Best Objectivists Podcasts (2025)

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Preview of the Objectivist Conference 2025 24:56

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1d ago24:56

24:56

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMepGP0ehPoPodcast AudioIn this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Elan Journo interviews ARI intellectuals about their upcoming talks at the Objectivist Summer Conference, taking place July 1-5 in Boston, Massachusetts.Among the topics covered:Audra Hilse’s talk, “Revised Blueprints: Early Versions of Part I…

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The L.A. Riots and Mass Deportation: Both Evil 57:47

3d ago57:47

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YchKm3DnUFoPodcast Audio:In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Onkar Ghate and Ben Bayer discuss the ongoing mass protests in Los Angeles and how the Trump administration’s response also shows a disregard for the rule of law.Among the topics covered:The scale of the violence;Evidence that the rioters do …

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#82: The Batman Who Sold The World 53:06

8d ago53:06

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In this special crossover episode the boys are joined by the wonderful Remember Shuffle podcast to discuss the two Joel Schumacher Batman Movies, Batman Forever/ Batman and Robin. We discuss where they fit into the overall history of comic book movies, why they're as maligned as they are and opine for the good old days when comic book movies didn't…

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A Central Planner’s Trojan Horse: The Technological Republic 54:48

10d ago54:48

54:48

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A28R9JnfNroPodcast audio:In this episode of The ARI Bookshelf, Elan Journo, Mike Mazza, Nikos Sotirakopoulos and Robertas Bakula discuss The Technological Republic, the recent New York Times bestseller by Alexander C. Karp, CEO of Palantir Technologies, and Nicholas W. Zamiska, the company’s head of corporate affairs…

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Joe Rogan vs. Douglas Murray: Who’s Right About Trusting Experts? 1:09:12

17d ago1:09:12

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hY3NY7gFYtwPodcast audio:In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Ben Bayer and Tristan de Liège examine Douglas Murray’s recent critique of Joe Rogan and other influencers who share their platforms with unreliable pseudo-experts. They explain why Murray fails to clarify the standards for distinguishing exp…

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Reading Reform Beyond Phonics | Sam Weaver 1:00:36

18d ago1:00:36

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https://youtu.be/iVJOTxv-tWkPodcast audio:American schools have long performed dismally at providing the education children need to read well. A movement in favor of systematic phonics instruction offers hope for improvement, but while phonics is essential to teaching children to read, they need further education to become highly capable readers. T…

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The Making of the Atom Bomb | Evan Picoult 1:35:54

20d ago1:35:54

1:35:54

https://youtu.be/o615h8druDEPodcast audio:The creation of the atom bomb during WWII was an extraordinary achievement, dramatized in part in the movie Oppenheimer. What were the three greatest challenges in making the bomb and how does the success in overcoming those very difficult obstacles illustrate the application of objectivity? Which great sci…

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Trump’s Display of Arbitrary Immigration Power 1:07:26

1M ago1:07:26

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https://youtu.be/VUYooprteeUPodcast audio:In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Onkar Ghate and Agustina Vergara Cid analyze how the Trump administration’s immigration policy has escalated attacks on due process, legal immigration, and the broader American system of government.(Since the recording of this podcast, Rümeysa Öztürk has be…

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Racism: What It Is and Why It Persists | Gregory Salmieri 1:27:16

1M ago1:27:16

1:27:16

https://youtu.be/RclwB5luKekPodcast audio:Ayn Rand denounced racism as “the lowest, most crudely primitive form of collectivism.” She also rejected as collectivist many of the measures being advocated to combat this evil, including what became the Civil Rights Act of 1964. On the sixtieth anniversary of that law, Dr. Greg Salmieri revisited the the…

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Why Objectivity Demands a First-Handed Foreign Policy | Scott McDonald 59:06

1M ago59:06

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https://youtu.be/2yQWRvrbVUIPodcast audio:Foreign policy is both a political activity and a field of applied ethics. However, the metaphysical and epistemological premises held by theorists and practitioners shape their view of ethics. The lack of an objective view of the world has led to theories and policies that do not support, and are often har…

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The ARI Bookshelf Explores Abundance 1:23:52

1M ago1:23:52

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https://youtu.be/LVNSnbdEo0oPodcast audio:In this episode of The ARI Bookshelf, Onkar Ghate, Tristan de Liège, and Robertas Bakula discuss Abundance, the recent best-selling book by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson that has gained traction in liberal circles.Klein and Thompson acknowledge the failings of past liberal policies and present what they cal…

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How Capitalists Are Exploited 54:32

1M ago54:32

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https://youtu.be/0R_RjyOJeI4Podcast audio:In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Ben Bayer, Robertas Bakula, and Tristan de Liège explore how the mixed economy enables the unjust exploitation of society’s most productive individuals.Among the topics covered:Why, contrary to Marxist claims, businesspeople are the most exploited group in …

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Aristotle and Darwin: Antagonists or Kindred Spirits? | James Lennox 1:29:12

1M ago1:29:12

1:29:12

https://youtu.be/7Wjrmh8CjAkPodcast audio:As a historian and philosopher of biology, much of Dr. James Lennox’s research has focused on the philosophical foundations of history’s two greatest biologists: Aristotle and Charles Darwin. Historians and philosophers often portray these two giants as diametrically opposed in their approach to the study o…

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How to Recognize “Package-Deals” 59:25

1M ago59:25

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https://youtu.be/sNtIs4UmXnsPodcast audio:The most pernicious ideas are often injected into the culture by the method of “package-dealing” — the attempt to integrate the unintegratable. Expanding on previous material he has presented on this subject, Mr. Peter Schwartz offers a more advanced analysis of the mechanics of the package-deal. He address…

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The New Iran Deal: Trump Recycles Obama Amoralism 50:45

1M ago50:45

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https://youtu.be/S53avG169mwPodcast audio:In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Elan Journo and Ben Bayer discuss the Trump administration’s move to restart nuclear talks with Iran by rehashing Obama’s failed deal.Among the topics covered:How the Trump administration’s new Iran deal essentially recycles Obama’s failed policy;Why hopes …

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#81: Lava Cubes Can't Melt Ender Beams 1:06:43

2M ago1:06:43

1:06:43

In this episode, the boys keep on their video game adventures, this time to talk about the Minecraft movie that's taking cinemas and the internet by storm. And what it means for the continued slopification of culture. Also talk of the Pope's recent passing, the death of 4Chan, Right Wing insecurity and try to figure out why the hell Jack Black keep…

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An Introduction to Psychology | Gena Gorlin 1:28:35

2M ago1:28:35

1:28:35

https://youtu.be/Ff78OyGNA40Podcast audio:This sample class by Gena Gorlin is based on the full-length ARU course of the same name. The full course explores the major schools of thought, methods of inquiry, and empirical findings taught in a typical introduction to psychology course. But it explores how to understand and evaluate these theories, me…

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21st-Century Revolutions in Medicine, Health Sciences, and Biotechnology | Amesh Adalja 1:00:34

2M ago1:00:34

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https://youtu.be/oMFbMFvDJ50Podcast audio:In this talk, Dr. Amesh Adalja details innovative new developments in science that will enhance the lives of individuals. Topics include transplantation of pig hearts and kidneys into humans, cell-based therapies for cancer, genetically modified mosquitoes, new vaccines and vaccine technologies, AI-discover…

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Private Space Entrepreneurs vs. NASA: How Freedom Fuels Rockets 44:38

2M ago44:38

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https://youtu.be/pWpAiAioZTEPodcast audio:In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Robertas Bakula and Mike Mazza explore the themes from Mazza’s upcoming essay, which argues that freedom, not government control, is the true engine of progress in the space industry.Among the topics covered:How NASA’s monopoly led to decades of stagnation …

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The Revolutionary, Secular Concept of Individual Rights | Ben Bayer 59:17

2M ago59:17

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https://youtu.be/79fT9VIDkVsPodcast audio:As Ayn Rand wrote, “The concept of individual rights is so prodigious a feat of political thinking that few men grasp it fully—and two hundred years have not been enough for other countries to understand it.” We can see this failure of understanding in the view, advanced by many conservatives and libertaria…

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Philosophy of Math | Harry Binswanger 57:57

2M ago57:57

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https://youtu.be/UaRhK2N8m6YPodcast audio:A continuation of Dr. Harry Binswanger’s Saving Math from Plato (OCON 2023): how the Aristotelian, perception-based approach to mathematics refutes or re-interprets wrong ideas advanced by figures such as Russell and Cantor. Topics include number, infinity, limits, and the axiomatic concepts of mathematics.…

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Does Targeting Columbia University Target Intellectual Freedom? 58:48

2M ago58:48

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https://youtu.be/qctS25KQzrsPodcast audio:In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Sam Weaver and Ben Bayer discuss the Trump administration's decision to cut federal funding to Columbia University in response to its handling of pro-Hamas protests. They argue that government involvement in universities makes such coercion possible and thr…

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Why Ta-Nehisi Coates’s The Message Is So Wrong on Palestine | ARI Bookshelf 1:25:27

2M ago1:25:27

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https://youtu.be/VaNHaT-xlOUPodcast audio:The new ARI Bookshelf podcast series gives you a window into ARI’s educational programs by showcasing our faculty as they discuss books of recent interest. This episode discusses Ta-Nehisi Coates's book on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, The Message. Panelists included Elan Journo, Greg Salmieri, Ibis Sla…

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#80: Bioshock 1/2: Objectivist Son or Collectivist Daughter 1:29:56

2M ago1:29:56

1:29:56

In this episode the boys dip back into the world of video games for a retrospective on the Bioshock series. Starting with Bioshock 1 & 2 The first game, an art-house horror dressed up like a Triple-A FPS and it's flawed but fun enough sequel. Also talk of Trump's tariff insanity, what makes a sequel good or bad, our thoughts on gooners and how capi…

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Socratic Wisdom | Jason Rheins 1:00:32

2M ago1:00:32

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https://youtu.be/RKtLU6ntECUPodcast audio:“Socratic Wisdom” — knowing our own ignorance — is the ability to differentiate what we do not know from what we do. This is a key component of objectivity, vital for properly weighing and implementing the knowledge we possess and directing ongoing investigation and inquiry. In this talk, Jason Rheins discu…

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Trump’s Authoritarian War on Trade 1:08:30

2M ago1:08:30

1:08:30

https://youtu.be/vFaDm6eo-mkPodcast audio:In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Onkar Ghate and Ben Bayer examine the Trump administration’s recent tariff policy and the legal, economic, and political disruptions they create.Among the topics covered:Why tariffs are not a proper foreign policy instrument to deter the threat from China;W…

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Marx vs. the Individual | Nikos Sotirakopoulos 1:00:32

2M ago1:00:32

1:00:32

https://youtu.be/-c6W8JuZsVoPodcast audio:Oppression and authoritarianism have been constant themes in regimes that ruled in the name of Marxism. From the Soviet Union to Cuba and from Yugoslavia to China, individual rights were ignored and violently suppressed. Is such anti-individualism a feature or a bug in Marxism? What about Marx himself? How …

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Objectivity in One-to-One Conversations | Jean Moroney 1:01:21

2M ago1:01:21

1:01:21

https://youtu.be/093vQKWPwvsPodcast audio:Objectivity is the key to avoiding misunderstandings and making one-to-one conversations productive. There are two contexts of knowledge, two value hierarchies, and two “crows” to consider to communicate effectively. In this talk from OCON 2024, Jean Moroney covers the topics: what constitutes subjective vs…

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Debunking the ‘Not Real Socialism’ Myth 46:04

2M ago46:04

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https://youtu.be/a3bgumyKdAAPodcast audio:In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Ben Bayer and Nikos Sotirakopoulos dismantle the claim that “real socialism” has never been attempted.Among the topics covered:Why many young Americans support socialism;How Soviet leaders were driven by Marxist ideology;Why Joseph Stalin epitomized Marxist…

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‘From Heaven Through the World to Hell’: Goethe’s Faust as Romantic Hero | Nicolas Krusek 57:51

3M ago57:51

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https://youtu.be/8wKAKmydUlgPodcast audio:Johann Wolfgang Goethe’s dramatic poem Faust is a monumental work of Romantic literature that presents one man’s ceaseless striving to transcend the limitations of human knowledge and experience. By exploring some of the most profound and moving passages from the poem, this talk by Nicolas Krusek provides a…

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Why Trust Science? by Naomi Oreskes | ARI Bookshelf 1:34:55

3M ago1:34:55

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https://youtu.be/HtOmp-fh-PkPodcast audio:This episode of ARI Bookshelf features Naomi Oreskes’s bookWhy Trust Science? Panelists include Ben Bayer, Jason Rheins, Mike Mazza, and Daniel Schwartz.Why Trust Science? asks when and why non-experts can trust science. It argues that it is the social character of science that makes it trustworthy.Our pane…

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Why Business Leaders Won’t Object to Trump’s Tariffs 56:28

3M ago56:28

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https://youtu.be/S1DL9777gfkPodcast audio:In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Ben Bayer and Onkar Ghate challenge the myth that America is ruled by plutocrats, exposing how fear of governmental threats drives business decisions.Among the topics covered:How CEOs’ silence in the face of Trump’s destructive tariff policies debunks the m…

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How to Value Friendship | Tristan de Liège 1:00:56

3M ago1:00:56

1:00:56

https://youtu.be/qBTy_9VVhuEPodcast audio:Often, people make the mistake of being too passive about friendship, treating it as something that just happens automatically in life—for instance, maintaining friendships with people one just happened to know growing up, or using shortcuts, such as a shared philosophy, in choosing friends. In this talk, T…

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America’s History of Immigration Restrictions | Agustina Vergara Cid 38:06

3M ago38:06

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https://youtu.be/9lMQ3idE9bwPodcast audio:Immigration is one of the most contentious topics on today's political landscape. But that has always been true throughout America history. Why have immigration restrictions taken hold in America since the nineteenth century? What ideas animate immigration restrictionists, and what explains their success in…

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USAID Corruption: Deeper Than You Think 43:58

3M ago43:58

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https://youtu.be/3XFiAQbxtgQPodcast audio:In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Ben Bayer and Agustina Vergara Cid examine the current controversy over USAID and discuss Ayn Rand’s distinctive critique of the morality behind America’s foreign aid.Among the topics covered:How recent revelations about USAID expose the agency’s absurd, if…

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Egoism Without Permission – It Begins with Desire | Tara Smith 1:28:05

3M ago1:28:05

1:28:05

https://youtu.be/DI1xqqIcj7kPodcast audio:How can we live more egoistically? What makes us want to live more egoistically? Not everyone does. In her talk “Egoism Without Permission – It Begins with Desire” at Objectivist Summer Conference 2024 in Anaheim, Tara Smith explored the connection between these questions, drawing material from her new book…

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#79: MCU Flop Era 2/2: Red Hulk's Heated Gaming Moment 1:43:24

3M ago1:43:24

1:43:24

In the episode, guest John returns to the show to chat with the boys about 'Captain America: Brave New World.' The newest MCU slice of pig slop and how it spells a bad omen for everything going forward. Also talk of Ukraine, MAGA's further decent into nihilism, early Leo DiCaprio star vehicles and how films are not made anymore so much as they are …

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Freely Determined by Kennon M. Sheldon | ARI Bookshelf 1:27:44

3M ago1:27:44

1:27:44

https://youtu.be/ZhqJzc75qeIPodcast audio:A new ARI podcast series, ARI Bookshelf, gives you a window into ARI’s educational programs by showcasing our faculty as they discuss books of recent interest. This episode discusses Kennon M. Sheldon’s book Freely Determined. Panelists include Ben Bayer, Jason Rheins, Greg Salmieri, and Gena Gorlin.Freely …

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Why the Ayn Rand Institute Comments on Current Events

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https://youtu.be/QT4O5p3oSAAPodcast audio:In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Onkar Ghate and Ben Bayer discuss why ARI comments on current events and why applying Objectivism to cultural issues is central to its essence as a philosophy for living on earth.Among the topics covered:How ARI’s commentary fits its mission;Why applying Ob…

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The ARI Bookshelf Explores Three Books on the Influence of Christianity on Western Culture 1:22:08

3M ago1:22:08

1:22:08

https://youtu.be/YjhHIgZzO3kPodcast audio:In this episode of The ARI Bookshelf, Jason Rheins, Ben Bayer, Don Watkins, and Alex Silverman examine two contrasting perspectives on the influence of Christianity: Tom Holland’s Dominion and Charles Freeman’s The Closing of the Western Mind and The Reopening of the Western Mind.While Holland’s widely disc…

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Behind the Scenes: Ayn Rand’s West Point Lecture (1974–2024) 1:26:24

3M ago1:26:24

1:26:24

https://youtu.be/V8yIcXmoAnQPodcast audio:Fifty years ago, Ayn Rand journeyed to West Point to speak to a new senior-level course offered by the Department of English. She told the cadets — and the world — who needed philosophy, and why. Now, from Shoshana Milgram, you can learn from archival documents and new interviews why and when she was invite…

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Trump’s Betrayal of Ukraine 43:34

3M ago43:34

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https://youtu.be/h1tIDRzi9HoPodcast audio:In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast Ziemowit Gowin interviews Elan Journo and Onkar Ghate on Trump’s stance on the Ukraine-Russia war, which led him to call President Zelensky a dictator and publicly berate him in the Oval Office.Among the topics covered:What America’s approach to the Ukraine-…

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Karl Popper’s Rejection of Induction 59:23

3M ago59:23

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https://youtu.be/ad5KEuKz1a8Podcast audio:How does science work, and how does it differ from religion or pseudo-science? According to Karl Popper’s “falsificationism,” science, unlike religion and pseudo-science, doesn’t claim certainty; it aims only to disprove its hypotheses, and this is the source of its rationality. Popper proposed his theory a…

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Will Jeff Bezos’s Washington Post Defend “Personal Liberties and Free Markets”? 48:14

4M ago48:14

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https://youtu.be/gFXDYaKnCVwPodcast audio:In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Onkar Ghate and Elan Journo examine Jeff Bezos' decision to reorient The Washington Post's opinion section toward issues of personal and economic freedom.Among the topics covered:How Bezos' move reflects a genuine appreciation for the American ideals that e…

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#78: MCU Flop Era 1/2: The Uncanny Valley 2:04:14

4M ago2:04:14

2:04:14

In this episode, the boys go back to the world of Capeshit to discuss Marvel's post Avengers: Endgame run of films. The bad, the ugly and the one or two good nuggets hidden in this pile of trash. Also talk of how COVID ruined filmmaking, why homework shouldn't been mandatory to watch CGI monsters fighting each other, and how over saturation and qua…

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Cashing In on Objectivism 1:29:13

4M ago1:29:13

1:29:13

https://youtu.be/1fLxvFQCScAPodcast audio:Philosophy is for living. But how do you get the most value out of your philosophy? This is a question the panelists have been exploring from a variety of perspectives, ranging from psychology to moral philosophy to personal development. Gena Gorlin, Tara Smith, Tal Tsfany, and Don Watkins, shared their tho…

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The Marxists’ Exploitation Myth 50:38

4M ago50:38

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https://youtu.be/UVujQHg1kZoPodcast audio:In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Ben Bayer and Nikos Sotirakopoulos challenge the exploitation theory of value at the root of many attacks on capitalists by both the political left and right.Among the topics covered:How the exploitation theory is entrenched in mainstream political thought;…

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Near-Death Experiences 6:27

4M ago6:27

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Links:⁠ https://www.amazon.com/Proof-Heaven-Neurosurgeons-Journey-Afterlife/dp/1451695195; https://www.samharris.org/blog/this-must-be-heaven; https://www.samharris.org/blog/science-on-the-brink-of-death; https://www.samharris.org/about; https://psychedelics.berkeley.edu/substance/dmt/; http://ebenalexander.com/about/; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki…

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The Visionaries by Wolfram Eilenberger: ARI Bookshelf Discussion 1:32:18

4M ago1:32:18

1:32:18

https://youtu.be/0SSL_XThHdQPodcast audio:A new ARI podcast series gives you a window into ARI’s educational programs by showcasing our faculty as they discuss books of recent interest. The series, the ARI Bookshelf, premiered on August 6 with an episode discussing Wolfram Eilenberger’s book The Visionaries. Panelists included Ben Bayer, Jason Rhei…

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Does Forgiveness Heal — or Whitewash Evil? 56:17

4M ago56:17

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https://youtu.be/y-WB-fhVJlsPodcast 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…