Webcast Q&A: Sunday, 18 September 2011
In the live broadcast of Philosophy in Action Radio on Sunday, 18 September 2011, I answered questions on the morality of torturing terrorists and criminals, feeling guilty for emotions, photocopying essays for study, extroversion versus second-handedness, and more. Greg Perkins of Objectivist Answers was my co-host.
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Segments: 18 September 2011
Question 1: The Morality of Torturing Terrorists and Criminals (3:03)
Question: Is it moral to torture criminals and/or terrorists? We supposedly were able to track down Osama Bin Laden with information obtained by torturing captured Al Qaeda prisoners. Is it moral to torture criminals, terrorists or other evildoers to gain useful information to fight crime or help win a war? If so, should there be any limits on when and how torture should be used by the government?
Answer, In Brief: Torture can be moral, but only in clearly-defined contexts of defending against aggressors. The tricky question is whether it's an effective method or not for extracting information.
Tags: Crime, Ethics, Foreign Policy, Free Society, Law, Military, Politics, War
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Question 2: Feeling Guilty for Emotions (24:20)
Question: Should a person feel guilty about his emotions? Sometimes I feel emotions that I know are misplaced, such as envy at a co-worker's promotion or anger at a friend's mistake. What should my response be to these emotions? Should I feel guilty about them? Should I change them – and if so, how?
Answer, In Brief: If you're caught up in a storm of emotions, you'll never be able to resolve emotional problems. Instead, introspect about the causes of your emotions, then distance yourself from wrong emotions by focusing on the facts.
Tags: Emotions, Ethics, Introspection, Psycho-Epistemology, Psychology
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Question 3: Photocopying Essays for Study (33:40)
Question: Is it moral to photocopy an essay for a class or discussion group? My friend and I are starting a reading group at our university focused on philosophy, and the group will meet each week to discuss an essay or article related to philosophy. I want to use one of Ayn Rand's essays from The Virtue of Selfishness. I have purchased and own a copy the book. Is it moral for me to make photocopies of the essay for the purpose of the reading group – or would that violate copyright?
Answer, In Brief: You have lots of options other than photocopying the essay: pursue them!
Tags: Ethics, Intellectual Property, Law
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Question 4: Extroversion Versus Second-Handedness (38:29)
Question: What's the difference between extroversion and second-handedness? According to Wikipedia, extroversion is "the act, state, or habit of being predominantly concerned with and obtaining gratification from what is outside the self." A key distinction between introverts and extroverts is that extroverts mentally "recharge" by interacting with other people, while introverts do that by being alone. Does being an extrovert mean that you're second-handed? Is it a moral failing of any kind?
Answer, In Brief: Extroversion concerns a person's base personality, whereas second-handeness is a matter of cultivated moral character. These are totally different things!
Tags: Ethics, Independence, Personality, Psychology
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Rapid Fire Questions (41:33)
- What's the difference between staying poor and Going Galt?
- Are service professions second-handed or altruistic, since you're not producing anything tangible but instead focused primarily on serving others?
- Shouldn't justice matter more than your own personal happiness?
- Since selfishness is natural, why bother telling people to do it more?
- Isn't everyone selfish, as a matter of human nature?
- Shouldn't ethics be about restraining self-interest, rather than indulging in it?
- What's the point of living if just for yourself?
- Won't your interests conflict with the interests of others?
- Why did Ayn Rand reject cryonics?
- Is public nudity immoral?
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Conclusion (1:00:23)
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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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