Podchaser Logo
Home
The Monster of We (2021)

The Monster of We (2021)

Released Thursday, 5th January 2023
 2 people rated this episode
The Monster of We (2021)

The Monster of We (2021)

The Monster of We (2021)

The Monster of We (2021)

Thursday, 5th January 2023
 2 people rated this episode
Rate Episode

Are most modern problems caused by selfishness or a lack of it? Ayn Rand, a Russian American philosopher and writer, would say it's the latter — that selfishness is not a vice but a virtue — and that capitalism is the ideal system. Everyone from Donald Trump, to Alan Greenspan, to Brad Pitt have sung Ayn Rand's praises. The Library of Congress named her novel Atlas Shrugged the second most influential book in the U.S. after the Bible. Ayn Rand wasn't politically correct, she was belligerent and liked going against the grain. And although she lived by the doctrine of her own greatness, she was driven by the fear that she would never be good enough.

In this episode, historian Jennifer Burns will guide us through Rand's evolution and how she eventually reshaped American politics, becoming what Burns calls "a gateway drug to life on the right."

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Show More

Unlock more with Podchaser Pro

  • Audience Insights
  • Contact Information
  • Demographics
  • Charts
  • Sponsor History
  • and More!
Pro Features