A Socialist Reads Atlas Shrugged

Jonathan Seyfried
  • 5.0 (2)
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A Socialist Reads Atlas Shrugged

In this podcast, a self-identified Socialist examines the arguments in Ayn Rand's book, Atlas Shrugged. Far from simply shooting down the ideas in the book, Jonathan Seyfried does their best to argue on fair ground. Through a close read, listeners will come away with a genuine appreciation for Rand's strongest arguments as well as an understanding of the flaws. NOTE: this is not a read aloud of Atlas Shrugged, but instead a critical close reading.

  1. 06/11/2023

    E45 - Farewell...For Now

    In this final episode, Jonathan discusses recent life changes that led to the break in episodes. Alas, this will be the last episode for a long while. Thank you to all the listeners who have corresponded and shared their experiences with the podcast. That has been a true joy. Jonathan is starting a History graduate program and won't have time to continue the podcast. Before signing off, Jonathan reflects on Ayn Rand's ideas in American culture in June 2023, as reflected in the funeral episo...

    44 min

  2. 12/09/2022

    E44 - Stinging Jets

    In this episode, Jonathan explores Hank Reardon's perception that business enterprise is a "shameful cult." This involves a larger discussion of the value of work and the psychological toll of living with people who have different values. Jonathan mentions the book Callings as an example of how work can hold larger value. My five themes to explore in this podcast's close read of Atlas Shrugged are: What is human nature?Straw-man arguments and their impact on the world Ayn Rand creates.Dagny ...

    43 min

  3. 12/02/2022

    E43 - Guiltless Serenity of Spirit

    In this episode, Jonathan finishes up their discussion of Chapter 5. We see Dagny and Francisco interact in the novel's present time. The dialog reinforces the pattern for Francisco: keeping secrets and acting paternalistic toward Dagny. However, we also see suspenseful developments of Dagny's character on the Hero's Journey. Ayn Rand takes some more pot shots at socialism, which Jonathan addresses. My five themes to explore in this podcast's close read of Atlas Shrugged are: What is human ...

    36 min

  4. 11/17/2022

    E42 - A Ray of Hidden Light

    In this episode, Jonathan discusses the end of the backstory of Francisco and Dagny's relationship. In reference to the "exhilaration" of Francisco's manic overworking, Jonathan draws out the distinction between workaholism and flow state. Flow state is a concept explained by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (click here for his book on the flow state). This episode contains a lot of commentary about trust in relationships and how Francisco d'Anconia violates Dagny's trust. My five theme...

    45 min

  5. 09/24/2022

    E41 - A Proud Surge of Motion

    [For October-November 2022, episodes will not be released with the usual weekly frequency due to some family commitments. Hopefully the podcast will get back to regular weekly episodes soon. Thanks, everyone, for your patience and thoughtful engagement with the podcast!] In this episode, Jonathan analyzes the next few scenes of Chapter 5 (Part 1). Dagny and Francisco, now young adults, take their relationship to new levels of intimacy. Ayn Rand's description of that intimacy features the lan...

    40 min

  6. 09/17/2022

    E40 - >>Fast Forward>> Part 1 of The 20th Century Motor Company

    In this episode, we "Fast Forward" to the Story of the 20th Century Motor Company (located in Chapter 10 of Part 2; p.616-627 in the Signet paperback edition). There are not many places on the internet to find the excerpt except for this link. Jonathan begins the Fast Forward episodes on the 20th Century Motor Company by doing a case study of the post-Soviet economy of Estonia, responding to a speech given by Mart Laar at the Universidad Francisco Marroquín in 2006 (link: https://www.youtube...

    1h 59m

  7. 09/09/2022

    E39 - A Woman of Such Confident Dangerous Power

    This episode starts by checking in with Jim Taggart's growing apprehension of the power of shame-based morality -- something that Dagny thinks is potentially dangerous but Francisco considers merely disdainful. Next, the conversation turns to the dynamic between Francisco and Dagny, which continues to play according to Francisco's terms, mostly. Jonathan responds to the moral formula that someone who doesn't work has no value. The most important thing to understand about this is that the word...

    51 min

  8. 09/02/2022

    E38 - Too Great a Capacity for Joy

    In this episode, Jonathan delves into the next stages of the friendship between Dagny and Francisco. Also, this episode further analyzes the antipathy between James and Francisco. Next, Jonathan spends a lot of time reflecting on the optimistic paragraph that describes how the three friends (Dagny, Francisco, and Eddie) sit around the bonfire imagining the greatness of the future. The next section of this episode addresses the kind of vulnerability that is briefly introduced regarding Francis...

    46 min
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    About

    In this podcast, a self-identified Socialist examines the arguments in Ayn Rand's book, Atlas Shrugged. Far from simply shooting down the ideas in the book, Jonathan Seyfried does their best to argue on fair ground. Through a close read, listeners will come away with a genuine appreciation for Rand's strongest arguments as well as an understanding of the flaws. NOTE: this is not a read aloud of Atlas Shrugged, but instead a critical close reading.

    Information

    • Creator
      Jonathan Seyfried
    • Years Active
      2022 - 2023
    • Episodes
      45
    • Rating
      Clean
    • Copyright
      © 2023 A Socialist Reads Atlas Shrugged
    • Show Website
      A Socialist Reads Atlas Shrugged

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