Rand - and her philosophy Objectivism - have been enormously influential to public figures as diverse as Paul Ryan, Ron Paul, Rand Paul, Rush drummer Neil Peart, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, Hunter S. Thompson, Murray Rothbard, John Stossel, Penn Jillette and many others.
Some of her adherents - such as former Federal Reserve Chairman Allan Greenspan - have been criticized for enacting Rand's 'Virtue of Selfishness.'
Was she an advocate of egoism and 'me-first' selfishness? Why did Rand hate altruism - not to mention Immanual Kant? What was her ideal society? Is her vision achievable? Should we even try?
14:30 - Elitist?
23:13 - Ability = Virtue
25:04 - Wealth = Virtue
26:39 - Is Ayn Rand right wing?
29:18 - "Ayn Rand Is Not a Serious Philosopher"
34:03 - Ayn Rand Took Social Security
38:11 - "She wrote about rough sex!"
41:04 - Darwinism/Selfish/Dog Eat Dog!
46:24 - Israel/Palestine
48:34 - Native Americans
54:34 - Drug Usage: Smoking and Amphetamines
1:02:05 - Affair
Stefan Molyneux, host of Freedomain Radio, details criticisms of both Rand and Objectivism.
The Truth About Ayn Rand: Origins [1 of 4]
http://stgeorgewest.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/the-truth-about-ayn-rand-origins-of.html
The Truth About Ayn Rand: Objectivism [2 of 4]
http://stgeorgewest.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/the-truth-about-ayn-rand-objectivism-2.html
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WD: Correction - Stefan suggests that being Jewish Ayn could not be anti-Semitic. ...We say that most Jewish people today are 'NOT' Semitic. Some Semites are anti-Semitic i.e. Sephardic Jews who hate Arabs.