“Islamophobia,” “meritocracy” and “extremism.” These three anti-concepts obliterate clear thinking and shut down thoughtful discussion. Have you unwittingly accepted them into your thinking?

On this episode of Rise & Fall, you’ll hear commentary from philosopher Ayn Rand, Ayn Rand Institute senior fellow Onkar Ghate, Ayn Rand Institute fellow Don Watkins, and Steve Simpson, director of Legal Studies at the Ayn Rand Institute.

We want to hear from you! After you listen, call the Rise & Fall line (888-673-5553) and comment on the show — what we covered, what we got right, what we got wrong and what we should cover next. The best comments may make it into future episodes.

Content used in this episode:

• Ayn Rand, 1964, The Enemies of “Extremism”
• Onkar Ghate, 2015, Charlie Hebdo, the West and the Need to Ridicule Religion
• Steve Simpson, 2015, Free Speech Under Siege (the clip used is from OCON 2015, a similar talk can be viewed here)