Responsibility of Voters, Charity to Strangers, Leaving a Bad Job, and More
Q&A Radio: 19 October 2014
I answered questions on voters' responsibility for politicians, charity to strangers, quitting or waiting to be fired, and more on 19 October 2014. Greg Perkins of Objectivist Answers was my co-host. Listen to or download this episode of Philosophy in Action Radio below.
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Segments: 19 October 2014
Question 1: Voters' Responsibility for Politicians
Question: To what extent are voters responsible for the actions of politicians? Suppose that a candidate announces his plans and actions for next term before the election. Are the people who vote for that candidate morally sanctioning and/or responsible for those actions, for better or worse? For example, you vote for a candidate who supports de-regulation and ending social welfare programs, even though he's completely against abortion in all circumstances, even when that might result in the woman's death. Since you, as a voter, knew his position when you voted for him, aren't you partially responsible for any deaths of women caused by his anti-abortion policies?
Answer, In Brief: As a voter, you are not responsible for the wrong programs of politicians, provided that you chose the better candidate (based on the principle of individual rights), didn't whitewash the dangers, the perhaps even took active steps to mitigate them.
Tags: Activism, Elections, Ethics, Politics, Responsibility, Rights, Voting
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Question 2: Charity to Strangers
Question: Is charity to strangers virtuous? In a recent podcast, you answered the following Rapid Fire Question: "Does providing voluntary, non-sacrificial help to innocent, unfortunate poor people qualify as virtuous? In a free society, would such charity be a moral obligation?" You said that it's not a moral obligation, and I agree with that. You also said that you think it's a "great thing to do." But why? I'd evaluate it as such if the person you're helping is a good friend or a close relative. In that case, the act would be an expression of integrity, or of loyalty to one's personal values. But I don't understand why it's a "great thing" to provide charity to people you don't know, even if you're contextually certain that they didn't bring their hardship upon themselves and you don't view it as a moral duty. I'd think that such an act is morally neutral, or at best slightly positive. Can you explain your evaluation a bit more, please?
Answer, In Brief: If you want to live in a benevolent, helpful culture – and you should – then you should cultivate that attitude toward others, including strangers. Helping others out in small ways when you're able is of benefit to you!
Tags: Benevolence, Character, Charity, Community, Ethics, Integrity, Relationships
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Question 3: Quitting or Waiting to be Fired
Question: Should a person quit or wait to be fired from an increasingly intolerable job? I have been employed with a large company for 26 years, and it has been a mildly satisfying career until recently. Since a new CEO took the helm, working conditions have degraded exponentially. Some changes were necessary. Others are arbitrary and designed to intimidate employees to the point of resignation. For example, I recently phoned to report in sick, and I had to argue for an hour and a half before they would show me unavailable. The actuarial value of my pension at this point is about $400,000. If I stay for six more years, that amount will double. I believe that the shareholders have a right to fire me if I don't toe the line. But I believe that management is violating my rights by blatantly circumventing my contract. (For example, time off depends on manpower available, but they've laid off 20% of the workforce.) So should I quit now – or should I hang on and wait to be fired?
Answer, In Brief: Whatever the money that you might gain thereby, it's not worth making yourself miserable for years in an awful job. So try to make the job work – and if that doesn't work, leave!
Tags: Business, Career, Character, Ethics, Happiness, Work
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Rapid Fire Questions (55:51)
- Does the ebola crisis have an implication for public healthcare (i.e. how do we respond to people who say that the ebola epidemic proves the case for socialized medicine)?
- How much interaction with your (and Paul's) personal Facebook page is appropriate? I sometimes feel like I'm over doing it with the likes and I stop myself from commenting.
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Conclusion (1:05:15)
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About Philosophy in Action
I'm Dr. Diana Brickell. I'm a philosopher specializing in 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 book, Responsibility & Luck: A Defense of Praise and Blame, is available for purchase in paperback and Kindle. The book defends the justice of moral praise and blame of persons using an Aristotelian theory of moral responsibility, thereby refuting Thomas Nagel's "problem of moral luck."
My radio show, Philosophy in Action Radio, broadcasts live over the internet on most Sunday mornings and some Thursday evenings. On Sunday mornings, I answer 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 Thursday evenings, I interview an expert guest or discuss a topic of interest.
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