In this episode, Jonathan explores the nature of the problems Eddie Willers raises with Taggart Transcontinental Railroad President James Taggart. What responsibility does a business leader or a political leader have when it comes to "national conditions?" How do situations like these highlight the obsession over blamelessness in our society and culture? Jonathan concludes with musings on the relationship between reciprocity and loyalty.

Today's Moment of Non-Contradiction comes from Quora.

In this episode, I mention Chidi Anagonye, the character in the TV series The Good Place. Also, I mentioned Semco and Ricardo Semler.

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: [email protected]

Learn more about Jonathan Seyfried at their website, https://jonathanseyfried.art

If you'd like to support my creative work, please visit my Patreon page.

The intro/outro music was composed by John Sib.

The podcast theme image was created by Karina Bialys

Support the show

In today's episode, Jonathan introduces listeners to ideas about how to interact with a text from the past using practices taught to history teachers. Following that explanation, Jonathan discusses just some of the historical context of Atlas Shrugged, published in 1957. Today's Moment of Non-Contradiction touches on the topic of fiction writing craft and Jonathan shares ideas about how to address the buckets of criticism directed at Ayn Rand for the craft problems of Atlas Shrugged. Jonathan then does a close reading of the flashback scene with Eddie and Dagny in which they discuss how to know one's purpose in life. Today's episode finishes with a close read of the physical description of James Taggart. (And, apologies for the mic noise that pops up about five times in the podcast. I'm still learning and hopefully next episode there will be none of that.)

Today's Moment of Non-Contradiction comes from Quora.

In this episode, I mention Sam Weinberg and the Stanford History Education Group (SHEG).

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: [email protected]

Learn more about Jonathan Seyfried at their website, https://jonathanseyfried.art

If you'd like to support my creative work, please visit my Patreon page.

The intro/outro music was composed by John Sib.

The podcast theme image was created by Karina Bialystok.

Support the show

In this episode, I focus on the interior thoughts of Eddie Willers and the description of a city in decay. These pages take us into some interesting territory: what is Eddie's sense of apprehension? From the socialist point of view: how does capitalism betray us? From Rand's point of view: how has socialism betrayed what was great about capitalism?

Today's Moment of Non-Contradiction comes from Reddit.

In this episode, I mention Ayn Rand scholar Jennifer Burns and her book The Goddess of the Market.

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: [email protected]

Learn more about Jonathan Seyfried at their website, https://jonathanseyfried.art

If you'd like to support my creative work, please visit my Patreon page.

The intro/outro music was composed by John Sib.

The podcast theme image was created by Karina Bialystok.

Support the show

Thank you for continuing to listen to my close reading of Atlas Shrugged. In this episode, I discuss an example of Atlas Shrugged appearing in the public discourse by Aaron Rodgers. Then, I introduce a regular feature of the podcast, Today's Moment of Non-Contradiction (link to today's comment). In that segment, I choose a comment about Atlas Shrugged from the bowels of the Internet -- the comments and replies sections of various sites like Reddit, Quora, YouTube, Goodreads, and more. I use these two examples to underline my argument that Atlas Shrugged is not a long-forgotten vestige of past discourse. Instead, Atlas Shrugged continues, just as ever, to be associated with tremendous power and allure. I finish the episode by introducing the five main themes of my close reading and tying those themes to the first character introduced in the book: a nameless bum.

My five themes to explore in this 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: [email protected]

Learn more about Jonathan Seyfried at their website, https://jonathanseyfried.art

If you'd like to support my creative work, please visit my Patreon page.

The intro/outro music was composed by John Sib.

The podcast theme image was created by Karina Bialystok.

Support the show

Welcome to this podcast! In this episode, Jonathan introduces themself and explains their rationale for the podcast. NOTE: this is not a read aloud of Atlas Shrugged, but instead a critical close reading.

The Signet paperback is the edition Jonathan will be using.

Questions or comments? Email me at: [email protected]

Learn more about Jonathan Seyfried at their website, https://jonathanseyfried.art

If you'd like to support my creative work, please visit my Patreon page.

The intro/outro music was composed by John Sib.

The podcast theme image was created by Karina Bialystok.

Support the show