This
is a cache of http://forum.objectivismonline.net/publisher/Podcast_Index.html.
It
has been fixed in the following manner on August 26, 2023: the Links have been
changed to remove the www prefix, as Leonard Peikoff’s site no longer has a www
entry.
|
Unofficial Index to Dr.
Leonard Peikoff's Podcasts |
|
Although
Dr. Peikoff does read and respond to the questions listed below in this
index, he has not reviewed this index. Nor has Dr. Yaron
Brook. The title for each episode is a link to the full episode page for that podcast on Dr. Peikoff's website. The time marks, with a few exceptions, link to the single question pages on Dr. Peikoff's website. If a time mark is not a link, then the question to its right is inside brackets and has been transcribed or paraphrased from the podcasts - the response can be found in the full episode of the podcast at that time mark. Also inside brackets are key words, phrases, comments or questions, added to aid in searching this index. With minor editing for minor errors, all of the questions not in brackets have been copied from Dr. Peikoff's site. |
|
Group
discussion at the Ayn Rand Institutein California |
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I am
a student. If I become a fiction writer, won’t Ihave
to surrender the possibility of ever being number one inmy
field? |
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Is
a non-interventionist, isolationist foreign policy the rational solution to
America’s problem with the Middle-East and Islamic fundamentalism? |
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Is
it possible for a person to act in the absence of any emotional impetus to
take that action? [Role of Emotions.] |
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What
is your opinion of Objectivist clubs and advocacygroups
on the internet? |
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13:24 |
[Yaron Brook gives his views on the above question.] |
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Group
discussion at the Ayn Rand Institutein California |
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How
can Objectivism be objective when it says the primary purpose of any man’s
life is productive work? What aboutMother Teresa?
[Primary purpose of life.] |
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Is
it a moral crime to purchase the work of artists whooppose your core values? |
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08:12 |
[What
is the distinction between the previous response and pragmatism.] |
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What
is the difference between “hate” and “despise,” and when is it proper to
experience either? |
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What
is Objectivism’s view on road ownership andmandatory
auto insurance? |
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When
you refer to a dictionary for word definitions, which published edition of a
dictionary do you rely on? |
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Group
discussion at the Ayn Rand Institute in California |
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A
discussion of the Objectivist view of the primacy of existence. [Metaphysics] |
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Who
is the musician that you play at the beginning of your podcasts? |
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Can
music be classified as Objectivist music? |
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A
discussion of Ayn Rand’s definition of plot. |
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Is
it better to put creative work aside when one is confronting a serious
emotional upheaval? |
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Group
discussion at the Ayn Rand Institute in California |
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My
parents don’t know that I am an atheist. Am I being hypocritical if I pray at
the dinner table and go to church so that they don’t know? |
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I
have the idea in my mind that as one grows old they become super weak,
fragile, sick and depressing. How do you do it? Give me details. |
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What
is the difference between love and rational sex? |
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Is
there a difference between embracing and integrating Objectivist ideas or
concepts and getting rid of the pragmatic way of looking?concepts and getting rid of the pragmatic way of
looking?' |
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|
Group
discussion at the Ayn Rand Institutein California |
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|
How
would you reply to someone who grants that the economy should be free and
individual rights absolute, but doubts whether men of flesh, blood, cunning,
and force could ever practically create and sustain such a system? |
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What
is existence? |
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Do
great works of art, such as those of Homer, Hugo or Atlas Shrugged, tend to
inspire philosophical movements or is it the reverse? |
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Why
is Ayn Rand not taken seriously in many modernintellectual
circles? |
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11:54 |
[How
would you account though for the growing respect
that she is getting among some philosophers and some scholars like Dr. Tara
Smith, the increased interest in the ideas and the respect they are getting?] |
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Do
you think that the surrender of property to the socialist government with no
recourse to the court is better than having to tolerate religious babble of
politicians that will not translate into law or hold up when finally put to
trial in court? [Democrats and Republicans.] |
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Does
a John Galt exists in the real world? |
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How
is Objectivism not considered hedonistic when happiness
is just a state of emotional pleasure? |
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A response
to Bill Gates recent statement about capitalism: “A kinder, gentler
capitalism.” |
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To
what extent is there such a thing as a fully evil genius, someone who’s fully
committed to using his mind for evil? |
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08:02 |
[In
relation to the previous response, what about Kant?] |
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What
is art to an intellectual but non-academic person who doesn’t have values
that he needs to see concretized in reality? |
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13:10 |
[Is
sense of life forming from the moment of birth, and can it be changed as an
adult? Where would you begin?] |
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15:30 |
[Moral
but miserable.] |
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How
would an Objectivist look at pursuing a job slightly less fulfilling but with
higher monetary reward? Would that be a sacrifice of values or just the
recognition that one requiresmoney to lead a decent
life? |
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05:24 |
[What
is the point of the work ethics anymore? Is it really advisable to be
ambitious anymore?] |
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07:48 |
[Induction
by simple enumeration vs. Mill's method of agreement and difference.] |
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12:36 |
[Ethical
correctness of concierge medicine.] |
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|
One
on one conversation with KevinDelaney. |
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What
is the purpose of philosophy? |
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Is
part of the purpose of philosophy or the study of philosophy to make you a
deeper thinker? |
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How
would you characterize a philosophically minded person? |
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Is
a study of at least the fundamentals of philosophy necessary for everybody? |
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Is
there any particular level of intelligence required in order to understand
Objectivism? |
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Can
a person be properly called an Objectivist if he agrees with the philosophy
but fails to apply to his life? |
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What
if anything does a person owe his parents? |
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In
Galt’s speech, why did Miss Rand choose to write, “higher than reality,” vs.
“lower than reality”? |
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Can
it ever be appropriate for a human being to feel emotions of love or
compassion toward an animal? |
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Is
it immoral for a single, professional soldier to seek sex as a release for
momentary pleasure considering that long-range relationship isn’t possible
and early death is possible? [Dr. Peikoff comments about sex in emergency
contexts such as in the bomb shelters in London during WWII.] |
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Can
a gay person be a true Objectivist? [Homosexuality and Choice] |
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How
does Objectivism accommodate the human desire for transcendence? |
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What
is the basis for the rights of children, and how do these rights follow from
an ethics of egoism? |
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Is
it a crime for a parent not to care for her child? |
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Do
you enjoy the works of author Frederic Brown? |
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What
is the root cause of the business practice of mediocrity? |
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Should
an Objectivist pursue a serious romantic relationship with a Christian? |
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If
each parent holds the right to raise their child as they see fit, who’s rights prevail when the two parents of the child
disagree? |
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To
what extent can an individual voluntarily relinquish his rights? |
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14:48 |
[Follow-up
question: How would you evaluate mixed martial arts?] |
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15:50 |
[Dr.
Peikoff continues: You might say, "Well, is suicide then wrong because
you're voluntarily relinquishing your rights?"] |
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Is
there a difference between the principle of self-ownership and the principle
of individual rights? |
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If
five people are in an emergency room dying, and one healthy person in the
waiting room could save them all if we used his organs, is it morally
permissible to do this even though he’ll die? |
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Is
Ayn Rand’s love for the music of composer, Sergei Rachmaninoff, in any way
diminished or compromised by virtue of insecurities he harbored over his
music? [Esthetics] |
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If
a person holds the right standard of self-esteem is it still possible to feel
a lack of self-esteem as a result of psychological or psycho-epistemological
thinking problems? |
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08:40 |
[Nadia
Comaneci and Tom Brady] |
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Do
you see any philosophical reason why artificial intelligence must be
impossible, or is it purely a technical question? |
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Did
determinism hold true on this planet until humans obtained their volitional
capacity? [Animals and Free Will] |
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What
do you think about treason? |
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04:08 |
[Follow-up
question on treason in relation to war.] |
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When
if ever is it moral for a government to torture itsenemy? |
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If
it is moral to use torture at all, how could you limit the government to only
using this power in an emergencysituation? |
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What
would you recommend as the best way for a post-college man to retrain himself
to a conceptual, principled way of thinking? |
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How
would an Objectivist justify pursuing a career as a soldier, police officer,
etc.? |
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Did
Ayn Rand ever regret using the kind of provocative tone that may have made it
harder for some people to warm up to her philosophy? |
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Isn’t
reproduction a source of values in its own rightjust
as your individual life? |
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If
two people are engaged in physical activity such as sex, and one person has a
heart attack during the activity, is the healthy person violating the injured
person’s rights by not seeking help for the injured person? |
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A
discussion about the military and how it’s currently being run. |
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What
did Ayn Rand mean when she used the term “heroic being” in describing her
concept of man? |
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How
can Objectivists claim to know that there is no afterlife? |
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Is
the ability as a human being to think in abstract principles the single most
powerful attribute one could everpossess? |
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Did
Ayn Rand ever comment on or use any psychotropic substances such as marijuana
or LSD? |
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What
would Ayn Rand say about immigration for Mexicans? |
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Would
it be morally acceptable, according to Objectivism, to purchase stock in tobacco
companies? |
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Does
divorce traumatize and scar children to the extent to being a valid argument
against divorce? |
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How
can existence have primacy over consciousness if existence is everything that
exists and therefore includes consciousness? |
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What
is the definition of “Objectivist” as a noun referring to a person? |
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Does
Objectivism say anything about the immortality of the soul? |
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What
are your recommended translations of Homer’s Iliad and Sophocles’ Antigone? |
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To
what degree should a men let the woman he is romantically interested in know
of his interest? |
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What
is the rational basis for the laws against compelling a person to incriminate
himself? |
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Does
the usage of the phrase, “drink the kool-aid,”
trivialize mass suicide? |
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Is
there a proper government role in regard to a minor marrying, even assuming
the parents consent? |
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How
far does the right of self-defense go? |
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|
From
time to time I reach a point where I can’t take the state of the world anymore.
I listen to your tapes and feel better. What do you listen to? |
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Is
government intervention in business ever justifiable for environmental
purposes? |
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Is
it possible to learn to desire someone, to create a desire from love when it
does not come spontaneously? |
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Can
reading Ayn Rand ever be escapism rather than legitimate refueling? [Sex in
bomb shelters.] |
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Is
it immoral to not help a complete stranger in a matter of life and death if
you don’t think it’s a valuable investment of your time and effort? |
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|
Excerpt
from a Q&A session held by Dr. Peikoff on July 2 of the Objectivist
summer conference in New Port Beach, California. |
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With
regard to people who, acting on Ragnar’s imperative, fail to file their
personal income tax return, do they help or hurt Objectivism? |
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What
kind of fiction are you reading these days, Dr. Peikoff? |
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Why
have Objectivists not established a program to challenge current government
practices? [The Constitution andPhilosophy] |
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Do
you think that any attempt to do a DIM analysis in the field of music would first
require the development of what Miss Rand had described in “Art and
Cognition” as the appropriate esthetic principles which would serve as the
base of the objective validation of esthetic judgment within music? |
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Is
environmentalism turning America more towards the society depicted in Anthem? |
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What
should be done to bring about change in the culture? |
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|
What
is the significance of John Galt saying to Dagny Taggart at the end of Atlas
Shrugged, “Don’t lookdown”? |
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Why
do Objectivists not mention Ayn Rand in social situations? |
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Why
did Ayn Rand give Howard Roark orange-red hair? |
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What
kind of commitment does it take to master Objectivism as a tool for living a
just and happy life? [Philosophy for Rearden vs. philosophy for Akston] |
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Where
can a child desperate over the state of the world and with no heroes find
hope and solace? |
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If
the modern scientific consensus says there is a beginning point to the
universe, doesn’t this put our understanding of the axiom of existence into a
contradiction with the widely accepted big bang theory? |
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Can
someone who is inherently non-conceptual correct this as an adult? |
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What’s
wrong with a government ban on smoking? |
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To
understand something you need to rely on your own experience and culture.
Does this mean that it is impossible to have objective knowledge? |
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A
discussion on treason during non-wartime. [Dr. Peikoff defined treason in the
context of war in Episode 017.] |
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What
is a contextual absolute? |
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In
Ayn Rand’s definition of capitalism, she says that all property is privately
owned. Is that really true? |
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|
Excerpt
from a Q&A session held by Dr. Peikoff on July 2 of the Objectivist
summer conference in New Port Beach, California. |
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Why
are there fewer women Objectivists than men? |
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|
Can
one have a happy retirement past the age of 70 while existing off past
productivity with no attempt at new productivity? |
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What
is the role of philosophy in history and its influencenow? |
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How
does Objectivism approach the arguably collective problem of polluting
externalities of industries and governments of multi-national corporations as
an attempt to promote development and innovation at the same time |
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What
do you hope to achieve with your podcasts, and where do you see it going in the
future? |
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Should
theoretical, scientific research be guided byapplication? |
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Dr.
Peikoff identifies his favorites in each of the following genres: novel,
play, painting, sculpture and song. |
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Are
gays over-represented in Objectivism? |
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Do
you disagree with Aristotle’s ‘Doctrine of the Mean’? |
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Should
we, who are alive as a consequence of evil, wish not to have been born
because of the evil that made our birth possible? |
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What
moral incentive does a terminally ill patient have to continue to respect the
rights of other individuals? |
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What
do you think of the campaign to add “None of the above” as one of the choices
on the ballot, with the idea that if more than 50 percent of the voters
choose it, then the candidates are not allowed to run? |
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You’ve
said that philosophy deals with fundamental issues which can be answered by
men at anytime and any state of knowledge’ yet Ayn
Rand said herself that her idea, that man’s means of survival is reason,
could not have been reached prior to the Industrial Revolution. How do you
reconcile this?’” |
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|
Excerpt
from a Q&A session held by Dr. Peikoff on July 2 of the Objectivist
summer conference in New Port Beach, California. |
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|
Is
part of Ayn Rand’s validation of Objectivist ethics in conflict with modern
biology? |
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How
is Dr. Peikoff’s book, DIM, going? |
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What
is there still to study within Objectivism, within philosophy? |
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09:54 |
[A
questioner asks about what he thinks to be an asymmetry in the categories in
Dr. Peikoff's DIM hypothesis.] |
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Is
there anything that you would write differently if you were writing Ominous
Parallels today? |
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|
What
you think the goal of education is, and also, how does that goal connect to
the intrinsic or extrinsic motivation of children? |
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Is
purchasing sex from prostitutes wrong if your motive is just to get physical
pleasure, and perhaps some degree of intellectual pleasure from conversation? |
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Is
it possible for a whore to develop and have a heart of gold, meaning a
selfishly idealistic and loving spirit? |
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Is
or is not the absence of evidence an evidence of absence? |
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Can
someone be the kind of man that Howard Roark or John Galt was and still
believe in God? |
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Why
does Howard Roark say on the yacht that he would sacrifice his life for that
of Gail Wynand? |
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There
is strong evidence that there is a correlation between religious faith and
health. So, can it be argued it’s within our selfish interest to hold
religious faith for better health? |
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Why
does Howard Roark say on the yacht that he would sacrifice his life for that
of Gail Wynand? |
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Are
people who first read Ayn Rand’s non-fiction work more likely to become
lasting intellectuals vs. reading her fiction work first? |
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|
Excerpt
from a Q&A session held by Drpeikoff on July 2
of the Objectivist summer conference in NewPort
Beach, California. |
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Did
Ayn Rand ever talk to you about why she admired Carmine’s music so much? |
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How
does one recognize altruism and pragmatism? |
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|
Dr.
Peikoff tells of his favorite episode of the Twilight Zone. |
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What
did Ayn Rand think about the theory of evolution, and is the Objectivist
ethics based on it? |
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Why
was there an Aristotelian revival in the Latin church but rejected in the
Greek church? |
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Is
it proper to ask for a reason why one should live, for something that is
motivating this choice? |
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What
kinds of lies are appropriate to protect one’s privacy? |
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|
Can
you share the most memorable and pleasant moments that you had with Ayn Rand? |
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What
is your opinion on the recent decision about immunities for the telecom
companies? |
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|
Excerpt
from a Q&A session held by Dr. Peikoff on July 2 of the Objectivist
summer conference in New Port Beach, California. |
||
|
In
the title, Atlas Shrugged, is the word “shrugged” a verb or an adjective? |
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Once
a mind is in focus, is the choice to remain that way motivated? |
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Who
are the ‘low-lying fruit’ in accepting Objectivism, and what’s the best way
to reach them? |
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Have
your observations about the transitional periods between D's and M's in
history, been characterized by the rise of false defenders, like capitalism? |
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How
did Ayn Rand approach mind-altering pharmaceuticals, narcotics, and
psychedelics? |
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|
What
do you think about a woman who makes more money than her man but still
expects him to support her? |
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|
Is
it morally permissible to approvingly quote the work of a person one knows to
be immoral and dishonest, or would that constitute a sanction of that evil? |
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I’m
experiencing a conflict between what I want and what is practical. I want to
write fiction and I also don’t want to worry about money. What should I do?
[Career Choice] |
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Would
Howard Roark look back on his decision to build the Cordlandt
Homes and say to himself, I made an error in judgment? |
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At
the end of The Fountainhead, Gail says that he is building the last
skyscraper ever to be built. He was a smart man; how did he not realize that
the world still had hope when Roark won the case? |
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|
After
examining personal paintings from Keating, Roark informs Keating that it is
too late, and Keating assents. Why does Roark say it’s too late?’ [The
questioner goes on to say that Dr. Peikoff said in some lecture that even if
one is 80 or 90 one has the chance to rethink one's errors and startagain.] |
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|
The
Fountainhead… Gus Webb tells Toohey that he’s an
incurable specimen of the intelligentsia, that’s all he is, that he’s not the
man of the future. Does this contradict Ayn Rand’s notes where she says, with
regard to communism, that it “places among single individuals, Toohey at the top of the human pyramid”? |
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Is
there no present tense? [Augustine] |
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|
What
do you think of debates where students are preassigned to argue for or
against an issue regardless of it’s
meritsand their beliefs? |
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|
How
can the average laymen, who doesn’t have time for hours of research, be sure
they are being objective in what they believe they know about history from
reading history books today? |
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|
Is
Kant a criminal or not? Could he have been prosecuted for fraud for
advocating, saying he is for reason when he is really for irrationalism and
destruction? |
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|
In
a proper society should it be illegal merely to advocate the initiation of
the use of force? |
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|
08:50 |
[Could
Kant have foreseen or intended the harmful consequences of his ideas?] |
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|
Once
you are in focus and aware of the value of grasping reality, might that not
be an antecedent factor motivating one to remain in focus? [Choice to Focus] |
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|
If
I knew that I only had one week to live and I decided to steal some money so
that I could live it up for one week, would it be moral? [Morality and
emergency or life-boat situations.] |
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|
Dr.
Peikoff, for whom will you vote for the presidentialelection
this November 2008, and why? |
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|
At
what moment does the mass of cells, the fetus, go from having no right to
human rights? [Abortion] |
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|
Is
it morally wrong to quote approvingly a theoretical work from a person one
knows to be dishonest and immoral? |
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|
In
regard to Bill Gates… how far should the morality of a businessman affect
your transactions with him? |
||
|
Should
Canadian doctor’s spend more time examining patients vs. spending 3-5 minutes
on symptoms and then prescribing medication? |
||
|
What
would be the ethical way to decide ownership of property on newly discovered
land? [The Homestead Act in 19th century United States] |
||
|
Did
Ayn Rand ever act irrationally? |
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|
Should
parents be obligated to provide an education for their children? |
||
|
What
right does a parent have to alter a child’s body? |
||
|
Do
Objectivists believe that unless a child is dying, a parent has the right to
raise him without government intervention? |
||
|
if
a man sacrifices an animal to a supposed god, is he not sacrificing a lesser
value, the animal, for the acceptance of a greater value, which is the
approval of the god? [Motivated does not equal non-sacrificial.] |
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|
If
Objectivism holds that we live in a predictable, clock-work, reality, and
rejects dualism, does this mean that our material brains comprise our entire
consciousness? |
||
|
Would
a properly delimited government have allies, in the sense of other countries? |
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|
Dr.
Peikoff, what are some of your favorite movies and why? |
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|
What
should be considered when choosing a country to live in? |
||
|
Is
lying okay to protect your privacy? |
||
|
How
do you evaluate the action of a woman who knows that tests show her fetus has
a high probability of downs syndrome, yet carries it to full term? |
||
|
Should
choosing a sperm donor that will make your child deaf be criminalized? |
||
|
Can
one be a true Objectivist and be a good parent, or isn’t good parenting
really altruistic? |
||
|
If
sexual orientation is not a choice then why isn’t itan
instinct? |
||
|
Is
there a legal responsibility or moral obligation for the owner of an animal
in it’s treatment? What
role can the government take, if any, to ensure that these despicable acts do
not take place? |
||
|
How
would Objectivists answer the phrase, “What would John Galt do”? |
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|
Group
discussion. |
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|
If
you know that your philosophy cannot succeed in your lifetime, why should you
fight for it? |
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|
Is
it possible for an Objectivist to be friends with someone who does not like
to discuss reality? |
||
|
Man
has been defined as the rational animal, but how about the higher primates,
like chimps and gorillas, who have demonstrated the capacity to reason? |
||
|
What
are your thoughts on California Proposition 8 which states that only marriage
between a man and a woman is valid or recognized? |
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|
Not
a question, but an interesting clipping that shows what happens when skeptics
crusade for a cause. |
||
|
How
can you say the universe is eternal? |
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|
Does
giving away your own wealth, as long as no sacrifice to yourself, break any
tenets of Objectivism or ofcapitalism? |
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|
A
linguistic question: Are humanism and individualism incompatible? |
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|
12:22 |
[Does
Dr. Peikoff offer any help for organizing discussion groups for any of his
lectures?] |
|
|
Private,
for-profit organizations, deliver superior products than do not-for-profit,
amateur, government, or volunteer organizations, in virtually all aspects of life.
For a top-notch, sexual experience, therefore, why shouldn’t someone engage a
professional? |
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|
Excerpt
from session held at Dr. Peikoff's home in October 2008. |
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|
Since
anger is the result of a moral evaluation, is it unjustifiable to be angry at
your dog? |
||
|
Why
are there very few blue-collar Objectivists? |
||
|
Is
it a rational attitude to like someone but not want to date this person because
he does not make very much money? |
||
|
How
can Alan Greenspan go from writing “Gold and Economic Freedom” to being such
a corrupt and intellectually dishonest statist? |
||
|
Why
do so many people who were once involved in Objectivism end up betraying
everything the philosophy stands for? |
||
|
Have
you ever met anyone who describes himself as both an Objectivist and
religious? |
||
|
In
one of Obama’s speeches, he makes the point that, “Some have made selfishness
a virtue, and so I am a bad person for wanting to share my toys when I was in
kindergarten”. Do you agree that this is a not-so-valid attack on Ayn Rand? |
||
|
What
is the difference between a wish and a whim? |
||
|
Should
the government be able to give private companies money for research and
development, because without the government money we wouldn’t have all the
technological wonders of the electronic age? |
||
|
Excerpt
from session held at Dr. Peikoff's home in October 2008. |
||
|
What
is greed? |
||
|
To
what degree should somebody attempt to make amends for immoral actions they
have taken in the past? |
||
|
17:46 |
[Ayn
Rand was asked once: “Suppose Hitler reformed completely, and he wanted to
follow the Objectivist morality, what's the first thing he should do?”] |
|
|
Was
McCain being stupid and self-sacrificial in refusing to be let go from his
Vietnamese captors, on the grounds that he would be leaving others behind,
and didn’t want special treatment for being the son of an admiral? |
||
|
Is
it easier to influence the culture today compared to 2000 years ago or 300
years ago? |
||
|
Is
it wrong to participate in acts of pure self-indulgence, be it drugs,
alcohol, sex, or otherwise? |
||
|
If
I am a committed Objectivist, and other people know it, is it wrong to tell
them that I am religious? |
||
|
Is
there a moral obligation to call for help if you see someone in a car
accident or experiencing a heart attack? |
||
|
Isn’t
it a violation of property rights for the government to forbid the use and
sale of drugs such as cocaine and marihuana? |
||
|
Is
it acceptable to say that morality is warranted by the law of causality? |
||
|
Is
the arbitrary a subset of the possible, or is it something separate? |
||
|
Excerpt
from session held at Dr. Peikoff's home in October 2008. |
||
|
If
Ayn Rand was moral, and morality is practical, and her morality stood for
life as an absolute, why did she die? |
||
|
If
the universe is finite, then couldn’t man travel to the boundary, and then,
if he could do that, couldn’t he go through that boundary? |
||
|
Excerpt
from session held at Dr. Peikoff's home in October 2008. |
||
|
What
would you tell a fifteen year old boy who’s trying to figure out what his
philosophy [should be]? |
||
|
What
books did Ayn Rand recommend to you? |
||
|
What
do you think of the morality of making money if you are the owner of a casino
and profiting when people lose? |
||
|
Excerpt
from session held at Dr. Peikoff's home in October 2008. |
||
|
Is
it immoral to use “Green” in product advertising? |
||
|
Is
it immoral to let a fetus survive outside the womb (by choice) using medical
technology? |
||
|
What
is your opinion of patriotism? |
||
|
A
discussion of a listener’s statement that he has found two instances of
dishonesty in Ayn Rand’s novels. |
||
|
00:44 |
[Do
Dr. Peikoff's listeners prefer the group format or Peikoff alone for his
podcast?] |
|
|
What
does Objectivism say to high school and college students that will help us to
face growing older with equanimity? |
||
|
Is
professional comedy a rational undertaking that would be proper in a society
composed of Objectivists? |
||
|
00:44 |
[The
PEW Forum on Religion and Public Life poll found 92% of Americans believe in
God, and this is in conspicuous contrast with the support of religion in
Europe.] |
|
|
02:12 |
[Why
are Americans so much more religious than Europeans? Will this difference
affect the political future of thetwo?] |
|
|
What
steps did you, Dr. Peikoff, take to overcome your early rationalist tendency? |
||
|
What
is the deeper source of “be good for goodness sake”? |
||
|
When
is sexual exclusivity in a romantic relationship a rational choice? |
||
|
Group
discussion. |
||
|
How
should one deal with internal guilt and conflict of not wanting to routinely
visit a paralyzed friend in the hospital, but feeling he ought to? |
||
|
Is
the continuation of consciousness after death a metaphysical impossibility or
merely an unproved assertion? |
||
|
Is
it okay to take a job that goes against a product or campaign that you don’t
support? |
||
|
What
is your opinion on Stoicism? [Failure of Nerve] |
||
|
04:24 |
[Question
about Epicurus and his claim that free will was the result of atoms that
causelessly swerve.] |
|
|
Is
swearing on the Bible in court, despite non-belief, an appropriate lie? |
||
|
Is
it irrational for an actor or director to enter into pornography and if so,
is it irrational to watch pornography? |
||
|
Should
binding arbitration services and private security companies be legal? |
||
|
A
hypothetical scenario: My wife is extremely sick. She is my greatest value,
but she will die within 24 hours if I do not acquire a certain medicine for
her. Is it moral to steal the medicine if need be? |
||
|
If
you were to write up a constitution, knowing all you know of the
vulnerabilities of our current one, what would you change? |
||
|
00:44 |
[Announcement:
1) Objectively Speaking, edited by Marlene Podritske
and Peter Schwartz, is now available, and 2) coming soon: podcast on why
America is so much more religious than Europe.] |
|
|
How
far may the government go to protect minors from parent’s negligence? |
||
|
Isn’t
Dagny too strong a person to fall in love, because that would mean she is
dependent on another person? |
||
|
A
correction to a previous podcast answer about Objective journalism. |
||
|
Group
discussion. |
||
|
00:44 |
[How
does one deal with acute grief? Is there some way to work through it
intellectually and emotionally?] |
|
|
Does
it make sense to be experiencing doubt about a remunerative career choice
after working in the field for 15years? |
||
|
What
is the moral value of masturbation? |
||
|
What
should one do if asked to be a bridesmaid in a wedding, but feels
uncomfortable with the religious aspects ofthis
honor? |
||
|
Can
a voluntarily, morbidly obese person consider himself or herself an
Objectivist? |
||
|
Can
a person evade without knowing they are doing so? |
||
|
What
emotionally equivalent phrase can be used as an alternative to “You’re in my
prayers”? |
||
|
If
smoking is an attempt on life and you have the right to protect your own
life, should you also have the right to report smokers to the police even if
in a public place? |
||
|
Group
discussion. |
||
|
How
can there be objective facts in journalism? |
||
|
06:44 |
[How
does a journalist decide objectively which facts are relevant?] |
|
|
15:38 |
[Who
is the philosopher who would say that your conceptual framework determines
what you would regard as a fact and cuts you off from true facts, from
reality as it is in itself?] |
|
|
How
should one deal with Christian parents who say
unless you repent you are doomed to hell? |
||
|
Was
Hank Rearden’s extra-marital affair with Dagny Taggart a violation of
Objectivism? |
||
|
Can
you explain Ayn Rand’s view on death? [Badger Clark's The Westerner.] |
||
|
When
I am watching beautiful women in a movie, I am enjoying myself; therefore, I
need no other validation. On the other hand, I feel that I am envying
something I do not have, and should instead go out and find an actual woman
that fulfills the same desires. Which is right? |
||
|
How
can two different political parties look at the same facts but interpret them
differently, and seemingly come up with two different opposing realities? |
||
|
If
the universe is eternal and infinity doesn’t exist, isn’t the universe
actually infinite because there is not beginning and end? |
||
|
Elaborate
on your statement that Plato and Aristotle may not have been possible without
Homer and Sophocles. |
||
|
Why
does the onus of proof principle not apply equally to negatives? |
||
|
If
not the government, who should be responsible for infrastructure, like roads,
traffic lights, bridges, etc.? |
||
|
If
government requires payment for its services, would those who choose freely
not to pay for government services not have their inalienable rights
protected? |
||
|
What
is the justification of voting? |
||
|
14:52 |
[Are
government grants for scientific researchhandouts?] |
|
|
Is
a man acting immorally if he loves his girlfriend or wife, but masturbates to
imagined sexual scenes with other women in his mind? |
||
|
Is
it appropriate for a free government to help its free citizens during an
emergency? |
||
|
If
a being was so intelligent that the correct course of action was always
clear, would that not be like a force too strong to resist, effectively
negating its freewill? |
||
|
Did
Ayn Rand intend for her statement that life is a process of self-sustaining
and self-generated action, to be a description or definition of the concept
of life? |
||
|
Is
it okay for poets to do nothing if they want, no matter how the world is
collapsing? |
||
|
Can
anger be a good response if it is a self-assertive emotional reaction to an
injustice? |
||
|
13:22 |
[Other
than Ayn Rand's and his own, what are Dr. Peikoff's five
"must-read" books?] |
|
|
15:13 |
[What
is the name of the virtue by which one acts to gain and or keep health, an
objective value?] |
|
|
After
Dominique comes to Roark for the first time, why does Roark tell Dominique
that he wouldn’t want her if she didn’t want to destroy him? |
||
|
In
Ayn Rand’s theory, the meaning of a concept is what it refers to. In other
words it’s denotation. What then about the connotation? How can a concept
which is denoted, also have a connotation? |
||
|
If
you, Dr. Peikoff, were in Barack Obama’s shoes on January 20th 2009, what
would be your first three actions as president? |
||
|
My
boyfriend has a professional job that I respect, but he is not furthering his
career because he is comfortable. I’m not happy with this. What do you think? |
||
|
To
what extent can people be friends if they are very competitive with each
other? |
||
|
Is
borrowing or lending books immoral since the author is then not paid for the
book? |
||
|
Would
it be immoral to wear an Ayn Rand T-shirt or use her image? |
||
|
Why
is America more religious than Europe, and what are the political
implications of this fact? [Entire podcast devoted to the question.] |
||
|
Why
didn’t Ayn Rand like Senator McCarthy? |
||
|
Marriage
is a contract and every contract is enforced by the state. Is it therefore
wrong to get married, since you would be using the power of the state against
your loved one? |
||
|
Why
is “supply and demand” considered a law like the law of gravity? Doesn’t this
imply that it is outside the realm of human control? |
||
|
There
seems to be a desire among Objectivists to pin the status of romanticism and
heroics onto art which is not romantic, and onto people who are not heroic.
What are your views on the subject of Objectivists being too free to describe
movies that they like as romantic? |
||
|
Are
some rationalists repulsed by the human body and experience sex as a vice
because of an evasion of facts? |
||
|
Is
it true that there is a tendency among Objectivists to discount the
importance of art and read non-fiction over fiction? |
||
|
Is
it ever proper for a person such as Richard Halley or Hank Rearden to pursue
a “philosophy for Akston”? |
||
|
Are
all men equal? If not, is there any rational basis for believing that all men
should adhere to the same code of morality? |
||
|
Is
your book, The DIM Hypothesis, a theory that needs a real technical
knowledge, or can it be grasped by a general level of knowledge? |
||
|
Is
it possible to play and enjoy different pieces of music from different eras
based on different senses of life? |
||
|
What
do you think about trade embargoes, and how do they fit in with the concept
of free trade? |
||
|
How
do you distinguish honest from dishonest people? |
||
|
What
is your take on learning about history or the social sciences in comparison
with the hard sciences of physics and chemistry? |
||
|
Ayn
Rand, in Atlas Shrugged, said that courage is the virtue of being true to
existence, and confidence is being true to one’s own consciousness. How do
you justify this? |
||
|
Is
it true that one can only dismiss a statement as being arbitrary if its being true would involve a
contradiction in reality? |
||
|
What
is your view today on socialized medicine? |
||
|
Since
Galt’s Gulch doesn’t actually exist, or I haven’t yet received my invitation,
is it fair to say that Objectivism in practice is not absolute? |
||
|
How
far does the word “sacrifice” go? |
||
|
How
can an Objectivists live ethically in the western world when paying taxes
involuntarily is immoral, and avoiding taxes is illegal? |
||
|
05:12 |
[California's
Proposition 1A] |
|
|
If
possible for a state to secede from a corrupt United States, would it be
right? |
||
|
How
does the growth of technology in the last sixty years correlate with the
continued growth of evil philosophy and religion which has taken place at the
same time? |
||
|
Is
there a rational basis for not being comfortable with public nudity? |
||
|
If
one is living under a totalitarian dictatorship, which of the following is
moral? [Multiple choice question.] |
||
|
Is
it wrong for a musician who is an atheist to accept money to play at a
religious service? |
||
|
What
are your thoughts on tenure? |
||
|
Why
don’t you, Dr. Peikoff, describe on your website the content of each podcast
and thereby make it more valuable? |
||
|
Is
it right to mold my girlfriend into believing what I believe so we can then
get married? |
||
|
Is
the government’s power unconstitutional? |
||
|
14:00 |
[Innocent
until proven guilty. Fact versus law. Authority and fact.] |
|
|
If
the U.S. has learned through intelligence that there is a chance a country in
Africa will slaughter 250,000 of their own people, yet there is no military
threat to the U.S. What should we do? |
||
|
What
will the United States and world be like in five, ten,fifty,
a hundred, and a thousand years from now? |
||
|
How
is the principle of individual rights applied to those humans that are
incapable of rational thought? |
||
|
Is
homosexuality immoral? |
||
|
Is
Atlas Shrugged coming true today? |
||
|
What
is your opinion on nihilism? |
||
|
Announcements
on the resurgence of interest in Ayn Rand. |
||
|
Is
there value in having Objectivist churches? |
||
|
How
can an Objectivist survive ethically and honestly in a medical school when
the professors are altruistic? |
||
|
How
can one agree with Objectivism, but never feel he can be John Galt? |
||
|
Is
having friends necessary to living happy? |
||
|
If
it is a legitimate role for the government to protect its citizens with
police and armed forces, is it legitimate for the government to contract with
private companies to buy the equipment from defense companies in order to
perform its function? |
||
|
Does
morality require that you be in love with a person to have sex? |
||
|
How
should I evaluate my teacher if she is nice sometimes, but then yells with no
provocation? |
||
|
Does
Objectivism value goals over achievement? |
||
|
Is
it wrong to masturbate secretly in public if you are not caught? |
||
|
Is
it moral to collect old Soviet cameras and profit from their gradual increase
in value, considering that they were manufactured under a totalitarian
regime? |
||
|
Is
begging a form of stealing or earning? |
||
|
In
an Objectivist society, would advocating socialism be a crime? |
||
|
Why
have modern day socialist countries not degenerated into brutal totalitarian
dictatorships? |
||
|
Is
religious proselytizing or missionary effort with an aim to gain converts to
a religion immoral? |
||
|
How
can I reconcile Objectivism but continue staying sober through the Alcoholics
Anonymous program which promotes a higher power? |
||
|
Is
there a fundamental difference between sympathy and pity? |
||
|
Is
it immoral to make money trading the stocks of companies that the government
has bailed out and is now running, such as GM? |
||
|
Is
there such a thing as a stupid question? |
||
|
Without
the ability of abstract thought, can an animal know that it will bear
offspring |
||
|
Can
there be a revaluation of psychiatric practice in accordance with
Objectivism? |
||
|
Can
someone be an implicit Objectivist without explicit knowledge of it? |
||
|
What
is the value of Shakespeare from an Objectivist standpoint? |
||
|
Is
Halloween anti-man? Is Objectivism opposed to it? |
||
|
Is
Santa Claus an altruist? |
||
|
Can
there be an evil genius? |
||
|
In
light of the current government spending spree, why is religion still a
greater threat than socialism? |
||
|
Should
the word “spiritual”, which suggests mysticism,be replaced by the word “consciousness”? |
||
|
I
went into medical school because I believed in altruism. I read Ayn Rand when
I was almost finished and I’m anti-altruist now. What should I do? |
||
|
Will
a soldier continuing to serve in a Bush-Obama style war ever become
counter-productive or a sanction on his own nation’s self
destruction? |
||
|
How
should one handle professors that are out to destroy the rational mind? |
||
|
Is
there any moral distinction between a suicide who destroys himself only, and
a genocidal killer who destroysothers |
||
|
What
is the difference between “existence” and “reality” as concepts? |
||
|
Have
you ever used mind-altering drugs? |
||
|
How
do you explain the concepts of “religion” and “God” to pre-school-aged children? |
||
|
People
are highly uncomfortable with the idea of their teenage kids having sex. Is
this irrational? |
||
|
What
is your opinion of sex education, and abstinence education in particular? |
||
|
Am
I behaving rationally by remaining married to a woman that I no longer love in
order to keep my physical home? |
||
|
Suppose
biology led to immortality. Would that wipe out the Objectivist morality
because we wouldn’t need values? |
||
|
What
was Ayn Rand’s opinion on profanity? |
||
|
Is
it rationally selfish for a man to voluntarily do his part to avert bad
conditions in the future after he is dead for the sake of future generations
if it means that his current standard of living will be affected negatively
as aconsequence? |
||
|
During
job interviews, I am often asked, “What’s your greatest weakness?” How should
I answer this question? |
||
|
What
is the Objectivist view on gays in the military? |
||
|
Is
it irrational to be in an intimate relationship with a woman who has no
formed values, yet might someday? |
||
|
What
do you think of the concept of “nation”? |
||
|
What
should an individual’s attitude be towards the nation he was born into? |
||
|
Is
America the only legitimate nation since it was founded on the concept of
individual rights? |
||
|
Is
the existence of multiple nations worth preserving, or should we aim at
universal assimilation? |
||
|
If
you find that you are unknowingly taking Ayn Rand on faith, how can you fix
it? |
||
|
Is
being a far left Democrat, like Obama, grounds for impeachment? |
||
|
Roark
wants to achieve values so as to gain pleasure; Keating wants approval from
others so as to gain pleasure. Is there any difference in their characters
and motivation? |
||
|
How
important should physical attractiveness be vs. values? |
||
|
What
is the Objectivist position of medicating away concern for the world? |
||
|
If
the welfare system is abolished, will the impoverished revolt against the
government and people who have rightfully earned their money? And couldn’t
welfare then be justified by self-interest? |
||
|
Announcement:
Sales of Atlas Shrugged have skyrocketed to an all-time high, 52 years after
publication, triple over lastyear. |
||
|
What
is the proper response to the death of Michael Jackson? |
||
|
Does
an altruist have to advocate capitalism given his ethics because capitalism
actually is what makes people happy, and that’s his professed goal? |
||
|
What
is the definition of “fact” when you talk about “facts of reality”? |
||
|
If
royalties must be paid for the use of a famous painting in a film, why
shouldn’t the paint on the wall behind the painting be paid a royalty? |
||
|
Is
there anything I can do to speed the transfer of the Objectivist works into
the eReader format, such as the Kindle of Amazon? |
||
|
Is
religion more dangerous in America than socialism or collectivism? |
||
|
06:00 |
[Part
of the response to the above question: When is Dr. Peikoff's book, DIM
Hypothesis, coming out?] |
|
|
I
was given a graduation gift to travel to Europe or take the money and put it
in the bank. What should I do? |
||
|
08:44 |
[Context,
Objectivism and Independence.] |
|
|
Do
you see any ideological antecedent to multiculturalism? [Kant. Marxism and
Fascism. Jesus and Christianity.] |
||
|
Is
collecting discarded property the desire to gain something for nothing, and
therefore morally shameful? [Rationalism] |
||
|
Is
Greek literature deterministic? |
||
|
As
a landlord, is it better to choose a renter who can pay more than the asking
price with government subsidized housing, or a renter who offers $100 less
than the asking price? |
||
|
If
a license from the government is required to watch TV, should I pay and
thereby aid the government, or is it too much of a sacrifice? [Question from
Britain] |
||
|
If
citizens do not rebel against a dictatorship, who will bring an end to the
dictatorship? |
||
|
Who
bears responsibility for a dictator’s actions? |
||
|
If
evidence is found showing that social welfare is cheaper than the cost of
crime resulting from its absence, is welfare still immoral? |
||
|
How
do I stay happy in a miserable world? |
||
|
It
is professionally advantageous for me to take GM as a client, but I feel some
guilt about being an instrument for mooching from the taxpayer. What should I
do? |
||
|
Is
it proper to teach young children to believe in Santa? |
||
|
Are
you contradicting Ayn Rand when you state that the validity of the senses is
an axiom and it is a corollary of consciousness? Ayn Rand states that
identity is a corollary of existence. |
||
|
Should
Objectivists phrases be invented for already useful expressions like “Beg,
borrow, or steal”? |
||
|
Why
does it take months to deliver a podcast? Would you explain the process to
listeners? |
||
|
Does
the UN do more harm than good for the interest of the United States? |
||
|
Where
do you place Obama on the ‘DIM’ scale? |
||
|
If
we advocate a return to principles, aren’t we also saying that it would be
better for politicians to live by principles, and that is what Objectivists
are opposed to, their principles? |
||
|
Would
Ayn Rand have called her philosophy “Existentialism” if the term had not
already been appropriated by other philosophies? |
||
|
Can
you properly call Objectivism a philosophy of individualism? |
||
|
Are
animal cruelty laws objectively sound? |
||
|
Why
are people irrational? What benefit comes from being irrational? [Question
from a fourteen year old boy.] |
||
|
Is
it rational to want to conquer fear? |
||
|
If
reality is existence as correctly perceived by man, can we say that truth is
the recognition of the facts of existence as correctly perceived by man? |
||
|
In
a recent podcast you mention that after the publication of your book you are
leaving the field of philosophy. Are you retiring or entering a new field? |
||
|
Do
you approve of the intellectual battle waged by Jim Valliant and Diana Shaw? |
||
|
Ayn
Rand defines happiness as a state of non-contradictory joy, but Objectivism
is the only non-contradictory philosophic system, so are Objectivists the
only humans in the entire history of man who are capable of happiness? |
||
|
In
We The Living, is Andrei working to get Leo released as an act of altruism? |
||
|
07:32 |
[The
following four questions are about living in today's world.] |
|
|
Is
it rational to remain living in the United States given what is going on? |
||
|
How
do you stay strong in an environment such as a liberal university? |
||
|
I’m
disillusioned with mankind. Why aren’t you? |
||
|
Will
the economy get so bad that first world countries will make drastic changes? |
||
|
What
does it mean for something to be an “end in itself” like “man’s life”? |
||
|
A
discussion on a health care and totalitarianism quote from an official White
House site. |
||
|
Is
it only a matter of time before governments regulate the Internet? |
||
|
Should
professional societies, like the AMA, exist? |
||
|
If
an individual was once hostile and harmful to Objectivism, but has since
changed his opinion, should he now be accepted by Objectivism as a friend and
ally? |
||
|
What
is the Objectivist view of Confucianism? |
||
|
If
love is the response of the values you hold and see in another one, why then
didn’t you, fall in love with Ayn Rand? And why did Ayn Rand fall in love
with Frank O’Connor? |
||
|
You
validate the three axioms of philosophy in the following order: existence, consciousness,
identity. Can you explain why you chose to use this order? |
||
|
Why
does Ayn Rand refer to Howard Roark as a religious man and have him build a temple? |
||
|
Wikipedia
says that you are from Winnipeg, Canada. Is that true? |
||
|
Do
Objectivist ethics allow the health care professional to refuse to dispense contraceptives? |
||
|
What
is the meaning of sarcasm? |
||
|
Was
Kant a nihilist because he made duty an end in itself? |
||
|
If
the proper function of a government is to secure the individual rights of its
citizens, what would be the proper response of a government when the property
of its citizens is expropriated or nationalized by a foreign government? |
||
|
What
was Ayn Rand’s favorite musical composition? |
||
|
Is
it true to say that Objectivists generally are happier and will live longer
than other people because they hold rational values and life as the standard? |
||
|
What
is the Objectivist view of government forcing drug companies to post labels
on medication? |
||
|
Is
it possible for a socialist to have read every word that Ayn Rand wrote? |
||
|
Is
it proper for a child to accept a home from his father if the father can’t
afford it? |
||
|
Suppose
that one Siamese twin commits a felony, and the other twin is absolutely
innocent. How should the courtrule? |
||
|
A
discussion on a quote from George Bush’s administration about the auto
industry. |
||
|
If
a doctor suggested to a patient that she should commit suicide, should the
doctor be prosecuted for a crime? |
||
|
Is
it acceptable for a released felon to profit from writing about his crimes? |
||
|
How
much should I attribute peoples’ bad state to a lack of knowledge, and how much
should I assign moral guilt tothem? |
||
|
What
is your opinion of the publishing companies who continue to publish and
reprint the writings of ImmanuelKant? |
||
|
What
is the best lecture or recording ever given by Ayn Rand? And by you? |
||
|
13:27 |
[Did
Ayn Rand ever get nervous before a public appearance or speech?] |
|
|
What
is the Objectivist response, if any, to “bless you” after someone sneezes? |
||
|
What
is your view, Dr. Peikoff, on introversion and extroversion? |
||
|
What
is the moral status of an individual business owner, a woman, who seeks a
legal minority status for being female? |
||
|
If
Objectivism holds that the federal government should take no position for or
against any ideological movement, then how did Ayn Rand justify her support
of McCarthy and his clear violation of this distinction? |
||
|
Does
a person have free will in regard to his or her sexual identity? |
||
|
Is
it morally acceptable for an elderly person denied medical treatment through
Obama’s plan to kill the government health panel members so he can become a
criminal with a legal right to medical care? |
||
|
Which
laws concerning stock trade are moral? |
||
|
What
should the government be allowed to do in the event of an epidemic? |
||
|
What
is your view of police arresting teenagers under 18 who are texting naked
pictures of themselves to eachother? |
||
|
How
does Objectivism account for the first conscious and living organism? |
||
|
If
man could determine the exact combination and condition where elements or
atoms formed and produced the first conscious organism, is it possible then
for man to create consciousness in a controlled setting? |
||
|
An
acknowledgment to listeners who sent in suggestions as to how to minimize
animal cruelty. |
||
|
Is
it rationalism to conclude, simply based on the metaphysics of free will,
that predicting human behavior isimpossible? |
||
|
Does
“existence exists” mean that the material world is and has always existed? |
||
|
Ayn
Rand says that pragmatists are short-ranged, seek power without purpose, and
have no desire to change the whole country. If so, how can you account for Obama? |
||
|
I
disagree with Ayn Rand on architecture as an art form and on the nature of
femininity and masculinity, but I accept objective reality, reason,
self-interest, and capitalism. Am I still an Objectivist? |
||
|
How
can you be happy if you realize you are of average intelligence and are
surrounded by others more intelligent? |
||
|
Is
it ever moral for an artist to create a work that violates his own basic
standards in order to keep from starving, but does not hurt others? |
||
|
Is
identifying with someone else, like a character, wrong according to
Objectivism? |
||
|
Why
would people who held evil beliefs, such as Hume and Kant, or a false
epistemology, such as Von Mises, defend capitalism, the only system that
brings justice and wealth? |
||
|
Is
the Internet the real hope for the future? |
||
|
When
should you negotiate with terrorists? |
||
|
Episode 085 - October 26,
2009 |
||
|
Episode
085 is no longer available. |
||
|
If
a man creates a physical condition in nature, for instance, he does something
that causes icebergs to start melting, is that fact, the iceberg melting,
metaphysical or man-made? |
||
|
Is
there any value to statistics beyond describing the past? |
||
|
To
what degree should one support a totalitarian government to ensure one's own
happiness? |
||
|
Is
it possible to have a terrible sense of life but a good philosophy? |
||
|
Is
a man raised since birth to hate blacks truly acting by choice when his
entire family and community shares the same ideas? |
||
|
If
children are taught to shoot infidels on sight, is it possible for them to
choose to think and act contrary to their parents and society? |
||
|
Is
it rational to say that religion is only evil in a conceptual context, that it was, in fact, good during pre-conceptual
times, even an invaluable necessity forsurvival? |
||
|
Do
you agree with legalizing baby euthanasia when the baby has an incurable
illness? |
||
|
If
I apply for membership at a tennis club and later discover evidence that the
only reason my application was rejected was because I am black, should I feel
anger toward the club? |
||
|
Is
it possible for a dishonest person to turn good, or is it a fruitless pursuit
to try to be moral? |
||
|
Is
there a common premise that all evil people hold that means they have already
rejected reality? |
||
|
How
does one develop a career passion? |
||
|
What
is the root of ambition and passion? |
||
|
Are
laws requiring buildings to be handicap accessible, right? |
||
|
Objectivists
are too gloomy. Why should we not focus essentially on the good, on all the
values and joy that is still possible? |
||
|
Is
it right for Objectivists to have a glass is half empty attitude to
non-Objectivists? |
||
|
Why
is that when disaster strikes, like 9/11, people tend to draw together?
[Question from a 14 year old.] |
||
|
Why
is the word “think” often associated with uncertainty? |
||
|
Is
it the proper function of government to create laws for driving while
intoxicated or using mobile phones in thecar? |
||
|
Given
the current political climate in the health care industry, should a young person
be encouraged to become a doctor? |
||
|
Should
Erwin Rommel, the Desert Fox General who conquered Africa under Hitler, be
considered evil? |
||
|
Could
Aristotle have come up with the same system of ideas and conclusions without
Plato? |
||
|
Should
a raped woman have any recourse if all health care professionals refuse to
dispense emergency contraceptive? |
||
|
Would
a government have a role in the evacuation of a city in the path of a massive
hurricane? |
||
|
What
do you, as a philosopher, have to say about a female who responds negatively
to premature ejaculation? [Love is not just love of the soul.] |
||
|
Should
I tell my ex girlfriend, who I’m still friends
with, that I was unfaithful when we were together? |
||
|
Do
you plan to read either of the new Ayn Rand biographies? |
||
|
What
is the moral status of quarantine? |
||
|
How
does Ayn Rand’s definition of capitalism differ from the conventional one? |
||
|
Where
is Aristotle’s reference to the law of identity? |
||
|
Is
it possible to hold the malevolent universe premise as one’s basic view of existence,
but in a particularly important area, hold the opposite? |
||
|
If
a good person with a wrong moral idea violates that idea by doing the right
thing, should he be condemned for contradicting his wrong moral idea? |
||
|
If
a compromise between good and evil leads all the way to evil, is it foolish
to try and end a bad habit gradually? |
||
|
Why
did Ayn Rand change the story line in the movie version of The Fountainhead?
[Gail Wynand's suicide in the movie.] |
||
|
How
is revenge or vengeance distinguished from justice? |
||
|
Is
it an Objectivists position that the U.S. was right to be involved in WWII? |
||
|
Is
stealing information that exposes climate research as fraud, like the hackers
that hit the University of East Anglia’s climate research unit, moral? |
||
|
Ayn
Rand said that a rational man is motivated by a desire to achieve, and does
not compare himself to others. Can having a hero or rival inspire men to
greater heights of achievement than without one? |
||
|
Is
there a way to demonstrate objectivity in a discussion and thereby convince
subjectivists, who say “It’s true for you, but it’s all a matter of opinion”
that it’s not just true, but that this is objective? |
||
|
Is
it a mistake to entertain a strong desire for something that is impossible,
or to fantasize about what one would do in life if circumstances were
different? |
||
|
Is
it right for parents to compel their children? |
||
|
Is
it wrong to take advantage of government programs like Cash for Clunkers? |
||
|
Is
it possible for a mystic leader to be morally guilty of murder? |
||
|
Is
gambling a legitimate form of entertainment? |
||
|
Why
was a great mind like Ayn Rand unable to catch the evil characters among her
onetime associates in the act? |
||
|
What
is the proper U.S. policy in regard to Muslims, in light of recent events,
such as the massacre at Fort Hood and the attempted Detroit bound airplane
bombing? |
||
|
What
types of submitted questions by listeners do you not answer? |
||
|
Can
secondary knowledge ever be real knowledge? |
||
|
Is
government morally involved in medicine in regard to the military? |
||
|
How
much license to romanticize people and events does a writer of a novel or
film have when dealing with a historical event or individual? |
||
|
11:46 |
[Is
the use of voice-over narration in a film a violation of the medium?] |
|
|
Did
Ayn Rand travel? |
||
|
Is
it morally acceptable to watch Michael Moore’s films? |
||
|
Is
it immoral to buy a cheap concert ticket, then move to an empty but better
seat at intermission? |
||
|
Is
there life after death, or is this simply an unanswerable question? |
||
|
With
the vast scope of the universe, with billions of stars and billions of
galaxies, and countless eons of existence, doesn’t it seem completely valid
to question whether any higher purpose exists? |
||
|
What
is a good approach for Objectivists to take in order to build consensus among
themselves on any particular issue or topic? |
||
|
Does
a free market require rational actors in order to function properly? |
||
|
Suppose
you are circumcised and this adversely affects your life. Is it proper to
seek retribution from your parents for making that decision, or from the
doctor for performing the procedure? |
||
|
Should
I feel ashamed for taking an acting role that requires bodily exposure? |
||
|
Is
grade inflation wrong? |
||
|
Is
it moral for the state to restrict access to antibiotics if misuse of these
drugs can create a public health hazard by creating antibiotic-resistant
pathogens? |
||
|
Did
Ayn Rand donate to charity or do volunteer work? |
||
|
Who
was the best United States President and why? |
||
|
Is
it immoral for a handicapped person to use a handicapped parking spot or ask
for job accommodations? |
||
|
What
should a small business owner do if his customers promote his business in a
way that he doesn’t want to be associated with? |
||
|
If
the opportunity arose to assassinate Hugo Chavez and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,
would it be a moral action? |
||
|
Have
you ever seen a person who was uninterested in ideas become interested? |
||
|
Can
a man that is very interested in ideas be fulfilled romantically by a woman
who is not? |
||
|
If
Ayn Rand were held up at gunpoint on live national television and ordered to
renounce every tenets of her philosophy or be killed, what would she do? |
||
|
Do
I provide a legitimate and valuable service if I continue to be a tax
accountant? |
||
|
A
nation’s goal in war must be, at a minimum, to end the foreign threat. But
beyond that, is punishment ever a proper goal in war? |
||
|
I’ve
always wondered how a philosophy like altruism, with its morality based on
pain and suffering, took such a hold on humanity. Why is it so hard to “sell”
Objectivism in this regard? |
||
|
Ayn
Rand denies instinct. What about the “fight or flight” response for evading
your captors? |
||
|
I
can’t call myself an atheist because it stunts my mind’s ability to consider
other people objective. I know a majority of people believe in God, and
therefore would have to think of them as non-thinking entities, which would
cause me to feel terror. If I call myself an agnostic, then I can consider
other people objectively because I can see what they do and say without being
afraid. Am I destroying myself? |
||
|
Can
a tragic work in which a mostly-good protagonist ends up destroying himself
by some tragic flaw still be considered romantic? |
||
|
As
a telemarketer, is offering a free product with the caveat that you must
purchase another product, fraudulent? |
||
|
Is
secession rational? |
||
|
What
do you think of the idea that only so much scientific progress is good? |
||
|
Is
a person who commits an immoral act necessarily an immoral person? |
||
|
Are
there any philosophic implications to the fact that Eddie Willers
felt romantic love for Dagny? |
||
|
Do
property rights apply on the Moon? |
||
|
11:52 |
[Physical
attraction and brains in the selection of a wife.] |
|
|
Is
jealousy or envy a proper emotional response even when you trust your spouse? |
||
|
What
does the common saying, “It’s easy for people to agree,” but, “the devil is
in the details” mean and why is it so common? |
||
|
At
21 I’ve taken love for granted in my life. I’ve been spoon-fed and given
things by my family. I feel like I haven’t really earned anything in my life.
Is it right for me to suffer now and put up with hardships for myself in
order to become more independent? |
||
|
How
much concern for appearance, if any, is appropriate for a first-handed
person? |
||
|
What
about intuition? You learn a lot from it, but it’s not mysticism and it’s not
reason. |
||
|
If
you know the identity of a rapist that hasn’t been caught by the police, is
it moral to exact justice on your own, assuming you wouldn’t be caught? |
||
|
Is
it proper for the government to conduct a national census? |
||
|
Did
Ayn Rand often refer back to her written notes on a novel while working on
them? |
||
|
How
can Objectivism separate altruism from selfishness? |
||
|
Is
governmental compulsion warranted in airport security because of the
potential of the force by terrorists? |
||
|
Should
the government assume foreign travelers to America have no rights when it
comes to allegations of terrorists? |
||
|
Why
is it acceptable to put an advertisement up on personal property, but not
pornography? |
||
|
How
important is physical appearance? |
||
|
Should
one think of one’s self in third person? |
||
|
Is
it valid to have less sympathy for Haiti after the 2010 earthquake because
extreme poverty and corruption has compounded the situation? |
||
|
I’ve
been fascinated by the stories on a cassette tape that I found years ago and
I’ve wanted to turn them into a play. But, if I were to adapt parts of the
interview as dialogue, is that moral? |
||
|
Are
children’s stories exempt from your concerns, which you expressed in earlier
shows about indoctrinatingchildren? |
||
|
Are
you, Dr. Peikoff, an interventionist or an isolationist in regard to foreign
policy? |
||
|
What
about the unavoidable choice of having to settle for less in romantic
relationships in terms of finding someone that has everything you want, that
also wants you? |
||
|
Is
bringing up incidents from the past a proper way to argue? |
||
|
Why
did no other society develop a pro-man sense of life, like Greece did? |
||
|
If
one’s underage children spend half their time with their father, is it proper
for the dad to move to another state if the children cannot move with him? |
||
|
If
a person feels he is looked down upon because of his race, does having pride
in your race as a self-esteem booster, make racism good? |
||
|
What
do you think of the issue of gays in the military? |
||
|
I
really love a woman and believe she loves me too, but sometimes she treats me
in a degrading way. What should I do? Shouldn’t my feelings be decisive |
||
|
Should
I feel guilty for not being involved in my child’s life (but pay child
support) if I did not want to have the child and was adamant about it? |
||
|
I carry
a permitted weapon. When invited to someone’s home, do I have an ethical
obligation to disclose that I am carrying a gun? |
||
|
Does
a woman have a right to refuse medical treatment during pregnancy or abuse
her body? |
||
|
What
do you think about people from other countries celebrating their country of
origins Independence Day here in America? |
||
|
What
are the rights of the dead in regards to their body? |
||
|
Makeup.
Women generally wear it and men don’t. Is this an arbitrary social convention
or does it have an objective basis? |
||
|
What
was the philosophy question posed by the three students in Atlas Shrugged at
the end of their first classroom meeting with Dr. Axton? |
||
|
I
attend a public high school that requires a senior year government class. The
grade requires community service hours. Is it irrational to refuse to do
these hours in an attempt to stand up for my rights? |
||
|
Do
you have any advice for young people who love Atlas Shrugged but are bombarded
with questions they can’t answer? |
||
|
Is
Ayn Rand’s philosophy a “closed system”? |
||
|
If
someone invested money with Bernie Madoff and made a large profit before
Madoff was caught, is it immoral for the person to keep the money? |
||
|
Did
Ayn Rand like driving or did she prefer to have others drive her? What kind
of cars did she own? |
||
|
A
situation discussed in the New York Times: A man checked in to a hotel and
ate the $6 box of Oreos in the mini bar. Later that day he replenished the
Oreos in the mini bar with store bought Oreos before the mini bar was
restocked. Is this proper? |
||
|
Should
I challenge my left wing professor on her assertions in economics even though
I am young and lack the knowledge and experience that she has in economics? |
||
|
I
am in love with my ex girlfriend who is now seeing
someone else. Is my feeling of jealousy inconsistent with loving? |
||
|
Does
Objectivist philosophy offer any source of comfort in times of tragedy and
distress like God does? |
||
|
Why
didn’t Ayn Rand participate in public debates? |
||
|
12:05 |
[Doesn't
a layman have to give some credence to experts in a field simply because
they're experts and he isn't? This is asked in the context of climate
scientists with all their data allegedly proving global warming.] |
|
|
In
the Fountainhead Gail Wynand gives in to the demands of the strikers. In
Atlas Shrugged Rearden signs away his property rights. Both actions were the
results of the character’s faulty premises and yet Ayn Rand allows redemption
to Rearden.Why? |
||
|
Is
Gail Wynand a second-hander? |
||
|
Why
did Wynand choose to keep The Banner, his newspaper, running knowing it would
end his life? |
||
|
How
should I respond to an honest, well-meaning person who assumes everyone is
religious? |
||
|
Given
the Obama administration and your stand on Republicans, will you support or
vote for a Republican inNovember? |
||
|
Is
providing accurate information to an extorting government objective and
rational? |
||
|
Are
most people today second-hand? |
||
|
I
am having a hard time completing my first novel. I categorize my problem as
weariness from years of struggling. Is forcing myself to sit down and work
capitulating to duty? |
||
|
In
Anthem Ayn Rand writes, “I need no warrant for being” and “No word of
sanction upon my being. I am the warrant and the sanction”- what is the
difference? |
||
|
Is
it moral to refuse to pay a “health care fee” added to your restaurant bill? |
||
|
Due
to the number of immoral laws, government lawyers occasionally must prosecute
innocent people. Is this proper if the lawyer knows that the law in question
is wrong? |
||
|
If
man is a rational being, are severely retarded humans men? |
||
|
When
you were a college professor did you mention Ayn Rand to your students or did
you just teach from an Objectivist perspective? |
||
|
Is
Atlas Shrugged the most philosophically ambitious novel an artwork ever
created? |
||
|
Animals
don’t have rights. Does a moral man then have to stand idly by and allow a
dog to be tortured by its owner? |
||
|
Ayn
Rand accepts the right of the state in the Administration of Justice to
subpoena witnesses, but this depends on the use of force and coercion of
witnesses to testify. Why is this justified? |
||
|
Would
an alien race comprised of individuals who are mortal, and survived via their
rational faculty, qualify as human despite their very different DNA? |
||
|
To
what extent is it proper for a government to outsource its legitimate
function to private contract? |
||
|
Is
there any type of philosophical question that can be legitimately answered
with an “I don’t know”? |
||
|
How
can we know the facts of history are true if the events were in the past and are
only known to us through records? Is there a difference between an atheist
and a religious person in this issue? |
||
|
What
would be the effect on morality if human nature changes, for example by
continual evolution? |
||
|
Can
free will be used to detach bad memories from the subconscious? |
||
|
Should
businesses be allowed to sell tobacco and alcohol products to people of any
age they wish? |
||
|
What
if anything would prevent a proper government, if we ever establish one, from
sliding toward socialism as the United States has done? |
||
|
What
is wrong with “swinging” at parties? Isn’t this an expansion of sexual
activities and the pursuit of pleasure that sex brings? |
||
|
Would
an Objectivist consider it immoral to take a job helping someone write a book
which attempts to present rational arguments for the existence of a god? |
||
|
Is
it immoral to vandalize or use force in retaliation against legislators who
initiate force by voting for immoral laws? For example, the allegation that
Tea Party protestors threw bricks through the windows of the offices of
representatives that voted for the health care bill. |
||
|
How
do you distinguish between patriotism and neoconservatism? |
||
|
Why
did Ayn Rand never lose her thick accent? |
||
|
A
passage written about The Fountainhead reads, “…Dominique Francon,
the exquisitely beautiful woman who loved Roark passionately but married his
worst enemy…” I’ve always had the impression that Toohey
was Roark’s worst enemy. Was the passage written a mistake by the publisher? |
||
|
My
wife doesn’t enjoy seafood. Every time she declines to eat it, she is
bombarded with suggestions of different types that she would enjoy if she
just tried it. Is telling people she has a mild allergy morally okay? |
||
|
In
the context of a fetus not being self-sustaining, you said rights belong only
to self-sustaining living organisms, so what about people taking medication
to maintain their bodily functions? Do they still have rights? |
||
|
What
does it mean to be an intellectual heir, which is what Ayn Rand called you? Is
it important that there is always an intellectual heir for her work? |
||
|
What
do you think of the plan for a mosque in New York City near Ground Zero?
Isn’t it private property and therefore protected by individual rights? |
||
|
Is
it ever moral to be arrogant? If not, why did Ayn Rand admire Muhammad Ali’s
arrogance? |
||
|
What
is the proper government attitude toward immigration? |
||
|
Ayn
Rand talks about studying other philosophers for self-protection. How should
I get started? |
||
|
Do
you think psychological problems can hinder or prevent someone from living
according to Objectivism? |
||
|
02:20 |
[Follow-up
to previous question: Is there a way to get around this obstacle other than
solving your psychological problems?] |
|
|
You
say a fetus has no rights, but what about a child born with a deformity that
can be directly traced to the mother’s choices during pregnancy? Can the
mother be charged with child endangerment? |
||
|
If
someone threatened force against me would I be justified in firing first or
must I wait until force is actually usedagainst me? |
||
|
Why
is the taste of meat more valuable than the animal’s freedom in life? |
||
|
Is
it in a rational soldier’s interest to enjoy the act of killing the enemy? |
||
|
You’ve
said that foreigners have no civil rights in another country. What are civil
rights and what rights do you think foreigners do have? |
||
|
If
an emotionally abusive person is aware of her tendencies and has decided to
change after a particularly abusive event, do you think this person can be
dealt with? |
||
|
If
I pay partial — but not full — attention to something, is that an evasion of
reality? |
||
|
The
creators of South Park have been threatened by radical Muslims for depicting
Muhammad in a bear costume on their show. In response, some people are
exhibiting a similar picture in protest to show solidarity with the South
Park creators and as a way to reaffirm their right to free speech. Is this
wise? |
||
|
Should
jury duty be compulsory as it is in the U.S. today? |
||
|
Is
simply living a moral life now enough to negate your previous wrongdoings, or
is it necessary to take steps to make up for your past mistakes? |
||
|
Is
it possible for an Objectivist and someone who is merely a fellow-traveler of
Objectivism, but who accepts a lot of it along with mystical ideas, to align
in working to achieve a perfect society? |
||
|
Is
environmentalism the new communism? What are the similarities and
differences? |
||
|
Is
it permissible or moral to date a non-Objectivist? |
||
|
I
am a homosexual who only finds romantic value in full masculinity. However,
in my opinion a fully masculine mind is possible only in heterosexual men,
and I am therefore only attracted to such men. How should I deal with this
painful situation? |
||
|
Around
what time would you say that you became a full-fledged philosopher as opposed
to a philosophy student? When would you say that you became an Objectivist as
opposed to a student of Objectivism? |
||
|
We
disregard ESP and the like because we accept the five senses as the only base
of knowledge. Would it therefore be rational for a man who was blind from
birth to disregard claims about reality based on the sense of sight? |
||
|
Can
irrational philosophers still be called philosophers? |
||
|
Spoiler
Alert: What made Ayn Rand in Atlas Shrugged give Cheryl Taggart such an
unfair ending? |
||
|
How
much should you expect to love what you do for a living? Can you settle for
non-love, but find ways to like what you get paid to do? Or Is settling like
that selling yourself short? |
||
|
As
a student of Ayn Rand did you realize that your understanding of Objectivism
to some extent had been in your views even before you read her? |
||
|
Why
aren’t Christians the most outspoken opponents of
multiculturalism since they claim absolute truth, believe sinners are going
to go to hell, and have a huge moral gulf between the godly and the
unchristian? |
||
|
Ayn
Rand said that there are certain philosophical questions that are improper,
namely questions that contradict philosophical axioms. Why did she say these
in particular? |
||
|
If
after years of consistent good parenting a child turns out bad, can a parent
still feel pride in their accomplishment in raising him to adulthood? |
||
|
Have
you considered cryogenically freezing yourself in the hopes that future technology
will be able to restore you? |
||
|
I
am an Objectivist. Why should I make a detailed study of the epistemological
ideas that Ayn Rand originated? |
||
|
Imagine
you are at your funeral at 80 years old. All of your friends, family, and
colleagues come to honor you. Now think about what you would want them to say
about you. Most people want to hear how great they were in their
relationships, not how great they were in their business or career. What aboutyou? |
||
|
According
to Objectivism, is it okay to have sex with anyone who is the highest and
best partner that I can find at this time? |
||
|
Did
Ayn Rand ever worry that the KGB might try to do her harm? |
||
|
Should
elected representatives in a republic vote for or against laws based on their
own objective judgment, or should they only vote based on how their
constituents want them to? |
||
|
What
is the purpose of clothing besides shielding against the elements? |
||
|
Is
it wrong to enjoy horror films? Didn’t Ayn Rand denounce horror movies? |
||
|
If
I had a time machine and went back before Kant and before the Critique to
show him what his philosophy led to, and as a result he changed his mind and
quit writing, would he still be considered evil? |
||
|
Did
Ayn Rand listen to music when she wrote? |
||
|
What
does it mean to know a person? What does it mean to know yourself? Does my
knowledge of another person have a different epistemological status than of
non-human? |
||
|
What
is the thinking error in the following: “Good is completely intolerant of evil. Evil requires only the slightest compromise of
principles to take over. It follows, therefore, that if we had a perfect
civilization but the slightest lapse of mental focus took place, that lapse
would threaten the whole civilization.” |
||
|
Is
it better for someone to integrate their ideas by an incorrect philosophy or
merely hold a disparate assortment of ideas? |
||
|
Is
there any validity to the popular term “sociopath”? |
||
|
In
an earlier lecture you decided that the age of 18 is what qualifies a person
as an adult. However, this seems arbitrary. Since man is a rational animal,
why not say a person becomes an adult when he has developed reason to the
level of a grown-up? |
||
|
Can
a vigilante murder ever be morally acceptable? |
||
|
How
does Objectivism increase one’s confidence? |
||
|
Can
one say that to be born with brains is an issue of luck? |
||
|
Is
it ever rational to get upset about insults from strangers if the thing you
are being insulted about isn’t actually a deficiency or is completely
non-essential? |
||
|
Should
one engage in recreational activities only as a reward for achievement, or is
it morally permissible to pursue recreational activities for their own sake? |
||
|
I
have a friend who regulates the photos she puts up on Facebook, worrying that
other people will deem her unprofessional. By creating a selective reality
isn’t she really distorting her picture? |
||
|
Why
do you say that humor is a destructive element? |
||
|
Is
it morally okay for me to hide my former Christianity from friends that are
still Christian so as not to hurt them? And to do so even lying about my
viewpoint and participating in prayer with them? |
||
|
Is
it moral for an Objectivist to be a member of a union? |
||
|
I
would feel better in having total disconnect from my parents because
interacting with them brings a drastically different sense of life in to my
mind and changes the way I feel about life the rest of the time. Is this a
normal and reasonable response? |
||
|
Would
it be inconsistent in one’s philosophy to engage in video games that put one
into a different world or reality? |
||
|
Love
and art are both an expression of a man’s sense of life, which suggests that
love and art can serve similar purposes. Can art be a semi-substitute for
sex? |
||
|
Is
there a person like Ellsworth Toohey, from The
Fountainhead, out there in the real world? |
||
|
I
recently read a news article about a blackmailer sentenced to jail for
threatening to expose that he had a gay sexual relationship with a religious
university piano instructor. Is such a blackmailer immoral? And, if so,
should his action also be illegal? |
||
|
What
is the significance of joyful crying? Is it bad if someone cries at a joyous
occasion? |
||
|
How
would an Objectivist combat jealousy in a relationship? |
||
|
Why
did Aristotle believe that slavery is natural? |
||
|
Would
it be moral for a man who knowingly committed a crime to attempt to avoid a
conviction, if the law under which he would be convicted is unjust? |
||
|
If
you find self-interest in helping others, is it still considered an
Objectivist act? |
||
|
02:22 |
[Is
it immoral to steal an election so that an Objectivist candidate wins?] |
|
|
You
said that if a country had laissez-faire it should not control immigration.
What if New Zealand, with a population of 4.5 million people, had
laissez-faire? Would it be obligated to accept all immigrants, even if that resulted
in its becoming Muslim and having Sharia imposed? |
||
|
Should
I be happy that Ayn Rand found no lover in Russia and therefore had no reason
to remain there? |
||
|
Where
does assisted suicide stand in regard to a dying patient who is suffering
with a 6 month prognosis? Does quality supersede quantity? |
||
|
Did
you say that philosophy cannot make everything better? If so, why study it? |
||
|
What
was Ayn Rand’s stance on George Orwell’s famous novel 1984? |
||
|
Is
it normal to associate real people with Ayn Rand’s characters? |
||
|
Should
a person love their spouse more than their own children, or the other way
around? |
||
|
If
sex is an act of ultimate appreciation of value, and beauty is harmony (a
great value), then can you have sex with a woman who is beautiful, but whom
you do not necessarily even know? |
||
|
What
is the difference between Objectivism, sanity, and reason? |
||
|
Does
responding to a sad song on a happy occasion go against Objectivism? Or
looking at the painting The Scream, by Edvard
Munch? |
||
|
If
the definition of self-sacrifice is to give away everything, but a value is a
thing that you act to gain or keep, how can you both give away and keep
something at the same time? |
||
|
How
can you support Israel, a nation whose essence is founded on a religion? |
||
|
SPOILER
ALERT: Discusses the last event of The Fountainhead. At the end of The
Fountainhead, is Roark counting on the rational judgment of the jury? Is a
person always justified in believing that some rational remnant remains among
men so as to stake one’s life on it? |
||
|
In
response to your claim that thinking is all that is needed to save the world,
Nazi scientists used reason and thinking to almost develop the atomic bomb
before the United States. What is your response to this? |
||
|
09:40 |
[Follow-up
to previous question: You say we should go by reason first and then emotion,
think and then feel and act accordingly, but without emotion what will you
base your reason on?] |
|
|
I
don’t feel comfortable in my own skin and this leads to low self-esteem. I
want to be found desirable. What should I do? |
||
|
Is
loneliness ever experienced by a rational egoist? |
||
|
What
would an Objectivist do in regard to a yappy dog keeping neighbors awake,
assuming that the owner is indifferent and ignores all requests and
complaints? |
||
|
What
is the purpose of profanity in sex? |
||
|
Can
two Objectivists disagree about a particular point without one of them being
cast out of Objectivist society? |
||
|
What
was the name of Ayn Rand’s cat? Did she talk to it? |
||
|
How
do you keep up with current events? What do you read? |
||
|
I
love working with children and have considered becoming a preschool teacher,
but my friends and classmates say that this occupation would be
disproportionate to my intelligence. Should I aim higher? |
||
|
You
said in OPAR that it is moral for a doctor to lie to a patient if the
patient’s capability to obtain health diminishes if he is told the truth.
Does this mean that there could be other situations where it is justified to
lie to a person with a temporary incapacity for the truth? |
||
|
What
would Objectivism advise with regard to dealing with guilt and pity for a
spouse who regularly uses threats of harming herself or suicide whenever the
topic of divorce is suggested. I care for my wife’s
welfare, but can no longer love her romantically? |
||
|
Why
are girls attracted to bad boys? |
||
|
Were
Ayn Rand’s instant emotional responses to events consistent with her
philosophy? |
||
|
Is
it rational to take steroids to improve one’s appearance and physical ability
if one values strength and physical appearance as in Greek sculpture? |
||
|
Was
Ayn Rand angry about the theft of her work by the Italian producers of the
movie We the Living? |
||
|
In
Atlas Shrugged, Dagny mentions to Hank while traveling that she hates people
who hate signs. I support the right of businesses to put up signs, but why
should I have to like them? |
||
|
Why
haven’t you written more books on Objectivism? |
||
|
Do
you believe that thousands of years from now man might look back at our time
and say men back then lacked so much understanding due to their dependence on
reason? |
||
|
If
Roark lived in the universe of Atlas Shrugged, would he continue to pursue
his goals or join Galt’s strike? |
||
|
Ayn
Rand gives none of her characters small children or pets. Did she ever say
why? |
||
|
Miss
Rand said racism is the worst species of collectivism. What quality gives it
that rank? |
||
|
13:06 |
[What
facts of reality, including facts of consciousness, gave rise to the concept
of god or deity?] |
|
|
If
injustice rules a society, is it proper to be a vigilante? |
||
|
If
a political party, such as Communism, advocates a program of force, can it
properly be outlawed? |
||
|
What
should Eddie Willers’s sex life be? He is a
rational man without the ambition or drive needed to rise very far. If he
matches up with a woman of similar values is that enough? |
||
|
Am
I being irrational when I refuse to eat veal because the animal was treated
horribly before it died? |
||
|
If
you could put your life’s greatest achievement in one short sentence, what
would it be? |
||
|
Do
Tea Party protests help Capitalism or hurt it through their lack of
principle? |
||
|
At
the beginning of The Fountainhead Guy Francon seems
to be a second-hander. In your opinion is he a redeemed character by the end
of the book? |
||
|
Please
expand on your comment, “I would not trust today’s society even with my
corpse”? |
||
|
What
is the difference between one’s “central purpose” and his “highest value”? |
||
|
You
say that religion is the biggest threat in America, and you also say that you
never expected this in the 80′s. When did you change your mind and why? |
||
|
SPOILER
ALERT: Did the passengers riding though the tunnel
in Atlas Shrugged deserve what they |
||
|
Is
it wrong to use pornographic videos - the non-violent, consensual variety -
to help with masturbation? |
||
|
Can
you list off as many objective truths as possible? |
||
|
A friend
and I agreed on a financial transaction after listing the relevant factors.
Years later he discovered that both of us had forgotten a relevant factor,
and he is right about that. He was actually owed more money from me and now
he wants it. Do I have to pay it? |
||
|
If
you have concluded that America will be a dictatorship in not too long of a
time, why did you choose to have a child who will presumably have to deal
with this disaster? |
||
|
How
would you handle a situation in which your daughter wants to marry a man who
is not right for her? |
||
|
09:24 |
[Follow-up
question: Does her husband have to be Jewish?] |
|
|
Do
you regularly listen to any talk radio or watch any of the opinion shows such
as FOX, CNN, or MSNBC, and if so which shows? |
||
|
12:08 |
[Is
having children a form of slavery, because after all the child doesn't choose
to be born?] |
|
|
SPOILER
ALERT: Why did Ayn Rand leave Eddie Willers as she
did at the end of the novel? |
||
|
Is
it moral for me as a parent to break ties with my adult child who refuses to
behave respectfully and ultimately maintains an opposite philosophy to my
own, resulting in ongoing, extreme conflict? |
||
|
Is
it immoral to enjoy watching boxing? |
||
|
What
should an Objectivist make of the French banning of burqas? |
||
|
What
is the rational way to deal with negative, age-caused physical changes in
one’s capacity for performing and enjoying sex? |
||
|
Do
you think there would be a net loss to humanity if someone in lieu of toilet
paper were to use a Jackson Pollock painting? |
||
|
I
am a young adult, age 14, and lately I’ve been feeling depressed because I
don’t know what I want to do with my life. Is there a reason I feel this only
at night? How can I find what I want to do and change my life to fit that? |
||
|
If
it was not for your fateful encounter with Ayn Rand, what beliefs do you
think you would hold today and what profession would you have? |
||
|
Does
free will include the ability to change one’s self-image? |
||
|
Why
is it right for you to record these podcasts and give them away for free? If
you do it, as you say, in the pursuit of your own enjoyment, why would you
enjoy answering the questions of strangers? |
||
|
Is
mental capacity primarily determined by volition? Did Aristotle, Newton, or
Rand have bigger brains than their contemporaries, or rather did they choose
to use their minds more consistently? |
||
|
I
want a career in music, specifically song writing, but I can’t say why this is
better for me than other fields. Am I being irrational, i.e., going only by
my emotion? |
||
|
Given
the desperate state of the United States today and the future we seem to be
heading toward, do we still have anything to be thankful for? |
||
|
Our
town has had an influx of gourmet food trucks. Local restaurants have
pressured the police to monitor and essentially harass the food trucks to
keep them from parking anywhere near the restaurants. The restaurants’
property taxes lead to higher costs and difficulty competing. How can the
food trucks and restaurants peacefully coexist? |
||
|
Is
it ever proper to penalize a man for honest disagreement with your ideas? |
||
|
What
era or decade did you live through as your most
favorite and why? |
||
|
Do
you think that Objectivist philosophy will become lost as the younger
generations become less willing to read due to our love for technology? |
||
|
What
is the proper stance to take on pity? Should one be opposed to it in all
instances or are there situations where it is a proper emotion |
||
|
Do
you think it is wrong to work for an employer who does not share your values
in life? |
||
|
Is
it proper for a doctor to perform a sex change operation for a patient? |
||
|
What
is your opinion on asexuality? |
||
|
Why
do you like the TV show Cake Boss? |
||
|
Suppose
a scientist is able to synthesize in a lab setting a human being with the
faculty of reason. Would that scientist have full ownership over the entity
for the rest of its life? |
||
|
Do
religionists have a right to influence the government? |
||
|
Will
your book The DIM Hypothesis revolutionize the world? |
||
|
I
am an Objectivist, but I still have relapses of whim-worship that have caused
me great sadness. Most times I am unconscious of it happening. Do you have
any words of advice? |
||
|
Do
you disagree with Ayn Rand on pornography? |
||
|
Is
it wrong to compromise one’s beliefs in order to keep a romantic partner who
wants to break up? |
||
|
If
the State in its administration of justice can subpoena witnesses, why not
allow conscription of soldiers to maintain domestic tranquility against a
hostile foreign power? |
||
|
I
have friends that share my atheism and friends who are devoutly religious. Both
share my great value: the pursuit of moral perfection. Is this consistent
with Objectivism? |
||
|
Is
it possible fully to understand Objectivism, yet still be unable to live by
it? |
||
|
Who
would you like to fill your shoes when you are gone? Do you think it is
necessary to have someone like you for Objectivism in these times? |
||
|
Are
Robert Stadler and Gail Wynand similar in their
mistaken basic premises? Whose guilt is greater? |
||
|
Is
the TSA at airports overstepping its bounds? |
||
|
Would
an Objectivist flirt? |
||
|
Isn’t
it true that we should follow our heart whenever it tells us to do something,
because our mind determines what our heart feels, so whatever our heart feels
must be moral? |
||
|
All
doctors take the Hippocratic Oath, committing them to never refuse medical
treatment to a person in need. Can doctors morally ignore criminals and those
that deliberately inflict injury upon themselves, and therefore discard the
Hippocratic Oath? |
||
|
Are
you a happy person? |
||
|
Who
in your opinion was the greatest philosopher in the history of philosophy? |
||
|
Why
did Ayn Rand call Objectivism “a philosophy for living on earth” and not “the
philosophy for living on earth”? |
||
|
When
Dagny and John Galt stop at Francisco’s house in the Valley while Francisco
was away, why is the door locked? Wouldn’t locks be unnecessary among men who
took Galt’s oath as a precondition of living in the Valley? |
||
|
How
was Ayn Rand able to depict so convincingly the inner life of evil people
such as Jim Taggart? How was she able to understand the mental state of the
chronically out of focus and evasive? |
||
|
Why
don’t you charge something, like $20, to have a question answered by you? |
||
|
If
saving the culture is so important why does the Ayn Rand bookstore not offer
its material for free? |
||
|
My
last name is rather unique. Is it rational to worry about it being last to
history if I marry and take my husband’s name? |
||
|
Is
it inappropriate to approach celebrities for autographs or pictures? How
would Ayn Rand have reacted to such a request? |
||
|
I
understand that Ayn Rand wrote her fiction in long hand. Would she have used
a word processor to write if she were alive when the technology existed? |
||
|
Ayn
Rand said that a man without a purpose is the most depraved kind of man. But what
about a man with a nefarious purpose, like Immanuel Kant? Isn’t he worse? |
||
|
Why
is it that the works and philosophy of Ayn Rand have appeared at the
forefront of the media recently? Why is it that now rather than previously
more books and even video games are being created as responses to
Objectivism? |
||
|
Would
you rather read a book with a positive sense of life which is bad
politically, or vice versa? |
||
|
If
some imaginary development show us that it is impossible to save the United
States from totalitarianism, what would you do? |
||
|
Is
it fair for me to blame my family for my ugliness which they knew their child
would have to inherit? |
||
|
Why
is Roark, in The Fountainhead, able to ignore his true love for Dominique?
How could he be indifferent to her for so long? Wouldn’t the rational man
want to have her by his side through the many years of his struggle? |
||
|
In
Atlas Shrugged, do you think that Francisco d’Anconia
was sexually abstinent while he waited to be reunited with Dagny? If so was
this a moral choice? |
||
|
Ayn
Rand said that we live in a benevolent universe. If that is true how do you explain suffering, negatives, bad things such as
torture or even death? |
||
|
Do
the acts you will directly result from what you view as important? |
||
|
If
we tell our soldiers to focus on doing the work they love, which is how Roark
lives, wouldn’t winning a war become irrelevant because all that would matter
to them is whether they love their jobs? |
||
|
Is
it moral to pay bribes? Bribery is so rife in my country it’s not possible
even to get a professional license without paying a bribe. |
||
|
Can
raising my own children properly be my central purpose? I am a primary school
teacher and take pride in my work; however I know that my own children are
being short-changed in their lives. |
||
|
Is
it moral for a woman to have a child on her own through in vitro
fertilization using donor sperm if one knows that fertility doesn’t last
forever, one is reaching the age, no potential lover is known and yet the
experience of motherhood and having a family is her most important value? |
||
|
Do
you think you could develop a friendship with Ellsworth Toohey
if you were marooned on an uninhabited island with him? |
||
|
Would
an Objectivist’s child be taught to share the last piece of cake with his
brother? |
||
|
Ayn
Rand said that the Classical civilization did not have any real respect for
the individual, that it was Christianity that introduced the sanctity of the
individual. Do you disagree? |
||
|
I
noticed that your writing, as well as Ayn Rand’s, does not employ politically
correct gender inclusive language. Why do you not conform to this convention? |
||
|
If
an Objectivist wins $100,000,000 in the lottery what should he do with the
money? |
||
|
What
kind of computer games do you like and why? |
||
|
Is
it moral for an Objectivist to fall in love with someone online? |
||
|
In
past decades you seemed to believe that getting Objectivist philosophy into
colleges was the top priority. But In your DIM course you seem to be
suggesting that the most important thing is to develop a wide variety of
Objectivist products in other cultural areas, such as literature, physics and
education. Is this a dramatic shift in your thinking? |
||
|
Is
there a character in Ayn Rand’s work to whom you have most related
personally? |
||
|
You
said that since value judgments are the basis of emotion one cannot say that
a negative emotion is right or wrong, but only that the underlying evaluation
is so. What about envy? |
||
|
If
you berate someone for something you honestly think they did wrong, but later
on you realize they didn’t actually do anything wrong, should you apologize,
even if this would make you feel anxious? |
||
|
What
is an Objectivist take on euthanasia? |
||
|
If
birth control were never invented would sex still be seen as one of the
greatest values of the human experience, to be celebrated regularly? |
||
|
You
have said in a recent podcast that one of the most enjoyable decades of your
life was the 50′s, the OPAR years, when you still had the drive of youth
combined with the maturity of age, but you’ve also said that the DIM book is
your best. How can the best not be the most enjoyable? |
||
|
Do
you want to live forever? [Life, values and immortality.] |
||
|
One
of my teachers gave me an A in a course when I knew I should have received a
high B. I feel I hadn’t earned that A. Should I feel guilty about this grade? |
||
|
Should
I tell my friends to read The Fountainhead or Atlas Shrugged first? |
||
|
Socrates
was a brilliant and rational man. Why would he decide to suffer for a crime
he did not commit when he had the choice to escape? |
||
|
If
reason is man’s means of survival, but despite valiant efforts I cannot
understand certain subjects, such as higher math or physics, doesn’t that mean
that my reason is limited and to some extent impotent? |
||
|
Is
it moral for an artist to want to reach the widest audience possible? |
||
|
In
regard to the recent Arizona shooting, why do people on the news blame
everyone but the guy with the gun? |
||
|
I
often hear and read the term “rational egoism,” but isn’t that term
redundant? Is there such a thing as irrational egoism? |
||
|
Are
all religions equally destructive? No matter how they start will they all go
from no child left behind to no child’s behind left? |
||
|
You
say, “To save the world is the simplest thing in the world. All one has to do
is think.” Why shouldn’t you say, all one has to do is think with a good
method? |
||
|
Would
it be moral to steal the 2012 presidential election if that would give us
individual rights? |
||
|
What
role should certain specific governments play in Objectivist government? |
||
|
I
have a friend who answers, “No, I listen to Peikoff on Monday, ” when asked, “Do you go to church on Sunday.” So do you
think shifting the podcast release day from Monday to Sunday could decrease
church attendance? |
||
|
If
sex is so crucial, would life be worth living if one’s sex has permanently
disappeared? |
||
|
When
I produce at my job, don’t I have to start with philosophy every morning? As
of now, when I wake up, I think, “While perceiving what is I must choose to
conceptualize it to the highest abstraction and then produce the best for my
life even by harmonious cooperation with rational men and I must follow this
sentence with methodological precision.” Is there a better way to start my
day? |
||
|
Is
it immoral for me to feel envious of women who are more beautiful and more
intelligent? |
||
|
Is
it rational to choose a career that one likes or loves if it is productive
yet dangerous work? |
||
|
Given
the misery and the immense psychological and practical difficulties caused by
living by today’s philosophies, why do so many cling to them? |
||
|
I’m
not sure if I should be pursuing the career I am pursuing. In that case
should I take studying in college and class tests seriously? |
||
|
In
captivity did Galt ask to speak to Robert Stadler
because he knew it would put Stadler in danger? |
||
|
11:18 |
[Follow-up
question: Why does Ayn Rand always have her characters decide what they'll do
when they grow up at a young age, such as nine? Is it because they chose the
correct philosophical premise at a young age?] |
|
|
Are
Guy Francon and Eddie Willers
moral equals since Francon achieved his wealth by
honest means? |
||
|
What
would the world be like if every person was an Objectivist? Is this possible? |
||
|
Is
the increasing vulgarity of our culture a result of an increasing sentiment
for liberty or of an increasingdesperation? |
||
|
Do
you think the reason why citizens in New York and the like vote for Democrats
is that they reject the GOP’s religiosity, that they’d rather be taxed to
death than see in power something so contrary to the skyscrapers? |
||
|
Is
an Objectivist morally obligated to uphold a promise made to a dying person
once that person has passed away, assuming no one living will be affected? |
||
|
When
I admire greatness, such as the virtues and achievements of others, I usually
do so without thinking first of how I myself might benefit from it. But if I
am an egoist shouldn’t I always think of myself first? |
||
|
Do
you think the fashionable liberal conformists really believe they are a
minority? |
||
|
I
am self-absorbed. Is that bad? |
||
|
Pointing
out an opponent’s hypocrisy is not a valid argument but it is often
persuasive. Isn’t it a form of ad hominem? Should one then ignore hypocrisy? |
||
|
Can
a rational person have regrets? If so, how do you get past such regrets? |
||
|
Since
I don’t have the time to study philosophy, how can I rationally believe, and
not merely have faith, in objectivism, since I know that I don’t really know
it’s true? |
||
|
What
should an individual Objectivist do with respect to certain individuals who
call themselves Objectivists, while you yourself, Dr. Peikoff, identify these
people as being potentially harmful to the future objectivism.
What if anything is morally required? |
||
|
What
advice would you give in the case of two people who are deeply in love, but
one happens to be married, engaged, or in a difficult situation to escape? |
||
|
Is
it moral to take a high school teaching position that would pay less if I
view the work as more rewarding? |
||
|
Suppose
a perfect Objectivist awoke one day to find that he is the last human on
earth. What would be his course of action? |
||
|
Which
of the 50 states do you live in, and did Objectivism lead you to choose that
one? |
||
|
Would
it be immoral to sell a prized possession of a deceased relative that had
been willed to me, if I knew that the purchaser would use this possession in
a way that would not have pleased my relative? Do you owe anything to the
wishes of the dead? |
||
|
How
do I know that the man in my life cares about me as I do about him? |
||
|
Can
thoughts be immoral? |
||
|
Why
did you stop doing your radio show? |
||
|
In
an earlier podcast you describe a closed system as, among other things, a
whole which cannot tolerate any contradiction. Does this mean that
Objectivism is the only closed philosophical system, because all other
philosophies I know of contain many contradictions? |
||
|
Is
it a waste of money to buy a pen for $1,000 that is made of ivory and warship
steel, if there is a stainless pen for $100 with the same quality and
performance? |
||
|
I’ve
never enjoyed parties, but all of my friends are attending the prom this year
and I might be regarded as strange if I choose not to attend. What should I
do? |
||
|
Does
the prospect of death not terrify you at all? |
||
|
What
do you think of the Amsterdam trial, for “hate speech,” of Dutch MP Geert
Wilders? |
||
|
What
do you think of the Florida preacher’s burning of the Koran? Was this valid? |
||
|
Is
It possible to have a friendship with someone you are in love with, but who
is not in love with you? |
||
|
Do
you think the legal guardians of a male child have the right to circumcise
him before he is old enough to refuse? |
||
|
How
would you evaluate a person who says that he loves The Fountainhead but loathes
Atlas Shrugged? |
||
|
I
am applying to a prestigious university and have inside information about the
admissions evaluation process. Is it moral to use this information to my
advantage? |
||
|
Is
it wrong to put off college work, such as writing essays, until the last
minute? Is that avoiding reality? |
||
|
In
Ayn Rand’s Donahue appearance, Phil Donahue asks her if she is not tempted to
believe in heaven so that she can see Frank O’Connor again. She answered,
“I’ve asked myself that very question.” Since she is an atheist, why wasn’t
she more emphatic and dismissive? |
||
|
You
said that you have no plans to designate an intellectual heir, as Miss Rand
designated you as hers. You said it is up for grabs. Why do you take this
attitude? |
||
|
Did
Ayn Rand express a desire for Objectivism to advance after her death? [More
on the statement, "I will not die; it's the world that will end."] |
||
|
As
a restaurant manager I often, out of self-interest, give employees praise
when they do a good job. However, some young employees take my praise as a
license to slack off work. How can I avoid this? |
||
|
You
have stated that the principle “Reason is man’s basic means of survival”
could only be discovered after the Industrial Revolution. So was the
discovery of the Objectivist ethics also possible only after that Revolution? |
||
|
Is
it immoral to profit from promoting mysticism? |
||
|
Are
“lovers” also “friends,” or does “friend” belong to a very different
category? |
||
|
Is
there is a good Ayn Rand biography? |
||
|
I’ve
always been attracted to self-confidence, innocence, and popularity. Are
these true values? I’m not popular myself since I’m an Objectivist. So how
can I admire that in another person? |
||
|
Why
is every person who is anti-Israel also anti-American? |
||
|
Is
it true that Ayn Rand detested facial hair on men? |
||
|
Do
you feel any sympathy for any country, especially a Western country, that was not formed during the Enlightenment or
has abandoned its ideas, and knows nothing about Objectivism? |
||
|
In
The Fountainhead Roark wants to create in order to create. Does he care what
happens to his work after that? |
||
|
In
her early writing years, how did Ayn Rand manage having a job unrelated to
her career to support herself, while still pursuing her writing? |
||
|
Interview
with Yaron Brook on the controversies that have
arisen after the capture and killing of Osama bin Laden (Part 1of 2). |
||
|
Interview
with Yaron Brook on the controversies that have
arisen after the capture and killing of Osama bin Laden (Part 2of 2). |
||
|
Is
it moral to lie in order to expose the truth? |
||
|
What
are my responsibilities to my spouse as an Objectivist? |
||
|
If
the United States government decided that Ayn Rand’s ideas were good for the
future of this country, and decided to donate one billion dollars every year
to the Ayn Rand Institute, would Ayn Rand, the Institute, or you, take this
money? |
||
|
Developing
my art is my most important value, but I do not have the money to pursue it
on my own; but I do have a “sugar daddy,” much older, very generous, very
wealthy, but I do not like, let alone love him. Am I being irrational or
immoral by pretending to like him? |
||
|
Since
conservatives agree with so much of what you say in politics, why do you
condemn them? Isn’t that a help in the battle? |
||
|
If
a person claims not to believe in the sanctity of private property, is it
okay to steal from them? |
||
|
05:10 |
[What
do you think about limits on the number of terms a politician can run? Do you
think this is useful?] |
|
|
If
a couple has a handicapped child and a non-handicapped child, is it immoral
to show favoritism toward the handicapped child? |
||
|
I
hear people described as conspiracy theorists. What does that mean? |
||
|
If
you think of a new idea independently while employed by someone else, and the
idea is related to the work you do for them, is it wrong to conceal your
discovery, then use it as a competitor when you leave? |
||
|
If
to love is to value, isn’t the idea of unconditional love a fallacy? |
||
|
Is
it self-sacrificial for a wife to stay with an abusive husband because they
have children? |
||
|
Is
networking in order to get the upper hand in landing a job a second-hand
activity? |
||
|
I
am passionate about traveling and exploring new places and have an
adventurous spirit, it is for these reasons, and not because of altruism,
that I am interested in joining the Peace Corps. Is this proper for me as an
Objectivist? |
||
|
Despite
the fact that she had loving relationships, did Ayn Rand ever feel lonely
because of her intelligence? |
||
|
What
is the single most important revelation that you yourself, Peikoff, learned
from your master teacher? |
||
|
If
Michael Moore were a character in Atlas Shrugged, which one would he be? |
||
|
My
high school girlfriend and I were very in love with each other; however,
after leaving for college we grew distant and broke up. But we are still in
love with each other. Is it rational to resume a romance now in the hope that
we will work out as a couple in the future? |
||
|
Have
you ever been summoned to jury duty and if so what was your experience like? |
||
|
How
is life not meaningless? |
||
|
03:04 |
[How
can someone who turns out to be morally corrupt produce beautiful work?] |
|
|
Our
criminal justice system treats men as innocent until proven guilty. If I
suspect someone is guilty of some moral offense but I can’t be sure, should I
abstain from passing moral judgment? |
||
|
Is
genetic engineering immoral? Should it be made illegal? |
||
|
In
a previous podcast you said that it is wrong to go against nature by
undergoing a sex-change operation–that the metaphysically given is an
absolute. But by this definition gender is not metaphysically given because
we can now change it if we so chose. |
||
|
I
interviewed my daughter, Kira Peikoff, on her new novel. |
||
|
Why
do none of the heroes in Atlas Shrugged have children? |
||
|
05:26 |
[Would
Dagny and Galt ever have children, in your opinion?] |
|
|
Does
Objectivism hold that having children is an immoral self-sacrifice? |
||
|
I
love my partner, we are a great match, but he has no desire to have sex because
of a medical problem for which he refuses to seek medical help. Is it a
realistic pursuit for me, given my age of 50, to leave my partner and look
for someone new? |
||
|
Are
some professions, like being a ghost writer, inherently immoral? |
||
|
I
have what might be termed a size issue in regard to my penis. Is it immoral to
allow it to affect my confidence and motivation? |
||
|
Should
every new American strive to assimilate? |
||
|
If
a person disobeyed Kant consistently in all matters would he then be an
Objectivist? |
||
|
Science
fiction based on the scientifically possible is okay, but what about science
fantasy presenting theimpossible? |
||
|
Is
it insulting to a person to defend him against an unjust attack? In the past
you have chosen not to defend Ayn Rand at various times against unfair
smears, but what if you had thought at those times that decent people might
be taken in by these smears? |
||
|
Do
you speak any foreign languages? |
||
|
Does
Gail Wynand represent Nietzsche’s philosophy? Is he a Nietzschean
hero ? |
||
|
Given
the fact the Republican party, being the religious party, is the greatest
political threat to America, as you have stated, what is the reason Ayn Rand
chose a secular, collectivist, nihilist, political leadership as against a
theocracy as the political evil establishment in her novel? |
||
|
It
is common on Halloween for people to dress as soulless life-destroying
monsters? Would it be immoral to attend a costume party dressed as Immanuel Kant ? |
||
|
If
you had one more day to live, what would you do? |
||
|
I
am dating a woman who believes I am open to marriage and that she can marry
me within a short time; she is essentially auditioning, trying to make that
happen. In reality I am opposed to marrying anyone ever and I know she would
leave me if she knew this. Does Objectivism call for me to tell her? |
||
|
If
one becomes fully happy, what is the point of continuing to live since the
ultimate end, happiness, has been satisfied? |
||
|
If
man’s life is the standard of value, to what extent is it morally imperative
to stay as healthy as possible through diet and exercise? Must an Objectivist
work out to stay fit and eat only foods that are optimally nutritious? |
||
|
Is
there any case where public interest exceeds personal? |
||
|
My
daughter’s school has a no nuts policy. I am not allowed to send any nuts in
her lunch. Is this ban morally justified? Should the rare problems of a small
minority outweigh a normal life for all the other kids? |
||
|
Was
my partner immoral for not refraining from sexual activities prior to meeting
me, since these acts did not involve love? |
||
|
My
parents have made me an heir to a small fortune. But my father is a religious
mystic and my mother an altruist. What should be my attitude as an
Objectivist considering I have the opportunity to gain a lot of money if we
stay on good terms? |
||
|
Is
it rational for an atheist to have feelings of awe for life, the earth and
universe? |
||
|
Is
is rational to cheer for a particular sports team,
usually one’s home team? Shouldn’t an Objectivist cheer for the winning team
because that is the one that possesses the values and skills to be
successful? |
||
|
If
John Galt’s motor was a reality, and someone from the Obama administration
discovered a working Galt’s motor, what do you think they would do with it? |
||
|
How
would an Objectivist respond to the discovery of intelligent extraterrestrial
life? |
||
|
What
is the reason that Ayn Rand, who came from a Communist country, knew better
how to construct a capitalist world than most of our famous American
capitalists? |
||
|
Isn’t
politics important, and if so, why don’t you focus on current issues in the
political realm? |
||
|
In
building up Home Depot, the founders, lacking money to fully stock the
stores, filled them with empty boxes and paint cans to give the illusion that
they had merchandise. Was this deception moral? |
||
|
Do
you think it is rational to be afraid of flying? |
||
|
I
am adopted. I do not love my family, even though they have taken on the
responsibility of taking care of me. We are polar opposites and we disagree
about virtually everything. Is it morally acceptable that I continue to
depend on them even if I do not love them in return? |
||
|
I
retired early due to ill health and now I find it much more difficult to live
by Objectivism. Is Objectivism compatible with living with a disability? |
||
|
Most
liberals attack Christianity and defend Islam, even though they are atheist
or agnostic. Why? What is it about Christianity that makes them antagonistic? |
||
|
Is
it my right to go out naked in the streets if I want to and masturbate? What
about making a lot of noise in the middle of the night? Is that initiating
force against my sleeping neighbors? |
||
|
Why
do men tell women what they want to hear? How does a woman discover when they
are lying? |
||
|
What
do you think of bribery, and anti-bribery laws, in regard to government
inspectors who otherwise hamper or stop productive work? For example, in the
fields of construction or restaurants. |
||
|
Would
it be proper to give advice to an acquaintance if I knew that he would take
it on faith instead of rationally validating it? |
||
|
A
question from a man tortured by unrequited love: I don’t understand why it is
important to me that this woman reciprocates my love. Her loving me would
change none of the values that I love her for having. So why should her
feelings matter to me? |
||
|
A
few years ago I acted very irrationally. As a consequence my reputation with
certain people was destroyed. Is it second-handed to care about my reputation
and work to rebuild it? |
||
|
Is
a career as a swimsuit model intellectually demanding? If not, is it immoral? |
||
|
Are
Ayn Rand’s views on female heads of state a part of Objectivism? |
||
|
Can
the use of drugs such as Benzedrine or caffeine ever be morally sanctioned?
For example in the pursuit of extremely mentally taxing work requiring a high
degree of long-term mental focus? |
||
|
Dagny
was the highest value for both Francisco and Rearden. Since she chose Galt
over them, is there any possibility for them to find romantic love again? |
||
|
If
there were a productive genius alive today who had found Objectivism early
on, would his example have cultural power? |
||
|
Since
fortune tellers, card readers, spiritualists and other such people who claim to
have power over the future, do not actually possess it, should they be
prosecuted for fraud if they sell these select services? |
||
|
Did
Ayn Rand ever reread her own novels for enjoyment? |
||
|
Why
is life hard? Why does both thought and the achievement of values require
effort? Is the need of effort inherent in the nature of values? |
||
|
Why
is it so hard to recognize irrational philosophy if your own ideas are
rational? Is this part of human nature? |
||
|
09:06 |
[If
someone held all the same ideas as Ayn Rand, would he be able to be as great
as her? Do you hold all of the same essential ideas as Ayn? If so, do you
hold the same creative power as her, or is there an element of greatness that
cannot be learned?] |
|
|
New
York Yankee Derek Jeter get his 3000th hit with a home run. The fan that
caught the ball gave it back to Jeter instead of selling it for around
$250,000. What does Objectivism have to say about this? |
||
|
If
someone gave you a magical resurrection stone, and you could only use it
once, who would you choose to bring back to life? If it were Ayn Rand, what
would be the first thing you would say to her? |
||
|
What
attracts you personally to philosophy? Is your purpose simply to know? |
||
|
Why
was Ayn Rand buried in a cemetery? Isn’t it more appropriate for an atheist
to be cremated? |
||
|
Under
what circumstances, if any, does one have the right or obligation to stop someone
from committing suicide? |
||
|
Should
blood be thicker than water? |
||
|
I
was a prosecution witness in a capital murder case. The man is now in jail
for life and both CBS 48 Hours and Dateline NBC are calling for interviews,
but some people view these TV news programs as media sensationalizing. What
should I do? |
||
|
According
to Objectivism, happiness proceeds from the achievement of one’s values. Does
this mean that any values will do it as long as they are rational? |
||
|
Do
you honestly believe that Isaac Asimov’s 400-plus books are worth more than
the seminal ones you have written? |
||
|
Take
me through a typical day in your life. Do you spend much of your day writing? |
||
|
When
Ayn Rand inscribed copies of her books for you, what did she write in them? |
||
|
How
would you advise going about reading authors like Kant, Hegel, Aristotle, etc.,
which for various reasons are difficult to read? |
||
|
What
is your opinion of vegetarianism? |
||
|
When
I was younger, age 19, I broke the glass on a school door. I want to make
reparations for this vandalism, which still preys on my mind. Do you think I
have to confess my crime to the police even though that would mean losing my
job? |
||
|
If
my life is my moral purpose, how can it ever be moral to risk it to save
another, such as my wife? Isn’t that making the other a higher value than you
yourself? |
||
|
What
are your thoughts on changing one’s name? I want to be identified by what I
choose to be called, not by the name given to me by my parents or heritage.
Shouldn’t a true individual change his name? |
||
|
Though
I am an atheist, often in particularly stressful situations I hear someone
say, “God is looking out for us and will provide a way,” and I find that a
comforting affirmation. The best Objectivist alternative I can come up with
is to tell people there is always a solution to any problem. Is that valid? |
||
|
In
an Objectivist society would it still be in poor taste to ask a woman her age
or a man the amount of money he makes? |
||
|
Should
there be prescription drugs that only doctors can let you have as against
over the counter drugs that anyone can have? |
||
|
Why
does Objectivism make such an issue over whether an action is short-range or
long-range? For example, going to a movie is a short-range pursuit. What
would long-range movie-going consist of? |
||
|
Are
there any circumstances under which it is rational to continue a romantic
relationship with someone who has cheated on you? |
||
|
I
want to create my own films; however, if I am blatant about my philosophical
outlook, I will be barred from any future work in the entertainment industry
and my career will end. Is this cowardice? |
||
|
I
work with people who hold very different values. In social situations I
repress myself because my philosophy will be unwelcome. This is causing
severe psychological pain since I feel I cannot be myself at work. I have to
pretend to be more like them. Should I quit my job? |
||
|
I
recently watched a big budget sci-fi movie that implies that certain people
are enlightened beings, possibly aliens, versus humans, who are evil and
destructive. I mentioned this to a fellow viewer who told me, “Oh it’s just a
movie, you’re analyzing it too much.” How should I haveresponded? |
||
|
What
is the proper term to identify a man committed to irrational self-interest? |
||
|
Did
Ayn Rand ever suffer from unrequited love? |
||
|
Do
you believe that everything happens for a reason? |
||
|
My
brother accepted a good sum of money from my mother, but never said thank
you. Was this rude? Should he have felt gratitude even though my mother is an
avowed egoist? |
||
|
I
have been overweight all my life. I have done everything to try and overcome
this, but none of it works. Objectivist friends tell me that I am not a good
person because of this. Is it wrong to be overweight? |
||
|
My
boyfriend, now ex, attempted to leave the house because he got angry while we
were fighting, but I blocked the door to prevent him from leaving. Was he
justified in using violence against me to force me out of the way? Did I
initiate force by trapping him? |
||
|
If
there was a god, what attributes would he have, according to Objectivism? |
||
|
What
is the best compliment you personally could ever receive? |
||
|
I
have a company that sells software as an online service, and a chapter of the
Immanuel Kant Society signed up to use it. Would it be irrational to turn
them away? |
||
|
Part
One of an interview with Yaron Brookon
the economic issues in today's world. |
||
|
Part
Two of an interview with Yaron Brook on the
economic issues in today's world. |
||
|
Part
Three of an interview with Yaron Brook on the
economic issues in today's world. |
||
|
My
parents are divorced and my 17 year old old brother
lives with my mother. I do not speak to my mother because she has asked me
for money too many times; so she forbids me to communicate with my brother in
any way. Is it immoral for me to maintain a relationship with my brother via
the internet? |
||
|
My
main hobby is long-distance running. The training regimen is exhausting and
time-consuming, but I get a great thrill from the competition of the
marathons and a sense of accomplishment. I compete several times a year in
different parts of the world. Is it advisable to have a hobby requiring so
much time and effort for such concentrated fun? |
||
|
Would
time travel, as depicted in science-fiction, violate the fundamental? |
||
|
If
a person invents something by means of their own independent work and
thought, and later discovers that such a creation has already been made, copyrighted
and marketed by another individual, does the person who came in second place
still have rights to the profits of that product? |
||
|
I
dislike my school and professors and need advice on what to do. Should I: 1)
Persuade my antagonistic professors, 2) Sit quietly and accept what they
teach, 3) Talk to my antagonistic classmates, or 4) Drop the class? |
||
|
Is
a person immoral if he learns to work through easy means? Would that person’s
life be less happy or of less value? |
||
|
In
a hypothetical emergency situation, a man must choose between saving the
woman he loves or the most brilliant physicist in the world. He is selfish if
he chooses to save the woman he loves. But isn’t he then being illogical by
sacrificing someone who is so important to the progression of humanity? If
so, does Objectivism advocate that he be selfish and illogical? |
||
|
I
went to Saint Petersburg, Russia to see the home and school of Ayn Rand in
the setting of We The Living. I felt a little guilt because I was so eager to
visit where Ayn Rand was so desperate to leave. I too hate Russian culture.
So would fidelity to my values require that I avoid travel to Russia? |
||
|
In
the Fountainhead Kent Lansing says, “If I were asked to choose a symbol for
humanity as we know it, I wouldn’t choose a cross nor an eagle nor a lion and
unicorn. I’d choose three gilded balls.” Is this a reference to a pawn shop,
and if so is it a positive or negative evaluation of mankind? |
||
|
Is
narcissism contrary to Objectivism? |
||
|
06:38 |
[My
boyfriend does not believe in love at all, but everything else in the
relationship is fantastic. Is it better to end the relationship and hope to
find somebody else who loves me back, or hang on as long as it lasts though I
know, obviously, it won't last forever?] |
|
|
I
have always pursued values passionately. My goal is to prove to myself my own
efficacy in as many realms as possible. Is it self-destructive to pursue many
different disciplines in this way? |
||
|
A
man I know had a brief secret affair, which gave him a better sexual attitude
toward his wife, who now enjoys sex with him more. The other woman is not
completely out of the picture. Is it moral not to tell his wife what
happened? |
||
|
Is
a child’s bond to his parents as strong or deep as a parent’s to his child? |
||
|
After
over 10 years I’ve finally figured out what I want to do with my life. Would
it be smarter to jump in now taking out a loan to finance the schooling I
need, — or to wait and save up? |
||
|
I read
recently about an 84 year old widow who had a problem with a leaky toilet.
She signed a contract with an unscrupulous plumber who offered to repair it
for $60,000. A bank teller reported the facts to the authorities, who
canceled the transaction. Was it right for them to do so? |
||
|
I
am a 32 year old male and feel obligated to myself, my family and society to
have children. Isn’t it man’s purpose on earth to participate in continuing
the human race? |
||
|
Is
it irrational to be interested in tracing your family lineage? |
||
|
Would
winning the Nobel Prize for literature have meant anything to Ayn Rand? |
||
|
Is
there such a thing as love at first sight? Doesn’t love require cognitive
appraisal across time of the mind and values of the object of one’s love? |
||
|
Ayn
Rand’s style and works are what I enjoy the most, yet I still love fiction in
general. How do you yourself choose non-Objectivist fiction to read? |
||
|
If
you could ask Aristotle one question, what would it be? |
||
|
Is
it rational for a man and woman to play hard to get? Is it a good way to test
each other’s love? |
||
|
Did
Ayn Rand deliberately retain her accent in order to force people to work to
understand her? |
||
|
Can
the destruction of evil be rationally pursued as one’s primary creative work? |
||
|
After
one of your past answers you apologized because your words sounded boastful
to you. Are you implying that you monitor your own mental process? |
||
|
I
admire people for their virtues, but to truly love them I believe they must
show some kind of vulnerability. Why did Ayn Rand choose to write books about
invulnerable heroes? |
||
|
Is
it moral for a person to hide the fact that he was gay at one time — during
his childhood for instance — and then later turned straight as an adult? |
||
|
It
is impossible for me to find an apartment I can afford which doesn’t ban
dogs. I love my dog, but the only choices I see are to put the dog to sleep
or give it someone else. I fear the kind of care that the new owner might
give. What should I do? |
||
|
I
was once on an incredibly crowded subway in New York City. People were jammed
up against each other. A gorgeous woman’s backside was lodged up against my
back and there was nothing I could do to avoid this contact. In essence I was
treated to an elaborate, free lap dance. Was it wrong to enjoy it? |
||
|
This
episode of The Leonard Peikoff Show, recorded March 21, 1996, challenges the
audience to identify the philosophic principle that several different
examples have in common. |
||
|
I
have two sons ages 19 and 17, and I am a recent Objectivist. I find it very
challenging to guide them given their previous upbringing, where my own thinking
was not consistently rational, and given today’s mainstream ideas. Whenever I
try to guide them, they refuse to hear me out. What can I do? |
||
|
What
do you think of “secular humanism?” |
||
|
What
do you think of the Occupy Wall Street? |
||
|
Should
a father love equally a son with mental retardation and a normal one? |
||
|
I
am in love with a woman who died 400 years ago. I fell in love with her based
on her writings. I have now come to believe that I was meant to be with this woman
and that our souls are connected. Is there something wrong with me? |
||
|
I’ve
heard that Ayn Rand was an unusually slow reader. Is this true and if so why? |
||
|
What
is the best response to, ‘not everything is black or white’? |
||
|
I
am in love with a girl who has a steady boyfriend. She has told me that I
should move on. Is it possible for me to transform my romantic feelings for
her into loving her like a sister? |
||
|
How
would you respond to people who say that the worst atrocities were committed
by atheists, like Hitler and Stalin, because if they accepted some type of
religion they wouldn’t have been so evil? |
||
|
Did
Ayn Rand ever speak of Ronald Reagan? What do you suppose she would have said
about his time in office? |
||
|
Was
it moral for Steven Mallory, in The Fountainhead, to try to shoot Ellsworth Toohey? If violence is not right, what is the moral way
to stop him and get justice done? |
||
|
What
are some of the reasons why men are afraid to accept a system of philosophy? |
||
|
I
find it fascinating that you are pursuing jazz. What do you like most about
it? |
||
|
In
regard to politics, is the advice: “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the
good” consistent with Objectivism? |
||
|
Do
you have plans to go on a book tour when The DIM Hypothesis is released? |
||
|
Why
would Stadler’s attitude of contempt for other men
lead him to support evil tyrants? |
||
|
Would
you accept a Nobel Prize? Is it okay to accept an honor from an organization
whose honors in the past have been based on irrational standards? |
||
|
In
The Fountainhead, Toohey says that he plays the
stock market of the spirit and sells short. What do you think of a man who
limits himself in the market to short-selling? |
||
|
If
kissing in public is legal between consenting adults, shouldn’t intercourse
in public be legal? |
||
|
While
I have supported myself as an artist for years, I am currently dependent on
my wife’s income, which is adequate to meet all our needs. My wife wants to
support my work, and is happy with the arrangement. Is it moral to accept her
generosity? |
||
|
If
human lifespan was limited to a period of 20 years, what role could art play
in such a short time as far as inspiring youth? |
||
|
How
is it that I can love someone but they don’t love me back? If love is the
recognition of my values in another person, why does she not recognize the
same values in me? Why isn’t she in love with me? |
||
|
It
seems possible that President Obama’s mind has been so twisted by his Ivy
League education that he honestly believes the stuff he is spouting. If so,
does that reduce his moral guilt? |
||
|
Are
certain careers by nature more second-handed than others? |
||
|
I’ve
noticed that when Ayn Rand, you and Yaron Brook
answer questions, you always know what to answer instantly. How does one get
such an ability? |
||
|
Am
I allowed to slap another person across the face for viciously denouncing
values I hold in high esteem? After all, that is not force; it doesn’t even
leave a mark. Isn’t the slap just an elevated form of freedom of expression? |
||
|
I
am a member of my school’s student government at a Christian university. One
student appealed for our support of a lesbian, gay and transgendered group.
Currently, I am thinking of voting no, because transsexualism is immoral.
What would be the moral vote? |
||
|
I
heard you say that your DIM theory has been confirmed and verified during the
writing process. Why do you still insist on calling it The DIM Hypothesis? |
||
|
How
is it that the richest of people are often the most sympathetic to communist
or socialist principles? |
||
|
This
episode of The Leonard Peikoff Show, recorded April 18, 1996, challenges the
audience to identify the philosophic principle that several different
examples have in common. |
||
|
Interview
to see whether an Objectivist could get elected. Peikoff as media questioner,
Yaron Brook as Presidential candidate. Part I of
two. |
||
|
Interview
to see whether an Objectivist could get elected. Peikoff as media questioner,
Yaron Brook as Presidential candidate. Part 2 of 2. |
||
|
What
is the word on your latest book, The DIM Hypothesis? |
||
|
Do
you distinguish official Objectivist doctrine from Ayn Rand’s personal views? |
||
|
Is
the ending of the movie ET what Ayn Rand calls “malevolent universe?” |
||
|
Sometimes
I get angry with people because I concretize how their ideas are destroying
other people’s lives. But I see you and other Objectivists dealing cordially
with such destructive people. How do you do it? |
||
|
How
did you perform at college? |
||
|
11:32 |
[What
do you think of long-distance relationships? Is there any point at which it
would be more rational to break up even if the two people still love each other?] |
|
|
Was
Dagny in love with Francisco and Rearden at the time when she was with them?
Was she after she met Galt? |
||
|
What
is more important: making money because of the material values you will be
able to afford, even if it comes at the cost of doing something you don’t
love—or just getting by financially while doing with your life something you
do love? |
||
|
I
was interested to hear how you select fiction books to read. Can you indicate
some of the authors whose books you find worth reading? |
||
|
In
regard to the Occupy Wall Street: when the police take action against passive
protesters, isn’t the State thereby initiating violence against the non-violent,
which contradicts Ayn Rand’s definition of the role of the State? |
||
|
A
man jumps into a lake to save a boy and the man’s shoes and suit are ruined.
If the man is willing to lose these possessions to save the boy, why should
he not send money to starving children in Africa? |
||
|
Is
it rape if you obtain sex through fraudulent means? For example a man does
not love a woman but tells her he does so that she will have sex with him. Is
this the moral equivalent of rape? |
||
|
Is
the idea that the universe is benevolent—i.e., that men can achieve their values
in this life—philosophical or an experiential issue? |
||
|
Ayn
Rand stated that one shouldn’t expect the unearned. Does that mean someone
who inherits wealth and never has to work a day in their life or earn
anything should feel guilty? |
||
|
Did
you ask Ayn Rand’s opinion of your first book The Ominous Parallels before
you published it? If so, why? |
||
|
How
does Objectivism view procrastination? |
||
|
Is
it wrong to wish, any time a new story about Hugo Chavez hits my news feed,
that cancer would kill him ASAP? |
||
|
For
a while now I have been trying to write fiction, but somehow it always feels
painful to sit down to write. I love fiction. Why is it so hard? |
||
|
Where
should one draw the line between trusting someone and taking something on
faith? |
||
|
Should
one be concerned with what happens after one dies? |
||
|
Since
the morality of sacrifice is only attractive to those who have nothing to
sacrifice, why does Galt present sacrifice as painful? |
||
|
I
personally like to play video games about one hour a day. Should I be
spending that time doing productive work toward my long-term goal? |
||
|
Is
it rational to hold one’s romantic love-interest as more valuable to one’s
self than one’s career? |
||
|
Suppose
that a candidate announces his ideas for next term. If people vote for that
candidate are they morally responsible for what he does while in office? |
||
|
Do
you agree that 1984 by George Orwell is the first Objectivist novel? |
||
|
Is
it improper for an Objectivist to enjoy theme park rides, such as roller
coasters, since the enjoyment occurs on a purely perceptual level? |
||
|
Hypothetically,
if Socialism were the only system that brought about prosperity, and
Capitalism brought nothing but misery, would you then support Socialism, even
though it violates individual rights? |
||
|
What
is your view of the emotion of contempt? |
||
|
Would
it be beneficial to give up masturbating to be a better composer? |
||
|
What
does it mean to “forgive,” and how does one do it? |
||
|
What
is wrong with the Golden Rule- do on to others as you would have them do on
to you- when applied to persons who have not yet hurt you in any way? |
||
|
Recently,
the government removed several children from their home because the parents
have named them after Hitler and the Aryan nation. Is it always immoral for
the State to intervene in parental behavior unless there is demonstrated
physical harm to the child? |
||
|
Why
is cannibalism a moral taboo? |
||
|
No
man has a claim on me. So do I have any duty to call the police and report a
crime that I witnessed? |
||
|
A
correction on the topic: involuntary sex in relation to morality and to law.. |
||
|
Is
there a good reason to like and follow sports? |
||
|
Who
is the most evil character in Atlas Shrugged and in The Fountainhead? |
||
|
Was
Frank O’Connor ever jealous of the love Ayn Rand had for her male characters? |
||
|
Can
it be just to feel bitter about being laid off from work irrationally, by a
whim-worshiping boss, even when one understands he had the legal right to his
decision? |
||
|
I
love my mother, but not my father. Is it immoral to tell him that I love him
in order to spare his feelings? |
||
|
In
Atlas Shrugged Eddie Willers says to John Galt,
“You look as if you’ve never known pain or fear or guilt.” Why does Ayn Rand
include lack of pain as a fundamental attribute? Hasn’t Galt felt pain more
than anyone in the book? |
||
|
Is
it irrational to end a love relationship purely because of the other person’s
looks? |
||
|
Every
time I suggest to my friends that I am in favor of egoism, the conversation
turns into an argument. I don’t care if they become Objectivists, but I want
to keep these friends and I’m not comfortable remaining silent when I’m
attacked. What should I do? |
||
|
My
father is campaigning for a small political position and has asked me to
help. His cause is diametrically opposed to Objectivist views, but I don’t
want to betray my family. I am not 18 yet. What should I do? |
||
|
My
boyfriend of nearly four years suddenly decided he wanted to be on his own.
We had no previous problems. He claims he wants time alone to figure out what
he wants out of life. How should I deal with this situation? |
||
|
The
captain in a recent cruise line case abandoned his ship before all of the
passengers and crew had done so. He has been criticized for breaking the rule
of the sea: that the captain will be the last to leave a ship in distress.
Was he immoral, since all he did was to hold his life as his standard of
value? |
||
|
I
am struggling to quit smoking. I can quit for 7 months on nicotine, but then
I start again. Why do I do this again since I value my body much more than
smoking? |
||
|
If
something is neither moral nor immoral is it amoral? |
||
|
What
are a man’s limits? Would it be rational to try to be a man like Leonardo Da
Vinci? |
||
|
In
Galt’s speech why does he say, “The greatest of your philosophers” to refer
to Aristotle. Why not “our” philosophers? |
||
|
In
your books you refer to Ayn Rand as Miss Rand. Why Miss rather than Ms. or
Mrs.? |
||
|
An
army officer describes the U.S. method of waging war in Afghanistan, and the
morality it rests on. |
||
|
Could
you define your reasons for choosing Kira as your daughter’s name? |
||
|
How
quickly do you adapt to changing technology? Do you own a smartphone? |
||
|
Should
a racist comment made in the heat of battle about a sports pitch be treated
any differently than that of any other derogative comment, any other verbal
execration or swearing, that is directed at an individual player? |
||
|
Suppose
I discover a previously unknown and brilliantly argued Platonic dialogue. If
I were to publish it, it would probably revitalize his influence. Should I
make it known or burn it? |
||
|
Studies
show that people who use bitter or painful placebos show better beneficial
placebo effects, whereas easy, good-tasting placebos work less effectively.
Why? |
||
|
Did
you find any value in teaching to non-Objectivist students in a university? In
regard to your personal enjoyment, what were the pros and cons of teaching
non-Objectivists vs. Objectivists? |
||
|
Is
it ever justified for a woman to slap a man? |
||
|
07:50 |
[Was
college teaching worth the years of torture required to get the PhD?] |
|
|
If
you were offered a million dollars to do a TV commercial stating that you use
a certain brand of shampoo, would you do it if you in fact did not use that
brand? |
||
|
Is
there a difference between the concept of individual rights and human rights? |
||
|
At
the end of the 1953 movie Titanic there is enough room on the lifeboats only
for the woman . In one touching scene, a woman
prefers to die with her husband. Would Ayn Rand have done the same thing,
even over Frank’s objection? |
||
|
It
is time-consuming and difficult work to get a solid grasp of Objectivism.
Will this change if and when the culture improves, or will it always be
difficult to learn? |
||
|
Can
love by the Objectivist definition be experienced deeply between friends, or is
the concept reserved only for romantic partners? |
||
|
Many
Objectivists believe that as long as one agrees with the basic tenets of
Objectivism, he ought to be supported by other Objectivists, no matter how
wrong or even rotten his positions are on derivative intellectual topics.
What is the proper way to evaluate such a person? |
||
|
Should
I work on finding self-fulfillment and confidence before looking for a
partner in life? If I have not yet reasoned out my goals, values, and morals
is it wrong to pursue a relationship with a woman, considering that I don’t
yet know what to look for in a woman? |
||
|
Does
it ever get any easier to see everyone working toward the destruction of this
beautiful world? |
||
|
Do
you have any plans to release Ayn Rand’s work to the public domain before
their copyright expires? It would be very helpful in the struggle for
freedom. |
||
|
What
is the Objectivist moral stand on plastic surgery? |
||
|
What
is the difference between an egoist and a braggart? Are all braggarts,
egoists? |
||
|
The
great chess player, Bobby Fischer, was offered a million dollars to do a TV
commercial stating that he used X shampoo. He replied that he couldn’t do it
because he didn’t use this brand of shampoo. What would you do? |
||
|
Instead
of the Oscars, which are picked by only a few thousand members of the
Academy, would there be a more objective way to select the best films of the
year? |
||
|
Is
euthanasia immoral? Should it be illegal? Since it is my life, shouldn’t I be
able to enter into a contract that allows someone to help me end it? |
||
|
What
is the significance of actors or even everyday people who cannot stand to
watch themselves on film? Is this normal or a sign of something unhealthy? |
||
|
Peikoff
reads a document titled, “No rational intellectual should ever have children”
and identifies the invalid method of thought it exemplifies. |
||
|
I
was bullied severely in school. It was many years ago, but I’m still deeply
disturbed. Is it the bully’s fault for traumatizing me for this long–or is it
my fault for still being irrationally bothered by such long past events that
I know will never happen again? |
||
|
My
girlfriend of a year just dumped me. She was my first love and I adore her.
She said that she grew to resent my Objectivist views. What should I do? |
||
|
My
company has asked me to send out a notification to our employees about our
401(k) matching program. The message states- falsely, in my view-that this is
free money period. Is it okay to refuse my employer’s request? |
||
|
Re
prenuptial agreements. Isn’t it unromantic to make plans before marriage for
what will happen in case the marriage fails? Isn’t it better just to figure
things out if and when it fails? |
||
|
Is
defamation a form of free speech or a form of force that violates rights? |
||
|
I
like comic books and super heroes. Does Objectivism condemn these figures?
Are comic books harmful to young readers? |
||
|
In
her introduction to Ominous Parallels, Ayn Rand says that the book taught her
something about how ideas influence a culture. What did she learn, and were
there other things she also learned from you? |
||
|
Why
did Ayn Rand require proof that smoking is harmful before she stopped,
instead of going with the safety principle, requiring positive proof of it
being safe before starting? |
||
|
In
Rand’s 1980 Donahue appearance, right after her husband’s death, she said
Frank was more of an atheist than she was if there could be degrees. What did
she mean? |
||
|
How
should I judge a person who believes the global warming hysteria? |
||
|
You
suggested in a past podcast the real possibility of a child in the public
schools in the early grades being subject to bullying. Why did you send your
daughter there? Was there no alternative? |
||
|
This
episode of the Leonard Peikoff Show, recorded December 16, 1998, challenges
the audience to identify the philosophical principle that several different
examples have in common. |
||
|
This
episode of the Leonard Peikoff Show, recorded May 22, 1996, challenges the audience
to identify the philosophical principle that several different examples have
in common. |
||
|
Do
you think Ayn Rand’s ideas can be communicated on Twitter? In other words, in
the space of 140 or fewercharacters? |
||
|
When
you were in graduate school, how did you choose your supervisor? What
qualities were important to you? |
||
|
How
did you get your start as a philosopher? |
||
|
Objectivism
says that human mortality is necessary to morality, since life can be the
standard of value only because action–a certain kind of action–is required to
protect it. Therefore, if we were immortal we wouldn’t need morality to guide
us. Does it follow that, according to Objectivism, immortality is immoral or
else impossible? |
||
|
How
is that some people can be happy even if they hold
irrational ideas and values? |
||
|
I
have recently fallen madly in love with a woman 14 years younger than me. I
am too old for her and she would be out of my league even if I wasn’t. Isn’t
the fact that I will never have sex with her proof of the malevolent
universe? |
||
|
If
man is Tabula Rasa, then how does Objectivism evaluate the work of Sigmund
Freud? |
||
|
In
my divorce, in a moment of weakness, I promised my now ex-wife not to share
my atheist views with my children. But now I am wondering. She is
proselytizing them for Christianity. Is my greatest responsibility to keep my
word toward their mother, or should I raise my children in accordance with
the ideas I myself regard as true? |
||
|
If
Kant is the worst man in history, is it impossible for someone to be more
evil? |
||
|
After
a history of bullying in school, I moved to a new school where I was targeted
by another individual. This time I responded by punching him in the face, and
the bully stopped and left me alone. Was my use of force justified in this
case? |
||
|
What
is the Objectivist view of housewives or stay-at-home moms? |
||
|
Too
many people say to me, “I went through the Ayn Rand phase when I too was in high
school.” How should I take this? |
||
|
Recently
I discovered that my boyfriend was cheating on me. I have since learned that he
is also lying to his new girlfriend. I have the urge to tell her what is
going on. What would you do? |
||
|
My
mother is Catholic and I am an Objectivist. She claims that I am
closed-minded simply because I am 14 and call myself an atheist. How should I
respond to her? |
||
|
Ayn
Rand said that Objectivism is a philosophy for living on earth. If moon or
Martian colonies are created what happens to her description? Why not just
say a philosophy for living? |
||
|
A
prominent Objectivist has stated that the evil is the mindless. How than can
Kant, one of the most powerful minds in history, also be judged the most
evil? |
||
|
Is
an eye for eye and a tooth for a tooth a moral principle? |
||
|
What
value should one attach to popularity and fame? |
||
|
What
if any is the rational basis for loyalty? Is loyalty a virtue? |
||
|
Why
is it that the older I get the better the past seems? |
||
|
Was
your relationship with Ayn Rand like an apprenticeship where she instructed
and mentored you in Objectivism? |
||
|
Putting
aside the obvious restrictions on parents, such as physically abusing their
offspring, how does one determine whether a child’s consent is required for a
parental action involving the child? |
||
|
Did
Ellsworth Toohey have low self-esteem? |
||
|
The
emotion of shame is said to come from violating social values, while guilt
comes from violations to one’s internal values. Is this true? |
||
|
A
television program quotes Ayn Rand as writing that “we are all brothers under
the skin and I for one would be willing to skin humanity to prove it.” Is
this honest? |
||
|
As
I understand it, Dr. Peikoff, you endorsed Obama in the last election, but
changed your mind in the face of the facts after Obama’s true nature was
exposed by his actions in office. What error in your own thinking would you
say made you draw the conclusion so late as you did? |
||
|
Is
there really a video of you acting as a cop in a skit? I heard about it on an
Ayn Rand walking tour of New York City. |
||
|
In
regard to the trader principle, is it moral for me not to tell my trading
partner what I think the real value of the article or service is, when I know
I’m getting more value out of it than they are? In other words, is withholding
information in this context fraud? |
||
|
Do
you consider the actions of Eduardo Saverin,
cofounder of Facebook who renounced his citizenship for Singapore, moral and
rational? |
||
|
Evaluate
the slippery slope argument as a type of reasoning. |
||
|
Is
there an actual movement called Objectivism or is it just a philosophy? Or
both? |
||
|
Are
there authorities qualified to issue statements on what ideas are or not
consonant with Objectivism? |
||
|
What
is the danger of listening to amateurs in philosophy who pretend to be
experts? |
||
|
You
and Ayn Rand have both lectured on difficult topics to people that were sometimes
unreceptive. Do you have any general tips on public speaking? |
||
|
Will
you publish in book form your lectures on the History of Philosophy? |
||
|
When
you first met Ayn Rand at the age of 17 and were learning her philosophy, was
it so revolutionary that you felt alienated from the world and other people? |
||
|
[This
podcast is devoted to several questions that have been raised on love and
sex.] |
||
|
I
love a girl who says that she looks up to me more than anyone else in the
world because I model the values she desires. But she doesn’t feel a “spark”
with me and so she is unable to love me romantically. Is it possible to deal
with this situation objectively? |
||
|
I
was in a relationship with a man who says he loves me for those values which
I regard as my highest. When I first met him, I saw nothing of value in him,
and I still don’t, but he loves me. How can he love a person who embodies a
set of values which are in opposition to his own? |
||
|
05:20 |
[In
Atlas Shrugged Dagny expresses her "need" of Hank. Isn't this
incompatible with the virtue of independence?] |
|
|
If
a person doesn’t like oral sex, is this a form of nihilism or just an
arbitrary sexual preference? |
||
|
Why
does your new book study the effects of integration on cultures as a whole,
whereas your podcasts focus on the problems of individuals, not of cultures? |
||
|
Ayn
Rand said that in any conflict between two groups who hold the same basic
principles it is the more consistent one who will win. But the Communists in
Soviet Russia were more consistent than the West in regard to altruism and statism, so why didn’t they win the Cold War? |
||
|
When
writing fiction, is there a proper way to choose the race of a character? |
||
|
Part
One (out of five) from Dr. Peikoff’s live Q&A on July 6, 2012 at the
Objectivist Conference in San Diego. |
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|
Part
Two (out of five) from Dr. Peikoff’s live Q&A on July 6, 2012 at the
Objectivist Conference in San Diego. |
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|
Part
Three (out of five) from Dr. Peikoff’s live Q&A on July 6, 2012 at the
Objectivist Conference in San Diego. |
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|
Part
Four (out of five) from Dr. Peikoff’s live Q&A on July 6, 2012 at the
Objectivist Conference in San Diego. |
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|
Part
Five (out of five) from Dr. Peikoff’s live Q&A on July 6, 2012 at the
Objectivist Conference in San Diego. |
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|
Leonard
interviews David Harriman, author of The Logical Leap and cofounder of
Falling Apple Science Institute, on its current project: developing rational
science curricula for middle and high school students. |
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If
you hate writing, as you’ve said, can you nevertheless still be happy now
that you wrote The DIM Hypothesis? |
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|
When
The DIM Hypothesis is read in the future and your prediction is unfortunately
proved correct, do you think that this could help people pay attention to
ideas and become more rational? |
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|
Is
the ultimate goal of the left to turn America into the Soviet Union or
Sweden? |
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|
When
one first meets a U.S. soldier, is it appropriate to thank him for his effort
in protecting us without knowing the specifics of his military career and the
kind of missions he was assigned? |
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|
Why
hasn’t Anthem been made into a movie? |
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|
I am
trying to write a fiction novel, but every time I sit down to write, my first
thoughts are that I musn’t make it like The
Fountainhead or Atlas Shrugged. And then I can’t write. What should I do? |
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|
Did
Ayn Rand ever tell you what it was like to read her own novels? |
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|
I
recently developed feelings for a female coworker who is better at our job
than I am. As I result I feel emasculated and almost unworthy of her. Am I
right to feel that I must be her creative equal or better to pursue her? |
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|
In
Atlas Shrugged, when John is giving Dagny the tour of the valley, there is a
character briefly introduced who is identified as a writer and who matches
Ayn Rand’s physical description. Did Ayn Rand intend this character to be a
representation of herself? |
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|
Why
is the number of men interested in studying philosophy and attending lectures
about Ayn Rand’s Objectivism, five times greater than women? |
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|
If
Miss Rand was here today, what would be her first spoken sentence after learning
that the Affordable Care Act had been signed into law as constitutional? |
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|
Suppose
two men apply for a job. Both are qualified, but one is clearly more so than
the other. The less qualified man knows he is the lesser, but gets the job
anyway. Is this unjust? |
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|
Do
you think most people embrace religion and mysticism because they seek to
escape death? |
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|
With
all due respect, who do you recommend we direct our questions to when you are
no longer available to answer them? |
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|
According
to Facets of Ayn Rand, she quote, she “cried tears of splendor” upon seeing
the New York skyline for the first time. Were these different from wedding
tears, in other words, were they malevolent universe? |
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|
How
much would you pay for an absolutely guaranteed 25 additional happy, healthy
and successful years of your life? |
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|
Is
romantic love a requirement for a happy life? |
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|
Why
do people choke under pressure? |
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|
Suppose
one happens across a person who acts to destroy lives, like Hitler or a
serial killer, who is himself in a life-threatening emergency. Would the
Objectivist ethics hold it as immoral for one not to rescue such a person? |
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|
I
am in a wind ensemble. While rehearsing the conductor demanded to know who
was using vibrato in the trumpet section. He said that it sounded very nice,
but since no one else was doing it, I shouldn’t either. Is he right? |
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|
If
we are to decide our actions by reason and logic, why do we have emotion? |
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|
You
said earlier that there is not likely to be a more evil person than the
character Toohey. Since then you have called Obama
a nihilist. Is he in any way less evil than Toohey? |
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|
You
are against capital punishment because of the possibility of error and thus
of killing an innocent person. Watching the James Holmes case, the suspect in
the Batman premiere shooting in Colorado, I’m curious if you would say there
is ever a case conclusive enough to warrant the death penalty? |
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|
I
met a woman 6 weeks ago and she has since been away for 4 weeks. I’ve tried
to stay in touch, but after emailing her with my thoughts and interest in the
relationship, I have not received a response. What is a reasonable amount of
time to wait for a response? |
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|
Would
a dictator be more or less immoral if he imposed Objectivism on a country? |
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|
I
am pursuing a career in software which gives me both the physical things I
want, such as money, and the spiritual things, like solving real-life
problems. Although it’s challenging I know I can do more complex, difficult
things with my time which would contribute to computer science. These
achievements I know would lead me to happiness, but would also be very hard
work and I don’t want to put in all that extra work. Am I wasting my life? |
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|
If
you find one dollar on the street, is it moral to take it or is it theft? If
you find one million dollars, does the same principle apply? |
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|
If
Ayn Rand were still alive today, do you think she would be upset enough about
the current state of things that she would move to Singapore like so many
others have done? |
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|
Say
that in the future humans invent sexbots that are
robots you can sleep with and marry. What would Objectivism say about that? |
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|
Announcement: Dr. Peikoff will now be sharing his podcast, every other week, with Dr. Yaron Brook, executive director of the Ayn Rand Institute. Dr. Peikoff will continue to deal with the same kinds of questions as he has in the past, but Dr. Brook will be dealing with other areas that have largely been ignored by Dr. Peikoff, such as current events in economics, foreign policy, military issues, etc. Dr. Peikoff invites his listeners to continue to send their questions, for either himself or for Dr. Brook, at peikoff dot com. |
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|
What
is the origin of gender roles? Is it true, as some say, that gender is not an
objective reality, but merely a product of social construction? |
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|
Because
Paul Ryan is the presumptive successor of Romney, assuming Romney can win,
and because it is well known that Ryan is influenced by Ayn Rand, could this
be a significant inroad for the escape from dictatorship? |
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|
Is
it proper to bribe one’s self with immediate rewards for performing rational
but unpleasant tasks? Or should the fact that the tasks are in one’s
long-term interest be motivation enough? |
||
|
What
is your opinion of beauty contests? |
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|
Why
do people respond so vehemently to the idea that love is conditional? |
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|
Does
the offspring of a diabetic parent have a reasonable beef with his parent if
he himself contracts diabetes? |
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|
I
don’t believe in God but I don’t discount that an entity beyond our
comprehension might exist. For instance, nuclear fusion would have been
incomprehensible to a cave man. Could there be something else like that? |
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|
What
do you think of an older man masturbating to pictures of much younger, but
legal women? Is it psychologically destructive? |
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|
You
have really great hair for a 78 year old. Is that genetic or have you done
anything to enhance it? |
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|
Why
do you differentiate D2 from M2? Aren’t they very similar? |
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|
Why
was the concept of man-worship not covered in OPAR? Isn’t it central to
Objectivism? |
||
|
A
discussion with Yaron Brook on libertarianism. |
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|
A woman
indicates to me that she likes me romantically, but later broke up with me
without explanation. I then found out that her diary includes fantasies about
breaking my heart. Is this a split personality? What is the matter with her? |
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|
When,
if ever, is it appropriate to refer to Ayn Rand as “Ayn”? |
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|
In
light of your new book, The DIM Hypothesis, and current trends, would you
call religion evil? |
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|
Five
years ago my girlfriend broke up with me because I was not educated and did
not make much money. Today I am well-educated, successful, make good money,
and am still obsessed and angry with this woman. Where should I go from here? |
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|
Because
I have average intelligence and below average looks, I experience terrible
jealousy to others. I feel bad about myself, especially because it means I
can’t date the women that I want. What should I do? |
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|
One
of your listeners started her question with, “You truly are a hero of mine.”
Is this a pleasure to you? Or do Objectivists think a hero shouldn’t be a
real person but an ideal? |
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|
For
single accidental mothers, how do you define living morally? |
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|
According
to Objectivism, is a self-absorbed person an example of selfishness? |
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|
If
romantic love and sex essentially involve shared values of the soul, why is
physical attraction in this realm such a powerful factor? |
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|
Yaron Brook begins answering
questions on alternate weeks with Dr. Peikoff |
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|
YBrook: If an individual acquires a monopoly in business, such
as utilities or telecom, isn't the monopoly much the same as Collectivism and
therefore preventing others from enjoying opportunities that a free society
offers? Or am I misunderstanding the terms? |
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|
YBrook: What would be the likely effect of a major economic
collapse, far beyond the severity of the 2008 crisis? |
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|
YBrook: A number of companies argue that Google is a monopolist
and has urged the Federal Trade Commission to take Google to court. Is this
an example of cronyism? |
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|
YBrook: A follow-up to Dr. Peikoff and Dr. Brook's joint podcast
on libertarianism: A new term to replaceCapitalism? |
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|
A
follow-up to a previous podcast on the questions: is gender merely a social construct?
The book (horrifying but excellent), I refer to is As Nature Made Him: The
Boy Who Was Raised As a Girl, by John Colapinto. |
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|
What
do you think of the 2012 presidential election results? |
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|
What
should a minor in his mid-teens do if his parents, short of committing any
crime, nevertheless act consistently on their oft-stated desire to make him
continuously miserable? |
||
|
What
is the significance of age? Is it "just a number?" |
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|
How
do D's survive? For example, many modern-day D's deny causality. |
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|
To
YBrook: If the current Supreme Court were to stay
as conservative or more under a republican president, would abortion again be
illegal? The Romney court took away private property rights in Massachusetts,
will a liberal court under Obama preserve more property rights? |
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|
To
YBrook: Dr. Peikoff previously said that
Objectivism has to be accepted by consent, not imposed or forced on people.
With that in mind, do you acknowledge that after WWII the American government
forced the Japanese to accept a new conception of government? |
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|
To
YBrook: How do you compare Egypt, Jordan and
Pakistan vs. Turkey and Lebanon? How do they differ? |
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|
To
YBrook: Is it moral to capitalize on a market
distortion caused by government? |
||
|
Ayn
Rand dealt with writing blocks by playing solitaire until she had a solution.
Norman Mailer responded by typing any junk from his sub-conscious and
throwing it away until he had a new idea. What is your advice? |
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|
I
am a 29 year old guy and recently met a beautiful 18 year old girl who likes
me. I care for and admire her, but she's not my equal, and I often find
myself talking down to her as though I'm her father. I have decided against a
long-term relationship, but is it proper to have sex with her if she understands
the terms? |
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|
Is
romantic love possible when one of the partners is disabled and cannot
perform? |
||
|
I
enjoy dancing in private, but can't do so when anyone is watching because I'm
too embarrassed. Is this second-handed? |
||
|
Can
an attractive person fall in love with an ugly person? |
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|
To
YBrook: There is a Frank Lloyd Wright designed home
in Phoenix and the owners want to demolish it. The community is outraged and
the city is in the act of designating the building as a historical site. The
owners in turn are threatening to sue the city. To me it's clear that the
city intends to violate the owner's property rights, but I'm sad for myself
and others that such a work be lost. For my emotions to align with reason,
how should I feel if the owners prevail? |
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|
To
YBrook: Assuming a European financial collapse, is
it possible that the British Monarchy will take over Europe? |
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|
To
YBrook: How would Objectivists defend against
corruption within limited government, mainly the bribery of police military
or law courts, to favor one individual over another? |
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|
To
YBrook: What do you think of the slogan,
"Economic patriotism"? |
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|
To
YBrook: If a moral change in a culture is proceeded
by change in the accepted epistemology, shouldn't the spearhead of
Objectivism be focused on spreading epistemology? |
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|
To
YBrook: Is it moral to take advantage of
price-gouging after disasters, such as Hurricane Sandy? |
||
|
Which
authors of popular fiction do you recommend? |
||
|
What
made it possible for Ayn Rand to be the genius of the ages, the first person
in 5000 years to create a perfect philosophical system? |
||
|
You
mention that you thought you were not a good father because you did not set
proper limits for your daughter; You had more the psychology of a grandfather
than a father due to the fact that you had a child much later in life than is
typical. What is it about aging that would cause a man todevelop
a grandfather psychology despite his knowledge? |
||
|
To
YBrook: In a mixed economy, how should I address my
self-interest for wanting to keep a public school up and running if it
requires having to vote for an increase in taxes? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Ayn Rand spoke of inalienable rights, above
all man's right to his own life. If this right is inalienable, then how can
it be delegated or contracted to any one or any group, be it government or
otherwise? |
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|
To
YBrook: What would happen in a free market in
regard to insider trading? |
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|
To
YBrook: I own an investment property, but the
mortgage is worth more than the value of the property. The tenant has stopped
paying rent and is squatting in the house. An eviction would cost thousands
of dollars. Would it be moral to default on the property? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Dr. Brook, you have been encouraging people
to visit Hong Kong once before they die. Does the fact that it is a
dictatorship make it immoral, even though the dictator imposes free markets? |
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|
"Why
does Roark stay in the world to fight but Galt allows it to collapse? How can
these two heros of Rand's fiction take such
opposite paths? |
||
|
I
feel uncomfortable or even embarrassed when I receive a valid compliment. I
know I should be happy for the recognition. What am I to make of this? |
||
|
Is
there a moral issue involved in Objectivist philosophers accepting gifts from
admirers? |
||
|
If
you got away with murder, would it be rational to turn yourself in? |
||
|
Is
Gail Wynand an Objectivist? Does he understand the philosophy but fail to
observe it? |
||
|
YBrook: A follow-up to a previous podcast [248] on the question:
If a moral change in a culture is proceeded by change in the accepted
epistemology, shouldn’t the spearhead of Objectivism be focused on spreading
epistemology? |
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|
To
YBrook: Under pure Capitalism, with complete
private property rights and no public land, would prevent a citizen from
seceding from the boundaries of the established social contract? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Why is Hillary Clinton being spared the
spotlight on Benghazi? Was Rice a diversion so Hillary does not get scarred
from her 2019 presidential bid? |
||
|
To
YBrook: What got the USA out of the Great
Depression? |
||
|
YBrook: In a previous lecture you spoke about the economic
situation in the Unites States being similar to Greece twenty years ago
because of its debt. How is this possible since the
United States can issue its own currency? |
||
|
Is
unconditional love for a child irrational? How can a small child have the
virtues required to deserve love? |
||
|
Is
it a contradiction for atheists to reject mysticism but accept altruism? |
||
|
An
Objectivist group holds that there is a hierarchy of people who believe in
Objectivism but at different stages of knowledge. The lowest has been named
beginner, then comes novice, proficient, expert, maestro, and genius. Is this
official Objectivist doctrine? |
||
|
Assuming
you will not be subjected to hazing, is there anything wrong with joining a
social fraternity in college? |
||
|
Why
does The DIM Hypothesis not apply to non-Western culture? Does it pertain to
the nature of the Hypothesis, or to the nature of non-Western culture? |
||
|
Did
Ayn Rand ever meet your parents? If so, what did she think of them? |
||
|
Is
it wrong to value a person's oratorical style and commanding presence when
the content of his message is philosophically repugnant? |
||
|
Is
ambition a virtue in Objectivism? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Are there any careers possible in this
world where the right of way is not blocked? A career where my children can
rise as far as their potential allows them? |
||
|
To
YBrook: What do you think about America having a
second civil war? What should an Objectivist do in a crisis likethis? |
||
|
To
YBrook: I've seen a significant rise in conspiracy
theories among the public lately. Is this a trend and how do we explain the
prevalence? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Is there anything to be positive about in
the wake of Obama's reelection? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Is there anything wrong with advertising
and marketing Objectivism and Objectivist thought? |
||
|
To
YBrook: What do you make of the vast and growing
number of people in the religious right who claim to be inspired by Ayn
Rand's ideas, but clearly and vocally disagree with much of what Rand wrote
beyond economics? Do you think this cherry picking is good or bad for the
Objectivist movement? |
||
|
What
should and can Republicans do to win their next battle with Obama, such as
the debt-limit crisis? |
||
|
Should
a man pay for dinner on a date? How do gender roles play into this issue? |
||
|
What
is the most common misconception about Objectivism? [Dr. Peikoff gives one
for each branch of philosophy.] |
||
|
At
work our boss provides us with free snacks. I usually take all of the best
parts, including the muffin tops, leaving only the bottoms and such for the
others. Am I immoral? |
||
|
If
John Galt could broadcast the same speech, modified for context, to the
entire U.S., do you think Obama would try and recruit him as Thompson did? |
||
|
If
one is in a relationship, is it morally acceptable to seek out others as long
as one does not engage in any relationship-type activities with them? |
||
|
To
YBrook: In a recent podcast you refer to a
worldwide division of labor. Would this require the free movement of labor of
all kinds and the need to protect the rights involved? If so, are you
advocating for a world government? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Why would a Collectivist, like Jimmy
Carter, deregulate? |
||
|
To
YBrook: What are the fundamental differences
between policemen and doctors when it comes to protecting individual rights? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Do we need a viable third party to survive? |
||
|
To
YBrook: What is the fiscal cliff? Is this an
example of Obama's nihilism? What motivates both parties in thisrespect? |
||
|
What,in your opinion, are the
roots of the recent school shooting in Connecticut? Was it insanity or some
form of nihilism? And is gun control an important part of the solution? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Understanding the virtues of free trade, is
it wrong to buy Chinese products that are made with slave labor? Should we as
Objectivists encourage people not to have any dealings with China? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Is Israel a Theocracy because of its
incomplete separation of church and state? What are the fundamental
differences between the goals of Israeli Jews and the Islamic foes? |
||
|
To
YBrook: I've been studying Objectivism and topics
of humanity for several years to help promote rational ideas. Now that the
culture has turned for the worse, should I continue studying these topics and
trying to change the culture? Is it hopeless? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Do honest, prominent liberals exist? Should
we be focused more on bringing liberals over to the Objectivist cause? |
||
|
If
you got away with cheating on a final exam, and got an A because of it, is it
rational to turn yourself in, or should you enjoy your achievement? |
||
|
Is
it immoral to promote the reading of Ayn Rand's books to liberals by
promoting them as a way of understanding her so they can defend themselves better
against her ideas? |
||
|
How
crucial is silence for a mind to be able to concentrate? Can one learn to
concentrate better in a relatively noisy environment? |
||
|
Dr.
Peikoff, will Objectivism die with you if you do not train a successor? |
||
|
Is
sex between a teacher and a student immoral if the student has achieved the
age of consent? |
||
|
If
in the distant future a free, Objectivist society is established, and if time
travel were possible, would Ayn Rand want to move to that future world? |
||
|
To
YBrook: If government officials come to your home
to take your guns and property, do you have a right or obligation to stand
against them? Or would it be immoral because it would be a guarantee of
self-destruction? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Is it moral for the United States
government to spend billions of dollars on relief for the victims of natural
disasters? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Some economists are predicting the U.S.
will have currency crisis in the near future. Do you believe they are
correct? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Is it immoral to be friends with someone on
food stamps? |
||
|
To
YBrook: A discussion about Ayn Rand and free
markets. |
||
|
Should
one endeavor to destroy religion or to live as if it never existed? |
||
|
Dr.
Peikoff, are you an expert in Objectivist philosophy? |
||
|
Am
I morally obligated to wait until a person has actually initiated physical
force against me before I am morally allowed to defend myself? |
||
|
Can
the metaphysically given (i.e., reality itself, not anything man-made)
prevent one from achieving rational happiness? |
||
|
Why
did you put all of the humorous remarks, particularly the self-deprecating
ones, in The DIM Hypothesis preface? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Did the concept of inalienable rights fail
in America because it was given a mystical, Christian foundation? |
||
|
To
YBrook: If you felt compelled to expatriate, what
are the top three countries you would consider and why? |
||
|
To
YBrook: If American descends into dictatorship, is
there any where else in the world that has a
chance? If so, why would American dictatorship spell doom for countries like
New Zealand or Canada? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Did Ayn Rand ever discuss her views on the
second amendment and gun control? What are your own views about what
restrictions, if any, a proper government would place on ownership of
handguns and other firearms? |
||
|
I've
just finished reading Atlas Shrugged and I'm hanging on to Galt's advice to
start, if necessary, from scratch. I'm 42 and have lived life as a
second-hander. Is it too late to start over? |
||
|
Is
being spontaneous of any value to a rational man, or should he always follow
a routine? |
||
|
What
are the moral implications of a family member discussing end-of-life decisions
with a terminally ill relative, bringing up the inheritance and tax
implications of his death? |
||
|
To
YBrook: What is the generic Objectivist reply to a
big government liberal who uses the promote the
general welfare clause of our constitution to justify things like welfare and
ObamaCare? |
||
|
To
YBrook: At the end of Atlas Shrugged the judge
crossed out all of the contradictions in the ancient document and corrected
it so that rights of the individual would not be violated. What
contradictions was Ayn Rand referring to in the constitution? Why are they contradiction and what can we do to correct them
in today's day and age? |
||
|
To
YBrook: A recent petition on the White House
websites calls for the Westboro Baptist Church to be designated as a hate
group. This is the church that planned to protest at the funeral for the
Newtown victims. Would it be a violation of free speech to call in law
enforcement to prevent further picketing by this church? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Is everything fair in love and war? |
||
|
Why
did Cherryl Brooks commit suicide and was the act
justified? |
||
|
Who
was the worst heckler you ever had to deal with during a lecture? |
||
|
A
year ago I got a job by lying, not about my qualifications but about my age,
to conceal the number of years I was unemployed. I feel guilty about it. How
immoral am I and should I come clean to my boss? |
||
|
If
Obama were to list his politics, epistemology, metaphysics and ethics, as Ayn
Rand and other philosophers have done, would he still receive as much wide
spread support? |
||
|
To
YBrook: At what point is it pertinent to start a
revolution against a corrupt form of governance? |
||
|
To
YBrook: What would have happened if Barry Goldwater
had won the 1964 presidential election against Lyndon Johnson? |
||
|
To
YBrook: In an Objectivist society, would other
countries be able to pay us to protect them, as another source of income to
the country? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Is it possible to be both an Objectivist
and an anti-Zionist? |
||
|
To
YBrook: How should Benjamin Netanyahu deal with the
following adversaries: Iran, Palestine, the Arab world of Barack Obama? |
||
|
Why
did Ayn Rand not use profanity in her writing? What do you think of
profanity? |
||
|
When
you taught philosophy courses at college what did you do when presenting
ideas you rejected? |
||
|
If
one is raised religious and then comes to atheism, does he suffer any
long-lasting harm that those raised atheist from childhood do not? |
||
|
Is
it possible to test a love-interest's metaphysics and epistemology before moving
forward in a relationship? |
||
|
After
we broke up, my girlfriend told me that she had never found me sexually
attractive. If this is true, did she ever really love me? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Why has there been a resurgence in
Keynesianism? |
||
|
To
YBrook: In a free society the police, military and
law courts are a legitimate form of government. How would salaries be
determined in a free society? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Should we worry about the fact that other
countries are subsidizing their imports? |
||
|
To
YBrook: As a Democrat who recently read Ayn Rand's
fiction, how do I reconcile my philosophic ideas after being inspired by
Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead? |
||
|
Is
it irrational to value the looks or aesthetic attractiveness of a potential
romantic partner more than his or her character and personal qualities? |
||
|
What
do you think of the saying, “wishing won’t make it so, but there is no harm
in wishing”? |
||
|
If
you are an intellectual, is it immoral to be in a relationship with someone
who is not an intellectual? |
||
|
To
YBrook: I am being taught the standard historical
story of The Great Depression in high school. Was FDR's New Deal bad for the
economy? Are his policies still impacting us today? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Should discrimination laws be banned in
business? |
||
|
YBrook: Despite the Tea Party’s stance on economics in the world
of government, how is it possible for Objectivists to support the Tea Party
movement with all of its other flaws? |
||
|
To
YBrook: What is the most likely economic outcome
for the United States? |
||
|
If
Kant believed the stuff he wrote, why did he bother to write it? Why did he
bother to breathe air, eat food, wear clothing, sleep, or move about? |
||
|
My
father, though a generous man, is irrational in his personal life and I do
not respect him. Is it immoral to rely on his financial support? |
||
|
By
what criteria should the father of a teenage daughter determine whether to
approve of her boyfriend? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Should the government, in a free society,
be prohibited from the purchase of a corporation if the owners of said
corporation voluntarily agree to said purchase? |
||
|
To
YBrook: You've said that you are against animal
rights. What if somebody decides to make an animal extinct, and as a result
it destroys our ecosystem and all humans suffer or die? Is this a violation
of our rights? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Based on the facts of our debt, isn't an
imminent collapse of the U.S. economy inevitable? |
||
|
To
YBrook: How should an Objectivist react when being
called a neoliberal? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Where does the government get its money
from to keep running an ever increasing Leviathan? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Many free market capitalists are frustrated
by inflation when the government prints more money. Do they fear deflation if
the government prints too little? |
||
|
Does
a rational man hold on to anger? How did Ayn Rand handle anger? |
||
|
A
girl I was dating broke up with me, but did it in a way to let me down gently
and avoid hurting my feelings. Can this action be classified as a form of
pity? If so, is my reaction of disgust with her morally justified? |
||
|
What
would the Dr. Peikoff of today tell the Dr. Peikoff of the 1980′s? |
||
|
Is
it rational for a man to stay with a woman who holds similar values to him,
but who dislikes sex — not what it stands for, but the physical act itself? |
||
|
What
exactly is Dagny and Francisco’s relationship at the end of Atlas Shrugged?
Is such a relationship realistically possible? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Some Objectivists have strict adherence to
gold. Disregarding money that isn't accepted by choice, or fiat money, is
what constitutes money as a concept part of the Objectivist philosophy? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Would it be moral and rational for the U.S.
to default on its debt as to not force future generations to repay it? |
||
|
To
YBrook: What is the explanation for the grotesque
amount of anti-Semitism today? |
||
|
To
YBrook: What does Objectivism have to say about
charging usury or interest? |
||
|
To
YBrook: What do you think about Australia as an
alternative to America? |
||
|
YBrook: Do you believe Totalitarianism is a sustainable model,
or will it eventually collapse into laissez-faire capitalism? |
||
|
Is
it wrong of me to want my girlfriend not to wear certain articles of clothing
in public when I'm not present? |
||
|
Why
did Kira in We the Living kiss statues in the park? |
||
|
A
teenage son of a billionaire has taken to posting pictures of himself doing
incredibly wasteful things with his parents' money. Is this immoral? |
||
|
Why
does a Toohey or an Iago do what he does? What
spiritual reward does he get from his actions? |
||
|
In
The Fountainhead, Roark says that a yes once given to a value can never be
revoked. But what if what was once a value ceases to be one? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Is capitalism a form of mixed economy? Or
is this definition false? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Would it be right to designate America a
financier of terrorism because it aids Arab countries in terms of giving them
actual dollars or giving the military hardware? |
||
|
To
YBrook: How long should the duration of copyright
last? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Do you think there is a link between
anti-Semitism and nihilism? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Why does paper money have any value? |
||
|
What's
the difference between telling a lie and keeping a secret? |
||
|
Is
it necessary to know sadness in order to know happiness? Can one exist
without the other? |
||
|
In
order to assess the moral character of others, talk show host Dennis Prager
asks the question, “If you come across your dog and a stranger hanging off a
cliff, which would you save?” Who would the Objectivist save? |
||
|
An
author I never knew in person, but deeply admired, passed away. The news hit
me harder than even the death of some of my relatives. Is there something
wrong with me? |
||
|
Why
did Ayn Rand include children among the dead in the Taggart tunnel disaster?
Is it moral for children to be punished because of the belief of their
parents? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Do new corporations, like LLC and LLP,
contradict Objectivism because the limited liability they offer to their
shareholders is granted to them by state action? |
||
|
To
YBrook: What do you think about the theory of
Mathematically Perfected Economy? |
||
|
To
YBrook: What is the proper moral perspective on
prison farms? |
||
|
To
YBrook: What are the intellectual or financial
payoffs for conspiracy theories? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Should doctors have a right to force
Jehovah's Witnesses to accept blood transfusions? |
||
|
To
YBrook: If everyone was an Objectivist, who would
do the intellectually unredeeming jobs, like
cleaning toilets? |
||
|
If
you have a boss who has a tendency to blame you for things that are his or someone
else's fault, and you will need a reference from him in a future job search,
how can you deal with this properly but not become blacklisted? |
||
|
When
you are in a committed relationship, how much flirting with people other than
your spouse is healthy? Is it still okay to engage in sex talk or more than
friendly emotional involvement? |
||
|
What
is your view of a new birthing trend called lotus birth? |
||
|
I
recently read a story about a college football player who gave up his final
year and later career so he could be a bone marrow transplant donor for a
complete stranger. What is your opinion of this? |
||
|
If
the existence of free will means that the future is uncertain, then does that
imply I cannot be certain now of what my own future actions will be? |
||
|
To
YBrook: What claim, if any, do beneficiaries have
to assets which are left by a direct ancestor, but there is nowill? |
||
|
To
YBrook: What are you
thoughts about the late Margaret Thatcher? |
||
|
To
YBrook: What is your view on the fact that sex
offenders, after released from prison, are put on a registry that is
available to the public? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Is there any way to interpret the election
results of last November in a way that doesn't indicate the almost-end of the
American sense of life? |
||
|
To
YBrook: In a desperate situation, like an arms
race, would it be morally justified to demand taxes? |
||
|
To
YBrook: I recently read an article that urged the
United States to establish relationships with North Korea similar to the ones
the US did with China under Nixon and Vietnam under Clinton. Was it a good
idea then? Is it a good idea now? |
||
|
Is
it immoral to have a sexual relationship with someone whom you've broken up
with and no longer love? |
||
|
Recently
the CEO of a clothing retailer for high school age kids stated that his brand
did not carry plus-size clothes, because he does not want overweight people
to be associated with his brand. Is this attitude rational? |
||
|
You
seem to disapprove of boasting. Why? |
||
|
Did
Ayn Rand ever communicate ideas to you that you only later came fully to
understand and apply? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Given the United States' abuse of its
financial system and economy, and the consequence of all that, is there
general advice of what people should do with their retirement savings to
better avoid the loss in buying power? |
||
|
To
YBrook: What advice would an Objectivist give to
people in parts of the world that are Totalitarian, in constant war, or in
social breakdown? |
||
|
To
YBrook: I am an 18 year old male in Israel. I am
drafted for the military and have nothing to gain from three years of
service. Is it moral to avoid conscription? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Does a nation's sovereignty take precedent
over free market capitalism? Is it justified to restrict international trade? |
||
|
11:52 |
[To
YBrook: This question is about Vadimir
Putin, the premier of...the president of Russia today, and the question is:
what is his philosophical underpinning, where does he sit on the DIM chart,
and would Ayn Rand have expected someone of his nature rising to power in
post-Soviet Russia?] |
|
|
Suppose
an acquaintance asks personal questions and you answer, in private, because
you do not want to appear to be evading his questions. But then the person
uses this information against you in public. I am sick of defending myself.
What should I do? |
||
|
I
have been in my stepdaughter's life for eight years (she is now 12); she
doesn't know her real father, and considers me her dad. I divorced her mother
a year ago, but have remained close to the devastated girl and in almost
daily contact - all this for her benefit, while it would be best for me to
break all ties from the family. Is it wrong to abandon my stepdaughter? |
||
|
The
advocacy of gay and black pride is irrational. It confers a false sense of
pride for nothing but membership in a group. What would better slogans for these
group be like? |
||
|
To
YBrook: What is your assessment of the situation in
Egypt? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Contrast the Arab Spring with the Turkish
Spring? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Do you think Islamic forces are going to
take over Syria? If so, should the United States avoid helping to remove
Assad? |
||
|
To
YBrook: What is your opinion of boycotts?
Specifically, how do you feel about paying to go on a tour of North Korea
knowing that the fee will go toward funding the North Korean state? |
||
|
Is
itmoral for a person to expose secret government
programs which violate citizens' individual rights, even if this may harm
strategies which the government states are essential to national security? In
other words, what is your estimate of the NSA now? |
||
|
An
interview with Amy Peikoff on the NSA programs. A follow-up to Dr. Peikoff's
previous podcast. |
||
|
To
YBrook: Why does the United States not allow India
to do what is necessary to protect itself? Why does a country like Pakistan
receive help and protection from America? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Why does the British government protect
Muslims? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Why do people oppose Guantanamo Bay? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Does Israel have the right to exist
considering it was created through the use of force by confiscating private
farmland that they believed was a gift from god to the Jewish people? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Why are Objectivists not enthusiastic about
the United Nations? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Should Objectivists compromise for the
greater good? |
||
|
To
YBrook: What is your view on the NSA? |
||
|
To
YBrook: What do you think about a person's right,
if any, to their body after he dies? |
||
|
My
girlfriend is a-sexual. She enjoys sex, but doesn't need it or actively
pursue it. Is it possible to have a fulfilling relationship with such a
person? |
||
|
When
you are gone, will your various philosophic papers be available for scholars? |
||
|
If
Kant had died before he could create his philosophy, how would the world look
today? |
||
|
My
employers value length of service and friendliness more than productive
output. Is it moral to give them less than my full effort if they are
satisfied with my production? |
||
|
When
you have strong romantic feelings for someone, why is the awareness of her
being with someone else so painful? It is not merely the fact that you don't
have what you want, but that someone else does have it. Is this envy? |
||
|
“‘How
beautiful!’ said Lydia, looking at a stage setting. ‘It’s almost real.’ ‘How
beautiful!’ said Kira, looking at a landscape. ‘It’s
almost artificial.’” How does this excerpt from We
the Living reflect Objectivism as art? |
||
|
Is
it true that Ayn Rand didn't trust men with facial hair? Or maybe she just
didn't like them? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Should weapon manufacturers be controlled
by the government? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Should Objectivists disassociate from Tea
Party groups because they oppose immigration reform? |
||
|
07:06 |
[To
YBrook: The Federal Reserve is a privately owned
bank. Why do you keep calling it a government entity?] |
|
|
To
YBrook: In a complete separation of state and
economics, would there be domestic and foreign intelligence agencies? |
||
|
To
YBrook: What effect did Ayn Rand have on the 20th
century? |
||
|
I
am a university professor and I intended to fail (deservedly) a certain
student. But I was then informed by my Dean that the student’s father is a
big donor to the university and if I wanted to keep my job I must pass his
son. I obeyed, because I value my income more than academic honesty. Was my
decision immoral? |
||
|
You
call the character of Iago an excellent literary presentation of the essence
of a nihilist. Why Iago instead of James Taggart in Atlas Shrugged? |
||
|
Who
is more despicable, criminals who initiate acts of aggression or pacifists
who condemn retaliatory violence? |
||
|
Should
the act of cutting off a man's penis be a capital offense? |
||
|
I
no longer love my wife, who is an easily upset woman, and I want a divorce.
But I don't ask her for one because I'm afraid she'll act to harm me or
herself. So is it rational for me to seek another sexual relationship without
letting her know? |
||
|
Adebate between Leonard Peikoff
and Yaron Brook on the question: Who should, or
should not, be allowed to immigrate into the US? Moderated by Amy Peikoff
(Part 1 of 2). |
||
|
Adebate between Leonard Peikoff
and Yaron Brook on the question: Who should, or
should not, be allowed to immigrate into the US? Moderated by Amy Peikoff
(Part 2 of 2). |
||
|
To
YBrook: After the Camp David Accord was broken,
America, Israel and Egypt made peace across the Sinai Peninsula. Should we
command Egypt for not violating peace? If we can have peace with Egypt, isn't
it possible to have peace with the Palestinians? |
||
|
To
YBrook: What was the motivations for the Islamic
attack on 9/11? Many vocal Libertarians are positive it was retaliation for
decades of U.S. intervention in the Middle East. Is this true? |
||
|
What
is the most important advice that Ayn Rand ever gave you? |
||
|
What
do you think of people who say they want to have children, but only boys? |
||
|
How
did your parents react when you decided not to finish medical school? |
||
|
If
love is based on common values, how can a new mother love her baby when it
has not yet developed values? |
||
|
I've
read all of Ayn Rand's non-fiction and loved it, her ideas have changed my
life dramatically, but I'm not able to get through Atlas Shrugged or The
Fountainhead. What does this mean? |
||
|
10:56 |
[I
am single, in my early thirties, and currently have a decent job teaching at
a junior college, but for a very long time I have wondered if I have what it
takes to become a novelist (and then he goes into the difficulty that would
be involved in getting an agent, getting published, becoming a successful
sales, so it's almost impossible that I can make it as a novelist), should I
abandon my dream because it probably won't happen, or should I venture down
that road?] |
|
|
To
YBrook: Should we all aim to be entrepreneurs? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Is there any realistic hope for America to
embark on a better path when President Obama leaves office? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Is Walmart is engaged in cronyism? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Are age-of-consent laws moral? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Should encryption technologies be
encouraged because in a sense it is standing up to the government? |
||
|
12:40 |
[To
YBrook: Is Detroit and other municipalities
declaring bankruptcy merely a manifestation of Atlas Shrugged?] |
|
|
Have
you ever considered, or would you ever consider, writing an autobiography? |
||
|
Can
someone who is a nihilist in politics be a good person in other areas of his
life? |
||
|
While
partying at a bar with some friends, I chatted with a girl and ended up
kissing her. I have a girlfriend whom I love very much. She does not know
about this incident and if I tell her, our relationship will end. Is it moral
not to tell her? |
||
|
My
girlfriend is twenty-four and a virgin. She says she is completely in love
with me and does not want another man, but she won't have sex with me for
various reasons. In light of this is it okay for me to leave her? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Has freedom of speech been censored in
America? Is it time for a revolution? |
||
|
To
YBrook: I read a statistic that says air pollution
kills two million people per year. If that is true, what should the
government's role be in dealing with this disaster? |
||
|
To
YBrook: I am a white South African male. Many of my
friends wear T-shirts saying, “I benefit from apartheid.” I am disgusted by
the unearned guilt on my part that this implies. Is this disgust warranted? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Are naked credit default swaps ethical? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Is it immoral for me to deliver newspapers
if I am horrified by their content? |
||
|
I
am a mass communications specialist in the U.S. Navy, and my current
assignment poses an ethical dilemma: I am asked to publicly laud many Navy
policies, some of which I strongly oppose. What should I do? |
||
|
In
a previous podcast you said that most people stop thinking at 30. Why do you
think this is and is it inevitable? |
||
|
Is
loneliness the most painful thing in life? |
||
|
My
boyfriend must move to another state in a few months for work. It's highly
probable that we cannot make things work out long-distance. Is it self destructive for me to spend his last two months
still dating, knowing that it will make it harder when he leaves? |
||
|
To
YBrook: Why are health care costs rising? |
||
|
To
YBrook: If he cannot be described as “selfish,”
what word would you use to denote someone like Bernie Madoff who acts
scrupulously to get money for himself? |
||
|
To
YBrook: If there really is a holocaust in Syria,
why should the United States not intervene to protect thevictims? |
||
|
To
YBrook: In a free society, does the government need
the people's consent before waging war against a dictator? |
||
|
To
YBrook: How should the government acquire nuclear
weapons? Should it buy them from private business? |
||
|
11:18 |
[To
YBrook: Should government help in cases of natural
disasters?] |
|
|
Is
the emotion of worry a learned emotion? |
||
|
I
am in a happy relationship with my girlfriend. I am sure we will end up together,
but I have an attraction to the male sex also. Rationally speaking that is
not what I want at all. I have told her all this and she understands. But it
often makes me feel depressed. How should I deal with this problem? |
||
|
Is
it rational to have children simply for the sake of having someone to take care
of you when you reach old age? |
||
|
Can
a disease that is painful and debilitating, but not terminal, be
justification for suicide? |
||
|
If
you really hurt someone because of an honest error of yours, would it be of
any value, once you see your error, to apologize? Or would it be better to
let the issue be and continue on in life, content that you know. |
||
|
I
am considering becoming a secondary school teacher and am not clear about my
motivation. On one hand I like the idea of teaching history from a rational
perspective. On the other, I also imagine making myself popular with the
kids. Is this a badsign? |
||
|
I
am convinced I am my woman's highest value, but I know she has been in past
relationships and she loved those men too. I am bothered that she has slept
with someone else. I wish I was the only one who was that intimate with her.
Is this foolish? |
||
|
I
recently saw an inspirational story about a man born with no arms or legs and
just one small foot. Despite this, he has learned how to write, use a
computer, make eggs, etc. He attributes his courage to religion. So, is
religion valuable for some people? |
||
|
Would
it be moral for a virgin with a terminal illness to visit a brothel before he
dies, if that was the only way for him to experience sex? |
||
|
To
YB: Do you think that, with their great access to capital, the rich can
control and regulate economics, politics, and culture to the detriment of the
lower income groups? |
||
|
To
YB: Do consumers have a moral obligation to avoid purchasing goods and
services that have depended on coerced labor at some point in the supply
chain? |
||
|
To
YB: During the Cold War America supported the Islamist in their fight against
the Soviets in Afghanistan. The result was the fall of the Soviet Union
without any nuclear exchange, however it gave the Islamists the confidence to
come after the United States. Was it worth it, given the 9/11 attack? |
||
|
To
YB: Conservatives who oppose ObamaCare are
criticized for failing to offer a viable alternative. What is the Objectivist
response to this criticism? |
||
|
To
YB: What did the United States do immediately after the 9/11 attacks? |
||
|
My
girlfriend recently had her 18th birthday and decided to spend the day with
friends at a gay strip club. I feel jealous and insignificant. Why didn't she
want to spend the day with me? Am I being petty? |
||
|
In
a recent podcast you said that you could never win an argument with Ayn Rand.
Weren't there some cases where she disagreed with you on an intellectual
question and then ended up with your position? |
||
|
I
had sex with a married girl. She is now pregnant with our child and is still
married to her husband-who knows the whole story. Am I immoral for not being
an active father? |
||
|
Are
Jewish people racist? |
||
|
If
you could nominate whomever you wanted for the Nobel Peace Prize, who would
it be? |
||
|
10:54 |
[What
do you think about the celebration of Halloween? Did you allow your own daughter
to celebrate the day?] |
|
|
12:24 |
[What
do you think of the claim that there are moderate Muslims? Are they really
moderate?] |
|
|
To
YB: In a true free market who would own historical landmarks? |
||
|
To
YB: When a will is not executed as written, whose rights are being violated? |
||
|
To
YB: A follow-up to the question: Why does the British government protect
Muslims? |
||
|
To
YB: It is my understanding that after Israel had won its first Arab-Israeli
War, 75 percent of the land previously partitioned by the U.N. was annexed by
the Arab nation of Transjordan. Is that true? |
||
|
To
YB: You said totalitarians will always seek to control people and that Islam
is just one manifestation they use to gain power. Is this a proper view? |
||
|
To
YB: What is your opinion of Noam Chomsky? |
||
|
To
YB: What are the odds that socialized medicine will take hold in America? |
||
|
To
YB: Is it immoral to either purchase insurance under ObamaCare
or not to pay for it? |
||
|
To
YB: Should the government have the right to regulate or punish an enterprise
or business that throws hazardous wasteinto the
water? |
||
|
To
YB: If there were an outright power grab during the next presidential
election, do you think Americans would stand for a dictator? |
||
|
To
YB: Is there anything improper in principle or practice about the amber alert
system? |
||
|
To
YB: What is predatory lending? Should it be legal? |
||
|
Can
I be truly moral in every sense if I reject Objectivism? |
||
|
How
should I react to a religious girlfriend who repeatedly says she must save me
from atheism and therefore make me happier? |
||
|
You
said in a past podcast that it was not morally wrong for a teacher to give an
unearned grade in a particular situation. How does that square with Ayn
Rand’s statement that “any compromise with evil can only benefit evil”? |
||
|
To
YB: Is Obama worse on foreign policy than Ron Paul? |
||
|
To
YB: What do you think about legalizing marijuana? Is it a step in the right
direction? |
||
|
To
YB: Is it rational to want to purchase a firearm because the United States is
collapsing, or is this just paranoid fear mongering? |
||
|
To
YB: Does the United Nations do anything good for the world? |
||
|
To
YB: Is there anything you do not like about the Tea Party? |
||
|
To
YB: If everyone were rational Objectivists, would we need government? |
||
|
To
YB: A follow-up discussion about the Palestinian people and Israel. |
||
|
I
am thirty and don't want to date anymore. Is that rational? |
||
|
Does
being evil destroy a person's free will? |
||
|
How
would you have behaved if you had lived in Nazi Germany and had been
indoctrinated from childhood with all their irrational ideas? |
||
|
Why
did you choose to become an Objectivist teacher? What are some of the
emotions you feel when teaching? |
||
|
How
might a book like The Ominous Parallels have been received if published in
Weimar Germany? |
||
|
Who
is more admirable: a person who learned rational moral principles early in
his life, or a person striving to be good but to whom such principles are
completely novel? |
||
|
I
am dating a girl I really like, but mentally she is a bit slow because she is
Special Ed. She treats me great, but I'm not sure if her mind-set is that of
a youngster. Does she like me because she is immature and not because of my
real virtues? Should I continue dating her? |
||
|
To
YB: How should an Objectivist respond when a leftist uses the phrase
“trickle-down economics” to attack capitalism. Is
this a straw man? |
||
|
To
YB: If poor people don't live as long as wealthy people because they are more
likely to live an unhealthy life, should the government intervene and close
this gap? |
||
|
To
YB: What is a good response to the liberal argument that raising the minimum
wage would get a lot of people off government programs such as food stamps? |
||
|
To
YB: Is it a virtue to work for the government and help the population live a
healthier life? |
||
|
To
YB: What is your assessment of Nelson Mandela? |
||
|
Is
hope a virtue or a vice? |
||
|
My
boyfriend of 8 months really likes me, but he has never stated his feelings
for me. Am I being petty to be bothered by the fact that even though his
actions show admiration, he has never spoken the words? |
||
|
Since
love is a response to values, does that make it possible to love a person rationally
simply for being rich? |
||
|
You
claim Obama is a Nihilist, but isn’t “hope and change” a slogan of benevolence? |
||
|
Advancement
in science will probably give humans radical life extension within decades,
and possibly even eliminate aging. If this happens, will changes in
Objectivism be necessary to accommodate an unlimited lifespan? |
||
|
11:24 |
[If
a villain like Iago existed, who had perfected the technique of applying just
enough psychological pressure to push someone to commit murder, what would
the moral step be?] |
|
|
To
YB: If China were to attack Japan, would you advocate for United States
involvement on the side of the Japanese? |
||
|
To
YB: Why are suicide rates among soldiers so high today? |
||
|
To
YB: Would you agree that immigrants to America having advanced degrees are
more advantageous to American than low skilled workers? |
||
|
To
YB: Do you think you are personally being taped by the NSA because of your
activism? |
||
|
To
YB: Have you ever thought about running for congress? |
||
|
13:10 |
[To
YB: Should the US be a member of NATO? Should the US be a member of the
United Nations? Should the United States be a part of WTO, the World Trade
Organization?] |
|
|
Is
it possible for two Objectivists not to like each other? |
||
|
My
mother, a millionaire, is 93 and has dementia. I have never liked her, and it
so happens that I now have control over her money. Is it immoral not to spend
it for her treatment so that I can save it for my inheritance? |
||
|
What
do you think of Western people giving their children non-traditional names
like Rivers, Leaves, or naming them after an ancient figure like Aristotle?
Is this non-conformity a virtue? |
||
|
Was
there ever a time when Ayn Rand annoyed you? |
||
|
To
YB: Should voluntary donations be the only means of funding the government in
a free society? |
||
|
To
YB: What would happen in an Objectivist country if another country engaged in
economic war? |
||
|
To
YB: What is your view on Austrian economics? |
||
|
To
YB: It could be argued that the Islamic world was a leader in science and
mathematics from the 8th to the 13th century. Today, this part of the world
is among the most primitive. What happened? |
||
|
I
did most of the work in getting my college degree (years ago). However,
occasionally I violated the rules by submitting lab assignments that I copied
from other people's work. Does morality require that I confess my behavior to
the university? |
||
|
I am
dating a girl that is an internet cam girl, meaning she strips and
masturbates via web chat for money. I like the fact that she fakes having a
good time with other men, but is really attracted only to me. Is it wrong to
fall for this girl? |
||
|
What
is your view of David Horowitz? |
||
|
Is
being a professional fitness trainer a rational and productive career? |
||
|
To
YB: Would Bitcoin exist in a free market? |
||
|
To
YB: What has happened to quantitative easing? |
||
|
To
YB: Do you believe the structure of production is being altered and capital
assets are being inflated? |
||
|
To
YB: Will China continue to rise economically? |
||
|
Should
I feel guilty for having sex with a tenant of mine in exchange for lowering
her rent? |
||
|
A
girl that is an irreplaceable value to me enjoys sharing her life
experiences, and I enjoy listening to her. Sometimes she tells the same story
several times and recently has begun asking me before she tells a story if
I’ve heard it. Saying yes discourages her. Is it wrong to give a dishonest
no—because I do like hearing the repeated stories? |
||
|
Many
individuals say that they like animals more than people. What does this
sentiment imply philosophically? |
||
|
To
YB: Do you believe anti-Semitism is prevalent and widespread throughout
American culture, or is it primarily a European phenomenon? |
||
|
To
YB: What is your take on the Swiss? They seem to be more successful at doing
many of the things that Objectivistsadvocate. |
||
|
To
YB: Should high-speed trading be illegal? |
||
|
To
YB: Could Bitcoin, or an equivalent digital currency, be put on the gold
standard? |
||
|
Edward
Snowden provided aid and comfort to the enemy by releasing vast amounts of
information about our intelligence apparatus. So why do you not view him as a
traitor? |
||
|
What
do you think of making historical events the core of a novel? |
||
|
What
would your advice have been to Eddie Willers, who
regarded Dagny as his ideal woman, but knew he couldn't have her? |
||
|
To
YB: What changes do you see happening if China's GDP passes the United
States'? |
||
|
To
YB: What are your views on the abject cowardice that has taken hold of the
West since the Salman Rushdie fatwa in 1989? |
||
|
To
YB: Is there such a thing as international law? |
||
|
To
YB: Would you support the idea of kicking Turkey out of NATO? |
||
|
To
YB: What should the United States do about Russia's aggression toward the
Ukraine? |
||
|
To
YB: The government was heavily involved in developing GPS for military
technology. Would it still have been created in a free market? |
||
|
What
did Ayn Rand think of jazz? |
||
|
How
would the difficulties you experienced when writing The DIM Hypothesis have
been different if you had written the book surrounded by a rational culture? |
||
|
In
which profession do you think an Objectivist today could have the greatest
cultural impact? |
||
|
Is
it rational to claim loyalty to a sports franchise, for example an NFL
football team? |
||