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The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast

Ayn Rand Institute
Ayn Rand
Objectivism
Hamas
Donald Trump
Philosophy
Israel
Capitalism
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
PhilosophyNewsNews CommentarySociety & Culture

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Latest Episodes

In this episode of the Ayn Rand Institute podcast, Onkar Ghate and Tristan de Liège discuss Zohran Mamdani’s record $323 million culture budget for NYC aimed at supporting the arts, and why government attempts to fund artistic endeavors are unjust an... more

In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Sam Weaver interviews Onkar Ghate about the American system of checks and balances and the rise of a religious mentality in America, topics discussed in his OCON 2026 talk “America at 250: Politics, ... more

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In this episode of the Ayn Rand Institute podcast, Itamar Feldman interviews Mike Mazza about his new book of essays, Freedom to Launch, which explains how deregulation in the space industry enabled today’s space renaissance and what the government's... more

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In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, Don Watkins, Onkar Ghate, and Keith Lockitch discuss the Institute's recently announced educational program on Objectivism: ARU Core.

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Recent Guests

Yaron Brook
Special guest, senior fellow at the Ayn Rand Institute
Ayn Rand Institute
Episode: America: The Nation of the Producer
Ben Bayer
Senior fellow at Ayn Rand Institute; talks on Ayn Rand's Philosophy of Progress
Ayn Rand Institute
Episode: OCON 2026: A Preview of 6 Talks
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 researching monuments and American founding ideas
Ayn Rand Institute
Episode: Trump’s Monument-Building vs. American Founding Ideas
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

Hosts

Ben Bayer
Senior fellow at the Ayn Rand Institute; frequent host and commentator on policy and philosophy topics.
Onkar Ghate
Co-host and philosopher at ARI; senior fellow with a focus on philosophy of science and ethics.
Robertas Bakula
Host and faculty-affiliated philosopher; engages in defense of free markets and rational ethics.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 147 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 States7 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.

Occasional polarization but consistently persuasive arguments for rational self-interest.
Thoughtful, rigorous, and well-sourced analysis from Objectivist scholars.
Engaging discussions that provoke challenging questions about liberty and productivity.
High-quality guests and debates that connect philosophy to current events.
Strong appreciation for intellectual depth and references to Rand's writings.

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?

The program perspectives center on Objectivist philosophy applied to contemporary culture, politics, technology, and economics. Across episodes, hosts and guests analyze issues through a rational-liberty lens, often contrasting individual rights, productive achievement, and minimal government with mainstream narratives. Noteworthy traits include a strong founder-era ideological thread, a willingness to critique religion, regulation, and social programs, and a penchant for connecting current events to Ayn Rand-inspired principles. The show often features authoritative voices from the Ayn Rand Institute, rigorous debates, and calls to action for listeners to engage public discourse and policy from a producer-centered, rights-focused stance.

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Which podcasts are similar to The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast?

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

1. Yaron Brook Show
2. The Secrets of Statecraft
3. Uncommon Knowledge
4. The Rational Egoist
5. Cato Podcast

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. Yaron Brook
2. Ben Bayer
3. Robertas Bakula
4. Alex Silverman
5. Audra Hilse
6. Sam Weaver
7. Bart Ehrman
8. Onkar Ghate

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