On Sunday’s episode of Philosophy in Action Radio, Arthur Zey and I answered questions on the importance of credibility, third party payments in medicine, insulting with racial epithets, and more. The podcast of that episode is now available for streaming or downloading.

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Whole Podcast: 11 January 2015

Listen or Download:

• Duration: 1:21:08
• Download: Enhanced M4A File (29.1 MB)
• Download: Standard MP3 File (27.9 MB)

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Podcast Segments: 11 January 2015

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

Introduction

My News of the Week: I broadcast live in front of a small audience in Tahoe. The kindle ebook version of my book Responsibility & Luck: A Defense of Praise and Blame will be on sale for half price – just $4.99 – from January 15th and 16th. Don’t miss this great sale!

Question 1: The Importance of Credibility

Question: Should a person’s credibility matter in judging his empirical claims? Is it rational to use a person’s track record – meaning the frequency or consistency of truth in his past statements – in judging the likely truth of his current statements? In Ayn Rand’s Normative Ethics, Tara Smith explains that to believe something just because someone said it is a violation of the virtue of independence. Also, to judge an argument based on the speaker is known as the fallacy of “ad hominem.” However, doesn’t the character of the speaker matter when considering whether to believe his claims? For example, when Thomas Sowell makes an empirical claim, my knowledge that he vigorously tests his hypotheses against the facts makes me more likely to judge his claim as true, even before I’ve confirmed his statement. Likewise, if a person is frequently wrong in his factual claims, I’d be sure to require lots of evidence before believing him. Is that rational? Or should all factual claims be treated equally regardless of who makes them?

My Answer, In Brief: The credibility and track-record of the person who asserts a claim matters. Along with many other factors, it’s not proof or evidence of truth, but it’s can be reason to take an idea seriously or regard it as plausible.

Listen or Download:

• Start Time: 2:47
• Duration: 22:58
• Download: MP3 Segment
• Tags: Credibility, Epistemology, Ethics, Expertise, Fallacies, Honesty, Independence, Logic, Philosophy, Rationality

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

Question 2: Third Party Payments in Medicine

Question: What should be done about third party payments in medicine? I was fascinated by your statement in your November 7th, 2012 discussion of the election that the real need in medicine was to do away with third party payments. It’s quite a radical proposal, one of the most radical I’ve heard from you. How would you think such a thing might be implemented through ethically proper means – as opposed to measures such as legally prohibiting third party payments? Are there types of medical care – perhaps for catastrophic illness or injury – where third party payment would need to be kept in place, or where people in a free economy would likely still choose to keep them in place?

My Answer, In Brief: Medicine is rife with third-party payments, largely thanks to government interference in the economy. A free market, however, would allow consumers far more control over their health care spending, and incentivize them to use that more wisely.

Listen or Download:

• Start Time: 25:45
• Duration: 30:50
• Download: MP3 Segment
• Tags: Business, Contracts, Free Society, Government, Innovation, Insurance, Medicine, Regulation

Links:

• Freedom and Individual Rights in Medicine (FIRM), particularly its articles
• Wired: This Woman Invented a Way to Run 30 Lab Tests on Only One Drop of Blood

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

Question 3: Insulting with Racial Epithets

Question: Is it wrong to use racist epithets to insult the truly evil? A now-former Facebook friend used a racist epithet in reference to Islamic terrorists. I asked him if he understood that it was a racist term and he said he did and said that he used it on purpose to insult those evil-doers because they are so evilly evil that they deserve not even a little respect. I told him he was wrong because race is not the same as ideology and that I can’t find any justification for racism, so I un-friended him. I agree that Islamic terrorists are evil, but is it morally okay to be a racist toward evil people?

My Answer, In Brief: Racially-based insults are never warranted, even if the target of them is the scum of the earth. Don’t sanction racism, but condemn that person for his actual wrongs.

Listen or Download:

• Start Time: 56:36
• Duration: 13:21
• Download: MP3 Segment
• Tags: Communication, Communication, Culture, Ethics, Islam, Objectivity, Race, Racism, Religion, Terrorism

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

Rapid Fire Questions

Questions:

• Should divorce be no-fault? Or should some wrongdoing be required for divorce?
• If a pregnant woman uses drugs or drinks heavily during pregnancy – thereby damaging her fetus – should the law do anything about that?

Listen or Download:

• Start Time: 1:09:57
• Duration: 10:03
• 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: 1:20:01

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.