Episode · Lex Fridman Podcast · 2020-11-13
Books mentioned on #138 – Yaron Brook: Ayn Rand and the Philosophy of Objectivism
Yaron Brook is a objectivist philosopher, podcaster, and author. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: – Blinkist: https://blinkist.
Yaron Brook recommended Animal Farm by George Orwell, Ominous Parallels by Leonard Peikoff, Ayn Rand Novel Collection by Ayn Rand, Capitalism by Ayn Rand and others, Philosophy by Ayn Rand, Capitalism, the unknown ideal by Ayn Rand, The Virtue of Selfishness by Ayn Rand and others, Philosophy, Who Needs It / Ayn Rand by Ayn Rand, and Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology by Ayn Rand, and discussed We the Living by Ayn Rand, Anthem by Ayn Rand, 1984 by George Orwell, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William L. Shirer, The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, and Encountering the Holy Spirit in Every Book of the Bible by David Diga Hernandez.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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We the Living
We the Living by Ayn Rand is a semi-autobiographical novel set in Soviet Russia that follows a young woman navigating life and romance under a totalitarian communist regime.
Discussed“um and uh she writes her first novel is a novel called We The Living which is the most autobiographical of all her novels”
Where to get it
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Anthem
Anthem by Ayn Rand is a dystopian novella that explores a collectivist future where individuality has been eradicated and the word "I" has been erased from human language.
Discussed“she writes a small novelet called Anthem a lot of people have read that and it's it's read in high schools it's it's kind of dystopia novel”
Where to get it
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Animal Farm
Animal Farm by George Orwell is a classic allegorical novella that uses a farmyard setting to satirize the corruption of socialist ideals and the rise of totalitarianism following the Russian Revolution.
Recommended“UK is very interested in dystopian novels Animal Farm”
Where to get it
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1984
1984 by George Orwell is a classic dystopian novel exploring totalitarianism, surveillance, political tribalism, and the systematic control of information.
Discussed“and in 1984 84 is published a couple of years after I think after an there's reason to believe he read he read Anthem”
Where to get it
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The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William L.
Discussed“I love yeah the reading I'm reading it's so long it's been taking me forever the the rise and Falls the Third Reich”
Where to get it
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Ominous Parallels
Ominous Parallels by Leonard Peikoff is a philosophical examination arguing that the philosophical premises of Nazi Germany are increasingly taking root in modern American culture.
Recommended“and basically suggesting how it might rise another that's the ominous parallel so the parallel he draws is to the United States and he says those same intellectual forces AR rising in the United States and this is this was published I think in published in 81 ' 82 was published in ' 82 so it's published a long time”
Where to get it
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The Fountainhead
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand is a classic philosophical novel that explores individualism, artistic integrity, and the conflict between independent creators and collectivist societal pressures.
Discussed“and then she starts on her on on the book The Fountain Head and she writes The Fountain Head and it comes out um she finishes it in uh 1945 and she's um she sends it to Publishers and publisher after publisher after publisher turn it down and it takes 12 Publishers before this this editor reads it and says”
Where to get it
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Atlas Shrugged
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand is a sprawling philosophical novel that presents the author's theory of Objectivism through a dystopian narrative about a society collapsing under the weight of anti-capitalist regulations and government overreach.
Discussed“and of course after the Fountain Head she starts on what turns out to be magnos Opus which is at Shrugged uh which takes her 12 years to publish by the time of course she brings that out every publisher in New York wants to publish it”
Where to get it
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Encountering the Holy Spirit in Every Book of the Bible
David Diga Hernandez's religious text offers readers a systematic, book-by-book exploration of the Holy Spirit's presence throughout scripture, serving as a devotional guide for deepening one's faith.
Discussed“the number one book The Bible”
Where to get it
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Ayn Rand Novel Collection
Ayn Rand Novel Collection brings together the major fictional works of Ayn Rand, showcasing her philosophy of Objectivism through compelling storytelling and dramatic character arcs.
Recommended“Start with fad”
Where to get it
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Capitalism
Capitalism by Ayn Rand, Nathaniel Branden, Alan Greenspan, and Robert Hessen is a collection of essays exploring the moral and economic foundations of a free market system.
Recommended“uh she articulated them not so I would say not in conventional philosophical form so she didn't write philosophical essays using the Philosopher's language it's why partially why I think philos phers have never taken us seriously they're actually accessible to us we can actually read them and she integrates the philosophy in what I think amazing ways with psychology”
Where to get it
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Philosophy
Ayn Rand's nonfiction works, including her philosophical essays collected in volumes such as 'Philosophy: Who Needs It', present her philosophy of Objectivism in an accessible format.
Recommended“uh she articulated them not so I would say not in conventional philosophical form so she didn't write philosophical essays using the Philosopher's language it's why partially why I think philos phers have never taken us seriously they're actually accessible to us we can actually read them and she integrates the philosophy in what I think amazing ways with psychology”
Where to get it
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Capitalism, the unknown ideal
Ayn Rand's "Capitalism, the Unknown Ideal" is a collection of essays championing laissez-faire capitalism and objectivist philosophy.
Recommended“uh i particularly recommend books like uh uh the virtue of selfishness capitalism the unknown ideal uh and and uh philosophy who needs it”
Where to get it
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The Virtue of Selfishness
The Virtue of Selfishness is a collection of essays by Ayn Rand, supplemented by contributions from C.M.
Recommended“uh i particularly recommend books like uh uh the virtue of selfishness capitalism the unknown ideal uh and and uh philosophy who needs it”
Where to get it
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Philosophy, Who Needs It / Ayn Rand
Philosophy, Who Needs It is a collection of essays by Ayn Rand that presents the fundamental tenets of Objectivism and argues for the practical importance of philosophy in everyday life.
Recommended“uh i particularly recommend books like uh uh the virtue of selfishness capitalism the unknown ideal uh and and uh philosophy who needs it”
Where to get it
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Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology
Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology by Ayn Rand is a rigorous philosophical treatise that explores the nature of human concepts, the formation of knowledge, and the validation of thought.
Recommended“and she has a whole book she has a book called uh introduction to objectivist epistemology which I encourage any scientist mathematician anybody interested in science to read because it is a tur of force on on on in a sense this the the the what it means to hold Concepts and what it means to discover new discoveries and”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (10) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“objectivism is the philosophical system developed by Ein Rand that she first expressed in her fiction books The Fountain Head and Atlas Shrugged and later in non-fiction essays and books”
“objectivism is the philosophical system developed by Ein Rand that she first expressed in her fiction books The Fountain Head and Atlas Shrugged and later in non-fiction essays and books”
“yaron is the current chairman of the board at the IR Rand Institute host of the Yan Brook show and the co-author of free market Revolution equal is unfair and several other books where he analyzes systems of government human behavior and The Human Condition from the perspective of objectivism”
“yaron is the current chairman of the board at the IR Rand Institute host of the Yan Brook show and the co-author of free market Revolution equal is unfair and several other books where he analyzes systems of government human behavior and The Human Condition from the perspective of objectivism”
“as a side note let me say that I first read Atlas Shrugged and the Fountain Head early in college along with many other literary and philosophical works from n haiger Kant lock Fuko wienstein and of course all the great existentialists from kard to kamu”
“as a side note let me say that I first read Atlas Shrugged and the Fountain Head early in college along with many other literary and philosophical works from n haiger Kant lock Fuko wienstein and of course all the great existentialists from kard to kamu”
“Bible the Bible”
“UK is very interested in dystopian novels Animal Farm uh and in 1984 84 is published a couple of years after I think after an there's reason to believe he read he read Anthem uh that and uh George read Animal Farm”
“UK is very interested in dystopian novels Animal Farm uh and in 1984 84 is published a couple of years after I think after an there's reason to believe he read he read Anthem uh that and uh George read Animal Farm”
“that's I was actually recently just complaining that there's not enough content on the the famine the 30s of you know of of Stu there's so much on Hitler like I love yeah the reading I'm reading it's so long it's been taking me forever the the rise and Falls the Third Reich”