Rapid Fire Questions
Q&A Radio: Sunday, 7 December 2014
I answered questions chosen at random by Greg Perkins impromptu on 7 December 2014. You can listen to or download the podcast of just this section below – or check out the whole episode of Philosophy in Action Radio.
The questions were:
- Does the typical usage of Karma have an altruistic implication - that your good standing in the world is based on doing good for others?
- What do people mean when they tell you you're being 'harsh'? Is it the same as being unjust?
- What do you think of Interstellar?
- What modern fiction writer would you recommend?
- How can a person be objective in evaluating the people that he dates?
- What's wrong with the nihilistic argument that life is meaningless because death is inevitable?
- I've begun reading Dr. Leonard Peikoff's new book, "The DIM Hypothesis." If you've read it I'd be very interested to hear what you think of it. Might it represent a "new" philosophy or "turning point"?
- Why have Objectivists (including Ayn Rand) tended to use deontic language ("right" and "wrong") to describe actions rather than virtue ethics language ("good and "bad")?
- Should the independent creator of a technology be barred from using or producing it due to an existing patent? Should it matter if the independent inventor lives in a different state or country?
- Is it moral to allow a young child extremely fascinated with the human body to watch simple surgery videos to learn what doctors do, provided the parent prescreens the video for gruesomeness?
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- Duration: 26:32
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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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