The Atlas Society Presents - The Atlas Society Asks

We promote open Objectivism: the philosophy of reason, achievement, individualism, and freedom. Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism was set forth in such works as her epic novel Atlas Shrugged, and in her brilliant non-fiction essays. Objectivism is designed as a guide to life, and celebrates the remarkable potential and power of the individual. Objectivism also challenges the doctrines of irrationalism, self-sacrifice, brute force, and collectivism that have brought centuries of chaos and misery into the lives of millions of individuals. It provides fascinating insights into the world of politics, art, education, foreign policy, science, and more, rewarding you with a rich understanding of how ideas shape your world. Those who discover Objectivism often describe the experience as life-changing and liberating. Ayn Rand's philosophical works have been praised as presenting historic breakthroughs in thinking. At the Atlas Society, our scholars work to further develop this philosophy born in the mid-twentieth century. We present the empowering principles of Objectivism to a global audience, and offer those principles as a rational and moral alternative in the marketplace of philosophical ideas.

Nicaraguan Political Prisoner Speaks with Félix Maradiaga

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 221st episode of The Atlas Society Asks, where she interviews Nicaraguan academic, political activist, and former presidential candidate Félix Maradiaga. Don't miss as the duo discuss Maradiaga's work to promote the ideas of liberty in Nicaragua and his unlawful imprisonment by the Daniel Ortega regime for speaking about against government repression. Speaking out against the repression by the Daniel Ortega government, Félix was arrested on June 8, 2021 and held in solitary confinement for the alleged crime of “conspiracy to undermine national integrity." In February 2023, Félix was released from captivity and flown to the U.S., along with 221 other political prisoners from Nicaragua, where he was reunited with his family. After serving as the youngest-ever Secretary General of the Ministry of Defense, Felix has dedicated himself to strengthening peace, democracy, and the rule of law in Nicaragua.

09-25
58:58

A Critical Look Into Venezuela with Juan Pina, Antonella Marty, and Robert Tracinski

Join Atlas Society Senior Fellow Antonella Marty and Senior Fellow Robert Tracinski along with special guest, Secretary General of FundaLib, Juan Pina for the 220th episode of The Atlas Society Asks where the trio sit down for an Objectivist analysis of current events in Venezuela and what it means for the future of liberalism in the country. Juan Pina is the Secretary General for Fundación para el Avance de la Libertad based out of Madrid, Spain. A career in public affairs and lobbying, Juan is an advocate for free market ideas and formerly served as presided of P-LIB, Spain's libertarian ideas.

09-18
59:12

How to Reinvent Your Life? with Henry Oliver

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 220th episode of The Atlas Society Asks where she interviews writer, speaker, and brand consultant Henry Oliver about his new book "Second Act: What Late Bloomers Can Tell You About Reinventing Your Life," which encourages people to think about themselves as late bloomers and realize that it is never too late to discover our hidden talents and accomplish our goals. Henry Oliver is a writer, speaker, and brand consultant. Oliver writes regularly for outlets like The New Statesman, The Critic, and UnHerd, and writes The Common Reader Substack.

09-11
56:32

What’s Causing Housing Shortages? with Bryan Caplan

Bryan Caplan is the author of Build, Baby, Build: The Science and Ethics of Housing Regulation, which takes readers on a journey through what is wrong with housing regulations—and what we can do about it. A Professor of Economics at George Mason University, Caplan is also a New York Times bestselling author of several books, including The Myth of the Rational Voter, Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids, and The Case Against Education. When not teaching or publishing new articles for outlets like The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, or TIME, Caplan spends his time as editor and chief writer for the Bet On It Substack hosted by the Salem Center for Policy at the University of Texas.

09-04
57:33

The Ethics, Economics, and Politics of Immigration with Richard Salsman & Robert Tracinski

Join Atlas Society Senior Senior Scholar and Professor of Political Economy at Duke, Richard Salsman, Ph.D., and Senior Fellow Robert Tracinski for the 217 episode of The Atlas Society Asks where the duo discuss "open" borders vs. "closed" borders vs. "managed" borders, whether the "Ellis Island model" is irrelevant given our current welfare state, and more.

08-28
01:08:11

How to Profit in Politically Polarized Times? with James P. Pinkerton

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 216th episode of The Atlas Society Asks where she interviews author James P. Pinkerton about his book "The Secret to Directional Investing: Making Money Amidst the Red-Blue Rumble," which offers a new way of thinking about investing, steeped in culture and history. James “Jim” P. Pinkerton is a columnist and political analyst who has written for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and is a longtime contributing editor at The American Conservative. He worked in the White House domestic policy offices of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush and in the 1980, 1984, 1988, and 1992 presidential campaigns.

08-21
01:00:48

Venezuela: Can Maduro Last? with Juan Pio Hernandez

Join CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 215 episode of The Atlas Society Asks where she interviews Executive Director of Plan Pais, Juan Pio Hernandez, about the history of Venezuela, the current controversy over election results, protests against Nicolás Maduro’s socialist regime, and Hernandez’s outlook for what is to come. Juan Pio Hernandez is the Executive Director of Plan País, a U.S.-based non-profit organization that connects and educates the Venezuelan diaspora and youth through a platform for the exchange of knowledge, talent, and ideas.

08-07
01:00:35

Is Parenting a Sacrifice? with Holly Swenson

Join CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 214th episode of The Atlas Society Asks, where she interviews author Holly Swenson about her book "Stop, Drop, Grow, & Glow," and the particular challenges of raising boys in a society where masculinity is all too pathologized. A registered nurse, wellness blogger, and mother of four boys, Holly Swenson is the author of Stop, Drop, Grow, & Glow, a book focused on helping parents grow into their best selves by offering tips for those struggling with losing themselves in their children’s challenges and emphasizing the importance of finding joy and courage in parenting.

07-31
52:57

Christianity Vs. Greco-Roman Roots of Western Civilization? with Kelley and Tracinski

Join Atlas Society founder and Senior Scholar David Kelley and Senior Fellow Robert Tracinski for the 213 episode of The Atlas Society Asks where the duo will discuss a turn on the political right back toward a rather strident religious advocacy. Listen as they explain the historical and philosophical errors in this view, especially the ignoring of the true source of unique Western culture: the Greco-Roman tradition.

07-17
59:26

Will the US Economy Remain Free? with Samuel Gregg

Join CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 212th episode of The Atlas Society Asks, where she interviews economist Dr. Samuel Gregg about his latest book "The Next American Economy: Nation, State, and Markets in an Uncertain World." Holding a D.Phil. in moral philosophy and political economy from Oxford University, and an M.A. in political philosophy from the University of Melbourne, Dr. Gregg has written over sixteen books, including On Ordered Liberty, Reason, Faith, and the Struggle for Western Civilization, and The Essential Natural Law. An expert in political economy, economic history, monetary theory and policy, and natural law theory, he is an affiliate scholar at the Acton Institute, and serves as the Friedrich Hayek Chair in Economics and Economic History at the American Institute for Economic Research.

07-11
01:00:51

Liberty in El Salvador? with Marty, Avelar, & Rauda

Join Atlas Society Senior Fellow Antonella Marty for the 211 episode of The Atlas Society Asks where she is joined by El Salvadoran journalists Ricardo Avelar and Nelson Rauda for a deep dive into El Salvador, President Nayib Bukele, the implementation of Bitcoin as legal tender, and the current state of personal and economic freedom in the country.

07-03
01:05:04

Military Gone Woke? with Amber Smith

Join CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 210th episode of The Atlas Society Asks, where she interviews former senior Pentagon official and bestselling author Amber Smith about her new book "Unfit to Fight: How Woke Policies Are Destroying Our Military," which shows how the U.S. military has become a woke, dysfunctional bureaucracy focused not on winning wars but on identity politics, gender ideology, and climate change. A former combat helicopter pilot and Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of Defense, Amber is a frequent guest on radio and television, including Fox News and Newsmax, and has written for Forbes, the Washington Examiner, The Daily Caller, and The Blaze among other outlets on topics related to military affairs.

06-26
51:19

Javier Milei After Six Months: Current Events with Stephen Hicks

Join Atlas Society Senior Scholar and Professor of Philosophy at Rockford University Stephen Hicks, Ph.D., for a special Current Events webinar analyzing the first six months of Javier Milei's presidency in Argentina.

06-19
01:01:54

A Nation of Germaphobes? with Steve Templeton

Join CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 208th episode of The Atlas Society Asks, where she interviews immunologist and author Steve Templeton about his new book "Fear of a Microbial Planet: How a Germophobic Safety Culture Makes Us Less Safe," which offers desperately needed clarity and science on the organization and management of individual social life in the presence of pathogenic infection. A Senior Scholar at Brownstone Institute and Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Indiana University School of Medicine - Terre Haute, Steven served on Gov. Ron DeSantis's Public Health Integrity Committee and was a co-author of "Questions for a COVID-19 commission," a document provided to members of a pandemic response-focused congressional committee. Alongside his book "Fear of a Microbial Planet," he is also the author of a Substack by the same name.

06-12
01:01:02

Are You A Mindless Eater? with Brian Wansink

Join CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 207th episode of The Atlas Society Asks, where she interviews former professor and food psychologist Brian Wansink about his book "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think" As an Objectivist you want to be rational in all aspects of life—from what you put into your head, to what you put into your mouth. Brian Wansink can help, his book Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think, which revolutionizes our awareness of how much, what, and why we’re eating—often without realizing it. A former professor and food psychologist, Brian is described as a “pracademic,” focusing on discovering new ways for people to live happier, healthier lives, through consumer behavior and marketing research.

06-05
58:38

Have We Reached Peak Woke? with Nellie Bowles

Join CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 206th episode of The Atlas Society Asks, where she interviews journalist Nellie Bowles about her book "Morning After the Revolution: Dispatches from the Wrong Side of History," a hilariously irreverent romp through all the sacred spaces of the New Left, of which she was a part, at least until she began questioning whether the progressive movement she knew and loved was actually helping people. Nellie Bowles writes the TGIF column for The Free Press, a news media company she’s building with her wife, Bari Weiss, that embraces the journalistic ideals of objectivity and independence. Nellie previously worked as a correspondent for the New York Times, where, as part of a team, she won the Gerald Loeb Award in Investigations and the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Journalism Award.

05-29
29:40

Have Elites Betrayed the Working Class? with Batya Ungar-Sargon

Join CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 205th episode of The Atlas Society Asks, where she interviews Batya Ungar-Sargon about her latest book Second Class: How the Elites Betrayed America's Working Men and Women, which combines deep reporting with a look at the data and expert opinion on America’s emergent class divide. Batya Ungar-Sargon is the opinion editor of Newsweek. Before that, she was the opinion editor of the Forward, the largest Jewish media outlet in America. She is the author of Bad News: How Woke Media is Undermining Democracy and holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, and has written for outlets like the New York Times, the Washington Post, Foreign Policy, Newsweek, the New York Review of Books Daily.

05-22
58:17

Why Are Teens So Anxious Today? w/Dr. Chloe Carmichael

In the US, anxiety and depression in young people have increased by 63% since 2005, with increased feelings of fragility and fear complicating the transition to becoming productive, resilient adults. Join CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 204th episode of The Atlas Society Asks, where she interviews clinical psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Chloe Carmichael about this rising trend in young people as well as Dr. Carmichael's book "Nervous Energy: Harness the Power of Your Anxiety," where she shares advice for parents and young people wanting to avoid self-sabotaging mindsets and debilitating neuroses. Dr. Carmichael is a featured expert for Psychology Today, a frequent guest on Inside Edition, ABC Nightline, and Fox News; she’s been quoted in the New York Times, Forbes, Vanity Fair, Cosmopolitan, and Rolling Stone.

05-15
59:21

Will ESG Destroy Capitalism? with Paul Tice

Join CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 203rd episode of The Atlas Society Asks, in which she interviews author Paul Tice about his book "The Race to Zero: How ESG Investing Will Crater the Global Financial System." Now an Adjunct Professor of Finance at New York University, Paul Tice has spent the past 40 years working on Wall Street at some of the industry’s most iconic firms, including J.P. Morgan, Lehman Brothers, and BlackRock. His professional specialization in the energy sector has afforded him a unique perch from which to study the growth of the ESG and sustainable investment movement, and its destructive influence on corporate governance.

05-08
01:02:08

Are You a Decision Ninja? The Atlas Society Asks Nuala Walsh

Join CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 202nd episode of The Atlas Society Asks, in which she interviews Nuala Walsh about her book "TUNE IN: How to Make Smarter Decisions in a Noisy World." Nuala Walsh is an adjunct professor of behavioral science at Trinity College Dublin, an independent non-executive director, bestselling author, TEDx speaker and visiting fellow at the London School of Economics. She joins us to talk about her new book, TUNE IN: How to Make Smarter Decisions in a Noisy World, which helps readers avoid misjudgement and maintain objectivity.

05-01
01:00:48

Recommend Channels