In the most recent episode of The Rubin Report, Don Watkins explains why Ayn Rand is such a controversial philosopher, what makes Watkins tick as an intellectual activist, the demonization of businessmen, the moral meaning of life, Objectivism and libertarianism, the unselfishness of Donald Trump and more.
Freedom of speech is a bedrock principle throughout the Western world, but increasingly it is being challenged — on college campuses, among intellectuals and in politics — in the name of preventing “hate” speech or offensive speech or protecting allegedly “marginalized” groups.
The birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., offers Americans an opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to eradicating racism in all its forms. A good place to start is with Ayn Rand’s 1963 article, “Racism.”
In this extensive Q&A on Objectivism, Gregory Salmieri, Anthem Foundation Fellow in philosophy, philosophy lecturer at Rutgers University and co-editor with Allan Gotthelf of A Companion to Ayn Rand, answers questions such as: Is love and sex more than just hormones and self-interest? What’s the justification for limiting the term of intellectual property rights? Is Objectivism compatible with “liberalism” and “conservatism”? Why must retaliatory force be put under objective control? Why is living as a parasite worse than as a creator? Isn’t the choice to live arbitrary?
Ayn Rand Institute fellow Don Watkins is looking forward to wide viewership of his upcoming interview on The Rubin Report, slated for release January 16, 2017. Dave Rubin, a rising star in the world of online video, recorded the interview earlier this month and will release it on his YouTube channel, The Rubin Report. With more than 338,000 subscribers, Rubin’s channel is described as a “talk show that focuses on big ideas and free speech.”
On January 7, the second anniversary of the Charlie Hebdo attack, The Hill published a new column by Steve Simpson, in which he reflects on “the often precarious state of free speech in the world today” and urges us “to consider what the future holds for free speech here in America.” Particularly, Simpson comments on the danger of so-called hate speech laws.
If you picked up a melon that smells rotten, would you bite into it? Nor would I. When it comes to our media diet, the same thing applies: if a news story smells funky, that's a reason not to swallow it. But what does it take to sniff out unreliable news articles?
Prior to the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain during the late 18th century, abysmal poverty was prevalent the world over, including in Britain. With the Industrial Revolution, conditions began to dramatically improve, first in Britain, then in Western Europe, then in North America, then, most recently, in the Asian Tigers. Who were the towering heroes in both Great Britain and the United States responsible for so markedly improving human living conditions?
In the two years since Islamic terrorists murdered five cartoonists and seven others associated with the Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris, the Ayn Rand Institute has vocally and consistently upheld freedom of speech against its attackers. In public lectures, interviews, blog posts and a recent book — plus upcoming events on the same theme — the Institute has challenged individuals around the world to join in defending the right to free speech.
