I wouldn't get too worked up over selfishness itself, because definitionally they are accurate. Every historical philosopher from Aristotle to Freud has equated selfishness with the ego (the Greek word for "I"). Trying to change that is not a battle you're going to win. Ever.

The real question is whether or not egotism/selfishness is a positive rather than a negative value. That was the question that I thought Knowles did a good job of bringing up as novel and different and the guest's analysis not only of that but of the various characters in the book was impressive.

Is that a commentary on Prager himself or on the video? The conversation is between Michael Knowles and an Objectivist advocate and is sponsored by the Objective Standard Institute. You can disagree with Prager (an Orthodox Jew), but this was actually a pretty objective interview in my opinion with a great intro into some of the moral problems Rand attempted to address in the book.

Don't make the critical mistake of confusing the messenger with the content.

This isn't a religious video. It was funded by the Objective Standard Institute. It was release through PragerU because Prager himself champions a vast cosmos of competing ideas as good for intellectual debate. And you're not going to get people to listen to your message unless you're willing to preach to the masses.

"The is once again "Rand versus religion." She opposed, as we all know, both the "mystics of the mind" and the "mystics of muscle." She didn't want any of them trying to hang onto her wagon."

I'd really recommend you watch this one. Its 30 minutes of an honest and open conversation with a Rand advocate about Rand's philosophy as told through the book Atlas Shrugged. It wasn't critical or condescending in any way. It went into great depth on the moral failings of several characters in the book including James Taggart and the moral conundrum of Hank Reardon's marriage. It did highlight the fact that Rand thought of selfishness very differently than Christianity, but just as a reminder Prager himself is an Orthodox Jew - not a Christian.

All you have to do is watch the current news to see Atlas Shrugged in real time.

You expressed an opinion of Dennis Prager that is concealed behind metaphors, but I find its basis hard to understand. Can I talk you into explaining in more detail?

I generally agree with Prager U Videos. A singular exception is the one urging marriage, which I disliked and which had (has?) more Dislikes than Likes on YouTube.

The is once again "Rand versus religion." She opposed, as we all know, both the "mystics of the mind" and the "mystics of muscle." She didn't want any of them trying to hang onto her wagon.

She was surprisingly willing however, at her Ford Hall Forum lectures, to listen to hostile questions. Judge Lurie, the Forum's moderator, would always try to dissuade the questioner from making a hostile speech, when Rand or any other controversial speaker was there. He would remind the audience, "The questioner is in the audience; the speaker is on the platform." Rand sometimes told the Judge, "No, let him speak! This is an interesting question." She dismissed rapidly, though, any questions that tried to recruit her into some political belief or religious cult. Sometime she would say that the answer to the question was too long or complicated, and that she had written about it in Atlas Shrugged.

I've not watched Prager's video, and probably shall not. I do not need any further discussions of, "Rand would have been better if only she had not rejected God."

Those interested in thinking about Atlas Shrugged might ask why, right at the beginning of the book, Eddie Willers told himself lies.

I am not and have never been religious but I tried to find a way to form some argument for an alliance with them and was convinced by Yaron Brook that it is impossible. They have a 200+year head start so there is an uphill battle ahead.

Dennis is ASLEEP. He’s another Tucker Carlson. A safety valve. He gets passed the football and runs down field only to fumble at the 10 yard line 3rd down. And the coach refuses to kick. In this way we are made to THINK someone is on our side. They are not. HE is not. I’ll never say never. But, I will say UNLIKELY.

I actually watched that last night,
It still pisses me off to here their pronouncements that selfishness is egotistical.

If we told them it's actually Cellfishness and the values created ultimately get passed on...maybe they'd get it.

Huh. You can also try looking up Book Club with Michael Knowles.

Well I am interested but cannot access what Prager U said about AS.