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Podcast #54: Infidelity, Children, Abortion, PhDs, and More

 Posted by on 25 January 2011 at 10:00 am  Podcasts
Jan 252011
 

On Sunday’s episode of Philosophy in Action Radio, Greg Perkins and I answered questions on honesty about infidelity, pursuing someone already attached, children as an optional value, the morality of abortion, the value of a PhD, discrimination and rights, and more. The podcast of that episode is now available for streaming or downloading.

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Whole Podcast: 23 January 2011

Listen or Download:

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The mission of Philosophy in Action is to spread rational principles for real life… far and wide. That’s why the vast majority of my work is available to anyone, free of charge. I love doing the radio show, but each episode requires an investment of time, effort, and money to produce. So if you enjoy and value that work of mine, please contribute to the tip jar. I suggest $5 per episode or $20 per month, but any amount is appreciated. In return, contributors can request that I answer questions from the queue pronto, and regular contributors enjoy free access to premium content and other goodies.


Podcast Segments: 23 January 2011

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

Introduction

My News of the Week: Let’s get started!

Question 1: Honesty about Infidelity

Question: If a woman, for example, has cheated on her husband, should she always tell him afterward? So if a woman cheats on her husband, then regrets doing so, and decides to re-commit herself to the marriage. Should she tell her husband about that infidelity? What if the cheating was a short fling rather than a serious affair? What if the revelation would seriously damage or even destroy the marriage?

My Answer, In Brief: Whatever the consequences for the marriage, for the cheater to fail to tell the spouse is a major fraud.

Listen or Download:

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

Question 2: Pursuing Someone Already Attached

Question: Is it moral and/or wise to pursue someone else’s “significant other”? In particular: (1) Is it immoral to try to pursue or court another person’s committed romantic partner? (2) Would a rational woman want to be with a man, for example, who abandoned an existing relationship to be with with her? Also: (3) And if pursuing an already-attached person can be moral, do you have any advice about succeeding?

My Answer, In Brief: Unless a person is married, he/she is still properly considered on the market, to some extent. But… beware the cheater.

Listen or Download:

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

Question 3: Children as an Optional Value

Question: Why are children only an ‘optional value’? What does it mean to say that children are an “optional” value? Does that mean that every person should regard them as optional in his/her life – or something else? Also, given that life is the standard of value and the none of us would exist without reproduction, don’t we have a moral obligation to bear and raise the next generation?

My Answer, In Brief: Children are a fantastic value to many people, but not necessary for a flourishing life.

Listen or Download:

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

Question 4: The Morality of Abortion

Question: When is abortion morally right or wrong? Is abortion only proper in “extreme” cases like risk to life or health of the mother, rape or incest, or serious fetal deformity? Is terminating a healthy but unwanted pregnancy morally wrong? Is it an evasion of responsibility for the known consequences of one’s actions?

My Answer, In Brief: A choice as important as whether to raise a child should not be determined by the biological accident of conception.

Listen or Download:

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

Question 5: The Value of a PhD

Question: Given your comments in a prior webcast about the pointlessness of much of modern college education, why did you get a PhD in philosophy? More generally, do you think that a Ph.D can be of value?

My Answer, In Brief: The value of a Ph.D depends on a person’s particular circumstances… but do think twice before doing that!

Listen or Download:

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

Question 6: Discrimination and Rights

Question: In the essay “Racism” in The Virtue of Selfishness, Ayn Rand mentions that public institutions and government agencies should not discriminate against or on behalf of individuals. In her talk of private property, however, she says that government should not attempt to prevent private racism in private establishments and that a man’s rights are not violated by a private individual’s refusal to deal with him. My question is: How are his rights not violated if the owner discriminates against him?

My Answer, In Brief: A person’s rights are not violated because someone else doesn’t want anything to do with him – even if his reasons are vicious.

Listen or Download:

To comment on this question or my answer, 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: 59:09


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.

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