On Thursday’s episode of Philosophy in Action Radio, Greg Perkins and I answered questions on jury nullification, moral judgments of sexuality, dishonesty in a manager, and more. The podcast of that episode is now available for streaming or downloading.

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Whole Podcast: 29 May 2014

Listen or Download:

• Duration: 1:08:19
• Download: Enhanced M4A File (24.5 MB)
• Download: Standard MP3 File (23.5 MB)

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Podcast Segments: 29 May 2014

You can download or listen to my answers to individual questions from this episode below.

Introduction

My News of the Week: It’s been a short week, but Paul and I had a great time at ATLOSCon… and I bought a horse while I was there too!

Question 1: Jury Nullification

Question: Should juries nullify bad laws by refusing to convict? Imagine a criminal case of drug possession, tax evasion, or prostitution – meaning, where the law is wrong because the outlawed activity doesn’t violate rights. Should (or might) a juror concerned with individual rights refuse to find the defendant guilty? Does a juror exercise a rightful check on government power by refusing to convict? Or would acquitting the defendant be contrary to the rule of law and even anarchistic? Basically, should the juror use his own mind not merely to judge the evidence, but also to judge the morality of the law?

My Answer, In Brief: Jury nullification is not a form of anarchy, but rather a widely-recognized check on the government’s potential to abuse its powers of law-making and prosecution and a way to protect the rights of innocent people. It may (and perhaps should) be used when rights-respecting people would be convicted and sentenced to prison.

Listen or Download:

• Start Time: 3:10
• Duration: 24:00
• Download: MP3 Segment
• Tags: Crime, Ethics, Juries, Law, Rights, Rule of Law

To comment on this question or my answer, visit its comment thread.

Question 2: Moral Judgments of Sexuality

Question: Does the morality of homosexuality depend on it being unchosen? It seems that the advocates of gay rights and gay acceptance are obsessed with proving that homosexuality is never a choice. I find this confusing as it doesn’t seem to be the best argument. Even if sexual orientation were chosen, I don’t see why there would be anything better or worse about preferences for heterosexuality, homosexuality or bisexuality. Rather, I think that if I were able to pick, I would choose to be bisexual, as being straight limits my expression of admiration towards men who may represent the “highest values one can find in a human being” simply due to their genitals. Is that right? Or does the case for rights for and acceptance of gays depend in some way on sexual orientation being unchosen?

My Answer, In Brief: The “argument from lack of choice” in defense of gay rights and gay acceptance can help people come to understand that homosexuality isn’t immoral. However, it isn’t a compelling argument by itself: it fails to recognize the distinction between gay desires and gay acts. The morality of homosexuality must be argued for on more direct grounds.

Listen or Download:

• Start Time: 27:10
• Duration: 18:15
• Download: MP3 Segment
• Tags: Ethics, GLBT, Responsibility, Responsibility, Sex

Links:

• Craig Biddle: Homosexuality: Moral or Immoral?
• Responsibility & Luck: A Defense of Praise and Blame by Diana Hsieh

To comment on this question or my answer, visit its comment thread.

Question 3: Dishonesty in a Manager

Question: What should I do about the dishonesty of my new project manager? One of the project managers at my job recently lied when evaluating my co-worker. We are evaluated yearly, but aren’t supposed to share the results of the reviews with others. However, my co-worker shared her review with me. It painted her in an extremely negative light via false accusations, and her yearly raise was affected by it. She wasn’t given any warning about the accusations either. I’ve taken over her duties, which include working under the accuser. I’m afraid my review next year will be unjustly and perhaps even dishonestly negative, but I wasn’t supposed to see her review in the first place. What should I do? Is there something I should do about my co-worker’s false negative review? How can I protect myself from this dishonest project manager?

My Answer, In Brief: You cannot control your boss or force him to be honest. However, you can make your interactions (including his lies) transparent by documenting your interactions and soliciting his feedback on your job performance early and often.

Listen or Download:

• Start Time: 45:25
• Duration: 15:19
• Download: MP3 Segment
• Tags: Business, Ethics, Honesty

To comment on this question or my answer, visit its comment thread.

Rapid Fire Questions

Questions:

• Any special plans for episode #300?
• Contracts are considered invalid if their terms involve the violation of rights. If a politician gets elected when he promises to violate rights, should his claim to office be considered invalid?

Listen or Download:

• Start Time: 1:00:45
• Duration: 6:04
• Download: MP3 Segment

To comment on these questions or my answers, visit its comment thread.

Conclusion

Be sure to check out the topics scheduled for upcoming episodes! Don’t forget to submit and vote on questions for future episodes too!

• Start Time: 1:06:49

About Philosophy in Action Radio

Philosophy in Action Radio focuses on the application of rational principles to the challenges of real life. It broadcasts live on most Sunday mornings and many Thursday evenings over the internet. For information on upcoming shows, visit the Episodes on Tap. For podcasts of past shows, visit the Show Archives.