Chris Mortensen on Ayn Rand and the Prophecy of Atlas Shrugged
Talk Radio: Wednesday, 20 February 2013
I interviewed Chris Mortensen on "Ayn Rand and the Prophecy of Atlas Shrugged" on Philosophy in Action Radio on Wednesday, 20 February 2013.
Chris Mortenson directed the excellent documentary, Ayn Rand and the Prophecy of Atlas Shrugged. How did that project get started? What was required to make it a reality? How was it received? What's next?
If you haven't yet seen the documentary... don't delay! It's available on NetFlix (streaming and DVD) and Amazon (streaming and DVD). If you enjoy the documentary, be sure to pick up the new book with the full text of the interviews, including much material that wasn't included in the documentary. That's available in paperback or for kindle.
Chris Mortensen is an award winning writer, producer and director has in the last fifteen years produced more than 100 hours of documentary and reality programming. His programs have appeared on History Channel, A&E, Discovery, TLC, BET, VH-1, TV-One, Lifetime Network, Fox Sports, ESPN, Travel Channel, Versus. GSN, TNN, Spike, and more. His latest project is "Ayn Rand and the Prophecy of Atlas Shrugged," a feature length documentary film that examines the resurging interest in Ayn Rand's epic and controversial 1957 novel and the validity of its dire prediction for America.
Tags: Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand, Film, Literature, Objectivism
Listen Now 
- Duration: 1:01:41
Download the Episode
- MP3 File (21.2 MB)
To automatically download new podcast episodes to your computer, subscribe to the podcast feed of Philosophy in Action:
- Enhanced M4A Feed: Subscribe in iTunes or your RSS reader
- Standard MP3 Feed: Subscribe in iTunes or your RSS reader
Episode Sponsor
This episode was sponsored the incomparable Audible.com.
I've subscribed to Audible since 2005. With my "Platinum Annual Membership," I enjoy 24 books per year for just under $10 per book. I read more books, thanks to Audible. I listen to books while in my car, as well as while cooking, cleaning, gardening, and more. I enjoy books more too, particularly fiction: a good reader adds a rich layer of color to the text.
If you want to try the delights of listening to books, be sure to take advantage of our special podcast-only offer of free 30-day trial subscription. You'll get a great deal, and you'll support Philosophy in Action in the process. It's a win-win – and I love that!
Subjects Discussed
- Chris Mortensen's introduction to Ayn Rand and Atlas Shrugged
- Documentary projects before Ayn Rand and the Prophecy of Atlas Shrugged
- The theme of the documentary
- Creating the documentary
- How the documentary came about
- Interviews for the documentary with Objectivist intellectuals
- The documentary as fact-focused
- Interviews for the documentary with businesspeople
- Stories of and about Al Ruddy
- Current politics in the documentary
- The response to the documentary
- The value of Atlas Shrugged
- If the documentary were made now...
- The book of full interviews
- America's future
Links
- Chris Mortensen's Web Site
- Ayn Rand and the Prophecy of Atlas Shrugged: Via NetFlix (streaming and DVD) and Amazon (streaming and DVD)
- Ayn Rand and the Prophecy of Atlas Shrugged: The Complete Documentary Interviews: Paperback or Kindle
- Diana Hsieh's Explore Atlas Shrugged
Share This Episode
Comments
Comments are powered by Disqus. If you register, rather than posting as a guest, you will be able to edit your comment once posted. Spam, rude comments, and off-topic comments will be deleted.
Support Philosophy in Action
Remember, Philosophy in Action Radio is available to anyone, free of charge. That's because our goal is to spread rational principles for real life far and wide, as we do every week to thousands of listeners. We love doing that, but each episode requires our time, effort, and money. So if you enjoy and value our work, please contribute to our tip jar. We suggest $5 per episode or $20 per month, but any amount is appreciated. You can send your contribution via Dwolla, PayPal, or US Mail.
Thank you, if you've contributed to Philosophy in Action! You make our work possible every week, and we're so grateful for that!
If you enjoy Philosophy in Action, please help us spread the word about it! Tell your friends about upcoming broadcasts by forwarding our newsletter. Link to episodes or segments from our topics archive. Share our blog posts, podcasts, and events on Facebook and Twitter. Rate and review the podcast in iTunes (M4A and MP3). We appreciate any and all of that!
About Philosophy in Action Radio
I'm Dr. Diana Hsieh. I'm a philosopher specializing the application of rational principles to the challenges of real life. I received my Ph.D in philosophy from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2009. My dissertation defended moral responsibility and moral judgment against the doubts raised by Thomas Nagel's "problem of moral luck."
My radio show, Philosophy in Action Radio, broadcasts live over the internet on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. On Sunday mornings, I answer four meaty questions applying rational principles to the challenges of real life in a live hour-long show. Greg Perkins of Objectivist Answers co-hosts the show. On Wednesday evenings, I interview an expert guest about a topic of practical importance.
If you join us for the live broadcasts, you can ask follow-up questions and make comments in the text-based chat. Otherwise, you can listen to the podcast by subscribing to our Podcast RSS Feed. You can also peruse the show archives, where episodes and questions are sorted by date and by topic.
For regular updates, commentary, and humor, read my blog NoodleFood and subscribe to its Blog RSS Feed. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter and connect on social media too.
I can be reached via e-mail to [email protected].
