In her recent book The Mattering Instinct, philosopher Rebecca Newberger Goldstein argues that much of what human beings do is driven by a universal need to matter — to prove to ourselves that we are worthy of consideration. She argues that efforts to fulfill this need are responsible for a wide range of human projects, from the greatest achievements of scientific discovery and artistic creation, to the worst atrocities of murder and genocide.

On this episode of ARI Bookshelf, Greg Salmieri, Ben Bayer, Mike Mazza and Sam Weaver discuss Goldstein’s book. The episode includes discussions of the merits and limitations of Goldstein’s account of mattering and her emphasis on the idea that life involves resisting entropy. They also comment on the book’s brief mention of Ayn Rand and relate her ideas to Goldstein’s.

Topics include:

• Goldstein’s basic account of why people have a need to matter
• Her conception of what constitutes objective mattering
• The absence of businessmen and entrepreneurs from her categories
• The book’s quotation of Ayn Rand in a section about intolerance
• How Goldstein uses the concept of entropy in her account of mattering
• Her apparent unwillingness to radically rethink conventional ideas about morality

This episode was recorded on September 19, 2026.

Recently, author and ARI’s VP of Fundraising and Marketing Don Watkins was interviewed on the Texas Talks podcast, where he discussed Ayn Rand’s unique moral admiration for productive work, her new conception of self-interest, and ARI’s work to preserve and spread her philosophy today.

Topics include:

• Why Ayn Rand has an enduring appeal
• The morality and spirituality of wealth creation
• Working, marketing, and fundraising at ARI
• News about the Ayn Rand Center in Austin
• Why we need a new conception of self-interest to defend capitalism
• ARI’s work and programs

Bradley Swail is the host of the Texas Talks podcast, not an employee of the Ayn Rand Institute.

Recently, Professor Greg Salmieri, an Objectivist philosopher, was interviewed on the Texas Talks podcast, where he discussed Ayn Rand’s ideas and their relation to the ideas of other thinkers, including Aristotle, Marx, and “libertarians.” He also discussed Rand’s influence on his own work and interest in philosophy. Salmieri is a senior fellow at the Civitas Institute and teaches in the philosophy department at the University of Texas at Austin. He often speaks at ARI conferences and teaches courses for ARI’s educational programs.

Bradley Swail is the host of the Texas Talks podcast, not an employee of the Ayn Rand Institute.

Topics include:

• How Salmieri became interested in Ayn Rand
• Rand’s view of “libertarianism”
• Rand’s admiration of Aristotle and her improvements to his philosophy
• What Objectivism as “an ordinary, high-powered philosophy” means
• The Ayn Rand Center and Austin’s intellectual scene
• Rand’s view of religion