In this episode, Jonathan analyzes the back story of Francisco D'Anconia's ancestry. The main topic of this episode is how Ayn Rand infuses an aristocratic family with bourgeois values. This involves thinking about social class in the terms conceptualized by Friedrich Nietzsche in the Genealogy of Morals. Jonathan recommends the podcast Philosophize This for a great explanation of the philosophy of Nietzsche.

Adam Reed's essay about Francisco D'Anconia's connections to Judaism can be found by clicking here.

My five themes to explore in this podcast's close read of Atlas Shrugged are:

1. What is human nature?
2. Straw-man arguments and their impact on the world Ayn Rand creates.
3. Dagny Taggart as a true hero.
4. How empathy can be de-legitimized.
5. What is Capitalism and what is wrong with it? 

Questions or comments? Email me at: socialistreads@gmail.com

Learn more about Jonathan Seyfried at their website, https://jonathanseyfried.art

If you'd like to support my creative work, please visit my Patreon page. (http://patreon.com/jonathanseyfried)

The intro/outro music was composed by John Sib.

The podcast theme image was created by Karina Bia 

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