Dr. Onkar Ghate, senior fellow at the Ayn Rand Institute, was a panelist on the BBC’s “Night Waves” radio program, broadcasted on June 29. The topic was altruism, sparked by the “Make Poverty History” campaign and related Live8 concert. The program was 45 minutes long. The recording will be available on the BBC’s radio web site until July 6.
From the announcement of the show:
But what lies behind an individual’s desire to help others in a selfless way? Auguste Comte, the French founder of positivism, believed that individuals have a moral obligation to serve the interest of others, even at one’s own cost. Yet the writer Ayn Rand challenged both philosophical and conventional ethics and presented strong arguments against altruism in its various forms.
The other panelists included: evolutionary biologist and author of The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins (who in fact is in favor of altruism); Frances Cairncross, former senior editor at The Econiomist; theologian Phillip Blond; and Hugo Slim from the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue.
Read the full announcement.