The Tyranny of Need and the Rational Alternative

In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo interviews Peter Schwartz, former chairman of the board and currently a distinguished fellow at the Ayn Rand Institute, on his new book, The Tyranny of Need, and the rational alternative to the prevailing morality of self-sacrifice.

Among the topics covered:

What the morality of altruism is;
Why altruism is not the same as benevolence and goodwill;
What altruism looks like in practice;
The difference between sacrifice and trade;
The pernicious psychological effects of altruism;
Why real selfishness requires moral principles;
Why mindlessness and crime are not in one’s self-interest;
Whether need can be a factor in rational decision-making, if not the standard;
The difference between abdicating responsibility for one’s own life and working to sustain it;
Why one should care about whether other people are selfish or altruistic;
The future of the battle between altruism and Objectivism’s view of rational self-interest.

Mentioned in the discussion is Peter Schwartz’s book The Tyranny of Need.

This podcast was recorded on January 26, 2022. Listen to the discussion below. Listen and subscribe from your mobile device on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Stitcher. Watch archived podcasts here.