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The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast

Ayn Rand Institute
Ayn Rand
Objectivism
Hamas
Philosophy
Donald Trump
Capitalism
Israel
Collectivism
Individual Rights
Altruism
Immigration
Iran
Socialism
Trump Administration
Atlas Shrugged
Individualism
Christianity
Ukraine
Christmas
Enlightenment

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

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes300Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
PhilosophyNews CommentarySociety & CultureNews

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Artwork for The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast

Latest Episodes

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MXGenpAkTs Podcast audio: In this episode of the Ayn Rand Institute podcast, Robertas Bakula interviews Dr. Onkar Ghate, the author of the new book The Moral Idealism of Ayn Rand, peeking into the themes explored in t... more

YouTube

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e5PLKhXvF0 Podcast audio: In this episode of the Ayn Rand Institute podcast, Ben Bayer and Onkar Ghate discuss whether heritage or creed is what defines American national identity. The American way and sense of life U... more

YouTube

www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6XQv6S2iK0 Podcast audio: The founding of America was the greatest political achievement of the Enlightenment. Knowing that their experiment would be difficult to preserve, the Founding Fathers designed a unique syste... more

www.youtube.com/live/b91AlTBDODs Podcast audio: The 2026 Objectivist Summer Conference was a celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. To conclude the conference, Yaron Brook, ARI board chairman, spoke about what makes America uniquely wort... more

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Recent Guests

Robertas Bakula
Associate Fellow at ERI; focuses on defense of business and antitrust issues
ERI
Episode: OCON 2026: A Preview of 6 Talks
Alex Silverman
Philosopher; ARI faculty advisor in the intellectual incubator program
Ayn Rand Institute
Episode: OCON 2026: A Preview of 6 Talks
Audra Hilse
Archivist at the Ayn Rand Archives
Ayn Rand Archives
Episode: OCON 2026: A Preview of 6 Talks
Sam Weaver
Associate fellow at the Ayn Rand Institute; focuses on literature and Paradise Lost
Ayn Rand Institute
Episode: OCON 2026: A Preview of 6 Talks
Bart Ehrman
Biblical scholar and author of Love Thy Stranger
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Episode: Bart Ehrman on the Christian Origins of Altruistic Morality
Onkar Ghate
Philosophy scholar associated with Ayn Rand Institute
Ayn Rand Institute
Episode: What People Get Wrong About Evil and the Iran War
Mike Mazza
Associate Fellow at ARI, space policy researcher and writer
The Ayn Rand Institute
Episode: Artemis II Is Inspiring – but NASA Is Holding Back Space Exploration
Don Watkins
Guest, Vice President of Fundraising and Marketing at ARI
Ayn Rand Institute (ARI)
Episode: Rubio’s Mystical and Racist View of the West is Anti-Civilization
Agustina Vergara Cid
Managing Editor and Associate Fellow at ARI
Ayn Rand Institute
Episode: Ayn Rand, Immigrant: The Story of Her Journey to America

Hosts

Onkar Ghate
Senior fellow, host or contributor focusing on Objectivist analysis; regular presence across episodes.
Elan Journo
Co-host/guest contributing to policy and philosophy discussions; frequent collaborator with other ARI voices.
Ben Bayer
Co-host, senior fellow; central to debates applying Randian ethics to current events.
Robertas Bakula
Host; frequent moderator and primary voice in several policy discussions.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 146 ratings
  • The libertarians of life extension

    Libertarians believe that they are defenders of liberty, simply by virtue of asserting their support for capitalism on a narrowly political level—even as they repudiate the entire philosophical foundation on which true freedom depends. Similarly, the Objectivist movement has spent 4 decades systematically evading the application of survival as the standard in ethics to aging and life extension. Now ARI intellectuals, on this very podcast, have formally rejected egoism applied to aging—all while ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Adam Spong
    United States6 months ago
  • Useful ideas

    Im not a libertarian but I do believe in the individual and their inherent rights. I’m also a Chrsitian. I still enjoy engaging in the ideas of the Ayn Rand Institute to help challenge my normal assumptions in life. I highly recommend this podcast to get yourself out of your own echo chamber and want to see things from another perspective.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    SirDubya88
    United States7 months ago
  • Ideologue clap trap

    Too many takes that are just emotional derangement & unthinking. As a “small L libertarian” I was hopeful but it’s just more talking points based on feelings & bias.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    JMNC
    United States2 years ago
  • Rich exchange of relevant ideas

    I look forward to these podcasts every week. They always offer a highly professional analysis, discussion, and application of rational ideas to many of today’s ethical and political issues. The intellectuals who appear on this program are well schooled in philosophical thought at large and in Ayn Rand’s radical philosophy of Objectivism in particular. I know. I’ve been studying these ideas for thirty years and yet I get so much out of these sessions. They also allow time for questions on YouTube... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Abdellat
    United States3 years ago
  • Frauds

    These people are pretentious hedonists, and their movement is a cargo cult.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Adam Spong
    United States3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Noted for provocative takes that challenge mainstream narratives.
Polarizing opinions may deter some listeners seeking neutral coverage.
High-quality rigor; thoughtful, substantive policy discussions.
Insightful but polarizing; strong framing around Randian ethics.
Consistently professional analysis with accessible references.

Chart Rankings

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

America at 250: Politics, Religion, Morality
Q: What threat is identified as eroding checks and balances today?
The concentration of power across branches, the expansion of regulatory agencies, and the erosion of constitutional limitations due to executive overreach and judicial deference to legislative prerogatives.
Why the Red/Blue Button Moral Dilemma is a Trap
Q: Ben, can you describe what is a trolley problem as a device of thinking and how does it show up in studying philosophy?
Trolley problems are thought experiments used to isolate intuitions about morality, not to prescribe real-life action; they test deontology versus consequentialism and emphasize evaluating moral premises rather than the specifics of a random scenario.
Bart Ehrman on the Christian Origins of Altruistic Morality
Q: What makes Jesus' apocalypticism different from earlier Judaism and how does that relate to his ethical view?
Apocalyptic Judaism, which influenced Jesus, universalized moral concern beyond the Israelite in-group and framed imminent divine intervention, affecting Jesus' ethical emphasis on radical generosity and readiness to sacrifice for others.
Rubio’s Mystical and Racist View of the West is Anti-Civilization
Q: What are your thoughts on that statement about Western civilization being tied to ancestry?
The hosts argue that civilization should be defined by universal principles like reason, science, and individual rights, not by ethnicity or lineage, and that tying civilization to ancestry distorts the concept and risks endorsing tribalism.
Values Are Made, Not Found: Watch Gregory Salmieri’s Talk on “Conceiving Values”
Q: Why is self-esteem considered necessary for life?
Self-esteem is your conviction that you are capable of reasoning and worthy of living; without it, you cannot effectively pursue or value your life.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast

What is The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Listeners engage with a rigorous Objectivist lens on current events, ethics, and geopolitics, often applying Randian principles to analyze U.S. foreign policy, economics, and culture. Episodes frequently tackle topics like Iran, the Middle East, American politics, techno-optimism vs. regulation, and the role of government, with sharp debates about morality, self-interest, and the proper scope of government power. Notable throughlines include critiques of altruism as policy, defense of free markets, and a habit of contrasting contemporary events with Randian philosophy to illuminate long-term consequences for freedom and innovation.

What stands out: long-running engagement with high-level policy debates, the use of Ayn Rand Institute framew... more

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These podcasts share a similar audience with The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast:

1. Yaron Brook Show
2. Breaking History
3. Conversations with Coleman
4. The Brendan O'Neill Show
5. Uncommon Knowledge

How many episodes of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast are there?

The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast launched 6 years ago and published 300 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast?

Recent guests on The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast include:

1. Robertas Bakula
2. Alex Silverman
3. Audra Hilse
4. Sam Weaver
5. Bart Ehrman
6. Onkar Ghate
7. Mike Mazza
8. Don Watkins

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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