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The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast

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

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 video, Elan Journo interviews Brandon Lisi about Ayn Rand's 1947 essay Screen Guide for Americans. The interview explores the historical circumstances that led Rand to write the essay, the deeper philosophical ideas behind her analysis, and t... more

YouTube

9/11 was one of the most consequential events of the 21st century. Yet twenty-five years later, the attacks and their aftermath are still widely misunderstood. In two consecutive talks at our student conference in Austin, Onkar Ghate and Elan Journo ... more

After the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy released its entry on capitalism, critics online slammed it for apparent Marxist bias. However, if there is a scandal here, it is not merely that one entry is lopsided; it is that contemporary academic ph... more

YouTube

September 11, 2001 — and America’s response to it — shaped the 21st century. Confidence in America’s ability to win wars cracked, trust in leadership and experts went down, and, in response, populism, nihilism, and conspiracism raised their ugly head... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Elan Journo
Senior Vice President at the Ayn Rand Institute, author on Middle East politics
Ayn Rand Institute
Episode: 9/11 Livestream: The Attack, the Response, and the Radicalness of Objectivism
Lance Corporal Riley McCollum
Marine veteran with personal story of service in Afghanistan
U.S. Military (Marines)
Episode: 9/11 Livestream: The Attack, the Response, and the Radicalness of Objectivism
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

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 States8 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 States8 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.

9/11 Livestream: The Attack, the Response, and the Radicalness of Objectivism
Q: What is the core reason the speakers believe 9/11 mattered beyond the immediate violence?
They argue it exposed a deeper moral and intellectual crisis: the Western world's willingness to abandon Enlightenment principles under pressure, which they view as a threat to the foundation of individual rights and freedom.
What Democratic Socialists Truly Want
Q: What are the broad goals proclaimed by the DSA according to the transcript?
The hosts summarize the DSA program as seeking to end capitalist oligarchy, draft a new constitution, abolish private property in favor of public ownership in large sectors, and replace the current U.S. government structure with a system that emphasizes majority rule and a multi-party democracy.
Fueling a Space Renaissance with Capitalism
Q: What is the place of NASA in your framework, if any, or should it be shut down completely?
NASA could have a limited, non-military role as an organizational helper for government functions in space, but its current broad mission of non-military exploration is not seen as legitimate within the book's framework; a leaner, more targeted role is suggested.
Fueling a Space Renaissance with Capitalism
Q: What do you say to people who argue that government subsidies and subsidies still play a crucial role in enabling private space today?
Government involvement is real, but the core thesis is that lasting profitability and growth come from private, value-creating activity, while government contracts can be important but should not substitute for a sustainable market-driven model.
Fueling a Space Renaissance with Capitalism
Q: What's so unique about your book and what prompted you to write it now?
It emphasizes the long-run expansion of private property rights in space and how current legal frameworks, like the Outer Space Treaty, interact with a pro-private approach, aiming to guide policy as space activity scales.

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 Cato Weekly Podcast
3. The Michael Shermer Show
4. History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps
5. The Charles C. W. Cooke 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. Elan Journo
2. Lance Corporal Riley McCollum
3. Yaron Brook
4. Ben Bayer
5. Robertas Bakula
6. Alex Silverman
7. Audra Hilse
8. Sam Weaver

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