Webcast Q&A: Sunday, 14 November 2010
In the live broadcast of Philosophy in Action Radio on Sunday, 14 November 2010, I answered questions on dealing with severely irrational people, arguing religion with family, cutting ties with an abusive parent, philosophy as therapy, applying "value density" to life, teachers demanding confidentiality, 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: These webcasts are still very experimental. Please lower your expectations accordingly!
Listen Now 
- Duration: 59:10
Download the Episode
- Download: Enhanced M4A File (27.8 MB)
- Download: Standard MP3 File (27.1 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: 14 November 2010
Question 1: Dealing with Severely Irrational People (1:38)
Question: What is the proper etiquette in regards to dealing with a deeply irrational person you have to deal with temporarily? Especially when his irrationality interferes with your value pursuits to some extent.
Tags: Communication, Conflict, Ethics, Etiquette, Rationality, Relationships
Listen or Download 
Comments
Question 2: Arguing Religion with Family (11:38)
Question: My father and his side of the family are very religious while I am not. Is it moral for me to jeopardize my relationship with them to share the countless fallacies and inhumanities that is religion? If so, how does one go about this process?
Tags: Atheism, Communication, Conflict, Ethics, Family, Relationships, Religion
Listen or Download
Comments
Question 3: Cutting Ties with an Abusive Parent (18:59)
Question: If you were physically abused as a child, but have grown up and "gotten over it," is it still reasonable to demand justice if only in the form of refusing to deal with the abuser?
Tags: Adult Children, Ethics, Family, Judgment, Justice, Moral Wrongs, Parenting, Violence
Listen or Download
Comments
Question 4: Philosophy as Therapy (30:44)
Question: What are your thoughts on using philosophy rather than psychology for therapy?
Tags: Philosophy, Psychology
Listen or Download
Comments
Question 5: Applying "Value Density" to Life (39:11)
Question: A topic that has come up off and on over the past several months in the Objectivist blogosphere is the concept of "Value Density." Can you suggest how one would go about applying this concept to a specific event or area of life, such as a vacation?
Answer, In Brief: 39:11
Tags: Ethics, Value-Density, Values
Listen or Download
Comments
Question 6: Teachers Demanding Confidentiality (49:15)
Question: Under what circumstances is it reasonable for a teacher to demand from his prospective students that his lessons be kept confidential?
Listen or Download
Comments
Conclusion (58:18)
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