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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8 votes Vote

How should a person respond to another's irrational discussion tactics?

What should one do when engaged in an intellectual conversation with someone where you're trying to advance your ideas, but the other person has irrational, or even outright dishonest conversation techniques? Such techniques include frequent...

Benpercent, 18.04.2012, 13:09

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8 votes Vote

What's wrong with multiculturalism?

Many people think that "multiculturalism" just means being tolerant of people with different cultural practices than your own. Is that right? What is multiculturalism? What are some examples of it? What's wrong with it, if anything?

Fabian Bollinger, 26.04.2012, 18:50

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8 votes Vote

Why does fiction arouse such a powerful emotional response?

Why are people moved emotionally by literature and movies, even though they know that they're fictional? Shouldn't people respond emotionally only to real events, not products of imagination? Is there a rational basis for our emotional response...

Dylan Baker, 01.05.2012, 11:49

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8 votes Vote

Should a person allow his ideology to set his default positions?

When people adopt a religion, philosophy, or politics as their own, they often don't think through every issue -- or they've not done so yet. Does accepting the various positions of that ideology as a kind of default amount to accepting them on...

pabr0505, 09.05.2012, 09:55

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8 votes Vote

How can a person objectively assess his own character?

If a person has a good character, then he'll recognize that fact. But if a person has a bad character, then he'll probably deceive himself into thinking himself good. So it seems likely that every person will think that he has a good character,...

tomhall93, 27.05.2012, 09:12

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8 votes Vote

Is it wrong to invent stories about yourself to tell to strangers?

In the past, I've made up stories about myself (basically assuming a character) and told them to strangers on the bus or in an airport. When I mentioned this to my spouse, I hadn't really thought of this as lying until I saw his horrified...

Kelly Elmore, 05.06.2012, 18:11

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8 votes Vote

Should men be sensitive to women's fears of being raped?

Recently, I became aware of an ongoing debate among the online free thinker community regarding proper conduct of men toward women they do not know. In a June 2011 video reporting on a conference, "Skepchik" Rebecca Watson talked about her...

Trey Peden, 25.07.2012, 13:58

1 comment

8 votes Vote

Is chivalry virtuous?

In the Aurora Masacre, three men died in the process of physically shielding their girlfriends from the gunfire. (See http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/25/opinion/bennett-aurora-three/index.html) Is that kind of sacrifice noble? More generally, does...

Martin L Buchanan, 28.07.2012, 10:18

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8 votes Vote

Should an atheist refuse to have a religious wedding?

I'm an atheist, but my fiancée is a not-terribly-devout Christian. My parents -- and her parents too -- are Christian. Everyone wants and expects us to have a religious wedding, but I don't want that. My future wife would be willing to have a...

Anonymous, 12.09.2012, 14:30

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8 votes Vote

Is it wrong to be indifferent to the rights-violations of people who advocate rights-violations?

Some celebrities actively promote the violation of rights by lending their support to political groups. For example, former American Idol contestant Krista Branch has actively campaigned against gay marriage on behalf of Focus on the Family....

Pablo Romero, 15.10.2012, 19:14

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8 votes Vote

When would creating a political party advance the cause of liberty?

At the moment, creating a new political party might not make sense in the United States because the Republicans and Democrats dominate the elections and the media. But when would be the right time to do so, if ever? In other countries, even tiny...

Tjitze de Boer, 30.10.2012, 03:56

1 comment

8 votes Vote

Why isn't philosophy taught to young children?

It seems that teaching philosophy to young children -- as young as kindergarten -- might result in much better reasoning skills, as well as greater willingness to think independently and question what they're taught. So is philosophy not taught...

Nuno Luis, 02.11.2012, 14:13

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8 votes Vote

Is it wrong for me to do less than my best at my job?

At work, I used to go above and beyond my basic obligations routinely. However, I was never recognized or rewarded for my superior performance. Instead, I was paid the same as those who barely functioned in their jobs. To this day, my employer...

Erica, 12.11.2012, 19:45

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8 votes Vote

Will Obama's second term further damage American culture and values?

I'm not as worried about the tax hikes, foreign policy, and other concrete policies of Obama's second term as I am about the cultural change that his administration will instill in society over the next four years, just as it did over the last...

Anonymous, 30.11.2012, 21:31

1 comment

8 votes Vote

Are high taxes comparable to slavery?

On Facebook, some friends suggest that America is becoming more like Nazi Germany. Others share images comparing Americans workers to slaves picking cotton in the antebellum south due to our ever-higher taxes. I think these comparisons go way...

Kelly Valenzuela, 13.02.2013, 11:34

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8 votes Vote

Is it wrong to write essays I don't believe to win contest money?

I am a current university student with severe financial limitations. I’ve found that one of my best assets is my knack for writing a solid, persuasive essay. Recently, I’ve come across a trove of very generous scholarship essay contests. I...

Halina Reed, 18.02.2013, 18:05

1 comment

8 votes Vote

What should prospective parents do to ensure they won't regret having children?

In your 10 March 2013 show, you discussed what parents should do if they regret having children. But what can potential parents do to ensure that won't happen? How can a person know what being a parent is like -- for better or worse -- before...

Anonymous, 19.03.2013, 15:11

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8 votes Vote

Should a person respect signs prohibiting guns in certain areas?

Some businesses and government offices announce that firearms are prohibited in the building, yet no screening is conducted to ensure that firearms are excluded. In such "pretend gun-free zones," law-abiding people will disarm, while criminals...

Anonymous, 19.03.2013, 15:15

2 comments

8 votes Vote

What's the difference between consistency and extremism?

I'm often called an "extremist" for my views -- in my view, because I'm very consistent and refuse to compromise. Religious people are often called extremists too, yet that's really only consistency with their scripture. So how does "extremism"...

Hunter Polhemus, 10.04.2013, 17:02

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8 votes Vote

Are spouses entitled to privacy with each other?

My wife thinks that she should have access to all my online accounts, including my email. I don't have any secrets from her, and my email doesn't contain anything scandalous. Still, I don't want her prying into my conversations, and I don't see...

Anonymous, 13.05.2013, 11:52

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8 votes Vote

When is a relationship broken beyond repair?

Relationships can be severely strained, fraught with anger and frustration, and perhaps put on ice for weeks or months or years. Yet in the end, the two people can often reconcile in some way, so that they can enjoy a genuine (even if not deep)...

Anonymous, 13.05.2013, 12:10

1 comment

8 votes Vote

How does a person cultivate a healthy body image?

Suppose that a woman realizes that she has been unconsciously influenced by unrealistic body images -- as portrayed in movies, magazines, and so on? She is basically healthy, and so it would be good for her to feel good about how she looks. But a...

Jenn Casey, 30.05.2013, 17:37

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8 votes Vote

Should we want to be moral saints?

In her classic article "Moral Saints," Susan Wolf argues that a person should not wish to be morally perfect, i.e. a moral saint. What is her basic argument? What's right or wrong about it? Does it apply to rational egoism?

legendre007, 03.07.2013, 14:33

1 comment

8 votes Vote

How can I make better progress on my long-term goals?

I have the curious affliction of stagnating, often for very long periods of time, on long term goals. That happens even when those goals pertain to pursuits I enjoy. This pattern has me confused and somewhat alarmed, because I know that these...

Erin Mastrantonio, 28.07.2013, 20:26

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8 votes Vote

Should a person's credibility matter in judging his empirical claims?

Is it rational to use a person's track record -- meaning the frequency or consistency of truth in his past statements -- in judging the likely truth of his current statements? In "Ayn Rand's Normative Ethics," Tara Smith explains that to believe...

Joshua Brownstein, 04.08.2013, 14:20

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8 votes Vote

Does ethical egoism promote narcissism and insensitivity to others?

People often suggest that ethical egoism -- such as that advocated by Ayn Rand -- promotes unfriendly if not hostile behavior toward other people. Ultimately, the egoist cares for himself above everything else, perhaps to the point that the...

legendre007, 19.11.2013, 22:42

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8 votes Vote

How can I live more joyfully?

I believe that the world is a wonderful place full of opportunity, great things, and lovely people. I also believe that I am an efficacious person, and therefore capable of flourishing and achieving happiness. So why do my emotions not match my...

Adam, 06.01.2014, 05:00

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8 votes Vote

Can a person derive any self-esteem or happiness from university study?

Study is not a productive activity: it is preparation for future productivity. In light of this, how can I draw any self-esteem from my studies, whether successful or not? Can I consider my learning as "productive" achievement even though I am not...

Peter M., 06.04.2014, 21:05

1 comment

8 votes Vote

Does the morality of homosexuality depend on it being unchosen?

It seems that the advocates of gay rights and acceptance are obsessed with proving that homosexuality is never a choice. I find this confusing as it doesn't seem to be the best argument. Even if sexual orientation were chosen, I don't see why...

Matthew Tobias, 08.04.2014, 23:56

1 comment

8 votes Vote

Was Atlas Shrugged intended to save America?

Recently, I ran across this comment on the internet: ""Saving America wasn't the point of Atlas Shrugged, that's not the happily ever after it proposes in the end. It chronicles the main characters getting over that misguided mission and why."...

Jose Bernus, 15.04.2014, 12:37

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