Webcast Q&A: Sunday, 19 June 2011
In the live broadcast of Philosophy in Action Radio on Sunday, 19 June 2011, I answered questions on the virtue of pride, living together outside marriage, child support from unwilling fathers, profiting from the ignorance of others, deflating bragging looters, political bipartisanship, and more.
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: I've been working on plans for this webcast, as well as my updates to Explore Atlas Shrugged. Also, I finished reading The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins.
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Segments: 19 June 2011
Question 1: The Virtue of Pride (3:03)
Question: What is the virtue of pride? To me, pride just seems like a feeling – a sense of satisfaction with oneself. So it seems bizarre to speak of pride as a virtue, as if it's something that you do. So what does it mean to say that pride is a virtue – and how is that different from self-esteem?
Answer, In Brief: The virtue of pride is related to idea of "taking pride in one's work" – meaning consistently living up to the standard of excellence. In addition to cultivating moral character, pride is the basis for the indispensable value of self-esteem.
Tags: Emotions, Ethics, Pride, Self-Esteem
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Question 2: Living Together Outside Marriage (12:25)
Question: What do you think of a couple living together outside marriage? Do you think that a romantic couple living together without being married is moral and/or wise? Does the stage of the relationship matter, including whether they plan to marry or not? Does living together before marriage result in a happier or more enduring marriage?
Answer, In Brief: While living together outside marriage can promote a romantic relationship, if done mostly for convenience or without a clear purpose, it can be damaging. In particular, it can prolong an unworthy relationship or delay marriage.
Tags: Dating, Ethics, Marriage, Romance, Sex
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Question 3: Child Support from Unwilling Fathers (22:10)
Question: Should a man unwilling to be a father have to pay child support? Suppose that a man and a woman have sex, and the woman becomes pregnant – even though the couple used contraception based on a shared and expressed desire not to have children. If the woman decides to raise the baby, should she be able to collect child support from the man? What if they'd never discussed the possibility of pregnancy? What if they didn't use any form of birth control?
Answer, In Brief: Men should become fathers by choice, just as women should become mothers by choice.
Tags: Abortion, Children, Fatherhood, Finances, Law, Parenting, Pregnancy, Rights
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Question 4: Profiting from the Ignorance of Others (28:20)
Question: Is it moral to take advantage of another person's ignorance? Suppose that I drop by a yard sale to see whatever is up for grabs. While rummaging through the junk for which the owners no longer see a reason to keep, I catch sight of an item which I know to be extremely rare and valuable. Would it be moral for me to pay the low asking price, then resell the item at auction for a much higher price, knowing that the owners are clueless about its value?
Answer, In Brief: It's perfectly moral to profit in huge ways from voluntary and honest transactions: the seller is responsible for ensuring that his prices reflect market value.
Tags: Arbitrage, Business, Capitalism, Ethics, Honesty
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Question 5: Deflating Bragging Looters (35:48)
Question: What is the best way to handle "proud" looters? What is the safest and most effective way to deal with the people who ignorantly brag about the fact that they are free-loaders on others, including using government programs and "public" funds?
Answer, In Brief: Instead of expressing anger at scammers, I recommend cold and pointed disapproval.
Tags: Communication, Ethics, Judgment, Justice, Moral Wrongs, Politics, Welfare
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Question 6: Political Bipartisanship (40:17)
Question: What do you think of political bipartisanship? Is it a good think or just an idealogical vacuum?
Answer, In Brief: Given that neither Democrats nor Republicans respect rights, political bipartisanship will likely only spawn some horrible plan to strip us of our rights. For our short-term survival, we need gridlock.
Tags: Democratic Party, Politics, Republican Party
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Conclusion (44:31)
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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.
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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.
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