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PODCAST

The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast

Ayn Rand Institute

The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast explores pressing cultural issues from the perspective of Rand’s philosophy, Objectivism.

society & culture philosophy

All Episodes

1:04:01

Why Billionaires Don’t Owe California Anything

The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast ·

2026/03/26

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3T3Zekd7xfEPodcast audio: In this episode of the Ayn Rand Institute podcast, Robertas Bakula and Onkar Ghate discuss California’s Billionaire Wealth Tax proposal. California’s budget and welfare crisis Challenging the "fair share" narrative Injustice of retroactive taxation Productive ability vs. the welfare state The role of business visionaries This episode was recorded on March 19, 2026. Image credit: Patrick T. Fallon / AFP / via

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45:16

Trump Is Fighting for American Freedom Overseas While...

The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast ·

2026/03/21

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKAe7rMPwjEPodcast audio: In this episode of the Ayn Rand Institute podcast, Elan Journo and Onkar Ghate discuss recent developments in the Iran war. Topics covered: Intro Moral vs. stated reasons for the war The Trump administration’s arbitrariness The government’s attacks on freedom at home The risks in leaving the war early The reaction of Trump’s base to the war Our un-American foreign policy This episode was recorded on

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53:29

Rubio’s Mystical and Racist View of the West is...

The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast ·

2026/03/19

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUha6pLRumY Podcast audio: In this episode of the Ayn Rand Institute podcast, Don Watkins and Sam Weaver discuss Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s recent speech at the Munich Security Conference and the tribal conception of Western civilization that he advocates. Civilization as a project Rubio’s superficial view Christianity vs. civilization Racist undertones Nationalist false alternative Resources: Ayn Rand, “Man’s Rights” Ayn

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47:02

Anthropic vs. Trump: The Moral Responsibility of Tech...

The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast ·

2026/03/12

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vh7hO-q_gb4Podcast audio: In this episode of the Ayn Rand Institute podcast, Ben Bayer and Mike Mazza discuss the recent standoff between Anthropic and the Defense Department over military use of AI technology, and the moral questions faced by those creating weapons of war. Anthropic’s reasoning Authoritarian threats Ayn Rand’s “To Young Scientists” Moral sanction Resources: Ayn Rand, “To Young Scientists” Ayn Rand Lexicon entry

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19:57

America Responds to Decades of Iranian Aggression

The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast ·

2026/03/03

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZV5I8YRYvIPodcast audio: In this episode of the Ayn Rand Institute podcast, Ben Bayer interviews Elan Journo about the American and Israeli attack on Iran. Topics include: The Institute’s Position on Iran; Answering critics; Congressional approval; Evaluating Trump; Prospects for Success or Failure. Resources: ARI Resources on the American Conflict with Iran This episode was recorded on March 3, 2026. Image credit:

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1:00:19

Choosing Life: An Interview with ‘The Green Prince’...

The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast ·

2026/03/02

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mzUUDz14Ac Podcast audio: In this special podcast episode, Yaron Brook and Elan Journo interview Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of a Hamas founding leader who became one of Israel’s most valuable intelligence assets. Raised within the movement, Yousef recounts how his experiences led him to break decisively with Hamas and oppose it at great personal risk. The conversation centers on the ideological nature of Hamas, an aspect often evaded by its

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1:12:21

How the SCOTUS Tariff Decision Helps Slow the Advance...

The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast ·

2026/02/27

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmnux6MriXEPodcast audio: In this episode of the Ayn Rand Institute podcast, Onkar Ghate and Ben Bayer discuss the recent decision in Learning Resources Inc. v. Trump, striking down the President’s expansive “Liberation Day” tariffs. The majority’s reasoning The major questions doctrine Statutory interpretation and legislative intent The dissent’s plausibility The separation of powers A stopgap against eroding separation of

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36:54

Ayn Rand, the Immigrant: 100 Years Since She Came to...

The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast ·

2026/02/26

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDKszEjACFAPodcast audio: In this episode of the Ayn Rand Institute podcast, Ben Bayer interviews Agustina Vergara Cid and Brandon Lisi about their new article: “’I Chose to Be an American:’ Ayn Rand’s Immigration Story.” Topics include: Motivation for the article; Why Rand chose America; Obstacles Rand faced; How Rand pushed America to live up to its values; Archival resources consulted; Most surprising facts about Rand’s

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1:00:08

Is Trump Distinctively Responsible for the Rise of...

The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast ·

2026/02/19

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89gUQLWQGG0Podcast audio: In this episode of the Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Onkar Ghate and Elan Journo discuss the role of Trump in today’s rise in political violence. Topics include: How Trump’s campaign demonized fellow Americans Connection between tribalism and violence Trump’s whitewashing of violence Trump’s targeted political attacks Trump’s comfort with political force and strongmen How “crisis narratives” legitimize the use

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Fear of Progress: The Quest To End Autonomous Driving

The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast ·

2026/02/12

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49b6O7nOtZIPodcast Audio: In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Robertas Bakula and Mike Mazza discuss the opposition to autonomous vehicles. Topics include: Why some people oppose autonomous vehicles; The safety of autonomous vehicles; Economic costs of automobile Accidents; Fear of displacing jobs; The “common man” argument; Divine right of stagnation. Resources: Nathaniel Branden’s essay “Divine Right of

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1:30:28

Values Are Made, Not Found: Watch Gregory Salmieri’s...

The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast ·

2026/02/11

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOtmQv3O7T8Podcast audio: It is common to think of values as things we “discover” about ourselves — pre-packaged preferences waiting somewhere deep inside. We speak, for example, of “discovering our passion” or of finally realizing “what we were meant to do,” as if these priorities had been there all along. On this view, valuing is automatic: we simply respond to our needs, desires, or emotions. In his 2025 Objectivist Summer Conference talk, titled

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58:01

Texas A&M’s Ban on Plato: Anti-”Woke” Censorship?

The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast ·

2026/02/05

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g8n9_LOSwcPodcast audio: In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Sam Weaver and Ben Bayer discuss a new policy in Texas A&M University that restricts professors’ ability to teach topics related to gender and sexual orientation, which resulted in one professor being prevented from teaching Plato’s Symposium. Topics include: Texas A&M’s policy; The case of Plato’s Symposium; Relation to intellectual freedom; Who should decide in

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1:01:54

Does Success Require Sacrifice?

The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast ·

2026/01/29

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twCDUSXZMWwPodcast audio: In this episode of the Ayn Rand Institute podcast, Ben Bayer and Tristan de Liège discuss the confusions involved in the conventional conception of sacrifice. Topics include: Examples of Sacrifice; Investment vs. Sacrifice; Value Hierarchy; How to Rank Values Objectively; ‘Sacrifice’ as a package deal; The false appeal of sacrifice. Resources: Ayn Rand’s book Atlas Shrugged Ayn Rand’s book The

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1:16:11

Renee Good Killing and Tribalism in America

The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast ·

2026/01/23

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbyYlYiLE7YPodcast audio: In this episode of the Ayn Rand Institute podcast, Onkar Ghate and Agustina Vergara Cid discuss the implications of the killing of Renee Good for the rule of law. Among the topics covered: Topics include: ICE operations resembling military operations; The immediate aftermath of the shooting; The administration’s contempt for the rule of law; ICE is not real police; They way ICE conducts arrests; The argument

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40:54

Iranian Theocracy on the Brink? Why Protesters...

The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast ·

2026/01/14

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDnD9GWdLaIPodcast audio: In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Elan Journo and Onkar Ghate examine why Iran’s ongoing uprising may be the regime’s most serious challenge yet — and why it deserves far more moral support from the free world. Topics include: The nature of the protests; Moral versus military support; Trump versus Obama and Biden; The benefits of a free Iran; The roots of Western

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49:07

Enlightenment on Trial: The Real Lessons of the...

The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast ·

2026/01/13

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTl2m5StrvQPodcast audio: The crimes of the French Revolution have long been regarded as indicting Enlightenment ideals. Its Reign of Terror has been seen as the product of an overconfident belief in reason, liberty, and human perfectibility. The American Revolution, by contrast, is said to have succeeded only because it was more moderate and traditional. In his 2025 OCON talk, “Enlightenment on Trial: The Real Lessons of the American and French

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1:11:31

The Constitution Ignored: Trump’s War on Venezuela

The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast ·

2026/01/08

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28TpOvna_78Podcast audio: In this episode of the Ayn Rand Institute podcast, Onkar Ghate, Elan Journo and Ben Bayer discuss the recent American attack on Venezuela to capture Nicolas Maduro. Topics include: Invalid “international law” objections; An act of war; Drug, “narcoterrorism” and oil excuses; Nationalistic “spheres of influence”; The altruistic conception of “self-interest”; Contempt for the Constitution; Ayn Rand on the

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18:14

Newton Versus Descartes on the Exactness of Mathematics

The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast ·

2026/01/07

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shwbIXkaZPs Podcast audio: This talk comparing Newton and Descartes approach to mathematics by David Bakker was recorded live on July 2nd in Boston, MA as part of the 2025 Objectivist Summer Conference and is available on the Ayn Rand Institute Podcast stream. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Watch archived podcasts here. Image Credits: Newton: GeorgiosArt / iStock / via Getty Images. Descartes: ilbusca / DigitalVision Vectors / via

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1:09:33

Steven Pinker’s Weak Defense of Enlightenment Values...

The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast ·

2026/01/06

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClmXn3-j2t4 Podcast audio: In this episode of the Ayn Rand Institute podcast, Onkar Ghate and Ben Bayer discuss a recent essay by Steven Pinker and Marian Tupy (“The Golden Age of Humanity? We’re Living In It”) that aims to offer a secular alternative to the recent resurgence in religious culture. Topics include: The Anti-Enlightenment Phenomenon; Pinker and Tupy’s secular strengths; A weak critique of Christian morality; Christian morality

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36:13

Re-release: Christmas Is About Joy, Not Guilt

The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast ·

2025/12/24

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hJO4ofx6VUPodcast audio: In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, originally released on December 23, 2024, Ben Bayer and Agustina Vergara Cid explore the true meaning of Christmas by examining the history and philosophical significance of our holiday practices. Among the topics covered: The secular meaning of Christmas; A proper view of Christmas’s commercial aspects; Why some people are antagonistic towards the Christmas spirit;

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