=SYvTdaE9zfI Podcast audio: In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Ziemowit Gowin discuss how the Biden administration’s altruistic foreign policy undermines Israel’s war of self-defense against Hamas. Among the topics covered: How America’s inconsistent support of Israel subverts its war of self-defense; How the morality of altruism leads people to unjustly blame Israel for the fallout of Hamas’ attack; Why the altruistic decision ...
The Alabama IVF Ruling: The Dead End of Anti-Abortion Logic
March 04, 2024 14:00 - 58 minutes - 80.9 MBhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTntTkvIr3g Podcast audio: In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Agustina Vergara Cid discuss the philosophical and legal implications of the recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling that embryos created through in vitro fertilization (IVF) should be considered children. Among the topics covered: The facts and reasoning behind the Alabama Supreme Court case; How the court’s decision is a logical result of anti-abortion reasoning; Why conception or h...
Tucker Carlson’s Glorification of the Putin Regime
February 26, 2024 15:00 - 52 minutes - 71.9 MBhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJvI1XA7Bt8 Podcast audio: In this episode of New Ideal Live, Mike Mazza and Ziemowit Gowin discuss Tucker Carlson’s recent interview with Vladimir Putin, and Carlson’s attempt to undercut America by whitewashing life in Russia. Among the topics covered: Mainstream media’s reaction to Carlson’s interview; How interviewing dictators gives them an undeserved sense of moral legitimacy; How the interview only repeated Putin’s stale propaganda; Why it’s absur...
Why No One Wins from Today’s Tribal Political Battles
February 19, 2024 14:00 - 1 hour - 83 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss the problem of tribalism in our political culture. Exploring issues such as the Israel-Hamas war and the debates over immigration and abortion, they show how both the left and right are guilty of an anti-conceptual mentality that has degraded our political discourse. Among the topics covered: How tribalism has made today's political atmosphere toxic; The left's tribal support for Palestine; How the tribal mental...
Revealing Attacks on Taylor Swift and Tech CEOs
February 12, 2024 15:00 - 1 hour - 115 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Onkar Ghate discuss the cultural significance of two seemingly unrelated events: the bipartisan congressional hearings on online child safety and the conservative backlash to Taylor Swift’s relationship with Travis Kelce. They argue that the attacks on Mark Zuckerberg and on Swift's successful businesses reveal a tribal mentality that hates the good for being the good. Among the topics covered: The true purpose of the online child safety he...
Ayn Rand: A Philosophical Life
February 05, 2024 15:00 - 1 hour - 85.8 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer interviews Harry Binswanger about Ayn Rand’s philosophical approach to life and the invaluable lessons we can learn from the way she lived. Among the topics covered: How Rand integrated philosophy into her life; How Rand used philosophy to understand herself and others; What it was like to work with Rand on philosophical projects; How philosophy empowered Rand to continue learning throughout her life; What surprising conclusions Rand came to ...
Three Myths about Ayn Rand
January 29, 2024 16:00 - 42 minutes - 58.9 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Mike Mazza and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss and debunk as baseless three commonly heard myths about Ayn Rand: that she demonized the poor, that she uncritically praised the rich, and that she died penniless and hypocritically accepted Social Security at the end of her life. Among the topics covered: Why the claim that Rand hated the poor has no plausibility; Rand’s focus on ambition and productive ability; Why Rand didn’t praise being rich as such; Rand...
Interview with Coleman Hughes: The End of Race Politics
January 24, 2024 14:00 - 54 minutes - 74.3 MBIn this special episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo interviews Coleman Hughes on his new book The End of Race Politics: Arguments for a Colorblind America. They discuss Hughes’ case for colorblindness, his critique of the “anti-racist” movement, and his views about why we need to abandon race as a meaningful category. Hughes also comments on Ayn Rand's individualist analysis of racism. Among the topics covered: How the ideal of colorblindness disappeared from American intellectual life; ...
The Good Empowering Evil: Israel, the U.S., and the West
January 22, 2024 15:00 - 48 minutes - 67.3 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Elan Journo discuss international reactions to several recent developments around the world that reveal the power of morality in human affairs. Among the topics covered: How the retreat of the good encourages evil around the world; How the “genocide” hearings against Israel exemplify the UN’s equation of good and evil regimes; Why Israel’s deference to the UN enables its own destruction; How the United Nations is designed to whitewash ev...
The Plagiarism Ethics Scandal Nobody Is Talking About
January 15, 2024 18:00 - 59 minutes - 82.4 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Daniel Schwartz discuss the problem of plagiarism in our culture. They argue that although academic institutions assume that cheating is wrong, many academics have no intellectual argument as to why plagiarism is morally wrong or why it is necessary to uphold standards of honesty. Among the topics covered: Background on the universities’ sacrifice of academic integrity to DEI; How plagiarism is a widespread problem in the culture; How some ...
The Manosphere: Tonic or Poison for Men?
January 08, 2024 14:00 - 51 minutes - 70.6 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Nikos Sotirakopoulos and Mike Mazza discuss the emergence of the manosphere. They explore issues such as why it appeals to young men seeking guidance, how it reflects the best and worst elements of our intellectual culture, and what a positive philosophical alternative requires. Among the topics covered: Defining the manosphere; Its devolution from a self-help movement to a player in the culture wars; How the manosphere appeals to young men deprived of p...
New Ideal: From, And To, Intellectual Mavericks
January 01, 2024 18:00 - 25 minutes - 34.8 MBIn this end-of-year episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Nikos Sotirakopoulos celebrate another year of unique cultural analysis and commentary by the intellectuals at the Ayn Rand Institute. Among the topics covered: How our unique perspective on the culture flows from the principled philosophical framework developed by Ayn Rand; Why we do not fight primarily against bad ideas, but for positive ideals; How Rand’s understanding of the power of philosophy enabled her to predict the p...
Should Universities Dump the Humanities?
December 25, 2023 14:00 - 1 hour - 97.5 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Sam Weaver discuss the humanities "crisis" in American universities. They explain the most common arguments in defense of the humanities, why they are not compelling, and the vital role that these studies play in an individual's life and the culture. Among the topics covered: How the humanities curricula shape our intellectual culture; Why the mere reduction of humanities majors does not necessarily imply a "crisis"; Why learning critical t...
The Real Scandal Underlying Campus Antisemitism
December 18, 2023 14:00 - 47 minutes - 65 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Onkar Ghate discuss the recent congressional hearings of the presidents of America’s most prestigious universities about the explosion of campus protests. They question whether the charge of hypocrisy is a proper conceptualization of the problem, and propose that it’s the deeper anti-justice worldview that explains the state of campuses today. Among the topics covered: Background on the president’s answers to Rep. Stefanik’s questions; Why...
Effective Egoism: Making the Case for Selfishness
December 11, 2023 14:05 - 1 hour - 88.6 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Nikos Sotirakopoulos interviews Don Watkins about his new book Effective Egoism: An Individualist’s Guide to Pride, Purpose, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Nikos and Don discuss the need for moral guidance on how to make the most of your life, why we need principles to guide our actions, and six lessons for living your best life. Among the topics covered: How philosophy can give you a framework for living your best life; Why your life matters; How to take...
Should We Have Immigration in a Welfare State?
December 07, 2023 15:00 - 1 hour - 88 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Agustina Vergara Cid discuss recent controversies surrounding immigrants and allegations that they are abusing the welfare state, and they explain what an objective approach to thinking about immigration and welfare involves. Among the topics covered: How to evaluate the purported data about immigrants and use of welfare services; How to avoid falling into pragmatism and collectivism in the debate on immigration and the welfare state; The...
Milei’s Election in Argentina: Is There an Ayn Rand Connection?
November 27, 2023 14:00 - 1 hour - 85.1 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer, Nikos Sotirakopoulos and Agustina Vergara Cid discuss the recent election of Javier Milei as President of Argentina. Among the topics covered: How Peronism turned Argentina from one of the richest countries in the world to one of the poorest; Milei’s academic background and turn towards libertarianism; The extent to which Milei is actually influenced by Ayn Rand; The flaws in Milei’s mongrel libertarian philosophy, including his support for a...
What Antisemitism Is
November 26, 2023 15:00 - 42 minutes - 58.5 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Onkar Ghate discuss the recent rise of antisemitism. They analyze why the conventional view of religious or racial animus is insufficient in explaining the explosion of overt hatred, how Ayn Rand’s identification of “hatred of the good for being the good” exposes the true nature of modern antisemitism, and what is needed to rationally combat it. Among the topics covered: Why today’s antisemitism can’t be understood in religious or racial te...
Jordan Peterson’s Sophomoric Attack on Ayn Rand
November 20, 2023 18:00 - 1 hour - 83.9 MBIn this special episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Ben Bayer offer the Ayn Rand Institute’s response to Jordan Peterson’s recent attack on Ayn Rand on his podcast of November 16, 2023. Among the topics covered: Peterson’s recent anti-Enlightenment conservative activism; Why Rand’s view of self-interest is not hedonistic but values-based; How Peterson argues for collectivism from the non-existence of an enduring self; How Peterson sells collectivism by packaging sacrifice with ind...
Ayaan Hirsi Ali Abandons Atheism for Christianity
November 19, 2023 14:00 - 56 minutes - 77.4 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Ben Bayer discuss Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s recent conversion to Christianity, which they argue is the result of tribalism and fear. They discuss the unconcern for truth of many alleged defenders of the West, their bogus claims about the positive role of Christianity, and the failure of secular atheists to complete the Enlightenment project. Among the topics covered: Hirsi Ali's admirable story of emancipation from Islam; The tribalism and fear be...
International Law vs. War
November 17, 2023 12:10 - 40 minutes - 55.9 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Ziemowit Gowin discuss international laws of war. Challenging the very legitimacy of such laws, they emphasize how “humanitarian” laws of war hamper a free country's self-defense, make them vulnerable to belligerent regimes, and make war more palatable rather than less. Among the topics covered: How international laws of war undercut a nation's right to self-defense and whitewash dictatorships; Why war is legitimate both in response to an ...
The Ongoing Debate Over Reading Education
November 13, 2023 14:00 - 1 hour - 96.8 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Sam Weaver and Mike Mazza discuss the long-standing “reading wars” in American schools. They explore the historical background of the debate, different approaches to teaching reading, and why phonics has consistently proven to be far superior to whole language methods in instilling a love of reading in children. Among the topics covered: What phonics is and why it matters; Whole language and other alternative approaches to phonics; The “balanced literacy...
The Morality of Self-Defense and Innocent Deaths in War
November 12, 2023 10:04 - 32 minutes - 44.5 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Ziemowit Gowin discuss the right to self-defense, deaths of innocents in war, and just war theory in the context of Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza. Among the topics covered: Why the responsibility for deaths of innocents in war falls on the aggressor; How the right to self-defense rests on the inalienable right to your own life; How the aggressor can be morally responsible for deaths the defender caused; How the principle of “double effec...
Why Iran Fuels the Mideast War
November 10, 2023 14:00 - 30 minutes - 41.9 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate, Elan Journo and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss Iran’s central role in inspiring, supporting and funding the enemies of Israel and the West. Among the topics covered: Why the Iranian Revolution of 1979 is crucial context for understanding the proliferation and boldness of Islamist groups in the Middle East; Why Iran’s explicitly expansionist goals must not be ignored or downplayed; How Iran’s imperialism is driven by its Islamist ideology; The...
The Unstable Foundation of Marc Andreessen’s Techno-Optimism
November 06, 2023 12:00 - 1 hour - 82.5 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Don Watkins discuss Marc Andreessen’s recent defense of “techno-optimism“ in his essay “The Techno-Optimist Manifesto,” and explain why his manifesto lacks the moral foundation required to successfully defend technological progress. Among the topics covered: Andreessen’s commendable advocacy of technological progress; The philosophical foundation of technological progress; How Andreessen’s defense of technological progress rests upon altrui...
Global Protests: Anti-war, or Pro-Hamas?
November 04, 2023 14:00 - 31 minutes - 43 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate, Elan Journo, and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss the global protests in support of the Palestinian cause. They look at the philosophical motives of these protests and the nature of their moral bankruptcy, and they explain why the “anti-war” movement actually enables warfare and destruction. Among the topics covered: The protesters’ lack of positive goals; Nihilism as the driving motive behind the protests; How “anti-war” movements have historic...
Did Israel Steal Palestinian Land?
October 30, 2023 13:00 - 35 minutes - 48.7 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Nikos Sotirakopoulos challenge the misleading narrative of the shrinking Palestinian lands and the claim that Israel has allegedly stolen them. They explore the history of how the Israeli territories were lawfully acquired, the Palestinians’ repeated failures to form an enduring, peaceful state, and the broader philosophical questions of what moral premises are necessary to validate any claim to statehood. Among the topics covered: The dish...
The Absurdity of Calling the U.S.-Mexico Border Crisis an ‘Invasion’
October 29, 2023 17:00 - 1 hour - 102 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Agustina Vergara Cid discuss the recent comparisons between America’s border crisis and the threat to Israel from Hamas terrorists. They analyze a range of claims about the alleged threat posed by immigration across the Mexican border and explain how such claims are not only unsupported but result in massive injustice and obscure the actual problems with the immigration system. Among the topics covered: The existing border crisis in America; ...
How to Think about the Death of Innocents in War
October 23, 2023 13:00 - 57 minutes - 78.8 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, and in the context of ongoing events in Israel and Gaza, Onkar Ghate and Elan Journo discuss how to think about civilian casualties in war. Among the topics covered: Why the brutal nature of war should not be sanitized, glamorized, or whitewashed; Why winning requires doing everything necessary to bring an end to the enemy’s military and political leadership; How Hamas uses its subjects as human shields, hoping to deter Israel from defending itself and t...
Rand and Oppenheimer: The Atomic Bomb Movie that Wasn’t
October 21, 2023 12:14 - 9 minutes - 13.1 MBIn this episode, Brandon Lisi reads aloud his article, “Rand and Oppenheimer: The Atomic Bomb Movie that Wasn't.” In that essay, he tells the story of Rand's work on "Top Secret," a movie about the invention of atomic bomb. Lisi explains Rand's perspective on the significance of such a movie as well as her intense research on the subject, including two interviews with J. Robert Oppenheimer, the theoretical physicist who served as scientific director of the Los Alamos Laboratory. Lisi's articl...
The Suffering of Moral Saints
October 21, 2023 11:49 - 19 minutes - 26.7 MBIn this episode, Aaron Smith reads aloud his article, “The Suffering of Moral Saints.” In that essay, he analyzes Larissa MacFarquhar's book, Strangers Drowning: Grappling with Impossible Idealism, Drastic Choices, and the Overpowering Urge to Help. The central question that MacFarquhar asks is “Is it good to live as ethical a life as possible?” As Smith shows, the fundamental problem with MacFarquhar's perspective is that she equates morality with altruism. He goes on to argue that this pers...
Civilization vs. Barbarism: Ongoing Analysis of the Hamas War on Israel
October 16, 2023 13:00 - 1 hour - 99.3 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo, Onkar Ghate, Nikos Sotirakopoulos, and Tal Tsfany discuss the recent developments in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. They assess the cultural significance of Hamas' aggression and methods, the theocratic nature of the movement, and how Western reactions have been either impotent or, worse, encouraging violence against Israel. Among the topics covered: What makes Hamas' aggression tragically significant; Tsfany's experience of h...
The Hamas War on Israel
October 09, 2023 19:07 - 50 minutes - 69.3 MBIn this special episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate, Elan Journo, and Boaz Arad offer the Ayn Rand Institute’s response to the invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023 by Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist militant group based in the Gaza Strip. Among the topics covered: Facts about the Hamas invasion (timeline, casualties, ongoing threats); Why the invasion was a predictable consequence of moral agnosticism about Hamas; Why U.S. foreign policy is responsible for pressuring Israel to appease...
Cristiano Ronaldo and Joe Biden Whitewash Saudi Arabia
October 09, 2023 15:00 - 1 hour - 87 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss Saudi Arabia’s lavish spending on sports celebrities, the recent American diplomatic overtures to Saudi Arabia, and the connection between the two. Among the topics covered: Recent sports and diplomatic deals with Saudi Arabia; Sports celebrities accepting lavish salaries from the Saudi government; An ominous proposal to strengthen U.S.-Saudi relations; The authoritarianism nature of the Saudi regime; The mo...
Libertarianism: Big Tent or Big Mess?
October 02, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 87.8 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Nikos Sotirakopoulos review Matt Zwolinski and John Tomasi’s new book The Individualists: Radicals, Reactionaries, and the Struggle for the Soul of Libertarianism, and argue that the authors’ attempt to define libertarianism demonstrates that it lacks a coherent ideological identity. Among the topics covered: Zwolinski and Tomasi’s book and the liberty vs. libertarianism movements; The connection between libertarianism and the progressive le...
Independence in an ‘Interdependent’ World
September 25, 2023 09:30 - 1 hour - 88.9 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Aaron Smith discuss the idea that our complex, division of labor society precludes real independence, and they examine what is wrong with thinking of ourselves as “interdependent.” Among the topics covered: Why Ayn Rand unequivocally rejected the idea that we are all interdependent; How globalism makes us interconnected, while only government force can outlaw our ability to function as independent individuals; How the false metaphysics of...
Q&A on Ayn Rand’s Ethics with Dan Schwartz and Ziemowit Gowin
September 18, 2023 12:30 - 55 minutes - 75.9 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Dan Schwartz and Ziemowit Gowin answer reader-submitted questions about Ayn Rand’s Objectivist ethics. Among the topics covered: What are Ayn Rand’s thoughts on ambition in career?How ambition can be moral or immoral depending on the goals pursued;Career ambition versus second-handedly chasing salary increases and promotions; Career ambition in the context of pursuing values generally, including non-career values. How does Rand’s virtue of rationality di...
Ayn Rand’s Distinctive View of Romantic Art
September 12, 2023 14:00 - 1 hour - 169 MBIn this episode of New Ideal, Sam Weaver interviews Harry Binswanger and Shoshana Milgram about the Romantic movement in art and Ayn Rand’s unique account of it. They also discuss an upcoming conference, Resurrecting Romanticism, which will focus on Romanticism in music and the visual arts. Among the topics covered: The value of learning about Rand’s philosophy of art; A brief summary of Rand’s account of why we need art; The unique value of Romantic art’s portrayal of volition and values...
Ayn Rand’s Repudiation of Original Sin
September 11, 2023 15:00 - 1 hour - 98.8 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Ricardo Pinto discuss Ayn Rand’s devastating critique of the idea of original sin. They explore how the notion has been understood historically, the philosophical and political uses to which it has been put, and the arguments Rand gives for regarding it as a destructive affront to morality and self-esteem. Among the topics covered: What original sin is and how it compares to other views; Why Ayn Rand saw the doctrine as an offense to the ver...
The U.S.-Iran Prisoner Swap: Biden’s Policy of Delusion
September 03, 2023 17:49 - 1 hour - 87.2 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Elan Journo discuss the Biden administration’s recent prisoner swap with the Iranian regime and how it reflects the delusional attitudes and non-objective thinking that lead to America’s continuous foreign policy failures with regard to Islamic totalitarianism. Among the topics covered: The details of the prisoner swap; The often delusional attitude of American policymakers toward Iran; How the media has failed in its responsibility to qu...
The Moral Justification of the Atomic Bomb
August 28, 2023 14:00 - 1 hour - 98.3 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Nikos Sotirakopoulos analyze the moral justification and the criticisms of dropping the atomic bombs on Japan in light of the movie Oppenheimer. The episode features audio clips of Ayn Rand discussing the right of military self-defense and the issue of “innocents in war.” Among the topics covered: The claim that Japan would have surrendered before the US dropped the bomb; Why the Japanese military kept fighting despite knowing the war was lo...
Chinese Foreign Policy Toward Taiwan: With Scott McDonald
August 21, 2023 13:30 - 1 hour - 163 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Ziemowit Gowin is joined by Scott McDonald to discuss the latest events in the ongoing dispute between China and Taiwan. Among the topics covered: What Secretary of State Blinken’s recent visit to Beijing signals about U.S. policy toward China; Why Taiwan matters to the Chinese Communist Party; How the war in Ukraine is shaping hostilities between China and Taiwan; Why China’s attempt to assimilate Taiwan will probably fail; How classical Chinese philo...
Ayn Rand on Watergate
August 14, 2023 03:00 - 1 hour - 101 MBIn this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Harry Binswanger discuss Ayn Rand's little-known analysis of the Watergate scandal, fifty years after the Congressional hearings. They draw attention to how Rand's evaluation differed from the conventional commentary of the day, and her analysis of how pragmatism and the mixed economy function as the deepest causes behind political scandals like Watergate. Among the topics covered: Why Ayn Rand didn’t want to write about the scandal at first ...