E7 - Cynical Indifference

A Socialist Reads Atlas Shrugged

In today's episode, Jonathan discusses how to handle the world Ayn Rand creates in Atlas Shrugged as a fantasy world and how that limits the applicability of the ideas in the book to our shared reality. The main scene discussed today is the one between Pop Harper and Eddie Willers, in which Pop bemoans the shortage of woolen undershirts and then claims that they've reached the end of typewriting due to no good typewriters being made anymore. After discussing this scene, Jonathan explains the historical context of how the West, in the 1950s, compared their own economic strength to the apparent strength of the Soviet Union. In the last segment of the episode, Jonathan shares a little information about themself in order to explain the tendency that we all have to caricature those with whom we disagree.
Today's Moment of Non-Contradiction comes from Quora.
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: [e-mail]
Learn more about Jonathan Seyfried at their website, https://jonathanseyfried.art
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The intro/outro music was composed by John Sib.
The podcast theme image was created by Karina Bialys.

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