The Atlas Society Presents - Objectively Speaking

Join Atlas Society Senior Fellow Robert Tracinski for the 283rd episode of Objectively Speaking when she sits down with Roosevelt Montás to talk about his book "Rescuing Socrates: How the Great Books Changed My Life and Why They Matter for a New Generation," which describes how four authors―Plato, Augustine, Freud, and Gandhi―had a profound impact on Montás’s life, driving home why a liberal education can still remake lives. Roosevelt Montás is a Senior Lecturer in American Studies and English at Columbia University and the director of the Center for American Studies’ Freedom and Citizenship Program, which brings low-income high school students to the Columbia campus to study political theory and then helps them prepare successful applications to college. He speaks and writes on the history, meaning, and future of liberal education and is the author of "Rescuing Socrates: How the Great Books Changed My Life and Why They Matter for a New Generation."

Join Atlas Society Senior Scholar Stephen Hicks and Senior Fellow Robert Tracinski for a conversation on emerging trends in conservative political philosophy. Together, they’ll explore the ideas of post-liberal, national conservative, and integralist thinkers, discuss influential American theorists driving the conversation, and contrast them with leading European voices such as Roger Scruton and James Orr.

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 281st episode of Objectively Speaking, with historian Arthur Herman as they discuss his book "The Cave and the Light: Plato Versus Aristotle, and the Struggle for the Soul of Western Civilization," which answers the question of how the competing visions of Plato and Aristotle shaped the very way we think about politics, art, science, and the modern world. A senior research fellow at the Civitas Institute, Herman is a Pulitzer Prize Finalist historian and biographer, authoring nine books, including the New York Times Best Seller How the Scots Invented the Modern World, Freedom’s Forge: How American Business Produced Victory in World War II, and 1917: Lenin, Wilson, and the Birth of the New World Disorder. 

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 280th episode of Objectively Speaking when she sits down with Josh Hammer to talk about his book "Israel and Civilization: The Fate of the Jewish Nation and the Destiny of the West," which makes a case for why the key to the prosperity of the West is the flourishing of the Jewish State of Israel. Josh Hammer is the Senior Editor at Large of Newsweek, where he hosts “The Josh Hammer Show.” A frequent pundit and essayist on political, legal, and cultural issues, Josh is also a research fellow with the Edmund Burke Foundation, a fellow with the Palm Beach Freedom Institute, and senior counsel for the Article III Project and Internet Accountability Project.

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 279th episode of Objectively Speaking where she is joined by three-time returning guest Johan Norberg to talk about his latest book "Peak Human: What We Can Learn From History’s Greatest Civilizations," which explores the rise and fall of past societies to uncover the ideas, institutions, and innovations that fueled their success—and the mistakes that led to their decline. Johan Norberg is a Cato Senior Fellow and the author and editor of more than 20 books that focus on globalization, human progress, and intellectual history. He previously joined The Atlas Society Asks to discuss his books "Open: The Story of Human Progress" and "The Capitalist Manifesto."

Join Atlas Society founder and Senior Scholar David Kelley, Ph.D., along with Senior Scholar and Professor of Political Economy at Duke Richard Salsman, Ph.D., for a special webinar exploring the relationship between concepts, propositions, and objective knowledge—central themes in Kelley’s new essay Concepts and Propositions. Together, the duo will unpack why propositions are essential to reasoning, how Kelley’s work builds upon Rand’s theory of concepts, and what this expanded epistemology means for understanding truth, logic, and the pursuit of rational ideas in today’s intellectual climate.

Join Atlas CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 277th episode of Objectively Speaking, where she interviews founder and CEO Darcy Olsen about the Center for the Rights of Abused Children and its mission to “protect children, change laws and inspire people – to ensure every abused child has a safe and loving home." A former foster mom, who adopted four of the children that she fostered, Darcy founded the Center after witnessing firsthand the injustices and systemic failures within the child welfare and family court systems. Olsen prevously served as CEO of the Goldwater Institute where she wrote the book, “The Right to Try: How the Federal Government Prevents Americans from Getting the Lifesaving Treatments They Need,” which resulted in a national law giving people with terminal illnesses the right to try investigational medicines. She joins Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman to talk about the Center for the Rights of Abused Children and mission to give children a voice, an advocate, and the opportunity to thrive.

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 276th episode of Objectively Speaking where she interviews author Dan Flynn about his new book "The Man Who Invented Conservatism: The Unlikely Life of Frank S. Meyer," which unveils one of the twentieth century’s great untold stories: a Communist turned conservative, an antiwar activist turned soldier, and a free-love enthusiast turned family man whose big idea captured the American Right. A senior editor with The American Spectator, Flynn has authored seven books, including "Intellectual Morons: How Ideology Makes Smart People Fall for Stupid Ideas," "10 Days That Shook San Francisco," and "Blue Collar Intellectuals: When the Enlightened and the Everyman Elevated America."

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 275th episode of Objectively Speaking, where she is joined by Wilfred McClay, Victor Davis Hanson Chair in Classical History and Western Civilization at Hillsdale College, to discuss his book "Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story" along with his latest release, "Jewish Roots of American Liberty: The Impact of Hebraic Ideas on the American Story." A historian having taught at Georgetown, Tulane, and Johns Hopkins, among others, Wilfred McClay now serves as the Victor Davis Hanson Chair in Classical History and Western Civilization at Hillsdale College. A prolific author, McClay’s books include The Masterless: Self and Society in Modern America, A Student’s Guide to U.S. History, and his newest book, Jewish Roots of American Liberty: The Impact of Hebraic Ideas on the American Story.

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 274th episode of Objectively Speaking as she sits down with Spike Cohen, libertarian activist, entrepreneur, and podcaster. Together, they discuss Cohen’s nonprofit, You Are The Power, its mission to push back against government overreach, and its grassroots efforts to defend families facing wrongful threats of separation from government agencies. Jeremy "Spike" Cohen is a libertarian political activist, entrepreneur, and the Founder and President of You Are the Power, a nonprofit focused on using solutions-oriented activism to grow the Liberty movement and fight back against corrupt officials and government overreach. He previously served as the Libertarian Party's vice presidential nominee in 2020.

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 273rd episode of Objectively Speaking, where Professor Lucas Morel joins her alongside returning guest Jonathan White to talk about the duo's co-authored book "Measuring the Man: The Writings of Frederick Douglass on Abraham Lincoln," which assembles Frederick Douglass’s most meaningful and poignant statements about Abraham Lincoln, including a dozen newly discovered documents that have not been seen for 160 years. "Measuring the Man: The Writings of Frederick Douglass on Abraham Lincoln" - https://amzn.to/4kyEuyO Lucas Morel is a Professor of Ethics and Politics at Washington and Lee University and works at the Jack Miller Center as a Board Member, Academic Advisory Council Member, and Founding Civics Initiative Faculty. He is the author of several books and publications, including "Lincoln, and the American Founding" and currently serves on the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, which will plan activities to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Jonathan W. White is a historian and the author or editor of more than 20 books and over 100 articles, essays, and reviews on Abraham Lincoln, the Civil War, slavery and emancipation, and the U.S. Constitution. Aside from teaching American studies at Christopher NewPort University, White wears many hats including Distinguished Lecturer for the Organization of American Historians, serving on the Boards of Directors of the Abraham Lincoln Institute and the Abraham Lincoln Association, along with being the Vice Chair of The Lincoln Forum. He published his first children’s book My Day with Abe Lincoln in 2024 with a new book planned for release later this fall.

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 272nd episode of Objectively Speaking. In the wake of the devastating loss of longtime friend Charlie Kirk, Driena Sixto joins Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman as they share reflections on Charlie’s life, leadership, and the profound mark he left on the movement for liberty. Inspired by Ayn Rand at a young age, Driena has pursued a career in grassroots activism, mobilization, and outspoken commentary, now serving as a Media Spokesperson for Turning Point Action. A Miami native, she’s a local Cuban-American “politica” featured in dozens of media outlets, including CBS, Univision, and Telemundo.

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 271st episode of Objectively Speaking, where she speaks with Princeton Professor Stephen J. Macedo about his new book "In Covid’s Wake: How Our Politics Failed Us," which offers the first comprehensive political assessment of our pandemic response and raises urgent questions about how governments abandoned pre-Covid preparedness plans, politicized science, and deepened inequality. As the Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Politics and Acting Director of the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University, Macedo is the author of several books including Just Married: Same-Sex Couples, Monogamy, and the Future of Marriage and focuses his research on social justice exerted by various forms of globalization, especially immigration, and the problems raised by social media companies and the dangers of government efforts to policy “misinformation.”

Are deportations driving down violent crime in America? Some supporters are crediting the sharp increase in deportations for what could soon be the lowest U.S. murder rate on record. On the other hand, critics strongly argue that deportation sweeps unfairly target non-violent offenders and create fear within immigrant communities, discouraging victims and witnesses from cooperating with law enforcement. Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 271st episode of Objectively Speaking when she interviews bail attorney Ken W. Good on the intersection of bail, crime, and immigration enforcement policies.

Join Atlas Society Senior Scholars Stephen Hicks and Richard Salsman for a webinar exploring the intersection of “Public Choice” economics and Objectivism. Listen as the duo discuss how Public Choice theory challenges the idea of selfless government actors, and how Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged vividly dramatizes the consequences of political actors being driven by self-interest rather than the public good.

Join Atlas Society founder and Senior Scholar David Kelley, Ph.D., along with Senior Fellow Robert Tracinski, for the 268th episode of Objectively Speaking and a special webinar exploring what it means for a nation to be defined by ideas rather than ancestry or geography. From the Constitution to immigration, from debates with national conservatives to challenges from the anti-American left, the duo will examine the enduring principles that shaped America—and why defending them is more important than ever.

Join Atlas CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 267th episode of Objectively Speaking, where she interviews founder and board chair of Education Design Lab, Kathleen deLaski, about her new book “Who Needs College Anymore? Imagining a Future Where Degrees Won’t Matter,” which draws on a decade of design-thinking research and interviews to reimagine what higher education might offer and whom it should serve.  DeLaski is the founder and board chair of the Education Design Lab, which works with colleges, states, and employers to design shorter, more targeted forms of higher education. Over the course of her career, she has worked as an executive at Fortune 500 company Sallie Mae, worked as a correspondent for ABC News, covering the White House and foreign affairs, served in the Clinton administration, the first woman to serve as chief Pentagon spokesperson, and named the Washingtonian Magazine's list of top policy influencers each year since 2022.

Join Atlas CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 266th episode of Objectively Speaking, where she interviews returning guest Eric Kaufmann about his latest book, “The Third Awokening: A 12-Point Plan for Rolling Back Progressive Extremism,” which explores the rise of “woke” ideology and proposes a concrete strategy to counter its influence. Eric Kaufmann is a Canadian Professor of Politics at the University of Buckingham, adjunct fellow at the Manhattan Institute, and a previous guest on Objectively Speaking, where he spoke on his book “Whiteshift: Populism, Immigration and the Future of White Majorities.” A specialist on cultural politics, religious and national identity, and demography, Kaufmann has authored, co-authored, and edited multiple books, including “The Rise and Fall of Anglo-America” and “Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth.”

What if the cultural quirks of the late ’90s weren’t just nostalgia, but the blueprint for today’s America? Join Atlas CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 265th episode of Objectively Speaking, where she interviews author Ross Benes about his new book “1999: The Year Low Culture Conquered America and Kickstarted Our Bizarre Times,” which demonstrates how many of the strangest cultural features of 1999 have signaled and paved the way for the coarsening of American life today. Ross Benes is an author, journalist, and research analyst who has written for outlets, including Huffpost, The Nation, Rolling Stone, Smithsonian Magazine, and has also written several books, including The Sex Effect and Rural Rebellion: How Nebraska Became a Republican Stronghold.

Join Atlas CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 264th episode of Objectively Speaking, where she interviews returning guest Peter Worrell about his latest book “INTENTION: Unlocking The Lifeforce Inside High-Performing Entrepreneurs” which explores what truly drives entrepreneurial success—not just strategy and execution, but the deep, inner forces of intention, resilience, and alignment. Being a successful entrepreneur takes more than strategy and execution, but draws on the deep, inner forces of intention, resilience, grit, and creativity. How to unleash these qualities is a question Peter Worrell explores in his latest book, "INTENTION: Unlocking The Lifeforce Inside High-Performing Entrepreneurs." And it’s a topic that Worrell has had decades studying, having helped countless Entrepreneur Owner-Managers to build and ultimately capture the Enterprise Value they’ve tirelessly built, in his capacity as Managing Director of Bigelow LLC. Worrell is also the author of "Enterprise Value: How the Best Owner-Managers Build Their Fortune, Capture Their Company’s Gains, and Create Their Legacy," and host of the Enterprise Value Podcast.