How Radicals Advocate for Reform

In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Ben Bayer discuss what it takes to effect real cultural change for people with radical ideas that challenge the status quo.

Among the topics covered:

Ayn Rand’s radical principles of capitalism, egoism, and reason;
How Rand advocated for how to begin to eliminate all antitrust laws;
Rand’s proposed steps in the direction of total repeal of anti-abortion laws;
Rand’s proposed reforms to blunt the worst effects of the entrenched public education system;
Rand’s proposal for the least destructive escape from the unsolvable dilemma of the Vietnam;
Rand’s views on how to change minds to make cultural change possible;
How the Ayn Rand Institute commented on foreign policy after the 9/11 terrorist attacks;
ARI’s commentary during the Covid-19 pandemic;
How ARI chose which aspects of government pandemic policy to analyze.

Mentioned in the discussion are Ayn Rand’s essays “Antitrust: The Rule of Unreason” and “Tax Credits for Education,” from her book The Voice of Reason; her article “A Suggestion” from The Objectivist; her lecture “The Wreckage of the Consensus”; her essay “What Can One Do?” from her book Philosophy: Who Needs It; and her book The Art of Nonfiction. Also mentioned are Ghate’s white paper, A Pro-Freedom Approach to Infectious Disease, and a podcast episode titled ”How Can We Change People’s Minds About Ayn Rand’s Controversial Ideas?”

This podcast was recorded on November 10, 2021. Listen to the discussion below. Listen and subscribe from your mobile device on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Stitcher. Watch archived podcasts here.