Reason.tv: Dating in the Atlasphere—Joshua Zader Brings Love to Fans of Ayn Rand

Joshua Zader's intellectual relationship with Ayn Rand began as it does for so many, during his college years. He then blazed a trail uniquely his own among Rand admirers by creating The Atlasphere—an online networking and dating site for the fans of Rand's novels with particular emphasis on The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. Zader found inspiration in Rand's portrayals of independence and integrity, saying: "Rand's ethical vision was really one where we want to create a win-win world for everybody, and that there shouldn't be conflicts of interest among rational people if you're using an ethical system where everybody is treated as an end in himself." Zader has seen the real life impact of Rand's ideas through his work on The Atlasphere, which currently boasts over 19,000 members.

Zader discusses the some finer points of Rand's thought and novels, her supporters, her detractors, and her continuing impact. As a student of Buddhism, Zader explores how her ideas relate to what may seem like a conflicting view of the world. Zader: "Sometimes I see Buddhism as a set of practices in search of a philosophy, in an analogous way that Objectivism could be seen as a philosophy in search of a set of practices." Joshua Zader blogs at Mudita Journal.

Approximately 10 minutes. Joshua Zader was interviewed by Ryan Seals, filmed by Alex Manning, and edited by Hawk Jensen.

It is part of the Reason.tv series Radicals For Capitalism: Celebrating the Ideas of Ayn Rand. Go here for more information, other videos, and related materials. Go here for downloadable versions of this video.

Comments

[matt]

Objectivism as an ideological complement to the techniques of Buddhism?

Methinks if Rand were still alive, he wouldn't be allowed to date any Objectivist chicks, no matter how many websites he started...

[anon]

"he"?

[matt]

"He" meaning Zadar.

[Old Bull Lee]

They can be. My own personal philosophy is a mixture of pieces of Objectivism and Buddhism - but of course I wouldn't refer to myself as either.

I thought I was kind of weird until I ran across his site a few years ago.

[Monk]

Is this WeSuckAynRandsObjectivistDick.com?

[Monk]

Also, fuck Ayn Rand.

[Ayn]

You wish.

[Monk]

Only with a bag on her head.

[its not a tax, George]

You do and you'll be impotent for 20 years.

[Pendulum]

Please, enough.

[Solana]

They've been talking about this series for a long, long ass time. Get over it, or go away.

[WWJGD]

Am I the only one who sees all this Ayn Rand coverage as part of their, I don't know, long-talked about Reason.tv program on the effect of Ayn Rand?

[Marc]

Good interview. I'm going to spend some time daydreaming about an Objectivist/Buddhist synthesis...

[Walter Jameson]

"where everybody is treated as an end in himself."

This doesn't seem right. I thought Rand asserted that the only end a man can and should work toward is himself. So how could treating others as ends in themselves fit into objectivism?

[Graphite]

And another key aspect of Objectivist philosophy *whiffs* over the head of a detractor.

[2999]

Since there are no female objectivists, or women on the internet, it must be gay dating site.

Never mind. All dating sites are kinda gay.

[RMT]

wooooooo... remember RonPaulSingles.com?

[Solana]

I would definitely date this guy.

[Bruce Majors]

So would I, but he likes women. I think he may be married too.

[Lefty]

Ayn Rand was a cunt and a piss-pour philosopher. A tyrant who thought her aesthetics were best. What a joke. Read Hayek instead.

[Marc]

Well, I'm convinced. Thanks for taking the time to change my life, good sir.

[its not a tax, George]

I bet she could at least spell "piss-poor."

[Bruce Majors]

If you use the word "cunt" in a public like this, you aren't a leftist. Or in a position to criticize anyone's intellect.

[Bruce Majors]

Pour? What are you drinking?

[MNG]

Arrogant self-loving asshole with slightly more than an elementary knowledge of philosophy and logic, but with a high degree of certitude in matters of both subjects, seeks same. Nonsmokers only.

[Citizen Nothing]

Since Objectivists all smoke, I assume this is not a joke but MNG's actual personals ad.

[JB]

+5

[Marc]

+ Infinity

[Bruce Majors]

I doubt any of them smoke, except for her

[Xeones]

Heinlein > Rand

[Bruce Majors]

He was fat?

[Solana]

See: picture of him in military outfit.

Not as hot as Hemingway in the service, but nobody's perfect.

[freeman]

Wow. Look at all the Ayn Rand hate. Touching on some nerves eh? Perhaps you all should re-think your moral premises.

And walter, kinda the whole point of objectivism is to not fuck with your fellow man. So if you're treating him as an end in himself, you're not mooching/looting his stuff, and he is respecting your stuff as well.

"I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine." -Atlas Shrugged

[Bruce Majors]

Why argue with morons freeman? Just flush.

[Walter Jameson]

Exactly: you don't fuck with your fellow man as a mean to him not fucking with you; hence the end is your own happiness. I thought that was the point of rational self interest. Treating others as ends would be living your life for their sake.

[Fiscal Meth]

Is it considered tyrannical to be unwilling to compromise? I thought the thing that made Stalin or Hitler tyrants was all the mass-murder prison-camp stuff. I didn't realize it was just their lack of generosity in debates that earned them that title.

[William Walsh]

God how I long for some criticisms of Rand from someone who has actually read some.

Piss-pour.

[Mari Dupont]

Josh Zader seems like such a nice, sincere guy.
I bet he never gets laid.

[abercrombie milano]

My only point is that if you take the Bible straight, as I'm sure many of Reasons readers do, you will see a lot of the Old Testament stuff as absolutely insane. Even some cursory knowledge of Hebrew and doing some mathematics and logic will tell you that you really won't get the full deal by just doing regular skill english reading for those books. In other words, there's more to the books of the Bible than most will ever grasp. I'm not concerned that Mr. Crumb will go to hell or anything crazy like that! It's just that he, like many types of religionists, seems to take it literally, take it straight...the Bible's books were not written by straight laced divinity students in 3 piece suits who white wash religious beliefs as if God made them with clothes on.

[abercrombie milano]

My only point is that if you take the Bible straight, as I'm sure many of Reasons readers do, you will see a lot of the Old Testament stuff as absolutely insane.

[abercrombie milano]

Is it considered tyrannical to be unwilling to compromise? I thought the thing that made Stalin or Hitler tyrants was all the mass-murder prison-camp stuff. I didn't realize it was just their lack of generosity in debates that earned them that title.

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[John]

Amazing! I really love the blog and yeah the comments also. It's interesting.
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