In this episode, made available by The Ayn Rand Institute, Gloria Álvarez interviews philosopher Gregory Salmieri about Ayn Rand and Objectivism. They explore many of the issues raised in Foundations of a Free Society: Reflections on Ayn Rand’s Political Philosophy, the book Salmieri edited together with Robert Mayhew. Álvarez and Salmieri also address why Ayn Rand found it necessary to develop a new philosophy and why she named it “Objectivism.” They discuss the issue of parental obligations to children in a free society, the concept of self-ownership, and other engaging topics.
For the New Individualist: A Message of Hope, Love and Selfishness
In her pamphlet, Textbook of Americanism, Ayn Rand wrote that “[a]n individualist is a man who says: “I will not run anyone’s life—nor let anyone run mine. I will not rule nor be ruled. I will not be a master nor a slave. I will not sacrifice myself to anyone—nor sacrifice anyone to myself.”


