By Leonard Peikoff
In this 1992 lecture, Dr. Peikoff offers his perspective as a philosopher on the collapse of the Soviet Union. He discusses why he thinks the standard explanations are insufficient and goes on to explain why he thinks the Russian people are unlikely to embrace capitalism, freedom, and other Western values. Along the way, he discusses a number of related topics, such as:
- Why a Marxist dictatorship should collapse far sooner than a religious dictatorship
- The consequences of Russia never experiencing the Enlightenment
- Why the Communists failed to unite the “workers of the world”
- The difference between nationalism and patriotism
- Why many Eastern European critics of the Soviet Union such as Vaclav Havel do not get to the heart of its problems
- Where he thinks Russia is headed
Peikoff also discusses America’s ongoing trade war with Japan, especially in the automobile industry, examining the premises motivating hatred for Japanese products and support for the “Buy American” campaigns. He then explains how these cultural phenomena are connected with problems Russian culture that he spoke of earlier.
Finally, Dr. Peikoff gives his thoughts on President George H.W. Bush and the upcoming 1992 presidential election, including reasons why he thinks Americans should vote Democratic in 1992.
Dr. Leonard Peikoff is an American philosopher who had a close 30-year friendship and professional association with Ayn Rand. He holds a Ph.D. in philosophy, is the author of three books, and has lectured on Objectivism for decades. He is considered the world’s foremost authority on the philosophy of Ayn Rand.
This lecture was delivered at Boston’s Ford Hall Forum, America’s oldest (founded in 1908) continuously operating free public lecture series. Over the years, such luminaries as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Eleanor Roosevelt, and Henry Kissinger have appeared on its podium.
(MP3 download; 94 min., with Q & A, 67.18 MB)
The description of this product has not necessarily been reviewed or approved by Leonard Peikoff.
