In this episode of New Ideal Live, Aaron Smith and Mike Mazza discuss World Philosophy Day to explore what is the nature and value of philosophy. They address how philosophy is commonly perceived (especially within academia) as a useless field and how Ayn Rand's distinctive conception offers a deeper and more practical perspective that matters for life.

Among the topics covered:

What philosophy is and the kind of questions it addresses;

How people operate philosophically even when lacking a systematic outlook;

Ayn Rand’s take on philosophy as inescapable and life-impacting;

How contrasting philosophical worldviews produce different ways of living;

Ayn Rand’s view on the practical guidance that philosophy offers;

The problems with Bertrand Russel’s influential view of philosophy;

Why academic philosophy has failed to defend the value of its field;

How religion makes people unaware of secular philosophical worldviews;

Objectivism’s integration of method and content.

Recommended in the discussion are Ayn Rand’s book Philosophy: Who Needs It and Onkar Ghate’s article “Let’s Revive Philosophy.”

The podcast was recorded on November 16, 2022. Listen to the discussion below. Listen and subscribe from your mobile device on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Stitcher. Watch archived podcasts here.

https://youtu.be/AdH8Yy0NC5c

Podcast audio: