Webcast Q&A: Sunday, 15 May 2011
In the live broadcast of Philosophy in Action Radio on Sunday, 15 May 2011, I answered questions on the morality of spreading germs, celebrating birthdays, married couples separating for their careers, compulsory juries, growing out of Ayn Rand, optimism for the future, and more. Greg Perkins of Objectivist Answers was my co-host.
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 producing every episode, but each requires requires our time, effort, and money – week in and week out. 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.
My News of the Week: Here's the video of my short talk on Cookie Cutter Medicine. Right now, I'm actively working on my updates to Explore Atlas Shrugged and my two lectures on pride for ATLOSCon. Also, through May 28, save 20% on any new subscription to The Objective Standard – whether Print, Online, E-book, Audio (mp3), or Premium. Simply enter promo code 29969 when prompted during checkout; your discount will be applied automatically. (Promotional pricing is for new subscribers only.) Subscribe now – or give a gift subscription! Finally, The Objectivism Seminar is now discussing "The Objectivist Ethics" from The Virtue of Selfishness. You can join the live discussion on Monday evenings, or listen to the podcasts later via its RSS Feed.
Listen Now 
- Duration: 1:03:25
Download the Episode
- Download: Enhanced M4A File (29.9 MB)
- Download: Standard MP3 File (29.1 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
Share This Episode
Segments: 15 May 2011
Question 1: The Morality of Spreading Germs (3:54)
Question: If you have a mild to moderate contagious disease, is it immoral to go about your ordinary business knowing that this will expose other people to the disease? I'm not talking about life-threatening illness here, nor am I talking about intentionally trying to get someone sick (like spitting in their food). I'm just talking about going to work, school, entertainment events, or scheduled appointments while you have an ordinary disease like a cold, flu, or strep throat. Is that moral?
Answer, In Brief: Minor illnesses are a part of life; they're an ordinary and inherent risk of social interaction. People often have good reason to be out in society, even though sick, but the rationally selfish person doesn't want family, friends, co-workers, or even strangers sick, and so will take reasonable measures to prevent the spread of disease.
Tags: Ethics, Health, Relationships, Rights, Work
Listen or Download 
Comments
Question 2: Celebrating Birthdays (11:57)
Question: How should a person celebrate his birthday, if at all? And if so, why? Would a rational egoist throw a party and invite people that he doesn't value much, like estranged family members?
Answer, In Brief: Your birthday – meaning the date marking the start of your life in the world – is a wonderful day for friends to show their appreciation of you – and for you do so something special with people that you love.
Tags: Egoism, Family, Fun, Holidays, Relationships
Listen or Download
Comments
Question 3: Married Couples Separating for Their Careers (17:45)
Question: Should a married couple ever separate temporarily for the sake of their respective careers? In your 1 May 2011 webcast, you said that long-distance relationships are inherently problematic because the people are living separate lives due to the physical distance between them. Does that mean that committed couples should never separate temporarily for career reasons? If they do, how can they manage that better so as to preserve the relationship?
Answer, In Brief: A couple might need to separate temporarily for careers, and that can work, despite the perils of living separate lives, if the couple recognizes the risks and acts to mitigate them.
Tags: Career, Love, Marriage, Romance
Listen or Download
Relevant Links
Comments
Question 4: Compulsory Juries (28:13)
Question: Are compulsory juries moral? Is it necessary and/or proper to compel citizens to serve on a jury? If not, what is the best way to ensure the right to a trial by a jury of your peers, rather than trial by government agents? Should a free society have professional volunteer juries like the military?
Answer, In Brief: The government of a free society cannot justly compel taxes or military service – or jury duty. It's a violation of rights – and hence, immoral and impractical.
Tags: Free Society, Government, Juries, Law, Military, Objectivism, Politics, Rights, Taxes
Listen or Download
Watch Now
Relevant Links
Comments
Question 5: Growing Out of Ayn Rand (42:00)
Question: What do people mean when they say "I liked Ayn Rand's ideas, but then I grew up"? On several occasions, I have discussed Rand's ideas with others. They have admitted to reading Atlas Shrugged or The Fountainhead when a teenager. They claim that they liked or even agreed with her ideas back then. "But, now I've grown up." I guess that is supposed to embarrass me since I am in my mid-40's. It doesn't. But I am left wondering, what is going on in their heads? Are they just jaded? Do they think life naturally leads to pragmatism or an acceptance of evil?
Answer, In Brief: People who no longer agree with Ayn Rand could just say that, but this claim is a kind of argument from intimidation, perhaps from someone who was intimidated out of his own genuine interest in Ayn Rand.
Tags: Ayn Rand, Communication, Life, Objectivism, Philosophy
Listen or Download
Relevant Links
Comments
Question 6: Optimism for the Future (52:04)
Question: How can I be optimistic when society seems doomed? I am beginning to see the United States as the oak tree at the beginning of Atlas Shrugged, an empty shell whose heart rotted away long ago. Ayn Rand writes often of the failure of our age, of seeing corruption rewarded and honesty becoming self-sacrifice, and of seeing these as evidence of our society being doomed. Given the recent, and increased, interest in Atlas Shrugged and Ayn Rand, I should be hopeful for the future. But is it too little, too late? I have small children, and I never thought it would become generally accepted that America's best days are behind us. How do I cope with the destruction going on today? How can I be optimistic for my children's future? As an Objectivist it seems as though I must be missing the obvious answer.
Answer, In Brief: The key to keep fighting, even if one is pessimistic about the future, is to understand and live Ayn Rand's phrase "Anyone who fights for the future lives in it today."
Tags: Activism, Culture, Politics
Listen or Download
Relevant Links
Comments
Conclusion (1:02:34)
Thank you for joining us for this episode of Philosophy in Action Radio! If you enjoyed this episode, please contribute to contribute to our tip jar.
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 producing every episode, but each requires requires our time, effort, and money – week in and week out. 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].
Copyright Diana Hsieh | Web | Email | Twitter | Facebook