Rapid Fire Questions
Q&A Radio: Sunday, 30 August 2015
I answered questions chosen at random by Greg Perkins impromptu on 30 August 2015. You can listen to or download the podcast of just this section below – or check out the whole episode of Philosophy in Action Radio.
The questions were:
- On commissioning art, what about the morality of commissioning fanart of work not yet in public domain? Like a drawing of superman or a short story about Ragnar Danneskjold? (This would not be for publication, just for yourself.)
- What is your opinion of the anthropic principle that "observations of the physical universe must be compatible with the conscious life that observes it"? Does it beg the question?
- Are there any normative propositions that are axiomatic? – done?
- What are oaths? Are they just romantic elements for fiction or real things that are useful some way?
- Do you believe there are unconscious parts of the human mind? If so, what implications does this have for free will?
- Are all people interdependent? What does that mean?
- Benjamin Franklin wrote letters to his brother's newspaper posing as a widow named Silence Dogood (the original "sock puppet account"). If you met Franklin in person, would you find him untrustworthy?
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- Duration: 17:05
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About Philosophy in Action
I'm Dr. Diana Brickell (formerly Diana Hsieh). I'm a philosopher, and I've long specialized in the application of rational principles to the challenges of real life. I completed my Ph.D in philosophy from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2009. I retired from work as a public intellectual in 2015.
From September 2009 to September 2015, I produced a radio show and podcast, Philosophy in Action Radio. In the primary show, my co-host Greg Perkins and I answered questions applying rational principles to the challenges of real life. We broadcast live over the internet on Sunday mornings.
You can listen to these 362 podcasts by subscribing to the Podcast RSS Feed. You can also peruse the podcast archive, where episodes and questions are sorted by date and by topic.
My first book, Responsibility & Luck: A Defense of Praise and Blame, can be purchased in paperback and Kindle. The book defends the justice of moral praise and blame of persons using an Aristotelian theory of moral responsibility, thereby refuting Thomas Nagel's "problem of moral luck." My second book (and online course), Explore Atlas Shrugged, is a fantastic resource for anyone wishing to study Ayn Rand's epic novel in depth.
You can also read my blog NoodleFood and subscribe to its Blog RSS Feed.
I can be reached via e-mail to [email protected].
