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In contrast to the "judge not, lest ye be judged" commonplace, Ayn Rand thought we should never fail to pronounce moral judgment.
But there is confusion among her readers about what this means, about why moral judgment is necessary, and how this view relates to the rest of her philosophy.
Rand's fiction and nonfiction philosophical work both shed light on the meaning and importance of moral judgment. Join Onkar Ghate and Ben Bayer to explore the philosophical roots, implications, and applications of this provocative view.
Among the topics covered:
● Why Ayn Rand thought the slogan “judge not, lest ye be judged” is radically wrong;
● Why moral judgment is necessary for living life;
● The importance of moral judgment in Rand’s novels;
● The need for moral judgment in foreign policy;
● How to be rational when making moral judgments;
● Cases in which one lacks sufficient information to reach a final judgment;
● Rand’s view that a person’s ideas are subject to moral judgment;
● Whether someone can innocently adopt evil ideas;
● What to do after reaching a negative moral evaluation of one’s own actions;
● The difference between Objectivist and intrinsicist views of moral judgments;
● Judging people whose moral character has changed over time.
Mentioned in this podcast are Rand’s novel Atlas Shrugged, her essays “How Does One Lead a Rational Life in an Irrational Society?” “The Psychology of Psychologizing” and “The Cult of Moral Grayness,” Leonard Peikoff’s essay “Fact and Value” and his course “Judging, Feeling and Not Being Moralistic.”
The podcast was recorded on June 22, 2022.
0:00:00 Introduction
0:01:39 "Judge not" is wrong
0:12:29 Moral judgment is necessary
0:19:49 In Ayn Rand's novels
0:24:46 In foreign policy
0:28:01 Judging rationally
0:31:43 Insufficient information
0:39:12 Judging ideas
0:45:35 Adopting evil ideas
0:50:32 Judging your own actions
0:55:45 Objectivist vs. intrinsic views
1:03:54 Character changing over time