Philosophy In Action

Every Sunday morning, philosopher Dr. Diana Hsieh answers your questions on the principles for living a happy, virtuous, and free life in her live Philosophy In Action Webcast. It's at 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET at http://www.PhilosophyInAction.com. Submit your questions here!

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27 votes Vote

Is lying to protect one's own privacy moral or not?

Many people regard lies to protect their own privacy as justifiable, even necessary. For example, a woman might tell her co-workers that she's not seeing anyone, even though she's dating the boss. She might tell those co-workers that she didn't...

Anonymous, 02.01.2011, 14:13

0 comments

27 votes Vote

If a person has cheated on his/her spouse, should he/she always tell that spouse afterward?

Imagine that 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...

DianaHsieh, 10.01.2011, 16:17

1 comment

27 votes Vote

Is it ever acceptable to act immorally if one is willing to accept the consequences?

This question was sparked by a statement in a previous podcast that it would be wrong to deceive a partner in order to save a relationship. Are there ever cases where one cares so much about a particular value that it can be legitimate to act...

Anonymous, 26.01.2011, 16:30

1 comment

27 votes Vote

What do you think about cryonics as a means of extending one's life?

Suppose there is at least a small chance that, if I am cryonically frozen in the coming years, doctors will be able to revive me at some point in the future. And suppose that money is not an issue (that I don't have to give up any other important...

Anonymous, 20.03.2011, 21:39

0 comments

27 votes Vote

What other countries besides America have a relatively healthy sense of life?

Suppose America takes a bad turn politically and I need to relocate to another country. What other countries still have a relatively healthy "sense of life" and decent culture -- in that they respect reason, accomplishment, and productiveness --...

Anonymous, 05.11.2011, 21:13

0 comments

27 votes Vote

Are animals a special kind of property?

On NoodleFood, you claimed that "the law should recognize that beloved pets are not mere property, but rather a special kind of property. To wrongfully cause the death of a pet should carry a significantly higher penalty than merely compensating...

Thad Fields, 07.12.2012, 12:56

1 comment

26 votes Vote

Should a person with a pre-existing medical condition that disqualifies him from most major medical insurance plans sign up for a state-sponsored high-risk insurance pool?

I'm a 1099 independent software contractor. I contract myself out to a single company. I love my job, the people I work with and hope to continue this relationship for a long time. Since I'm a 1099-employee, I'm responsible for my own health...

Anonymous, 07.01.2011, 14:18

2 comments

26 votes Vote

What do you say to parents pressuring you to have kids?

Lately, my parents have been pressuring me and my wife to have kids. They really want grandkids, I think. They've been dropping not-so-subtle hints to that effect, as well as saying that I'd regret not having them, that kids are just part of...

Anonymous, 23.01.2011, 17:07

0 comments

26 votes Vote

Should spousal consent be required for sterilization procedures?

A fairly well-known mommy blogger recently revealed that she was required to sign a consent form for her husband's vasectomy. Reading through some of the remarks on her blog, many of her commenters seem to support such a practice, believing that a...

Jenn Casey, 13.02.2011, 17:04

0 comments

26 votes Vote

Is it immoral to browse a store with no intention of buying there?

Is it immoral to take advantage of the freedom to look through books in a bookstore, or to try out a laptop in a shop, with no intention to actually buy it in that shop? For instance, flicking through a book in the shop and then buying it on...

Rory, 28.02.2011, 04:52

0 comments

26 votes Vote

Is it moral to lend a book to a friend?

Given the intellectual property issues regarding downloading music, movies etc... would lending a book, say Atlas Shrugged, to a friend or relative be considered a violation of the rights of the intellectual property holder?

Jay Robbins, 30.03.2011, 17:28

1 comment

26 votes Vote

Was Immanuel Kant evil rather than just wrong?

I understand that his ideas were evil, but why does Ayn Rand seem to say that he too was evil? Isn't it likely that he was just extremely misguided? It always seemed to me that he took all of the nonsense that had been taught before him to its...

Kyle Serrecchia, 19.04.2011, 22:29

1 comment

26 votes Vote

Should you always own up to your mistakes?

Recently, I made a huge mistake at work, accidentally discarding some very important files. When inquiry was made, I denied knowing anything about it. Should I have fessed up?

Anonymous, 03.07.2011, 16:04

1 comment

26 votes Vote

Does life have a purpose or meaning?

Religious people say that God gives their lives meaning, purpose, and direction. As an atheist, what do you think the purpose of life is? Does it have any inherent meaning -- or should a person arbitrarily decide its meaning? And shouldn't life...

Anonymous, 12.10.2011, 19:57

2 comments

26 votes Vote

Should minor girls be required by law to obtain parental consent for an abortion?

Normally, parents are legally empowered to make medical decisions for their minor children, and minors cannot obtain medical procedures without parental consent. How should that apply in the case of pregnancy? Should pregnancy and abortion be...

Kelly Elmore, 05.06.2012, 15:38

2 comments

26 votes Vote

Should the government mandate vaccination?

Advocates of free markets often disagree about whether vaccines are safe, effective, and necessary -- and whether they could be justly mandated by law. One problem is that the refusal to vaccinate oneself might put others at risk. Not everyone...

legendre007, 27.03.2014, 19:59

2 comments

25 votes Vote

I have an object in my possession that I stole almost 20 years ago. Finding the rightful owner and returning it is impossible. What should I do?

I once lived in a large, very old apartment building, with a bike room in the basement, where residents were supposed to keep their bicycles. The room was virtually unused, as residents tended to keep theirs in their apartments. There were many...

James, 23.01.2011, 13:34

1 comment

25 votes Vote

Is it okay for parents to "spy" on their children?

Amid the recent controversy over the iPhone's location tracking database, I realized that some enterprising parents might use it to surreptitiously track their teenager's whereabouts. In most cases, I'd assume the parents have good intentions in...

KPOM, 23.04.2011, 05:37

0 comments

25 votes Vote

Is it possible to create a conscious being on a purely logical system?

Is it possible to create a conscious being on a purely logical system such as a computer? Might consciousness and even free will somehow "emerge" out of a purely logical system? Also, what do you think of the "Turing Test" as a test of intelligence?

Martijn Segers, 14.10.2011, 10:31

0 comments

25 votes Vote

How should a person respond when pressured to reveal private information?

Some people think themselves entitled to know about the private lives of their co-workers, acquaintances, family, or friends. They won't take a hint, and they might even demand the information in front of other people or in a public forum. How...

Anonymous, 24.04.2012, 18:48

0 comments

25 votes Vote

Do adopted people have a right to know who their biological parents are?

This topic was raised on the Diane Rehm show this morning on NPR (1/26/12). Some adopted people want to know their biological parents, and knowing one's family medical history could be important to a person. So does a person have a right to know...

Tim Cheadle, 26.01.2012, 11:21

0 comments

25 votes Vote

Does repecting intellectual property require me to re-purchase my music collection lost due to hard drive failure?

Over the years I have purchased quite a bit of digital music and have built quite a large library. Recently, due to a computer crash and lack of backup, a large segment of that library was erased. Since I paid for all of the music that was lost, I...

Jay Stahl, 06.02.2012, 09:34

0 comments

24 votes Vote

What does it mean to treat an animal humanely?

The term "humanely" when applied to animals is confusing to me. What does it mean? Regardless of that term, what is the proper moral treatment of animals?

Kevin Morrill, 01.02.2011, 14:51

0 comments

24 votes Vote

Is it morally right or wrong to support political compromise?

The marijuana legalization initiative for the 2012 Colorado ballot also specifies open-ended taxation that circumvents the protections of TABOR. It specifies that the first $40 million goes to schools. Both of these taxation items are...

mspalding, 02.09.2011, 16:37

0 comments

24 votes Vote

Should people boycott Chick-Fil-A for its hostility to gays?

The fast food chain Chick-Fil-A is well-known for its promotion of Christian values. In recent years, the company has actively worked against gay marriage, in alliance with other organizations promoting the imposition of biblical commands by law....

Trey, 01.12.2011, 05:34

0 comments

24 votes Vote

Did Ayn Rand regard women as inferior to men?

I admire Ayn Rand, and I've used her philosophy in my business and personal life, but I disagree with her view of women. In her article "About a Woman President," Ayn Rand said that "For a woman qua woman, the essence of femininity is...

Barbara Lamar, 16.01.2012, 10:24

0 comments

24 votes Vote

Should I care about future generations?

People often claim that we should act for the sake of future generations, particularly regarding environmental concerns. Is that rational? Why should I care what happens to people after I am dead? Why should I work for the benefit of people who...

Adam, 04.06.2013, 07:32

1 comment

23 votes Vote

Is it wrong to cheat on a work style questionnaire on a job application?

I've been denied certain jobs because I've answered too selfishly on job questionnaires that gauge a person's work style. The questions often ask what you would do in certain situations, if you prefer working alone or with others, etc. Is it wrong...

Miranda, 24.01.2011, 07:35

0 comments

23 votes Vote

What is the proper view of animal rights? Are pets a form of property?

Could you consider an answer I posted on OA (http://objectivistanswers.com/questions/2180/should-objectivists-care-about-animal-rights) as in it I raised the notion that it is no longer req'd that we eat animals for our survival - how does this...

Philip Hopkins (la_phil), 26.01.2011, 20:11

0 comments

23 votes Vote

Which bathroom should a transgendered person use?

The brutal attack at McDonald's apparently stated with a transgendered person using the ladies restroom, which was already occupied by a 14 year old. Was the transgendered person wrong to use that restroom? See:...

David McBride, 24.04.2011, 03:12

3 comments

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