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!

Managers

23 votes Vote

Should a man unwilling to be a father have to pay child support?

Suppose that a man and a woman have sex, and the woman becomes pregnant -- even though the couple used contraception based on a shared and expressed desire not to have children. If the woman decides to raise the baby, should she be able to...

Andrew Medworth, 26.04.2011, 07:04

3 comments

23 votes Vote

Is there objective evidence for free will?

After doing some research on free will and determinism, the existence of free will seems pretty unlikely to me -- even though the thought of free will is comforting. An argument often used to refute determinism is that the determinist says that we...

Martijn Segers, 09.09.2011, 04:48

2 comments

23 votes Vote

Should you just keep quiet when a friend's bad philosophy works for him?

If someone you know pretty well believes in something mystical, such as "The Law of Attraction" (from "The Secret"), or "The Power of Prayer", and this has helped them move their outlook on life toward a benevolent universe premise, and they are...

tomhall, 13.10.2011, 18:20

2 comments

23 votes Vote

Is it wrong to con jerks and blowhards?

I know that dishonesty is wrong, but conning jerks and blowhards out of their money (e.g., http://ragecollection.com/20653 ) seems like justice at its best. So is it wrong?

Kyle, 27.11.2011, 22:57

0 comments

23 votes Vote

Do people have a right to "stabilizing medical care"?

EMTALA (Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act) is a federal law that requires ERs to stabilize any patient with an emergency medical condition, regardless of their ability to pay. Is that proper? Is that the same as a right to medical...

Cristendra Singh-Suwal, 27.03.2012, 18:29

1 comment

23 votes Vote

Shouldn't the government intervene when widespread racism makes life impossible for some people?

Given that the effect of strictly respecting the rights of private property owners in the South was that blacks could not find accommodations, health care, transportation, food, and other basic necessities of life, shouldn't the government have...

Anonymous, 05.10.2012, 20:36

0 comments

22 votes Vote

Why are some people such jerks on the internet?

Some seemingly decent people become downright malicious bastards on the internet, particularly when posting anonymously. Why is that? What does such behavior say about a person's moral character? How can a person keep his manners, his...

Anonymous, 31.12.2010, 13:49

0 comments

22 votes Vote

What's wrong with multiple sexual partners at a time?

Why do you think that multiple romantic partners are psychologically destructive for everyone involved? What is it about romantic love that you think demands attention on one and only one other person?

FormSpring, 24.11.2010, 22:35

0 comments

22 votes Vote

Do I hold any responsibility towards my younger brother?

My parents constantly ask me to help my brother with his studies, homework, etc & look after him when they're out & do things for him at the expense of my own studies & time. But I don't find any value in helping my brother.

Kruppz, 19.03.2011, 04:50

0 comments

22 votes Vote

How do I know if I am using my emotions as tools of cognition or not?

Patrik Lundin, 15.08.2011, 11:21

0 comments

22 votes Vote

Is it moral to sell your body?

Selling our bodies or certain parts of them are perfectly acceptable in our society, such as being an egg or sperm donor, being a pregnancy surrogate, or selling hair. But others are condemned, such as prostitution or selling organs. Where should...

Miranda , 19.08.2011, 09:06

0 comments

22 votes Vote

Should women adopt the last names of their husbands?

In today's culture, some newly-married women adopt the family name of their husbands. Some keep their own last name. Some hyphenate their names together. Some use their maiden name for work, but their married name in their personal life. Some...

Anonymous, 22.08.2011, 12:12

0 comments

22 votes Vote

How are evasion, context-dropping, and rationalization similar and different?

When thinking over a problem I notice that these terms can often be applied simultaneously. So what do they mean -- and how are they similar and different?

Yernaz Ramautarsing, 06.09.2011, 17:59

0 comments

22 votes Vote

What kinds of aesthetic body modifications are moral or immoral?

What differentiates piercing your ears from circumcision? Is tattooing moral? Does the amount of tattoos matter? What about gages, piercing kids' ears, scarring, dying hair, plastic surgery, and so on? Where do you draw the line -- and why?

Miranda, 08.09.2011, 05:24

0 comments

22 votes Vote

Is patriotism a virtue?

Is patriotism towards America a virtue? Should a person "love America" -- or is that just jingoistic nationalism?

Anonymous, 05.11.2011, 21:46

0 comments

22 votes Vote

How can a person be certain of his own objectivity?

It's often difficult to stick to the facts in reasoning, and it's even harder to make sure that you're focused on all and only the relevant facts. How can a person know that he's being objective -- as opposed to relying on unwarranted...

Joel S, 01.12.2011, 20:52

0 comments

22 votes Vote

Should children be protected by child labor laws?

Currently, federal and state governments restricts "child labor" in various ways. The US Department of Labor "restricts the hours that youth under 16 years of age can work and lists hazardous occupations too dangerous for young workers to...

Anonymous, 11.12.2011, 20:38

0 comments

22 votes Vote

When does humor work against my values?

Sometimes I wonder whether my jokes work against what I value. (For example, what's the most selfish sea creature? An Objectifish!) How do I draw the line?

Tjitze de Boer, 04.05.2012, 11:53

2 comments

22 votes Vote

What is the value of marriage?

What is the value of marriage? How is it different from living with a romantic partner in a committed relationship? Is marriage only a legal matter? Or does it have some personal or social benefit?

appliedphilosophy, 19.06.2012, 22:41

1 comment

22 votes Vote

Is memory trustworthy?

Memory is often described as being highly fallible and even malleable. Is that true? If so, what are the implications of that for claims about the objectivity and reliability of knowledge? What are the implications for daily life? Should we...

Steven, 09.10.2013, 19:35

0 comments

22 votes Vote

Would the government of a free society employ scientists?

In a fully free society, would there be any scientists employed full time by the government for police, legislative, or judicial services? If not, how would judges obtain the necessary scientific knowledge to make proper rulings in the court...

markcoldren, 03.04.2013, 19:35

2 comments

22 votes Vote

Should juries nullify bad laws by refusing to convict?

Imagine a criminal case of drug possession, tax evasion, or prostitution -- meaning, where the law is wrong because the outlawed activity doesn't violate rights. Should a rational juror refuse to find the defendant guilty? Would that be morally...

Michael, 16.06.2013, 18:55

1 comment

22 votes Vote

What can be done to prevent the hijacking of Ayn Rand's ideas?

Ayn Rand has become more and more popular over the last decade, and her ideas have begun to spread into academia. There is more literature being written about Objectivism now then ever before. But there is one thing that worries me. There is a...

Adam, 06.09.2013, 14:59

2 comments

21 votes Vote

Suppose you were a rational man in a relationship with a less rational woman, how would you handle your girlfriend's ever-expanding irrational behavior?

Paul Lin, 13.12.2010, 07:26

1 comment

21 votes Vote

Is it ever rational to be brutally honest?

There are usually two ways to say the same thing: tactfully or "brutally." In many instances, you cannot guess at how a person might react if you are "brutal" but then again they might not "get it" if you are tactful. Which approach is better? Is...

David, 17.02.2011, 12:31

0 comments

21 votes Vote

Is working for a minister giving religion moral sanction?

As an Objectivist, I once worked for an ordained minster who was the owner of a gallery. I became his manager when I made it clear that I was an atheist, but that I was a good framing manager. I don't think I gave him a moral sanction for his...

Thomas M. Miovas,Jr., 30.03.2011, 14:14

0 comments

21 votes Vote

How should a public school teacher discipline unruly students?

Since school attendance is mandatory, what is proper and moral way to handle discipline in class? I'm a Spanish teacher in public school, and I hate to threaten the unruly kids, but for the sake of students who are truly interested to learn...

Andrew , 24.04.2011, 08:25

1 comment

21 votes Vote

Is a person ever obliged to "give back to the community"?

Businesses often speak about their charitable work as "giving back to the community." I know that's wrong, because they didn't take anything from it in the first place. But when a person benefits from a certain group or organization, should he...

Anonymous, 16.05.2011, 08:07

0 comments

21 votes Vote

What are some common mistakes that adults make in dealing with their parents?

Why do they make those mistakes? And how can they do better?

Anonymous, 02.07.2011, 15:32

-1 comment

21 votes Vote

Is it immoral to give away food that you regard as unhealthy?

Assuming that one believes (as I do) that candy and sweets are harmful to health (especially in quantity), is it immoral to participate in trick-or-treat by giving children candy when they come to your door? Or, is it immoral to "dispose" of an...

Michael Mansberg, 10.07.2011, 07:46

1 comment

Pages< 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 ...35 >