Webcast Q&A: Sunday, 17 July 2011
In the live broadcast of Philosophy in Action Radio on Sunday, 17 July 2011, I answered questions on calls for moderation, spying on children, family members spreading urban legends, racism in dating, 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: Nada! I've been suffering through a cold this week.
Listen Now 
- Duration: 1:00:53
Download the Episode
- Download: Enhanced M4A File (28.7 MB)
- Download: Standard MP3 File (27.9 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: 17 July 2011
Question 1: Calls for Moderation (2:49)
Question: What's right or wrong about calls for "moderation"? Many things are black and white, but sometimes moderation seems like the right course. For example, you don't want to stuff yourself full of every food that strikes your fancy, nor deny yourself foods that you enjoy. So you should eat moderately. Similarly, you don't want to agree to or deny every favor asked by a friend, but rather do some moderate amount. Is moderation a good guide in some areas of life?
Answer, In Brief: The supposed ideal of "moderation" ignores the complex array of values at stake in our decisions. Too often, it's just an excuse for unthinking adherence to the status quo. Instead, a person ought to identify the proper standards of value based his purposes and the means of achieving them, then act accordingly... even if that requires doing something quite "extreme" by conventional standards.
Tags: Absolutes, Aristotle, Ethics, Nutrition, Relationships
Listen or Download 
Watch Now
Relevant Links
Comments
Question 2: Spying on Children (20:44)
Question: Is it proper (and sensible) for parents to "spy" on their children? Amid the recent controversy over the iPhone's location tracking database, I realized that some enterprising parents might use it to surreptitiously track their teenager's whereabouts. In most cases, I'd assume the parents have good intentions in doing so. Is this responsible parenting – or an invasion of the child's privacy?
Answer, In Brief: Children don't have a right to privacy, but parents shouldn't be "spying" on their kids, but rather setting and enforcing appropriate limits.
Tags: Children, Honesty, Parenting, Technology
Listen or Download
Comments
Question 3: Family Members Spreading Urban Legends (28:22)
Question: How should I respond to the urban legends forwarded by a family member? I've repeatedly pointed this family member to Snopes.com, in response to his forwarding of yet another urban legend. I keep hoping that he'll get the hint – and check for himself before hitting the "forward" button. Yet he never does so, and he's sending false, defamatory, and/or possibly dangerous information to everyone in his address book. This person is pretty smart – and he's kind and friendly. I'd hate to do anything that would mar our relationship. What should I do?
Answer, In Brief: Be clear about what you want from the family member – then ask for that, firmly but kindly.
Tags: Epistemology, Family, Honesty, Internet, Justice, Moral Wrongs, Rationality
Listen or Download
Comments
Question 4: Racism in Dating (34:58)
Question: Is it racist to refuse to date people of a certain ethnic background? Recently, black singer Jill Scott said that she felt her soul "wince" whenever a black man married a white woman. Many people have denounced that as racism, and I agree with that. However, I was shocked to see a black man (known to me only via Facebook) say that he'd never date a white woman due to the history of slavery in America. He even suggested that Tiger Woods was some kind of traitor to his race for marrying blonde beauty Ellen Nordegren. Is that racist?
Answer, In Brief: People are individuals, and ought to be treated as such. To judge people as worthy or not based on ethnic origin is racist – whoever does it!
Tags: Dating, Discrimination, Marriage, Race, Racism, Relationships
Listen or Download
Comments
Rapid Fire Questions (43:48)
- Is it okay to act "moderately" when you don't know what the proper standards are?
- Should spouses share internet logins and passwords?
- What's wrong with hippies?
- Should people clap (or otherwise make noise) in the middle of movies?
- What about hipsters?
- Is fidelity to one person in marriage a psychological issue – i.e. the special sciences – rather than a philosophical matter?
- What's the value of saying "I love you" to your significant other – and doesn't it get old if said too much?
- Do you think that it's irrational for a person to only date people with certain genetic traits, such as blonde hair?
- What do you think about organic farming?
Listen or Download
Comments
Conclusion (1:00:08)
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