In this episode of New ideal live, Onkar Ghate and Nikos Sotirakopoulos discuss critical race theory – a theory that purports to address racial injustice in the United States, but does so through a collectivist and anti-Enlightenment framework. The episode includes information on the rise of critical race theory and advice on how we can objectively engage with its ideas.

Among the topics covered:

• Why is it important to understand critical race theory?
• Definitions of critical race theory by its proponents and critics;
• The rise of critical race theory after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as a collectivist means of confronting less obvious forms of racism;
• The assertion that racism is pervasive and ingrained in American society;
• The collectivist idea that only members of certain groups can understand racism;
• The view that progress toward racial justice only occurs when it aligns with white interests;
• The egalitarianism behind the claim that any instance of racial inequality is evidence of racism;
• How more individualistic thinkers enabled critical race theory by not properly discussing racism;
• Proposals by Republican politicians to ban critical race theory in public schools.

Mentioned in this podcast are the New ideal live episode “Ayn Rand’s Unique Understanding of Racism”, Ayn Rand University’s next class The Path to Critical Race Theory and Tal Tsfany’s lecture “Building the Ayn Rand University”.

The podcast was recorded on July 20, 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.

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