Webcast Q&A: Sunday, 7 August 2011
In the live broadcast of Philosophy in Action Radio on Sunday, 7 August 2011, I answered questions on introspection, jk rowling's welfare payments, ignoring current news and politics, meeting estranged former friends, 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.
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Segments: 7 August 2011
Question 1: Introspection (3:48)
Question: What is introspection? Why should a person introspect? What should a person introspect about – or not? How can a person introspect effectively?
Answer, In Brief: Introspection is indispensable to life: without it, you're driven to speak and act based on who-know-what from the dark depths of your mind. Also, nothing is off-limits to introspection.
Tags: Emotions, Ethics, Introspection, Psycho-Epistemology, Psychology
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Question 2: JK Rowling's Welfare Payments (23:25)
Question: Should JK Rowling repay the British government for welfare payments made to her? She famously wrote the first Harry Potter novel while "on the dole." She has been fabulously successful since then, but she likely could not have written that first book without state support. Should she now pay back all the government welfare paid to her during that period?
Answer, In Brief: JK Rowling has has no obligation to repay the welfare payments made to her, because already repaid them millions of times over. The same is true for any now-productive person formerly on welfare.
Tags: Ethics, Government, Justice, Literature, Statism, Taxes, Welfare
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Question 3: Ignoring Current News and Politics (29:16)
Question: Is it wrong to not keep up with current news and politics? Every time I open a newspaper's website I feel overwhelmed by all the crap going on in the world and disheartened by the bad politics. It feels like a soul-draining activity and a waste of time. I feel better not reading the news, but I also feel a tad guilty for not being aware of the pending laws and current events that affect me. So should I try to keep up with the news more or not?
Answer, In Brief: A person should only keep tabs on the political news if doing so serves some purpose for him, such as furthering political activism. While very person ought to promote his values in the culture in some way, as a matter of self-interest, not every person should be a political activist.
Tags: Activism, Culture, Ethics, Politics
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Question 4: Meeting Estranged Former Friends (38:02)
Question: What should you do when you meet someone who treated you badly in the past? Recently, I ran into a person at an event who I used to know as a fellow member of a local discussion group. When he left the group about a year ago, he posted a long rambling e-mail to our mailing list condemning us for all kinds of imaginary sins. The letter was unfair and rude – not to mention wholly unnecessary. I avoided talking to him when I saw him recently, but I wish I'd said something pointed to him. What, if anything, should I have said?
Answer, In Brief: In general, you should avoid the person as much as possible, but if you must speak, be chilly and cool.
Tags: Communication, Conflict, Ethics, Judgment, Justice, Moral Wrongs, Relationships
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Rapid Fire Questions (45:14)
- Why did you say in answer to a prior Rapid Fire Question that Richard Dawkins dedicated his career to finding a biological basis for altruism?
- Might someone who strongly prefers one racial type over another for dating be a racist?
- Shouldn't egoists want want others to be altruists?
- What would stop an egoist from selling his children into slavery, if paid enough?
- What would stop an egoist from kill others over tiny slights and offenses?
- How should you respond when someone attempts to guilt you into sacrificing yourself for a group that you're involved in?
- How should you respond when someone looks down on you for your virtues, e.g. atheism, justice, honesty, etc?
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Conclusion (1:01:53)
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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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